Hemal Jhaveri
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What Hemal is thankful for
Yes, I'm thankful for my family and my friends and my health and my job that is slowly but surely driving me into an early grave..blah, blah, blah. That's all the big stuff that we should be thankful for everyday. Now, let's talk about the little things that don't get mentioned around the table but should. Fan Girls
I am probably the biggest lurker in the world. I never post on fan forums and I don't have a LiveJournal, but I troll fan sites for the latest dirt on celebs and shows I follow. And you guys never let me down.
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It's getting a little too 'meta' on Supernatural
Who wants to help me run down all the "meta" moments so far this season on Supernatural? Seriously, anyone? Because there are a lot. Last Thursday's episode, "The Real Ghostbusters," reached almost unforeseen levels of meta-dom. To appreciate the intricate levels of meta in this episode, and the back and forth that's happening between the fans and the actors, creators and even prop people from the show, you need to have lived and breathed this sucker from episode one to right now.
But, as much as I love Kripke's ability to break down that fourth wall and, in the process, send a huge, heart-felt hug to fandom, it's time to take the story back to Sam and Dean.
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Finally, the Housewives get their comeuppance
Is it wrong of me to be finally, justly, overjoyed at the financial ruin that has befallen the Real Housewives of Orange County? When the Bravo show first started, we were on the brink of a national recession. Now, a few seasons later, we're waist-deep in financial hardship, the likes of which has just hit the overly-tanned ladies of Coto. After seasons of watching the Housewives -- and pick any permutation you want here, from NYC to Atlanta -- gobble up jewels and homes and indulge in a kind of narcissism that many parents wouldn't even allow their toddlers, it's supremely gratifying to see the house of cards they built on credit come crashing down.
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Why I may have to boycott this week's episode of Top Chef
There's always an actor or an actress that, for whatever reason, raises your ire so much you can't stand to see the person in anything, be it a TV show, movie or glossy magazine spread. However irrational it is, his or her presence is enough to set your teeth on edge. This week, I have to decide if my love for the Voltaggio brothers out weighs my dislike of Natalie Portman.
Until recently, I didn't particularly feel one way or the other about Natalie Portman, who's set to be the guest judge on Top Chef this week, but after reading her recent editorial preaching the upside of vegetarianism on Huffington Post, I'm ready to add her to my small but intense list.
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Why are you watching Glee?
So, tell me why you're watching Glee. Entertainment Weekly put the Fox musical/drama/comedy on it's cover this week, calling it "TV's Happiest Hour." With around 8 million people tuning in each week and iTunes sales of songs featured on the show going through the roof, there's no denying that Glee has turned into a barely contained phenomenon.EW says it's "snarky, theatrical and totally addictive." All very true, but I watch for one reason: this show makes me happy. Nothing I've seen on TV in the past few years, much less this season, puts a grin on my face like these high school kids earnestly singing and dancing. I mean, come on. Did you see Puck's rendition of "Sweet Caroline"?
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Does loving Glee make me a bad feminist?
There are plenty of ill-conceived female characters all over prime-time TV (just pick any show on the CW for starters) but is it fair to dump Glee into that category? While Glee undoubtedly has some of the most egregious, misshapen teen girls around, I don't think it's this fall's worst offender. Sadie over at Jezebel makes some very salient points in her gender-critique of Glee, but she misses the mark when she calls the show "cheap and disingenuous." Yes, stock portrayals of female characters can reinforce harmful stereotypes, but I don't think that's what's happening on Glee.
As an avid fan, I think you can appreciate the show without dismissing it because it doesn't portray women in a positive light. This is a Ryan Murphy show. And no one comes out looking good in a Ryan Murphy show.
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John Cho talks FlashForward
I wanted to add a spoiler warning with this post, but sadly, John Cho, who plays FBI agent Demetri Noh on ABC's FlashForward, is pretty tight lipped about all the big reveals that are coming up this season. I had the chance to speak with him recently, and despite my continued harassment, he's good at keeping secrets. But, that doesn't mean fans will have to wait long for answers to start rolling in about the mysterious massive blackout that allowed everyone in the world to see into the future.
"I have been excited by and impressed by how much they're revealing this early on," he said. "There's been serious bombshells on a weekly basis ... I feel like they [the writers] are very conscious about giving the audience a lot of information."
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Vampire Diaries: Friday Night Bite
(S01E03) Why does every high school show have to do the obligatory football episode? Is this something that's still big for kids? Seriously, does this hierarchy of popularity still exist? Or are the writers just too old to know any better?
Anyway, this week Stefan tries out for the football team in a desperate attempt to not be so weird and creepy, and Elena, in an effort to get back to her "normal" life, goes back to cheerleading. That works for a few days, until Damon shows up and kills the history teacher/football coach Mr. Tanner. Yay for Damon!
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The Vampire Diaries: The Night Of The Comet
(S01E02) Two episodes in and I'm totally on board with the bad-ass Damon love. People, he is so evil! And he looks like Rob Lowe. What is not to love? The second episode of Vampire Diaries was way more watchable than the pilot, mainly because we don't have to suffer through so much boring character exposition. This really freed up the writers to get creative with Damon and Stefan, which was a great boost. And aside from some scenery chewing at the end, a very well paced and exciting episode.
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Bones: Harbingers in the Fountain (season premiere)
(S05E01) I'm sure I wasn't the only person dumbfounded by the way last season left off, but not to worry, faithful fans! We're not in for an entire season of Booth With Amnesia as feared. In fact, we pick up season five of Bones six weeks after Booth's brain surgery, and things are pretty much getting back to normal. Not only is Booth recovering fine, he seems to have (thankfully) gotten over his temporary amnesia and remembers Brennan as his partner and not his wife.
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