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God damn it, I can’t believe I’m late on poster a trailer as awesome as this one for The Losers.

Everyone and everything about this film looks crazy cool.  Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba and Zoe Saldana were enough to make me see this, but add in some impressive looking performances from Chris Evans and Jason Patric and it looks all the better.

The film’s due for release on 9th April in the US.  No word on when I can expect it here in Oz.

Title: “Epitaph Two: Return”
Written by: Maurissa Tancharoen Whedon, Jed Whedon & Andrew Chambliss
Air Date: 29th January 2009

Here it is, the final episode of Dollhouse ever.  It’s not as monumental an event as it will be when Lost airs it’s final episode sometime in April, but for fans of Eliza Dushku’s and Joss Whedon’s action sci-fi drama it’s something of note.  I’m not what you’d call a true diehard fan of Whedon or Dushku.  I don’t think Firefly is as good as it’s become in the eyes of many, and I’m still not convinced of Dushku’s acting chops, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt simply because of my undying love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Buffy is the only reason I sat through the first half of Dollhouse’s first season, having faith that Whedon had a plan and would soon begin executing it.  That plan began to form around episode six “Man on the Street” and from that point on Dollhouse improved exponentially.

This season has been great from start to finish with each episode seemingly building on the mythology developed during the tail end of the first season and the futuristic unaired first season episode “Epitaph One”.  It’s only fitting that after the previous two episodes where the gang took on Rossum in an attempt to destroy the technology that we get another Epitaph episode which picks up soon after the original story.  The three survivors from “Epitaph One” are making their way to Safehaven under the guidance of Caroline in the little girls body.  They’re soon apprehended and taken as bodies for Rossum execs Harding (Adelle’s one-time successor originally played by Keith Carradine) and Ambrose (previously seen in “Echoes”, “Meet Jane Doe” and “Getting Closer”).  Echo and Ballard have already infiltrated the complex in order to rescue Topher who’s being used to develop advanced tech for Rossum.  In his disturbed state Topher says that he can return the world to how it was and restore all the people affected by wipes to their original selves.  All he needs is access to the Dollhouse back in LA.  The whole gang go back to LA and find Alpha protecting dolls in the Dollhouse.  Topher’s tech is to be shot into the stratosphere and this will allow it to dissipate across the globe.  However, because Echo, Priya and Victor don’t want to go back to their original selves they must stay underground in the Dollhouse for the next year whilst the radiation (?) from the bomb fades.

Whew, as you can see a lot of stuff is crammed into this final episode in order to give a proper sense of closure to the Dollhouse story.  It does feel a little rushed at times, but because “Epitaph Two” is set ten years in the future it allows the writers to present circumstances that fit storywise without the need for exposition detailing how the circumstances have changed so dramatically for the characters.  For example, Priya’s and Victor’s breakup is presented as stemming from a choice Victor had to make between her and the tech without any flashback to illustrate this, and Alpha is now a somewhat balanced person I assume because of him taking on Ballard’s personality in a previous episode, but this is not alluded to in any fashion.

Just like “Epitaph One” it takes a little while to adjust to the future setting with ten years of history gone by, new characters, old characters in new bodies, and new goals, but once this is done it becomes as engaging as ever.  And although this episode ends on a slightly more uplifting and hopeful note, it’s just as bleak as “Epitaph One”.  But you know what, I really like the tone of the show in these last few episodes and especially both of the Epitaph ones.  Not everything has to be peaches and cream.  The characters are going against the odds, they are dealing with dangerous technology, and that technology does raise both moral and philosophical questions about what it means to be human.  If this type of story was told any other way I’d be sorely disappointed.  Thankfully Whedon and company understood this and we all got a great finale for a show which grew stronger and stronger as it went along.  In fact, as finales to Joss Whedon shows go I may rank this higher than both Buffy and Angel.  I’m not saying that Dollhouse is a better show than either Buffy or Angel, but I do think that it had the most fitting sendoff of the three.  Dollhouse didn’t start out very well with the constant imprint-of-the-week episodes, but once it got rolling and the scope of the story was revealed it was an absolute pleasure to watch.  I’m hopeful that Joss Whedon will return with something new soon and that he’ll be given longer than 26 episodes to tell the story he wants.

