Previewing My Favorite Summer Shows

I'm taking a break from baseball for a second to talk about my favorite Summer shows starting up:

 

Tonight, June 8 Weeds (Showtime), 10 p.m.

When we last left them - Take it away LA Times: "When last we saw our favorite drug dealer [Nancy Botwin], she was facing execution at the hands of her lover, Esteban Reyes, the drug lord/Mexican mayor she had (partially) betrayed by becoming an FBI informant. He slapped down a photo of her conversing with an agent, she slapped down a photo of a sonogram."

Where they are going next - Ok, fine LA Times again: "As Season 5 opens, it becomes increasingly clear that she will be safe as long as the baby is indeed a boy, Reyes' and viable. Several other plot lines begin to unfold -- Andy takes Shane to live with Nancy's sister, Jill (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and that does not go smoothly. Silas and Doug attempt to set up a medicinal marijuana business, and neither does that. Celia has been kidnapped by a rebel leader and his abusive girlfriend who quickly realize their mistake."

Andrew's thoughts: I thought last season was a bit of a struggle. They had a burned down Agrestic and a half-baked (pun intended) plot of how to get all the characters together. Mary-Louise Parker was fabulous as usual but, by the end, she was too calmly going through the motions. Maybe this is just a signed of a women hardened by the trials and tribulations of her life so far, but part of it just seemed to me to be too easy with her family and her life in tatters. Not that she hadn't dealt with that before, but this past season, it just seemed like she was almost too bold and confident considering how much she still had to lose and seemed to throw her pride and dignity out the window. Still, this show has one of the best supporting casts who provide the comedy for the show and we got to see more Naked Nancy last season (which someone brilliantly and totally NSFW-ly documented in a lovely compilation video) so that's always a positive. I am intrigued to see what happens with Andy who is clearly now in love with his dead brother's widow and I'm interested by Alanais Morrisette's role in this show and in Andy's life. And my disappointment with the show last season really is just because it has been so brilliant to date that my expectations are so high.

I would be bereft of duty had I not, at this point, quoted Ausiello: "The new season starts off with the fallout from that announcement [of her pregnancy]. Her family is pissed. Even Andy, who loves her. Nancy basically acknowledges she's a terrible human being, but then proceeds to act like even more of one. She dumps Shane off to live with her volatile sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh) because he isn't safe at home. She even purposely gets drunk to antagonize her Mexican drug lord boyfriend, simply because it's the last card she can play in her epic power struggle. What will continue to make the season worth watching is to see if Nancy can win back a shred of dignity. She needs to have some sort of redemptive arc to make the show compelling again. Whether that will actually happen remains to be seen."

I can't wait!

 

Sunday, July 12 Entourage (HBO), 10:30 p.m.

When we last left them - Another dispute between Eric and Vince ensues after Eric zealously pursues a role for Vince in a Gus Van Sant film. While Eric is back in California and the rest of the boys are in New York, we find out Eric's work has paid off as Eric's persistence led to an offer by Martin Scorsese to Vince for a lead in his next feature, a re-envisioning of The Great Gatsby set in the Upper West Side of New York City. The episode ends with them all back in California on their way to celebrate. Oh, and Turtle and Jamie-Lynn Sigler are together, pissing off many men.

Where they are going next - From AceShowbiz: "According to The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Letscher, William Fichtner and Scott Caan will be involved in a multi-episode arc...Beside the new additions, the new chapter will bring in a bunch of guest stars playing themselves such as Lil Wayne, Tom Brady, Zac Efron, Aaron Sorkin and LeBron James. Meanwhile, Gary Cole, Autumn Reeser and Kate Mara will play as agents and assistants to the boys."

Andrew's thoughts: The show's ending for last season was ridiculous. I know that the show would be boring if only good stuff or only bad stuff happened to Vince, but I feel like the show has recycled the same failure-to-redemption-to-failure-to-redemption plot way too much. The show also became ridiculously self-referential with cameos taking over the show. Johnny Drama and Turtle both became way too caricatured to the point you could almost predict their lines. Ari was by far the best character and by the final episode, we had dropped him almost completely. The show is still entertaining most of the time and I loved the idea of the guys going back to their roots in New York. But I think it needs some new blood and a some new, fresh ideas in Season 6. And I like the fact that new people are becoming involved, though I'm worried that the cameos will, once again, overshadow the actual show.

