Rewind

'Tis the season for travelling, a whole lot of holiday parties, and movies, so not much time for t.v. this month (winter months are pretty slow for new shows, anyway).
Boardwalk Empire (Season 2) - It got so gory this season, but I guess that's how it goes when there's a war. I am not sure how historically accurate it is, but I like how they intertwine veteran's day and fighting overseas into the corruption and casualties of prohibition.
Mad Men (Season 5) -The end of the season switched into high gear and the building plot lines play out nicely.
Girls (Season 1) - I loved this show so much that I was really happy to see the dvd show up in our collection and have re-watched every episode an embarrassing amount (maybe not as embarrassing as the things that happen on the show). It's so funny, and there are so many good lines that I never tire of.
Bob's Burgers (Season 3) - Hilarious holiday hijinks! Hooray!

In my travels and winter break, I had lots of time to read. I finished the Marriage Plot.  I learned from a friends about the rumor of a main character being based on David Foster Wallace. It's not a good sign when the rumor's more interesting than the book. While enjoyable, it did not seem to go anywhere. I had similar problem with The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, which I really wanted to like - it's a rare thing to find an honest portrayal of gentrification in Washington, D.C. The pacing was just off, and the plot and characters just never really developed. Wonderstruck was a quick, snowy-day enjoyable young adult graphic novel. I read Ubik in preparation for seeing a play based on the book - a bit dated, much more complex than I expected.

Feastivities!

Mad Men (Season 5) - After a seemingly endless "very long wait," we finally received the first disc. The local video store supplied the next disc, alleviating us from another very long wait. I tried really hard not to hear any spoilers for this season, so while I knew a little (someone takes LSD), not a lot. There's a little less drama since you know the characters so well, but that's fine because they're all so interesting it's still fun to watch. So far, there's more humor than I remember from prior seasons, which more than makes up the difference in having a little less drama.
Tudors (Season 1) - This has been on the queue forever and I finally started watching it. It's ridiculous, but pretty to watch.
Too Big to Fail - There's something just way too distracting about watching really famous actors play famous people. Maybe this dramatization of a nonfiction story was news to others, but it wasn't to me.
Poor Kids (Frontline) - A devastating discussion with kids growing up in poverty in America. A harsh reminder of the plight of kids who go hungry and homeless in a country that can afford to house and feed everyone, if it had the political will to do it.
Bob's Burgers - Definitely missed during the baseball interruption, I was happy to have their wacky hijinks back in November. I missed the last episode, and am patiently waiting for it to come onto Hulu.
Simpsons - Hit or miss, as usual these days, mostly miss.
Good Wife - Lately I have felt like the 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Sunday night TV is too much sitting and I resent having to watch the frantic last 45 minutes of The Amazing Race while waiting for the Good Wife. It has not been worth the wait lately.
Colbert Report - I really enjoyed his post-election bit, and with the holiday season upon us and the fiscal cliff nearing, it's nice to have him back from his break continuing to make fun of the insanity.
Parks & Recreation - I want to like the City Council bit more than I do; it feels like they are struggling to find new plot ideas.
30 Rock - A TV wedding fit for a feminist. I love you, Liz Lemmon!
Suicide Plan (Frontline)- An engrossing look at end-of-life choices and the entities and individuals who help people die when they decide they're done. Who knew that Party City's helium tanks provide an easy escape hatch for the elderly and terminally ill?
Dust Bowl - I am no history buff by a long shot, but I really enjoyed the second episode. The rabbit killing in the first episode was a bit tough to stomach. I thought the whole thing could have been edited down a bit into one episode, but it was a fascinating look at a time I knew very little about. I liked how much original footage and pictures were used, and that nearly the whole thing was narrated by non-experts - just regular people talking about growing up in the "dirty 30s."
Park Avenue: Power, Money  & the American Dream - - I cannot stop telling people about this biting documentary on Independent Lens. Just after the election, it was a well-needed reminder that money corrupts completely, and corrupts our political system especially. While the ads were the public face of the spending during the election season, the year-round spending behind closed doors, setting the agenda and drafting bills is really what we have to worry about. I saw another documentary this guy was involved in, "Casino Jack and the United States of Money," also worth watching.

