NGTV Guide: Friday, January 29

Tonight is the series finale of Dollhouse, Joss Whedon’s edgy look at altering the human mind. Can mankind be saved?

Dollhouse – FOX 8/7c
“Epitaph 2: The Return” – Picking up from the events depicted in “Epitaph 1,” the “lost” episode of DOLLHOUSE, and set in the year 2020, Echo and her surviving Dollhouse crew attempt to restore order to a devastating future world before mankind is eliminated.

Keeping Up With the Boneses

The holiday hiatus is over, and how! I spent the weekend catching up on shows as far back as last Wednesday’s ABC lineup, so I thought a little grab bag of comments would be appropriate.

Modern Family – I love how this show has set up various stereotypes, then proceeds to break them down little by little. The Claire vs. the remote storyline was very funny, but it was Jay who truly came out ahead this week.

Cougar Town – The whole Laurie & Grayson thing is kind of grossing me out. If Grayson and Jules are each other’s “someday” people, it’s kind of ick that Laurie’s already been there. Ellie’s very sweet confession of love for Andy added some dimension to her character; Andy’s assumption that sex would follow yanked us back on track.

Ugly Betty – Is it wrong that I’m a little relieved Hilda isn’t going to have a baby? It’s sad for the characters, and Ana Ortiz played Hilda’s grief perfectly, but with everything else going on this season a pregnancy felt like too much. Even on this show.

The New Adventures of Old Christine – Has Christine actually found a long-term guy in Max? At first I thought their quirkiness could work together, and any excuse for Blair Underwood’s Mr. Harris to return is OK by me, but Max’s speech at the end was less funny than verging on emotionally abusive. The rest of the gang’s antics, swooning over Mr. Harris, were hilarious.

Bones - Very clever, Bones writers. Give us a whole episode surrounding the assassination of JFK, then leave us in doubt when Brennan “proves” that the bones couldn’t be his. Was that really JFK’s bone sinking into the pudding, or did she pull a switcharoo for Booth? Also, Angela’s pregnancy scare would have held a little more weight if I hadn’t watched Ugly Betty first, but, again, I’m glad she’s not preggers.

The Vampire Diaries – What is it with the bad boys?!?! Damon is a bad, bad, bad guy. Killing, manipulating, generally living in a state of selfishness. But at the first hint of humor and tenderness toward Elayna, I was all, KISS HIM! Maybe I’m the shallow one here.

The Mentalist – Seriously? Lisbon didn’t know about Riggs & Van Pelt? Can’t see the forest for the trees, I guess. Speaking of…I didn’t see the tie-in with the news reporter coming. Nice sleight of hand there.

The Office – Huh. It was a clip show. I guess it’s earned the right to one of those by now. Bets on whether that guy recommends his company buy Dunder-Mifflin now?

30 Rock – I’ve only been to Boston a couple of times (going again in March!), but I got a kick out of all the inside jokes thrown at us in the evening’s “road trip” episode. I’m really starting to wonder if Liz and Jack are destined for each other, though.

What Not To Wear – No, I’m not kidding. I DVR WNTW so I can fast forward through the boring stuff (do they really need to both preview AND recap before/after each commercial break?) and get to the transformative stuff. This week’s tomboy jazz singer was a fun transformation to watch. Bless her heart.

That’s it in a nutshell. I still need to watch Dollhouse from a week ago. If I don’t watch it, then the series isn’t ending, right?

NGTV Guide: Friday, January 15

Tonight is the penultimate episode of Dollhouse. Have you been watching?

Dollhouse – FOX 8/7c
“The Hollow Men” – Sacrifices are made when Echo leads her crew to Arizona to dismantle the Rossum Corporation’s mainframe.

Spotlight On: Olivia Williams

British actress Olivia Williams has become the go-to girl for roles demanding icy disdain covering up a tormented beating heart. Coming from a diverse theatrical background, Olivia began dabbling in the television/film arena in the early 1990’s. She first captured everyone’s attention in the role of Jane Fairfax in Jane Austen’s Emma in 1996, and after garnering rave reviews, moved quickly on to snag a pivotal role in Kevin Costner’s film The Postman in 1997. Those roles were quickly followed by roles as a lonely widow in Rushmore with Jason Schwartzman and Bruce Willis’ grieving wife in The Sixth Sense.

Over the next several years, she was cast regularly in British films such as Born Romantic with Craig Ferguson, The Body with Antonio Banderas, Lucky Break with Bill Nighy and Lennie James, The Heart of Me with Helen Bonham Carter and Paul Bettany, To Kill a King with Tim Roth and Dougray Scott and Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures. With such a diversified and preeminent list of roles and experiences at her disposal, Olivia took a stab at American film and appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand in an uncredited role as Dr. Moira MacTaggart. This lure to American film was short-lived and Olivia quickly returned to her roots in British film appearing in the dark drama Damage and the breezy adaptation Miss Austen Regrets based on the life of Jane Austen. (It is rather astounding that she has played both British greats Jane Austen and Agatha Christie.)

