Doctor Who series

I wasn't at all sure about Amy until I realised later in the series that we weren't talking about 'just' Amy but her interraction and role in a larger cast of characters including River Song. When placed in the Doctor's 'party' of travellers, she is an effective companion. She certainly isnt pulling off all the notes and expressions of Donna Noble or filling the doctor's heart and soul like Rose Tyler, but at this stage of the doctor's life I think that with the rest of the ensemble she does an admirable job. It's important not to consider her as a replacement for companions of the past because if you do, she doesnt feel (to me at least) like she is completing the picture, especially in the beginning episodes when you really focus on her.

It's definitely not the same as previous seasons. The darkness often appears and a few episodes have very sad moments, but theres a resilience in Matt Smith's doctor and an impeccable sense of comedic timing. If Tennant's doctor towards the end was a 'glass is half empty' kind of guy, Smith's is almost certainly 'half full'. Despite his youthful appearance he comes off as far far older. An excellent change of tone for the series and I am looking forward to next season!

I love this Drop Dead Diva show

I love this Drop Dead Diva show and hope it comes back for a second season. The premise will be familiar to readers of paranormal romances--a woman dies unexpectedly and comes back in another form that gives her a new perspective on life, society, romance, and, ultimately, her own self.

In this case, the diva that drops dead is a shallow, self-absorbed, not all that bright, but not mean, hot blond with a hot lawyer fiance. Refusing to accept death, she defiantly presses a "return" button while being processed in the afterlife, and whammo, she's back on earth, resuscitated in the body of a very smart, but very chubby brunette lawyer ( looks reminiscent of Delta Burke, but less kittenish).

And off we go. Deb, the dead diva, has to adapt to a new reality as Lane-Bryant-clad plus-size plain Jane. She has her own personality with Jane's brain--so she has a boatload of legal know-how. And, oh oh, her fiance is now a lawyer at Jane's firm. Another female lawyer--one with a slim physique and icy demeanor and high-level ambition that contrasts with Janes's plumpness and subdued prettiness and bit of Deb-ditziness. They sometimes clash, sometimes cooperate, and they are each refining the other, which is cool to watch. Everyone is fated to learn and grow.

The humor and drama are well-balanced, and it's fun to see Margaret Cho as the deadpanning snarky but capable assistant to Jane. The actor who plays Deb's fiance is very appealing and quite handsome (reminds me of the late Edward Albert when he was young with a dash of that guy who was Quentin in DARK SHADOWS, for those who remember). He effectively conveys his loss of Deb as heartrending, and his moments with Jane (where they build a friendship) are so touching and lovely, that I long for the next one where they sit together intimately.

There are shades of LEGALLY BLONDE (with Deb/Jane as a sort of Elle, but with the blonde super-fashionista on the inside). Others refer to Ally McBeal, but this show seems to have a kinder heart and less cynicism than that one.

The guest stars in this first season have been a hoot, including Rosie O'Donnell as a judge, Liza Minelli with Delta Burke as feuding sisters, and Paula Abdul.

It may not be a ground-breaking or uberbrilliant show, but I always look forward to it and my hubby likes to watch with me, too. It's fun, it's got romance, and the actress who plays Jane/Deb is very appealing and likable, with an expressive voice and a wonderful ability to switch deftly from ditzy Deb to on-the-job Jane---and you root for her to win her cases and, we hope, get her man...back!

The final season of The Office

The final season of the Office stands as an example of a show that reached beyond a form of entertainment and became a lasting legacy that transformed American television, for the better, and in the most heartfelt way.

The entire series began well, became amazing, and then somewhere began to stumble, only to catch itself to keep from hitting the ground, ending upright, tall, and with much to be proud of. Few shows will ever hook us the way the Office characters did thanks to the outstanding performances of the best and most devoted ensemble of actors a television show could ever hope for.

The final show speaks for the entire series, and it leaves us with warmth, dignity, and a great deal of heart. Much thanks is due the cast and crew at `The Office' for redeeming the show's original integrity and soul, and for presenting its viewers with a remarkable and unforgettable journey.