Off-screen, I completed American Dervish for book club and loved it. It feels like a very sincere and honest look at the complexities of coming of age in an Islamic, immigrant family. It confronts the tension between Muslim and Jewish communities head-on, which I really enjoyed. I am also just a little ways into Euginides' Marriage Plot, which seems like an English major's wet dream, but I am not sure where it is going yet. I like being reminded of some of the academic references from my undergraduate years, although the ivy league component is a bit unfamiliar to me.

Boo!

Storm Patrol - Usually a treat reserved for snow days, winter came early this year with an unusual chilly hurricane justifying watching long hours of local news and excessive amounts of nail-biting weather updates and random people on the street. Hunkered down for an extended weekend,  I feel lucky that the extra days off involved a dodged bullet that allowed me to watch copious amounts of T.V.
Climate of Doubt (Frontline) - As the storm and election moved closer, it felt like a good time to stop and watch why we seem to be backpedaling on climate change, despite near-scientific consensus. despite islands sinking, miners getting trapped underground in the name of maximizing, and catastrophic storms becoming commonplace.
The Choice (Frontline) - As always, an insightful and refreshing biography of two candidates for public office that cuts through the excessive ads and spin.
Presidential and Vice-Presidential Debates - As someone with a love-hate relationship with politics, and aside from a couple chuckles about clever memes, let's all agree it's been a tense, uncomfortable political season.
Big Sky, Big Money (Frontline) - After watching way too many political ads in Florida and a bunch of local ads funded by out-of-state groups, I thoroughly enjoyed nerding out to some Trevor Potter and the twists and turns of tax-exempt funding of political ads. I thought they got a little too excited about the meth house lead in, and it's too bad they couldn't get more people to talk, but I guess that's how anonymous political donors are. The whole shell-corporation game's a fascinating, albeit disturbing, trend.
Race 2012 - A refreshing reminder of the role race plays in politics (well, unless you occasionally listen to Smiley & West on the radio, in which case you probably knew about this already...)
30 Rock - Oh, Tina Fey. You knew we would miss your Sarah Palin impression this presidential race and so you treated us to political humor on 30 Rock! Hooray!
Good Wife - This season's kind of "eh" so far. I think they need to introduce some new plot lines or something. I am getting tired of the same old characters doing the same things.
Parks & Recreation - Smooth sailing in Pawnee - nothing super exciting so far.
The Black Power Mix Tape (1967-1975) - Another storm watch, I missed this on PBS and was happy to see it added to Netflix Instant. I enjoyed the really great footage from Swedish television about aspects of the civil rights movement rarely addressed in American television, interspersed with rappers talking about its relevancy today.
Mindy Project - At someone's urging, I regretfully watched another episode of this show. Double ugh. I stand by my original review.
Call the Midwife - Ok, this is quite a bit darker than I expected. Who knew that they called the midwife when a baby gets taken from a carriage or when a man in an incestuous relationship is dying of cancer? Yeah, me neither.
The Baby Wait - A while before TeenMom2, how about hanging out with some dude dads who do not totally disappoint? Good idea! I think they must have made this 30 day wait law with a TV show in mind, because aside from a lot of drama, I am not sure what good it does!
Project Runway - Totally forgettable finale. Who won again? Who cares?
The House I Live In - A really damning documentary indicting the drug war, I caught a special free screening at local movie theatre, The Charles, but I believe it's coming to Independent Lens later this season.
Love Free or Die - I missed this at the Maryland Film Festival a year ago (but I did see the Pruitt-Igoe Myth there -- go watch it on Netflix instant! It's good!), so I am glad they had it on Independent Lens this year.
Simpsons and Bob's Burgers - Both shows make me excited for the fall season, but get interrupted by baseball so much, it's hard to remember they even premiered yet.
Wilfred - It's on Netflix now, too, so you have no excuses.
Dexter (Season 6) - Yeah, I devoured another season of it, even though it's super predictable.
I read Swamplandia on a recent trip to Florida, and really enjoyed it - as zany as the State in which it's set. The Infinite Wait is the newest release from Fart Party author Julia Wertz. I do not know if it's just because we're about the same age or what, but it's one of those books where you feel like you have a lot in common with the author, even when you don't, really.