FINAL RATING: 8/10

Hot on the heels of the first poster for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps comes this second poster.

Although it’s very similar tonally I actually prefer it to the first poster.  There’s just something better about Douglas’ and LaBeouf’s poses in this second one that I like more than the previous poster.  Maybe it’s because the first one looks a little too paternal.

[source = IMP Awards]

Wall Street, one of my absolute favourite 80’s films, is getting a sequel this year and here’s the first poster for it.

I’m a little torn on Shia LaBeouf being in it but it’s super cool that Michael Douglas has reprised his iconic role as Gordon Gekko.  I haven’t read the script yet but those who have say that it’s pretty damn good.

Aside from LaBeouf and Douglas, Money Never Sleeps also sees Charlie Sheen return as Bud Fox and he’s joined by Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, Vanessa Ferlito, Frank Langella and the awesome Josh Brolin.  That’s one hell of a cast and I can only pray that the film is of the same quality.

Here’s the Sundance poster for Aussie crime flick Animal Kingdom.

Even though I’m Australian I don’t typically get excited about our own products, but Animal Kingdom certainly intrigues me.  Hopefully I’ll get a chance to see it soon.

[source = IMP Awards]

Wow, I’d originally planned to have my entire top 100 all done and posted by the end of the first week in January.  I should of known that with my laziness that was never gonna happen.  At the rate I’m going I won’t have it done until June.  Never mind though, it’s really only for my own entertainment and for anyone out there who stumbles upon my site whilst looking for porn.

As I previously wrote, my top 100 of the decade is based solely on what I enjoyed the most and not on what’s the better film technically or artistically.  That should explain most of the odd choices and their ordering.

Follow the link to check out #100-76 in the list.

75.  Batman Begins (2005)
Sure Katie Holmes sucked, Liam Neeson wasn’t too great and the Scarecrow wasn’t the best of villains, but Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale did a great job relaunching the Batman franchise with a dark and gritty look that couldn’t have been further from the 90’s Batman films.  Plus it sounded like Bale had gargled with gravel and chlorine any time he spoke in his Batman voice.  If nothing else, it laid the groundwork for The Dark Knight.

74.  Saw (2004)
I’ve only seen the original Saw and the sequel and have avoided all the subsequent sequels like the plague.  The fact is, I find it hard to believe that any of the sequels could top the original in the tension, disgust or fear that it generates.  Saw was perhaps the first instance of “torture porn” and for the first time viewer back in 2004 it was something to behold.  That kind of genre has been over-saturated with films now but at the time it was something new for the horror genre.  Add to that the fact that the film introduced a cool new villain in Jigsaw and the simple setup of two guys being chains in a basement and it was simple in it’s elegance.

73.  Moulin Rouge (2001)
A musical about a sad sack writer and a hooker (or cortizan if you prefer) doesn’t sound like much but add in some decent pop music from the 60’s onwards and some outstanding cinematography and choreography and it all came together wonderfully.  It also brought about a mini resurgence in musicals.  All in all it’s a moving love story, which is made all the more impressive because I don’t hate Nicole Kidman in it.

72.  Blood Diamond (2006)
Leonardo DiCaprio is so good that I’d watch him in just about anything, but a political/action/drama that teams him with the beautiful Jennifer Connelly was always gonna be good.  Arnold Vosloo once again made a terrific villain.  I even liked DiCaprio’s South African accent which a couple of my friends thought was terrible.

71.  Casino Royale (2006)
An effective reboot of the Bond franchise that succeeded with moviegoers because it blended Bond’s old persona with the new kind of Jason Bourne type spy.  I know it turned off diehard Bond fans like my friend Nathan, but because I was never really a fan of Bond I liked the new approach.  I loved the big parkour chase through the construction site.  I can’t imagine Sean Connery doing anything like that.  It’s a shame that Quantum of Solace sucked so bad though.