Throughout the final season we are saying `goodby' to a show that demonstrated time and again, that the ordinary people make the world go around, and we owe it to ourselves to embrace that marvelous ride and appreciate those whom were destined to share that ride with us.

This season is certainly one that should not be overlooked at any cost. If ever one enjoyed one minute of the series, then this is the season to be sure to see.

As a true testament of the fondness we feel for the entire cast as they moved us to care for them and their stories, they will be dearly missed. Yet they left us on a high note of uplifting proportions and for that, `the Office' will continue to sparkle brightly in our recollections as a true original show, with the echoes of a cherished friend.

I love The Good Wife

I love The Good Wife. Season One is one of the best seasons of television, period. And the best thing about this show has always been the relationship between Alicia Florrick and Kalinda Sharma. Unfortunately, two decisions made by the writers have irreparably damaged this relationship, and consequently the series. First, at the end of Season Two the writers decided to reveal that Kalinda slept with Alicia's husband during her stint at the State's Attorney's office two years before the show began. This undermined the friendship that had grown between these two very different women. And second, in Season Four, they brought in new character Nick, Kalinda's long-lost abusive husband. This guy shows up in the first episode of Season Four as a thug with a criminal record attempting to use Lockhart Gardner to help him get a towing contract from the State. But his real motive is to move in on Kalinda again and get his hands on some money he believes she stole from him.

The problem here is that Kalinda has always been portrayed as a strong and self-sufficient woman. Yes, she was "mysterious," and it was obvious from the start that she had secrets she was hiding, but it seems totally against character to portray her locked in a love-hate battle with an abusive lunatic. While things are left a bit murky as to what Kalinda's relationship with Nick really is, they are shown punching each other, going full-on martial arts with each other, pulling guns on each other, and having what can only be called sadomasochistic sex with each other. In fact, their first "sex scene" looks very much like rape, although it is left up in the air as to whether or not Kalinda was into the whole rape scenario.

I am really enjoying this show. I have heard and seen rave reviews of The Good Wife ever since its debut, but I just started watching it on Amazon. I love Alicia's strength, but the series also shows her emotional struggles in dealing with her husband's betrayal, her mother-in-laws controlling behaviors, raising her children properly, and navigating the political world of her new law firm. These are issues most women face, whether or not they are married or have children. That is what makes Alicia a sympathetic character.

Combine this Greek plotline with engaging legal battles and that is what makes this show so wonderful! Yay for The Good Wife!

Sons Of Anarchy: Well Written But Very Painful To Watch

If you've enjoyed SOA so far, and have come to care greatly about characters like Jax, Terra, and Opie--this is a painful season to watch. Watching these people become more and more unlikable, or otherwise changed for the worse, is a difficult thing to do. What works this season is how it moves the narrative forward, how it keeps you guessing, and how the pieces ultimately fit together by the end of the season.

sons of anarchy still

What stood out to me particularly about Season 5 is the heightened degree of cruelty about everything, which is largely the result of the machinations of Damon Pope in the first episode. Harold Perrineau does a great job of playing an utterly ruthless and sadistic villain. SAMCRO gets dragged into Pope's world, which is an even darker place than that of the Mexican drug cartel or the Aryan nation from previous seasons. It's hard to see how this negatively impacts Jax as well, as we watch him drift further and further away from the ideals that he once held sacred.

There is at least one source of light at the end of the tunnel, however, which comes from an extremely likable new character, Nero, played by the incredibly talented Jimmy Smits. You'll like Nero right away, and like him even more as the season progresses. In a story where there are very few "good guys" left, it's refreshing to see there's still an outlaw with a heart of gold. Another surprising and welcome development comes from Tig, who becomes much more sympathetic than he has been in the past. By the end of the first season I thought he was a rotten guy, but seeing what he endures in Season 5 really changed my perspective. I actually felt for the guy, and didn't want to see him suffer any more. I think that's a testament to Kurt Sutter's writing ability, in that he can turn our viewpoint of a character around in a natural manner, that doesn't feel contrived or forced.

I do have to say that I still greatly disagree with the choice kill off a certain character this season, but I won't spoil it. Like I said, painful to watch, but still good.