Fall Frenzy

I'm in the midst of another hectic fall, so viewing time's been compromised. I am excited about the fall season starting on Sunday, and some things finally scheduled to come out on DVD (Mad Men!!). To keep things fresh, I'm also adding new color coding (a la Charm City Cineaste)!
Netflix
Hulu
Internet
Rabbit Ears
Book
*Party Down (Seasons 1 and 2) - Sitting on the queue for quite a while, this finally came up and I am not sure why I didn't watch it sooner (and why it never got renewed for another season). A really funny look at the folks working in the catering business in Hollywood, without falling into the trope of naval-gazing.
*Project Runway (Season 10) - Bon Voyage, Ven! I am glad he got cut before he could criticize babies for being fat. Also, I am not sure I approve of baby fashion. I guess they have to wear clothes (sort of), but how come they didn't have any dads with their kids? Are babies just some kind of fashion accessory for women?
*Misfits (Season 1) - The premise to this show seems totally silly and the plot does feel a bit thin at times, but it's actually a pretty good Hulu show. Just like with Skins, the Brits sure are good at juvenile delinquency.
*Frontline - Dropout Nation - This felt way too long and a bit indulgent. The principal and teachers featured on the show thought they had found some answer to this difficult problem but obviously hadn't. Even though it's a documentary, it feels fake to focus so much on a schools that's had a huge influx of private funds to so some intensive intervention work. That's not the reality in most of the country, and I would like to hear from those people in a year or two when the funds run out, they all get laid off, and another round of kids get left behind. It's an incredibly important national conversation and I wish Frontline had done a better job providing some context to the conversation.
*Wilfred (Season 2) - This show is hilarious and totally zany! I wish more people were watching it.
*Parks & Recreation (Season 5) - It's nice to have the bunch back early in the fall. So far, so good.
*The Mindy Project -Terrible! Is this cancelled yet? I'll hold out hope that PBS' Call the Midwife fulfills my female physician viewing this fall. Hopefully they'll be quite a bit tougher than Mindy. Ugh.
*16 & Pregnant - How did I miss this back in the spring? Another season of dashed dreams and disappointing dudes.

I completed and thoroughly enjoyed 1Q84, the new Murakami book. I loved disappearing into the world of two moons, an air chrysalis, little people, religious cults, and an assassin. A strange mix that only Murakami could narrate. I also just finished Gone Girl for my book club. I am not usually one for mysteries, but it's pretty well written. It's the first book I've read on a tablet and I have mixed feelings about the experience. I probably won't switch over entirely - a few features like the glare and not being able to flip through easily were annoying, but it is really nice when you're reading just before bed to have the page light up.

Look at that Leap!

*Olympics - It's the sports event for non-sports fans! Too bad those announcers take things so seriously. I don't want to understand what's happening in the event, I just want to marvel at it. It is nice that through the summer lull, there's always some random event on to watch. I could do without the sappy stories about triumph over adversity, too. Just get to the sparkly costumes already!

*Treme (Season 2) - Trudging through the second season sadness was tough. The show's tremendous, just so, so dark.

*Louie (Season 2) - The new season drags a bit in the middle, especially his tour with the troops. But the nuggets of comic genius had me laughing so hard I cried. Hilarious!

*The Hour (Season 1) - Hello, McNulty! Welcome back to my life. I only caught an episode of this on demand while on vacation, but I'm intrigued enough to add it to the Netflix queue.

*Wilfred (Season 2) - Another one I managed to see on demand, and am waiting patiently for new episodes on Hulu.