70.  Hot Fuzz (2007)
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg took on the horror genre with Shaun of the Dead and with Hot Fuzz they give their take on the action genre.  Number 2 in their blood and ice cream trilogy.  At first I was a little let down by Hot Fuzz, but on repeat viewings it continues to grow on you.  I thought the two Andy’s (the detectives) were absolutely fantastic and may even be the best part of the film.  Jog on.

69.  The Wrestler (2008)
Mickey Rourke had fallen off the map until his role in The Wrestler and it’s hard to believe an actor who’s able to give a performance like he does in the film could have been forgotten for so long.  It’s hard to know what to say about the film other than it’s a sad tale of a man who’s trying to hold onto a dream for too long.  A perfect ending and a great song over the credits by Rourke’s friend Bruce Springsteen.

68.  The Simpsons Movie (2007)
It probably came 8-10 years too late but at least we all finally got a Simpsons movie.  And it was topical too, dealing with the boom in popularity of environmental issues.  It was also probably the funniest The Simpsons has been in years and was able to get away with more than the regular TV show could.  I’m actually hoping for another movie to come along soon.  In fact, I’d be happy if they took the show off TV and made movies every few years instead.

67.  (500) Days of Summer (2009)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel together.  There’s no way I’m not watching that flick and loving every second of it.  When it’s about love I’m even more likely to watch it and love it.  I also really liked the tiny little role given to Minka Kelly as Autumn.  Very cute.  As I’m writing this late I know that Gordon-Levitt didn’t win at the Golden Globes, and even though that’s one of the shittiest and most corrupt award shows around, I’m still disappointed that he didn’t win.  There’s no way on Earth Robert Downey Jr was better in Sherlock Holmes than Gordon-Levitt was in (500) Days of Summer.

66.  Pineapple Express (2008)
I took my mum to see this at the cinema and wasn’t blown away by it, but on repeat viewings it’s certainly grown on me.  It’s the film that made me love Danny McBride and Kevin Corrigan, plus Gary Cole once again gives an out of this world comedic performance.  Part stoner comedy and part brutal action flick, I continue to love it more and more every time I watch it.  And that’s often.

65.  Zombieland (2009)
I may get increasingly pissed off with Rhett Reese’s bitching about piracy but there’s no denying that he can write one hell of a zombie action comedy flick.  Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and the awesome Woody Harrelson make this a charming and engaging cast, plus the great cameo always makes me chuckle.

64.  Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
It’s kinda long and meandering with every character having their own agendas and that can confuse what their motives are at times.  Still, it’s a somewhat epic action/adventure flick featuring the sublime Johnny Depp as the iconic Jack Sparrow.  The worst of the three partly due to the mess of agendas but also because of the enhanced role given to Orlando Bloom.  In my opinion he’s overrated beyond belief.  All I can hope for is that he doesn’t appear in the soon to be filming On Stranger Tides.

63.  Up (2009)
Despite what everyone else seems to say, I don’t think Up is Pixar’s best work (that honour goes to Wall-E), but even their lesser efforts are better than most.  There are undoubtedly bits to love in Up but for me it just didn’t have that hook right at the beginning like Pixar’s best work does (Wall-E, Monsters Inc and Toy Story).  What was truly impressive about the film was the brief history of Karl and Ellie relationship and how this was able to bring about such an emotional response from me if such a short period of time.  Pixar really are legends in film-making if they can turn a grumpy senior citizen into an action hero movie star.

62.  Moon (2009)
A great slow burn sci-fi film about what it means to be human that’s best to know as little about as possible before viewing.  If you haven’t seen it check it out.  Sam Rockwell is great as essentially the only actor in the film and Kevin Spacey as the voice of the computer is cool too.

