Glee 3x22, "Goodbye"
Glee's original class freakin' graduated. I've been watching this show from day one, May 19, 2009! I should be in tears right now, going crazy on iTunes buying every last song. None of that happened. I was unmoved. I loved Puck's storyline (Quinn/Puck!!), the original five performance, and adored all the Samcedes moments* (♥ ♥ yay!!!). Other than that, meh. Brittany not graduating SUCKED.

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The Avengers 3D So very entertaining. Lots of action, good dialog (plenty of witty one liners), good looking 3D. :: While I'm still not thrilled about a Damon-less Bourne movie, Renner's awesome performance as Hawkeye convinced me to give it a chance.

Terri (Ebert's review) I liked this a lot. It took a while to get going but I'm glad I stayed with it. The performances were on point. Nothing groundbreaking but I found the movie's honesty to be quite moving.

Midnight in Paris A really wonderful, magical movie. The dialog was amazing. I loved grumpy but beautifully poetic Hemingway.

Colombiana It didn't go anywhere. And I didn't like seeing Michael Vartan reduced to a love interest (can't believe I'm saying this about a guy, heh).

Glee 3x20/2x21, "Props"/"Nationals"
Glee should have done California Dream's "So Glad I Was There". It's the perfect song. Puck's storyline was gut wrenching. I've been waiting for this, didn't know if the show would deliver, but boy did it ever. Marrying Puck's storyline to Beiste's was absolutely glorious. While Santana, Mercedes and Brittany meant well, the show decided to show that certain issues are too devastating, too personal to 'fix' with an uplifting anthem. Coach was touched by their concern and the need to be a good role model, but it wasn't enough to make her walk away. It wasn't until a very broken Puckerman decided to throw his future away that Coach Beiste was able to find the courage to take a stand and go to bat for Puck by talking to his teacher, and for herself, by walking away from an abusive husband. I can't say enough about it. The best Glee has been this entire season IMO. I confess I didn't like the domestic abuse storyline for Beiste because I wanted her to have a happy marriage. But the payoff shut me up. The scene between Coach and Puck in the locker room was devastating, a grand slam of a performance for both Dot Jones and Mark Salling that had me crying actual tears. They gave me chills. Their version of Taylor Swift's "Mean" was perfect. Everything about this was perfect.

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Glee 3x19, "Prom-asaurus"
Crowning Rachel Prom Queen was a nice enough moment, but it felt artificial. Winning Prom Queen is one of those TV staples that almost always works because it effectively speaks to everyone's inner teenager and, of course, actual teenagers. It's an entirely relatable narrative. However, the moment felt as if Glee had simply decided to tell the quintessential prom fairy tale whether it had anything to do with the the character's arc or not (not really), whether key events led up to it or not (not really). Rachel started out as this quirky, driven, intense kid seeking validation and acceptance; had she been an official prom queen candidate it would have been a nice moment for the talented yet defeated (but not for long, I suspect) musical theater geek. But she wasn't. It sort of...happened. Quinn didn't want it anymore so why not? Wouldn't PROM be the perfect excuse for one of Rachel Berry's decadent fantasies/montages? Don't get me wrong, it was a nice moment, but unimaginative. It lacked excitement, had no emotional punch.

Puck and Becky had the best storyline in this episode. It was completely in character, fun, consistent with their backstory, unconventional in that S1 Glee kind of way, and entirely lovely, with the chance to become one of the season's most memorable moments. Unlike Rachel's storyline, Puck and Becky's was uplifting in a very real way. We know Puck has a good heart, we know Becky dreams of fitting in, we know Puck loves mischief, we know Becky is a lot of fun and a fantastic wingman. We also know both of them have felt lonely and excluded. This was their perfect story. Not only did the writers explore an unlikely pairing, they acknowledged Puck and Becky's vulnerability and combined the characters' long established best traits to create several wonderful moments (anti-Prom Queen and King, triumphant Prom entrance, etc.) without assistance from trite, throwaway plotlines. Simple, elegant spot on writing.

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Another Earth What a great movie. What a great movie.

Scandal 1x05, "Crash and Burn"
The last two minutes of the last episode literally made me gasp and jump. Amanda Tanner's abduction was stealthy as heck, both in the context of the episode and also for the unexpecting viewer. Not to be outdone, this episode had its own, less grim, shocking ending. I'm so hooked. The show is not perfect, but it's perfectly entertaining.

The Vampire Diaries 3x21, "Before Sunset"
Damon asking Bonnie "Why do we need you for?" after she shows him the cell phone locator was kind of a telling statement wasn't it? You're The Witch, if we can get it done without your involvement/powers, you're basically useless. Leave it to Damon to cut through the crap. So poorly fleshed out she is that her entire existence depends on her usefulness as a witch/plot spin doctor.

This episode has people buzzing about Bonnie going dark; I remained unmoved. The fact that people who hate Bonnie, or are otherwise indifferent to her character, jump at the idea of Bonnie becoming an official antagonist, consumed by dark magic, is suspicious to me. I can't help but think back to the The Hunger Games fan meltdown after black actors were hired to play beloved book character. I honestly believe those fans wouldn't have objected had those characters been antagonistic or flat out villains, not at all unfamiliar roles for darker skinned actors. In Bonnie's case, all kinds of people are calling for a Dark Bonnie storyline. It would appear, from their phrasing, that they'd be more comfortable with Bonnie the Wicked Witch than they've ever been with Bonnie Best Friend with a Conscience and Super Powers.