*Project Runway (Season 10) - As much as I enjoyed revisiting favorite designers in the All Stars last time around, it's nice to have the dynamic duo, Heidi and Tim, back. I don't usually pick someone to root for this early, but after last week, I'm rooting for Sojia. I wasn't crazy about her the first week.

*Good Wife (Season 2) - I got the first couple discs from Netflix, and am trying to block out time for a marathon session today to finish it (and hopefully this skirt I'm knitting).

*Frontline, Alaska Gold - More than you ever wanted to know about salmon in Alaska and the threat of a mineral mine. A good reminder that our paperless revolution may save our trees, but also increases mineral mining demands that destroy other natural habitats.

*Independent Lens, Strong! - This is one where the preview was more exciting than the documentary about an Olympic weightlifter whose heft puts her at an advantage in her sport. I think they needed a little more substance in for it to last that long. All in all, though, it was way better than the sappy Olympic spots. With the U.S. women winning so many gold medals, it was certainly a timely screening.

Beach Bunny

Summer's time for swimming, so between strokes I managed to catch a few shows.

*Between the Folds - A nerd-tastical documentary about origami art and science, including everyone from French anarchist origami artists, an Israeli minimalist, to an MIT genuis. Surprisingly beautiful; glad I caught it before it expired on Netflix Instant.

*Wilfred - Season 2 Sneak Peak - After the cliff hanger of last season, I was not sure how they would pull things back together, but somehow they did! I can't wait to see what's in store.

*The Newsroom - I love, love, love the news, and I hate, hate, hate this show. It's so sappy and overacted; it's really unfortunate because I know there's a lot of interesting stuff that goes on in the newsroom. If they left out the "personal" stories it might be a good show.

*Endgame: AIDS in Black America - A seriously heavy, intimate and intricate look at why AIDS continues to increase in the African American community - from the Southern abstinence-only curriculum to evangelical anti-homosexual preaching. Well worth watching.

*NOVA: The Higgs Particle - The real explosion on July 4th was this revelation. How freaky is physics these days?

*The City Dark - Normally, I roll my eyes at stargazers, but after seeing the real night sky out West this summer, I became a bit more humble about it all. I love city life, but I also miss seeing the stars some nights. It's nice to know I'm not alone in that feeling. It was really surprising to learn the melatonin depletion connection between night shift work and breast cancer rates. There's still something pretty mysterious about the night.

*Treme (Season 2) - After feeling stabbed in the heart by the end of the last season, I was slow to start the new season. It's very well done, but Simon sure knows how to twist a knife in your heart just when you think it can't get worse.

Video Vacay

So there's not a lot on the t.v. right now, and I sprang free for some spring trips away from the tube (aside from the joys of hotel cable!!). I was also working hard to avoid Mad Men spoilers, since I am awaiting the DVD option.

*Game of Thrones - Finished up the first season, and now I can't wait to see the next one.

*Hung - The latest season involves setting up shop -- somewhat unbelievable, but still a good chuckle. They've managed to keep a thin premise going for a surprising amount of time.

*Entourage - A guilty indulgence of my secret inner man-child. How is this show still on the air?

*Enlightened - A new series I caught an unlikable main character whose corporate gig lets her go on a life-altering retreat after a mental breakdown. I really couldn't get into it.

*Girls - I love this chart on the likability of the boys on "Girls." I also discovered that a fair number of people do not like watching things that are uncomfortable to watch. I like it, but it's clearly not for everyone. It is a pretty specific story that doesn't speak to everyone. The boys on the show do some things that strike a lot of people as unforgivable, but I like that it's a challenging show because sometimes people do stuff like that in real life, and people still forgive them. And I do think some stuff that happens is pretty ridiculous, but that's what makes it funny.

I did read some books on these trips: Sense of an Ending (sort of boring British read about an old man looking back on a relationship), Under the Banner of Heaven (fascinating non-fiction about fundamentalist Mormons), and I started IQ84 (very much like other Murakami so far).

One-Eared Rabbit

My dream has come true...my t.v. is now hooked up with a wireless card to stream anything online, complete with a remote keyboard mouse. I may never leave the couch again.