61.  The Bourne Identity (2002)
Pretty much a reinvention of what a spy actually is and about as far from James Bond as you can get.  I never would of thought that Matt Damon could be this brutal of a killer and kick this much ass.  Now I can’t imagine anyone else but him playing Jason Bourne.  Chris Cooper was also fantastic in this film like he is in just about everything he does.

60.  Star Trek (2009)
I’m not a huge fan of the Star Trek franchise.  That’s not to say I don’t like it but rather that I haven’t seen much of the content based on the franchise.  Essentially the only reason I caught this in the cinema was because it’s directed by J.J. Abrams who can do no wrong at the moment.  From my limited exposure to the franchise it would appear that the young actors cast in the iconic roles fit perfectly with what how they used to be.  It’s hard to see Spock played by Sylar if only because Heroes is such a terrible show.  If I had no knowledge of Zachary Quinto before seeing him in Star Trek I think I’d have liked his performance more.  The plot of the film wasn’t too special but as a means to reboot the franchise without completely destroying everything that had come before I think Abrams did a magnificent job.  Hopefully the next one in the series will live up to this new start.

59.  Observe and Report (2009)
Seth Rogen as a manic depressive mall cop is not something I would of expected from him.  The anger that shines through his character is kinda scary considering this is supposed to be a comedy.  It’s a very dark awkward humour which I think is an acquired taste.  You either like that style of comedy or you don’t, and I don’t think you can grow to like it over time.  The two standout scenes are when Ronnie (Rogen) gets back from his date with Brandi (Anna Faris) and she’s pretty much comatose and when Ronnie finally gets to confront the flasher in the mall.  Something tells me that the tone of the film may put a lot of people off, preferring instead the almost certainly shit Paul Blart: Mall Cop.  Save your time and watch this.  There’s no doubt it’s the best mall cop comedy of all time.

58.  Old School (2003)
Will Ferrell had small roles in films before Old School and he was obviously one of the strongest cast members on SNL, but it was his breakout performance as Frank “the Tank” Ricard in Old School which made him a comedy God.  And with good reason.  Luke Wilson may be the lead, and Vince Vaughn may be the co-star, but it’s undoubtedly Will Ferrell’s movie.  The streaking scene alone makes this one of the funniest films I’ve seen.

57.  The Pledge (2001)
I remember around the time this came out that Jack Nicholson said Sean Penn should win an Oscar for directing The Pledge.  It’s really hard to argue with that.  The movie is about a cop played by Nicholson who on his last night on the job catches a child murder case.  He makes a pledge to the parents of the little girl that he’ll catch the killer.  When a mentally retarded man admits to the murder under coercion by Nicholson’s successor and then kills himself, Nicholson sets about trying to solve the case by himself.  It’s a pretty dark and bleak tale of obsession that ends on a quite depressing note, but it’s not to be missed.  In addition to Nicholson are the wonderful Aaron Eckhart and Robin Wright Penn.

56.  No Country For Old Men (2007)
When I saw this I absolutely loved it for about 105 of the 122 minute running time.  That ending with the gunfight at the motel being left out and the talk about Sheriff Bell’s dream just annoyed the hell out of me.  All that tension and mood which was built throughout the film was lost as soon as that cut is made to Bell arriving at the motel and the Mexicans fleeing in the 4×4.  I recently gave the film a second watch and whilst I’m still very unhappy with the last section of the film, I must say that I like it a little more than I did on my initial viewing.  Perhaps on repeated viewings I’ll grow to like it even more.

55.  Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
I’ve pretty much always been a fan of Johnny Depp but aside from Sleepy Hollow this has to be the film where he crossed over into the mainstream.  The same could be said for Keira Knightley too, and although Orlando Bloom was in the LOTR trilogy he definitely got a bump in popularity due to his role in the Pirates trilogy.  Inspired by a Disney ride (which was one of my favourites as a child) it ended up creating a franchise that would go on to earn well over $2.5 billion worldwide.  All in all it’s just a fun action adventure flick that introduced the wonderfully zany Captain Jack Sparrow to the world.