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Thick Books and Thin Films by Adam Ruben, Ph.D :: Funny article.

I know this is going to happen whenever I read a popular novel or watch a popular film or TV show. I know the science will be laughably dubious. I know that this fact, for me, will overshadow any legitimate merit the piece has. I know I’ll find myself screaming, “YOU MORONS! HOW CAN YOU LAND A SPACESHIP ON A SPINNING ASTEROID? HOW CAN YOU SYNTHESIZE AN ANTISERUM IN AN HOUR? WHY DOESN’T IRON MAN BANG HIS HEAD ON THE INSIDE OF THE SUIT?”

MICHAEL CRICHTON: What if mosquitoes drank dinosaur blood before being encased in amber? Would it theoretically be possible to extract that blood and clone dinosaurs from the DNA?
A SCIENTIST: No.
MICHAEL CRICHTON: So, yes?

Myth #7: A scientist can be proficient in all branches of science.
Truth: Exactly what discipline did the professor from Gilligan’s Island specialize in? Chemistry? Mechanical engineering? Coconut-based transistor radio construction? Any time a problem needed solving or a device needed building, the professor knew exactly how to do it. That guy could make anything. Except a boat.

Veep Series Premiere
As is always the case with HBO and Showtime, I had problems with the constant swearing, but otherwise I liked it. I found the "glasses are like a wheelchair for the eye" bit hilarious. I will forever miss My Boys so yay for Reid Scott! Even if his character is a jerk. Heh. Anna Chlumsky was great and should have her own show. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was amazing in the title role. Grade: B

Nurse Jackie 4x13, "The Wall"
Look, she had it coming. Jackie lied to everyone for years, compulsively, selfishly. She had plenty of chances to come clean and never did. She finally cracked under the pressure of her addiction and web of lies (dead junkie stranger surely had something to do with it) which started a domino effect. One by one every single one of her lies has been knocked down, exposed. Jackie has been exposed and is now living in a bizarro world where she's the patient. ( spoilers )

Game of Thrones 2x04, "Garden of Bones"
Grey Wind rocks. This was a great episode, hard to watch though. Robb crushing on the beautiful doctor and the Arya/Gendry friendship were about the only pleasant storylines in this one. Joffrey and Melisandre were involved in incredibly disturbing business. Tywin is not a good man, but he is a great character and, in this case, a break from his men's mindless savagery. I gasped when he 'outed' Arya in front of everyone but Tywin admiring her cleverness was a nice touch. No Jon Snow. :(

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Glee 3x17, "Dance with Somebody"
That was awful. The gorgeous montage to "How Will I Know" was the only good thing about it.

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Quiara Alegria Hudes On Her Pulitzer Prize Win For 'Water By The Spoonful'

Edward P. Jones, who’s a novelist whose work I greatly admire, says you’re always becoming a writer. You’re never a writer. I wanted to continue doing what I had done with "Elliot" ["A Soldier's Fugue"], but as a writer there has to be something new each time. "Elliot" had all Latino characters in one family. But then I thought, it’s 2012, and that isn’t the kind of world I live in. So this play is the first I wrote that has people from all over the world. There’s an online community that brings them together -- there’s an African American man, and a Japanese woman. Broadening my palette of characters was a real breakthrough. I felt more at home than I ever have.

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This is beautiful, ethereal and emotional, so delicate and touching. Amber Riley... No words. Such a gifted vocalist, chills down my spine amazing. Lea Michele of course is incredible as well. Loved the harmonies, oh my goodness, Naya Rivera and Chris Colfer nailed it. WOW.

NYC 22 Series Premiere
Loved it. I didn't like Rookie Blue but I liked this one. I like cop shows with interesting characters and charismatic actors. As far as great characters and group dynamic, Maria Bello's Prime Suspect was, in my opinion, the best cop show to hit the air since Southland. Unfortunately the Pilot turned off a lot of people, but the remaining episodes were amazingly well crafted. NYC 22 had good characters, Adam Goldberg being the clear stand out. So I liked it. I'd give it a B+.

Nurse Jackie 4x02, "Disneyland Sucks"
Loving the season so far. Secrets are finally coming out (Eddie, I salute you), Jackie is actually dealing with some stuff, everything else is wonderful. Yay show!

Suburgatory 1x19, "Entering Eden"
ALICIA SILVERSTONE AND JEREMY SISTO! YESSSSSS! I'm a Cher/Josh fan even still, but Alton was hilarious and did have chemistry with Cher. Between this lovely reunion and Jeff Perry's (A.K.A. Mr. Katimski) recurring character on Scandal I'm in '90s teen heaven.

I cannot believe I'm about to say this, but it's how I feel. It's about Finchel, how I love them, always have, since the very beginning, and how I can't stand them anymore. I blame overexposure, the meaningless back and forth. Sure I want them to be together, singing happy/sappy love songs and being embarrassing, but the repetitiveness of their conflict has worn me out. Don't get me wrong, I still like them, I still get a thrill whenever they have 'a moment' ("The First Time I Saw Your Face" was fantastic, my absolute favorite montage was Finchel's), but I'm exhausted, numb. While I still like them as a couple I wouldn't mind them taking a backseat for a few episodes.

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