However, not one to stand still, Olivia continued to work on three films in 2008 and then rushed off to film the Oscar-predicted sensation An Education, appearing as the worldly-wise mentor for Carey Mulligan.

Somewhere in the midst of all this, Olivia caught Joss Whedon’s attention and he moved quickly to cast her as Adelle Dewitt in his new television show Dollhouse. Just as he has brilliantly done before, his casting choice was pitch-perfect. Olivia’s portrayal of Adelle Dewitt brought layers upon layers of complexity that cannot be written on a page. Just one quirk of an eyebrow or twitch of her lips and you can feel her raging anger and quest for vengeance more than any scene with overt dramatics could ever convey. She is able to harness all the deeper emotions and unleash them slowly so that the impact of them is felt acutely. The Dollhouse simply could not have been the Dollhouse without such a core and integral character and an actress who could channel that strength of will in the process. The duality built into the character demanded a caliber of performance that is rarely seen on primetime television and Olivia rose to that demand beautifully. Simply said, she is the Dollhouse. For when she is not on screen, her absence is keenly felt.

Despite the cancellation of Dollhouse, it is easy to foresee that Olivia will not be idle in its absence and we will be lucky to have her continue to grace us with her presence for many years to come. Long live Olivia and her masterful and mesmerizing performances!

Dollhouse airs Friday nights on Fox at 9/8c and will conclude its series run on January 22, 2010.

Another Typical Week for a NiceGirl

Last week I had the chance to attend the Paley Center’s salute to the 100th episode of the CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother. As a non-watcher of TV comedies, this event might seem like an odd event for me to attend; but as a long-time fan of Alyson Hannigan (dating back, obviously, to her days on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) and rediscovering the talent that is Neil Patrick Harris (thanks, in great part, to his role in the Joss Whedon internet sensation Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog) and the fact that in the current world of TV reaching the landmark of 100 episodes is rare indeed, I jumped at the chance to be part of this unique event.

The audience was treated first to an introduction of the 100th episode by the creators of the show – Carter Bays and Craig Thomas – and then the episode was shown, which was rip-roaringly fun to watch and very entertaining to see Neil Patrick Harris as Barney dance and sing in a suit.

Appearing at the event were the entire cast – Josh Radnor, Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel, Cobie Smulders and, of course NPH himself – Neil Patrick Harris. Also on the stage were Pamela Fryman, long-time director of nearly all of the episodes of the series, and the creators.

A complete write up of the event can be found here at NiceGirlstTV by our very own Tiffany.

Also starting this past week was the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, which has been getting a lot of coverage by bloggers and entertainment writers alike all over the net and on Twitter. NiceGirlsTV should be providing a round-up of the FOX presentation, which was to take place yesterday, via Louise, who has, once again, been invited to attend the “fete”.

It is always interesting to see what each network has to say about their upcoming new schedule; talk about what worked and what was not so successful and what new ideas we can expect down the line. Of course, the big talk has been the resounding lack of success with the prime-time airing of the Jay Leno show with NBC recognizing the failure of this “new” programming idea to work with the viewing audience. Leno’s last show will be on February 12 and the viewers can only hope that NBC can get their programming back on track and somehow dig themselves out of the fourth place ranking that has been commonplace at the network for too long.

And thankfully, with the end of the holidays, the start of the mid-season schedule will be upon all of us, starting this week with many of the network shows returning with new episodes and some summer programs coming back with new episodes to complete their new seasons. Among the shows returning this week, I was excited for the return of Castle on ABC and Chuck on NBC last night; and I look forward to the next-to-the-last episode of Dollhouse, the return of 24 and debut of Human Target all on FOX, the return of Leverage on TNT and the two-hour finale of Sanctuary on Syfy. It’s going to be a very fun television-viewing week that’s for sure.

With the return of new episodes, what shows are you most looking forward to seeing again?

Chuck & Echo: Building Superheroes in the 21st Century

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to preview the first five episodes of the new season of Chuck, the delightful spy-action-comedy-romance-drama hybrid on NBC that returns for a third season on Sunday. When we last saw Chuck, way back in April 2009, he’d downloaded the Intersect 2.0, a program that gives him the ability to “flash” on not just information (that’s what was in the Intersect 1.0), but also skills. Like kung fu, playing the guitar, speaking Thai, and hand-to-hand combat. As I watched those episodes, it struck me how similar Chuck is to Echo on Dollhouse, another character with multiple skills and intelligences downloaded into her brain. The similarities are striking, which made me wonder: is this the new 21st century superhero? The person whose extra abilities are imparted by, basically, computer programs? Let’s take a look at our heroes.