54.  Black Snake Moan (2007)
How could I not love this film?  The smoking hot Christina Ricci as a sex addict who’s in her underwear for 95% of the film and Samuel L. Jackson as the down on his luck blues man who chains her to his radiator.  Those two facts are what made me watch the film in the first place but in the end it’s so much more than that.  The atmosphere that Craig Brewer creates is infectious, full of sex, sweat, heat and blues music.  And whilst not much actually happens for the characters I don’t think the film suffers because of it.  It’s one of those mood films which sucks you into the world quicker than you realise and for 90 odd minutes you’re immersed in it.  Simply a great film with superb performances from Ricci and Jackson and an amazing soundtrack to go along with it.

53.  Rambo (2008)
It took Stallone 20 years to make another Rambo film but it was absolutely worth the wait.  Just about the goriest film I’ve seen (especially for what’s essentially an action film).  There are so many things to love about the film and almost all of them are the ways that the bad guys are killed.  Rambo destroying people with his bow, ripping people apart with the gattling gun on the back of the jeep, and him gutting that asshole General.  All of these any many more make this one of the best action films I’ve seen.  I can only hope that the rumoured next installment will be as good as this one.

52.  The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Matt Damon continues to kick ass as Jason Bourne and seeks revenge for the death of the girl he met in Identity.  Karl Urban is cool as the Russian secret service agent who duels with Bourne, plus Brian Cox and Julia Stiles return and Joan Allen is introduced as Pamela Landy, the woman charged with bringing in Bourne.  This film is one of the rare times when a sequel clearly improves upon an original.

51.  Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
A cast filled from top to bottom with the coolest guys in Hollywood (Clooney, Pitt, Damon et al) plus Andy Garcia plays the slimy bad guy to perfection.  The thing I love about the Ocean’s films (well, maybe not 12) is that it’s never about if they’ll get away with the heist but how they get away with the heist.  Plus it’s just fun to watch this large cast of supremely cool actors having a good time together.

A weekly post with the purpose of highlighting the shows I watched during the week and how I ranked them.  It’s not intended as a list of all shows on the air, only those that I actually watched during the week.  Watching something on Monday that aired on Friday won’t make the cut.

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

Just under two weeks until Lost premieres.  Oh my God I can’t wait.  I tried to get as much TV watching in as I could this week but I haven’t felt too crash hot.  Plus I watched a lot of late night talk shows and finally saw Sherlock Holmes and The Fantastic Mr Fox so all that ate into the time I could spend on prime time TV.  I’m also trying to catch up on The Mentalist, The Office and I’ve started to watch Chuck so I’m going right back to the beginning on that one.

1.  Archer “Diversity Hire” (1×03) – The show’s only three episodes old and it’s already getting hard to come up with ways to say it’s damn funny and the best show on TV.  So aside from that I’d also like to mention the fabulous voice work by all of the actors.  Every single one of them does a superb job.  Roll on the next episode.  8/10

2.  30 Rock “Winter Madness” (4×11) – The gang head to Boston as a reason for Jack to meet up with Nancy.  I loved when Tracy said nothing bad could happen and behind him Pete says “smash cut to”.  It’s writing like this which makes the show so damn good.  7.5/10

3.  Better Off Ted “Lust in Translation” (2×10) – I really enjoyed this episode.  All three stories were fun.  Especially Ted and Greta using the translator with Phil’s voice while having sex.  The episode also had more great stuff with Linda and Veronica.  Whenever those two are together it makes for some awesome scenes.  7/10

4.  Fringe “What Lies Below” (2×13) – A good standalone episode.  That’s been a hard thing to come by this season.  I especially liked the idea of a virus decimating the Earth hundreds of thousands of years ago and then being defeated by a volcanic eruption.  It seems very X-Files to me but not in a derivative way.  I wasn’t too fond of Peter going crazy from the virus but I guess there had to be personal stake for everyone involved.  And there was once again more hints as to Peter’s death and Walter getting an alternative.  The next episode is titled “The Bishop Revival” so I’m really hoping that the show finally deals with what Walter did after the original Peter died.  7/10