*Good Wife - Thanks to a generous gift, I gorged myself on the first season recently while finishing out the latest season. I may have overdosed a bit in the process, but after a break I'm sure I'll be back for more.

*Game of Thrones - No need to wait for the summer Renaissance season to nerd out in fantasy land. This one requires some close attention to keep track of all the back stories about each family, but with this genre, it's better enjoying it on the big screen than reading a hundred pages of back story.

*Frontline - Did you know there's little to no science behind CSI, including the idea that fingerprints are unique? Another example of excellent, eye-opening reporting that you really can't find elsewhere these days. I'm in the midst now of their 4-part series on Wall Street greed. Familiar territory, but very well made.

*Mildred Pierce - Beautifully shot and acted, this period piece is about a woman and her complex, strained relationship with her daughter. The mini-series gets under your skin about a time somewhat parallel to our own.

*30 Rock - While I was not crazy about the repeat attempt at "Queen of Jordan," the second attempt at a live show worked well.

*Parks & Recreation - This season seems to be dragging a bit, but still funny.

*Bob's Burger - The food truck episode was hysterical. Gene's been golden! My favorite recent line of his -- Louise: We could buy an island! Gene: And a smaller island...For farting.

*Girls - I loved Tiny Furniture, and this show does not disappoint. So good she writes her own review, really: "I could be the voice of my generation. Or a voice. Of a generation."

*Colbert Report - With the Republican primary over, there's a little less material to work with. Colbert can still find a way to kill it, though - prime example was this recent spot about Kermit the Frog's German troubles. His spots on gun control and health care have both been great lately, too.

Hoppin' Around

It's a busy time for bunnies - Easter's around the corner, and somehow people expect bunnies to hide eggs everywhere. What is up with that? Anyway, apologies for the belated post.

*Boardwalk Empire (Season 1) - One of those shows that made me pine for cable when it was on, this show did not disappoint. The actor who played Omar in the Wire returns as the leader of the black community. The addition of movie stars and directors doesn't hurt, either. And then, basing the story on the appalling corruption during prohibition times, gives the plot an amazing depth.

*30 Rock - I am enjoying the comedian playing the new page, who I recognize from the Daily Show, Bob's Burgers, and Flight of the Conchords. The Grandmentor episode was especially funny.

*Project Runway All Stars - The finale was as anticlimactic as the rest of the season. Meh.

*Colbert Report - It's interesting when the Supreme Court has a case like the one this week where people really pay attention to the oddity that is court proceedings (a hypothetical involving broccoli comes to mind). Really, easy targets for comedians. His recent coverage of the conservative response to the Trayvon Martin murder, while funny, also showed me some Fox News coverage that I might have been happier not knowing about. But I also loved "The Word" that he did on gun control was especially great.

*Bob's Burgers - I love how wacky this show is! With the Simpsons in reruns, it's nice to have an animated series to enjoy.

*Better off Ted (Seasons 1-2) - I read somewhere that this was a good show to check out on Netflix Instant. It was worth a couple chuckles, but mostly fell pretty flat. Maybe the idea of corporations as evil was a more novel idea when this came out.

*Brothers & Sisters (Season 5) - The only thing I can say in my defense is, after hearing an interview with Rachel Griffith on the radio, I wanted more after watching "Muriel's Wedding" one Saturday night. That and I finished a lot of knitting between this and Better off Ted.

I did not get to much reading this month outside of nearly finishing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I guess I am just not a mystery reader, but I really did not enjoy it and do not understand its appeal. I was going to watch the movie, but now I am not sure I even want to see that. It's certainly no Hunger Games!

Burrowing Out

The Groundhog bunny came out and didn't see his shadow (unlike that liar in Punxsutawney), so we're welcoming spring in February this year. Then again, those Oscar releases are making me want to hop back into my dark theater hole.

*Project Runway All-Stars - I miss Heidi and Tim. And I'm sick of those polka dots from Kenley. But who can say no to Austin?