The Technology

They aren’t born with it. They aren’t zapped with radiation or bitten by a spider. They don’t have special suits. No, our new superheroes are enhanced thanks to databases and binary code.

The plot device that allows Chuck to be a hero of sorts is a computer program called The Intersect that was downloaded into his brain in the pilot episode. It’s a database of image-encoded information from various intelligence agencies. When he sees or hears something that triggers a “flash”, the Intersect shows him a series of images that impart information about a person, item or heinous plan. At this point, he was still reliant on his own physical aptitude – he’s something of a bumbler who doesn’t like guns – but with extra intelligence. At the end of season 2, however, he was briefly de-Intersected then decided he does want to be a hero and re-Intersected himself with the new Intersect 2.0 which added physical knowledge to the intelligence database. In other words, now he can “flash” on a skill, like hand-to-hand combat, when needed. Mostly. This show has a strong comedic throughline, so the flashing doesn’t always go as planned.

Echo also has skills and knowledge downloaded into her brain, but in her case she is being transformed into another person. Same body, different mental imprint. The imprints Topher gives her wipe out her previous persona, including her “real” self, and she becomes the new person through and through. Or at least she did, until the end of season 1 when Alpha nabbed her, dumped 40 imprints into her brain, and she retained them all. Now Echo can move between those imprints almost effortlessly, accessing knowledge or abilities as needed. So we have two characters with seemingly unlimited potential thanks to the not-all-that-unbelievable technology being used to manipulate their brains.

The Humans

Not only do Chuck and Echo both have additional data in their brains, those brains are “special”. It’s been established that Chuck is one of very few who can handle the Intersect. So far, he’s the only person who has successfully downloaded the Intersect. In an episode last spring, we saw bad guys die in a Raiders of the Lost Ark homage as they attempted to download the Intersect while Chuck shielded partner/love interest Sarah from seeing the images.

Likewise Echo is special in that within a year of becoming a Doll, she began to show signs of growing beyond the childlike state their brains are wiped to between assignments. Since then she’s not only regained some of her real memories but successfully integrated multiple personalities into one functioning brain. The only other Doll to carry so many imprints at once is Alpha, certified insane sociopath.

The Teams

Neither of our heroes exists in a vacuum, because where would the fun be without sidekicks? Both have handlers, supporters, people they need to protect and tech support, to different degrees. Chuck as Sarah as a handler/love interest; Casey as a handler/reluctant friend & supporter; Ellie as a sister/person to protect; and Morgan as tech support (sort of)/BFF/person to protect. This season Chuck also has a brother-in-law who knows his secret and wants to help although the spy thing is more of a challenge than he anticipates.

Echo has Paul as a handler/love interest/former adversary; Boyd as a former handler/reluctant friend & supporter; Sierra as a psuedo-sister/person to protect; and Topher as tech support (but not BFF). This season Echo also has Adele DeWitt, boss at the LA Dollhouse, who knows her secret and wants her to help bring down the corporation that owns the Dollhouses.

Others are involved in their lives to various degrees, but it’s interesting that both have such similar people surrounding them.

The Battles

Chuck demonstrates a new super skill: playing guitar. / NBC

Chuck is a more external show in that it deals with bad guys who are terrorists or thieves or assassins. The Big Bad this season is The Ring, a mysterious group who wants the Intersect for their own presumably nefarious purposes. Chuck has just come through 2 years of trying to get the Intersect out of his head so he could lead a “normal” life, only to decide that he does in fact want to be the hero. In the first episode of season 3, he makes a very difficult decision between “normal” and “hero” that has some serious repercussions, but by the third episode, he’s made peace with his decision and when a new mentor appears in episode 4, he’s excited about becoming a real spy and gaining control over the somewhat erratic new Intersect.

Dollhouse, on the other hand, focuses on internal battles. Initially Echo was fighting to remember who she was before becoming a Doll and breaking out of the Dollhouse to return to her former life. After accomplishing both of those goals, however, she realized that she could not let her fellow Dolls stay imprisoned, so she returned to the Dollhouse to help bring down Rossum, the corporation that owns the Dollhouse organization.

Superheroes on the Rise

Echo has embraced the multiple imprints and learned to navigate them quickly, becoming a serious threat to the many baddies out there trying to keep her from taking down Rossum. Chuck still struggles to master the Intersect, however, in addition to learning how to be an effective spy.

Perhaps it’s good that Dollhouse is ending in a couple of weeks; it would seem that Echo is near the end of her hero’s journey already. After she presumably defeats Rossum (let’s not declare victory too soon; this is a Joss Whedon show, so happy endings aren’t guaranteed), where would she have to go from there? She’s a superhero with a wealth of knowledge and abilities, seemingly invincible. All she needs is flexible body armor to stop any stray bullets.