5.  Community “Interpretive Dance” (1×14) – This episode was actually an improvement over the last few but it still wasn’t anything too great.  Danny Pudi continues to be the best thing about the show but he doesn’t seem to be getting much to do.  I’m not to fond of the idea that Britta is gonna be jealous of Jeff and the accounting teacher.  I don’t want another will they or won’t they show.  6.5/10

6.  How I Met Your Mother “Jenkins” (5×13) – Yeesh.  Talk about fucking average.  HIMYM is fast becoming a hit or miss show.  One week it’s brilliant and the next it’s barely acceptable.  It was nice to see Amanda Peet on the show but she was completely wasted with such a shitty story.  The same happened with Rachel Bilson last week.  They better not fuck up Carrie Underwood’s appearance.  5/10

7.  The Mentalist “Bleeding Heart” (2×12) – Eh.  Eco-terrorism and local council politics don’t make for a good episode.  Average as always but Jane wasn’t really that compelling this week.  And as much of a fan as I am of Robin Tunney in Empire Records and Encino Man I’m fast approaching a can’t stand her attitude to her on The Mentalist.  Her performance/character just rubs me the wrong way.  Amanda Righetti too.  I really wish there were more Red John stories on the show ‘cos a couple per season isn’t anywhere near enough.  4.5/10

Here’s the first poster for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s directorial debut, Jack Goes Boating.

The film tells the story of a limo driver’s blind date that sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples.

Along with Hoffman the film also stars the outstanding Amy Ryan who at this point I’d watch in anything.

I believe the film is gonna play at Sundance so hopefully some reviews will start to show up in the next few days.

[source = IMP Awards]

Here’s the 9th Kick-Ass poster to be released so far.

I think I like this one the best because it has all of the major characters included rather than all the previous posters which have been devoted to one specific character.  I can’t wait to see the flick in April and watch Chloe Moretz in all her foul mouthed glory.

[source = IMP Awards]

A weekly post with the purpose of highlighting the shows I watched during the week and how I ranked them.  It’s not intended as a list of all shows on the air, only those that I actually watched during the week.  Watching something on Monday that aired on Friday won’t make the cut.

Like everything on this site it’s for my own enjoyment but feel free to comment.

TV finally came back in a substantial way this week so that means I can do my Best of the Week post again.  It was an especially great week because we got double episodes of Fringe, 30 Rock, Better Off Ted, Chuck, and Archer, and there was comedy gold on just about all the late night talk shows concerning the Leno vs Conan vs NBC drama that’s been unfolding.

1.  Archer “Training Day” (1×01) – Ever since I saw the pilot back in September (which I guess is no longer the pilot considering the order that FX chose to show the first two episodes) I’ve been dying to see some more.  I’m thrilled beyond belief that I wasn’t let down.  I loved the Archer and Cyril story about training him and thinking Cyril killed a hooker.  I always know a show or movie is good when the time flies while watching it, I don’t even once look at my watch, and it leaves me wanting more as soon as it ends.  All the best shows do that.  30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, South Park.  Archer is already up to that level.  Two episodes down and it’s already the clear frontrunner to be my favourite new show this year (and second only to Lost as my favourite of everything on TV).  9/10

2.  Archer “Mole Hunt” (1×02) – It’s still hilarious after all the times I’ve watched it.  If anyone’s interested I did a little review of this episode back in September.  Check it out here. 9/10

3.  Parks and Recreation “The Set Up” (2×13) – Aziz Ansari said that this may be his favourite episode of Parks and Recreation yet and I think I have to agree.  Not only did we get a guest appearance by Amy Poehler’s husband Will Arnett as the uncomfortable date that Ann sets Leslie up with, but we also got the first episode in Justin Theroux’s arc and the supremely great Aubrey Plaza once again shined with some increased screen time.  Nick Offerman also continues to be balls out hilarious.  9/10