And, at this point, I go to Bill Simmons: "Well, the fifth season of "Entourage" wasn't implausible at all: I can totally see Vince's losing his career after one bad movie (so what if Colin Farrell has made 15 stinkers and keeps getting jobs?), becoming Hollywood poison, getting a job only because his agent passed up a $10-million-a-year studio head position to stay with him -- you know, because agents have such great character -- submarining an elaborate $120 million action movie that somehow came together in about 2.23 seconds because the director hated him (in the irony of ironies, because he didn't think Vince, a guy played by Adrian Grenier, could act), hitting rock bottom and moving back to Queens, then climactically rebounding with the lead in Martin Scorsese's new movie without ever auditioning for it, and while all of this was happening Jamie-Lynn Sigler fell in love with a jobless Turtle, and Johnny Drama starred on an NBC drama that normally would tape for 17 hours a day, unless your show stars Johnny Drama, in which case you tape once a month for a couple of minutes. Awesome. I'd ask for that 390 minutes of my life back, but it's my own fault for watching. I blame myself."

I don't think it was that brutal, but this show needs a redemptive Season 6 in a bad, bad way.

A Late Sunday in August Mad Men (AMC), 10 p.m. 

When we last left them - Betty is pregnant and Don is back at home. For everything else, check out this promo for Season 3 (wow) for the recap of the past two years in 30 seconds.

Where they are going next - No clue. They haven't confirmed a starting date. They won't talk about Season 3. It's been a surprise. The only thing confirmed was that the baby is, indeed, Don's. But that's not really quenching my need for some much-needed Mad Men info, is it?

Andrew's thoughts: Mad Men defied the Sophomore Slump and produced another huge season. Don Draper overtook Peggy Olson as the main attraction and the show seemed to continue to head forward, though it did take an odd diversion when Don left the California trip to explore his past. But both Peggy and Don carried the show with Don's wife Betty and Peggy's former nemesis Joan Holloway great as supporting actresses. This show isn't only one of the best this summer, it's moved right into the pantheon of best shows on TV. Although I missed seeing this show live, on the advice of some friends, I downloaded every episode and watched them on my iPod Touch during my morning and evening commutes. And I was hooked from the beginning of Season 1 up until the very end of Season 2. One thing we don't know: where is Don working at the beginning of Season 3? Sterling Cooper or a competing agency? Wouldn't it be cool to see Don go up against Peggy for an account? Now that he's collected his cool half million, Don is set up to do what he wants. Though that same blasé attitude probably cannot apply to his women anymore after Betty let him back into the house and with a new baby on the way.

And I'm not the only one who loves Mad Men. According to the press release, while the women of the show were shunned, Mad Men still got nominated for three Television Critics Association (TCA) awards. The New York Times just wrote an article about the woman behind Peggy Olson, Elisabeth Moss, who I found out is not only a Scientologist (!) but also engaged to Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live (!!). And the LA Times recently wrote a glowing piece, talking about how the cast was "besieged on the red carpet this January". It won a SAG Award for it's second season, political columnists made mention of them, "Mad men"-era became a term, and even Michael Kors called the series an inspiration in his work. They list Paul McCartney, Jerry Seinfeld, Sean Penn, and Meryl Streep as fans. It's been parodied on The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live. And amazingly only an average of 1.5 million viewers saw the last season. If you don't watch already, put this show on your DVR, please.

 

Sunday, September 27 Dexter (Showtime) 10 p.m.

When we last left them - Dexter is once again free by the finale, unburdened of Miguel Prado and the Skinner, dancing with a pregnant Rita at his wedding despite his broken hand. We see a drop of blood fall from Dexter's cast onto Rita's wedding dress.

Where they are going next - From the press release: "Academy Award-nominated and Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe award-winner John Lithgow will take on one of his most intense and intriguing roles to date portraying Miami's latest serial killer in SHOWTIME's top-rated drama series DEXTER. Lithgow will be featured in all 12 episodes of season four...[and] will play Walter Simmons, an unassuming, mild-mannered suburbanite who has been living a duel life as one of America's most prolific and deadliest serial killers. Dubbed the Trinity Killer because of his proclivity to kill in three's, he relocates to Miami after being tracked by F.B.I. Special Agent Frank Lundy (Keith Carradine). Brought on to assist in the investigation of Miami's latest serial killer, Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) becomes fascinated with Trinity's unique killing methods and his ability to evade capture for almost three decades."