Chuck, on the other hand, has simply reached a new stage in his quest to be a hero, navigating his upgraded abilities thanks to the Intersect 2.0 and saving the world while keeping those he loves safe. I’m looking forward to watching him as he continues the journey, although I hope he doesn’t lose is adorable Chuckness in the process. From what I’ve seen so far, I don’t think he’s in danger of that.

Dollhouse returns tonight at 9/8c on FOX; Chuck’s third season premieres Sunday at 9/8c on NBC with two episodes, followed by another new episode at its regular time Monday at 8/7c.

NGTV Guide: Friday, January 8

Summer Glau returns to the Dollhouse tonight as we head into the final three episodes of the series.

Dollhouse – FOX 9/8c
“Getting Closer” – Topher races to reconstruct Echo’s original personality and memories when Adelle realizes they are the key to adverting a devastating future. Meanwhile, Echo and Bennett’s shared past and the identity of the Rossum Corporation’s mysterious leader are revealed.

NGTV Guide: Friday, December 18

It’s another Dollhouse double-feature tonight!

Dollhouse - FOX 8/7c
“Stop-Loss/The Attic” – As his contract with the Dollhouse expires, Victor is released back into the world, where his military past threatens his future with Sierra. Meanwhile, Echo is deemed too dangerous and is sent into her worst nightmare.

NGTV Guide: Friday, December 11

We get another double-shot of Dollhouse tonight as FOX burns off the remaining episodes, and it’s our last Ugly Betty of the year.

Dollhouse – FOX 8/7c
“Meet Jane Doe” – Echo finds herself lost in the world-at-large while battling her multiple-memory downloads; Topher learns the devastating effects science will have on the future; Adelle becomes involved in a power struggle with Harding.

Dollhouse – FOX 9/8c
“A Love Supreme” – The murders of Echo’s past romantic liaisons may indicate the return of Alpha; Adelle grows suspicious of Ballard, who hopes to recruit Boyd and Topher to his cause; and the Actives turn against their handlers.

Ugly Betty – ABC 10/9c
“Be-Shure” – Against the backdrop of Ignacio’s multi-culti holiday dinner that he prepares for his new flame Jean (Faith Prince), who is Jewish, Betty and Hilda have pregnancy scares. Worse, they purchase their Be-Shure instant pregnancy tests from the local pharmacy — where Jean works and Ignacio is shopping. Meanwhile, Hartley installs Willie’s replacement, a clueless Hollywood mogul, Denise Ludwig (Nadia Dajani), whose claim to fame is a tacky movie, but Marc has a plan to get Willie back — if only Daniel will agree. And Claire gets Amanda’s help and tracks down Tyler (Neal Bledsoe), the son she long ago gave up for adoption.

NGTV Guide: Friday, December 4

It’s an embarrassment of TV riches tonight as Dollhouse returns, Monk departs, and Ugly Betty heads to the Bahamas.

Dollhouse – FOX 8/7c
“The Public Eye (Part 1 of 2)” – Echo is sent to stop Senator Daniel Perrin (guest star Alexis Denisof) before he can expose the Dollhouse’s secrets. Adelle and Topher travel to the Washington, DC, Dollhouse where they meet its genius programmer, Bennett Halverson (Summer Glau), a woman with a mysterious past connection to Echo.

Dollhouse – FOX 9/8c
“The Left Hand (Part 2 of 2)” – Echo and Bennett (guest star Summer Glau) have a shocking meeting as Adelle goes head-to-head with the ruthless head of the Washington, D.C. Dollhouse (guest star Ray Wise). Meanwhile, Topher sees double when he involves Victor in his espionage, and Perrin finds a surprising witness to testify against the Rossum Corporation.

Monk – USA 9/8c – SERIES FINALE
“Mr. Monk and the End, Part 2” – Monk pursues the killer of his wife in the series finale. Guest starring Craig T. Nelson, Virginia Madsen, Melora Hardin & Casper Van Dien

Ugly Betty – ABC 10/9c
“The Bahamas Triangle” — In the steamy Bahamas, the love triangle between Betty, Matt and Amanda explodes, and romantic pairings abound. Things should be dreamy at the Atlantis resort, where even Shakira (portraying herself) is staying, but Betty has a nightmarish photo shoot after Willie learns her nemesis, Penelope Graybridge (Christie Brinkley), snagged a coveted job, and, even more importantly, discovers Connor is very much alive. Marc frets that there is no one on the island for him, but then meets the uber-hot Troy (portrayed by Matt Newton, Becki Newton’s brother), and back home, Hilda draws closer to her old love, Bobby.

White Collar – USA 10/9c – AUTUMN SEASON FINALE
“All In” – The FBI investigates a spectacular jewelry heist and all the clues point to Neal. Peter must figure out if Neal is telling the truth – or if he is pulling a con of his own. Guest starring Noah Emmerich, Diahann Carroll & Alexandra Daddario

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