4.  30 Rock “Klaus and Greta” (4×09) – James Franco as himself and in love with human sized pillow with an anime girl on it.  Priceless.  Kenneth and Jack on a mission was also fantastic.  9/10

5.  30 Rock “Black Light Attack!” (4×10) – It was nice to see Danny again, and for Liz to get some action (in back to back episodes no less), but overall it just wasn’t as good as the previous episode.  The Jenna and Tracy stories really brought it down a notch or two.  8.5/10

6.  The Tonight Show – Late night talk shows don’t really belong in this list but the circumstances have been rather unique this week.  Conan moving to The Tonight Show resulted in him curtailing some of his more outlandish behaviour and that was a real shame.  However, with all the drama surrounding his probable ousting from the show this week it’s freed him up to do the type of comedy that he’s great at.  Not to mention the almost continuous attacks on both NBC and Leno have been a thing of beauty.  It’ll be a shame when Conan goes off the air and Leno returns to suck NBC’s cock and fondle their balls like the bitch he is.  8.5/10

7.  Better Off Ted “The Impertence of Communicationizing” (2×08) – The outtakes for this episode which were posted online during the week were far better than what was actually used, but it was a nice episode about following company mandates despite how illogical they may seem.  Better Off Ted does a good job of highlighting the bureaucracy of company life and this was another solid example of that.  7/10

8.  The Mentalist “Rose-Colored Glasses” (2×11) – I watched about half of the 1st season of The Mentalist and then gave up on it for no real reason.  I figured I’d give it another watch seen as how it’s doing really well in the ratings on Thursday against some good competition.  I can tell you it hasn’t changed at all since about the same point last season.  Simon Baker is still effortlessly charming as Thomas Jane and the rest of the gang are still D grade wanna be FBI Agents.  The show lives and dies by Baker’s performance and as long as Thomas Jane doesn’t become a one trick pony the show is at least mildly entertaining.  Other than that it’s just the current procedural du jour.  6.5/10

8.  Better Off Ted “The Long and Winding High Road” (2×09) -  Another good episode of Veronica using Rose as a tool to get what she wants.  I love it when they do that in the show.  Aside from that though it was a pretty average episode.  6.5/10

9.  Fringe “Johari Window” (2×12) – A pretty decent standalone episode which has been a rare thing so far this season.  I wish they’d get back to the mythology of the show though.  That’s where the real gold is.  And you gotta believe that Peter is gonna find out about being a double at some point this season.  There’s been too much of it so far for it not to be revealed.  6/10

10.  How I Met Your Mother “Girls vs Suits” (5×12) – A real letdown for the 100th episode.  There was nothing for Jason Segel or Alyson Hannigan to do and Cobie Smulders was left to be a jealous hot chick.  Plus there was more of that damn annoying mother teasing.  Either the mother is important to the premise of the show or she isn’t, but 100 episodes in should be far enough for her to be revealed by now.  If she’s important she should be in the mix by now, and if she’s not then introducing her doesn’t need to be some huge revelation.  I wish the writers/producers would just bite the bullet and cast someone already.  5.5/10

11.  Jimmy Kimmel Live! – Once again, another late night talk show appears on the list.  This time thanks to Kimmel impersonating Leno for an entire show.  Props to Chevy Chase for also making a minimal effort to appear as Conan.  6/10

12.  Fringe “Unearthed” (2×11) – Fox airing a previously unaired season one episode was just stupid.  Charlie Francis died early this season yet there he is in all his glory being a bad ass FBI Agent.  It made zero sense in the context of the season and I’m sure I’m not the only one who was confused when I first saw him on the screen.  Couple that with the fact that it was a very average episode and I get the feeling that Fox is burning off episodes so that the show can be dumped at the end of the season.  4.5/10