Andrew's thoughts: I'm excited. While Marie-Louise Parker is the Most Valuable Player for the women of the television shows I watch, no one (save maybe Jack Bauer) carries a show quite like Michael C. Hall does in Dexter. Last season, they gave Hall's Dexter Jimmy Smits' Miguel Prado and I thought it worked extremely well. While I was worried at first about putting a big-name actor opposite Hall, Smits played the role brilliantly up until his untimely death. I also watched the first two seasons of this show on the train, though this one kept me covering the screen a lot more than Mad Men. It is well-written and well-acted by Hall who gets another challenge up against John Lithgow. Frank Lundy is back which means Deb has her lover/daddy-figure back, keeping that storyline alive, as much as I may dislike that. The show is best when it's Dexter's sick mind and mixed up thoughts which allow for humor amidst a large amount of gore.

The critics like this show, but I feel like Michael C. Hall has not received his due. Although nominated for Emmys, Golden Globes, and, recently for TCAs as well, it has not brought home the hardware. This is despite having the highest viewership among Showtime shows (the Season 3 finale was watched by the most viewers of a Showtime original series since Nielsen starting compiling those ratings in 2004). The one complaint I have about this show is that every season finale seems to end too conveniently and too cleanly. Let's hope that Season 4 has more in store for Dexter than just 12 episodes. Whatever happens, this show continues to be one of the mostly sickly entertaining shows on the air and I'm excited to see what marriage and parenthood do to the serial killer within Dexter.

 

Late/Fall 2009 Californication (Showtime) ?

When we last left them - The season closes with Karen's plane leaving for New York and Hank and Becca walking on the Venice boardwalk.

Where they are going next - Let's introduce some new characters via EW: "Iconic sex symbol Kathleen Turner is joining Showtime's Californication for a recurring arc during the dramedy's upcoming third season, sources confirm to me exclusively. Turner will play the ball-breaking, foul-mouthed, outrageous boss of Evan Handler's literary agent. She's Ari Gold without the poison sushi allergy penis!"

"What happens when a sex addict falls for a boy-crazy student? We'll find out later this year when Rescue Me and Numb3rs alum Diane Farr joins the third season of Showtime's Californication as a horny grad student who falls for David Duchovny's carnally-obsessed Hank."

"One-time Law & Order: CI detective Alicia Witt will guest star as a sexy gynecologist that Hank (David Duchovny) crushes on in the upcoming third season of Californication. Additionally, In Treatment's Embeth Davidtz has been cast as the wife of Peter Gallagher's dean in 10 episodes of the Showtime dramedy."

Now here's the scoop we need: "Showtime has officially announced that Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl), Eva Amurri (Saved!), and Embeth Davidtz (In Treatment) will guest star on David Duchovny-led Californication when the show returns for its third season this fall. The press announcement also included the news that Rick Springfield will also appear, but EW's Michael Ausiello exclusively broke that news on Tuesday. The four will join recently announced guest stars for season three, including Kathleen Turner, Diane Farr, and Peter Gallagher. Season three finds Hank (Duchovny) taking a position as a college professor. According to the release, "he'll attempt to shape the minds of the next generation of scribes while trying to hold down a 'regular' job and keep wild child daughter Becca (Madeleine Martin) on the straight and narrow."

Andrew's thoughts: The show needed something new. Every episode was formulaic to a fault. If you happen to watch this show in a few sittings, you'd be horrified by how much each episode looked like the last one: Hank wants Karen but sex/drugs/life get in the way, she forgives him, he disappoints, Becca gets in the middle. Hopefully with this large infusion of new blood, it'll allow for some greater character arcs than one episode/one-night stands (like Lew Ashby's from last season). For me, the role of Becca can dictate where this season and the series goes. If Hank has to dedicate more of his life towards her, they can find a way to make this "dramedy" work. If it's all about Hank's love, sex and rock & roll, it will be nothing more than entertainment. It is by far the lightest out of my Summer's dark comedies, but it could actually use a little more darkness/seriousness to make it more intriguing. It's a good show and entertaining, but it has the potential to be more than just entertainment.

Regardless of what I think, David Duchovny continues to carry the show and was rewarded with a Golden Globe for his work in 2007, though he was shut out in 2008 (the series was nominated but shut out both years). The series has also been nominated for ACE, BAFTA, CSA, Emmy, and Satellite Awards. I'm excited to see the shenanigans that Hank gets into this season and enjoy the comedic relief that Charlie Runkel, Hank's one and only friend, provides. But for me to put it amongst the other Summer elite, it'll need to have a big third season.