*Simpsons - The 500th episode aired and was awesome. It almost made me forget the crappy episodes before it. That means I have spent at least 250 hours of my life watching the Simpsons (not counting reruns). Definitely time well spent.

*Downton Abbey - I rewatched the first season and realized that Elizabeth McGovern's character is supposed to be American. Well, her voice is still annoying and I saw her on the "making of documentary," and I think she's faking an American trying to do a British accent. But at least we're all finally caught up and I can reveal my knowledge of Matthew [SPOILER ALERT!] walking just in time for Lavinia to die. What a shocker I have had to keep secret this whole time from my fellow Americans. It's sad the season's over. I hope they make another one. In the meantime, we can enjoy figuring out which Downton Abbey character you are (not surprisingly, I am Sybil).

*The Interrupters - Frontline aired this documentary, which I had unfortunately not gotten a chance to see in the theater, about a violence prevention program in Chicago (which I believe has also been replicated here in Baltimore). It covered a lot of familiar territory for me about the complex causes of violence and why it is such an intractable problem in inner cities. Last month, Frontline's Nuclear Aftershocks was a really interesting look at the issues around nuclear power. After visiting a nuclear-free country this fall, I find that debate fascinating.

*30 Rock - had a great episode recently about the frustration of being someone who follows the rules in the insanity of a big city.

*Up All Night - I gave the show another try recently, but it's just ridiculous. There's something stupid and not funny about this whole "I'm a parent and I'm trying to still be cool" thing. It makes bad non-mini-van school commuter car commercials, too.

*Parks & Recreation - I am skeptical of this newest love subplot, and the latest episode seemed to be relying too much on old jokes, but it's still funnier than the newer episodes of the Office.

*Skins (Vol. 4) - This one got a little overly dramatic near the end. I kept watching thinking, "really?" it felt like the last season or two of Six Feet Under and The Wire - still a great show, but going a little overboard to keep its edge. There's still one more series to go, so we'll see what the new kids have in store.

*Colbert Report - Colbert poked fun at the contraception controversy like only Catholics can.

I read Arkansas, John Brandon's first book, this month. I've never been to Arkansas, so it's hard to know if the atmosphere is as accurate as Citrus County, his second book. It felt a little less polished than Citrus County, but still a good read. It's a smart, messy story about criminal drug running that doesn't fall into the tropes of most crime novels. I started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but I'm 150 pages in and it's not really capturing my imagination, so I may just curl up with my crocheting and watch the Swedish version of the movie on Netflix instant instead.

This post brought to you by President's Day (how is it this is the first year I noticed that it's not celebrated in the South?).

Winter Watches

*Dexter (Season 5) - In the dark winter months, I welcomed the return of my dark passenger. Unfortunately, he came along with guest star Julia Stiles as a dewy-eyed survivor/vigilante. My only hope was knowing that every season arc ends with these side-kicks getting the boot.

*Portlandia (Season 1) - It seems like it should be funny, but it just misses the mark too much. A few memorable lines, but mostly bad jokes repeated until I wanted to run for the remote. Painful, painful Portlandia. Other people love it, though, so maybe I'm missing something.

*Simpsons (Season 23) - A near-perfect political parody to ring in the new year! Homer dons a gravy boat of freedom and whips up a tea-party-like frenzy before realizing he's gone too far and doesn't make any sense. A fabulous FOX News satire on FOX! And then, followed by a great critique of social media in their take off of the Social Network.

*Downton Abbey (Season 2) - Elizabeth McGovern's fake accent drives me nuts, and I wish I hadn't watched the spoiler episode overseas. I know too much! But otherwise I'm enjoying the return of this period drama with its new element of dark war scenes and their scars reaching into the never quite pristine world of the upper crust.

And back by popular demand, I read a book this month - Annabel by Canadian author Kathleen Winter. It's an exquisitely drawn, poignant portrait of a couple in a remote part of the country who give birth to a mixed-gender child. Raised male, the book follows his and his family's struggle to come to terms with not quite being able to check one box or the other. The book hits at some much deeper questions along the way about nature, relationships, secrets, community, and identity.