THE OFFICE SPOILERS: UPCOMING EPISODE SUMMARIES

Thanks to NBC for providing the upcoming episode summaries:

Oct. 1, "The Promotion":
"David Wallace (Andy Buckley) breaks the bad news that not everyone will get a raise this year. Dwight (Rainn Wilson) reaches his breaking point with Jim (John Krasinski) and looks to the rest of the office for allies. Pam (Jenna Fischer) would like cash instead of wedding gifts."

Oct. 8, "Niagara":
"'The Office' travels to Niagara Falls to celebrate Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam's (Jenna Fischer) wedding under strict orders not to mention Pam's pregnancy. Michael (Steve Carell), Dwight (Rainn Wilson), and Andy (Ed Helms) all want to hook up with guests at the wedding and Michael and Dwight meet twins."

Oct. 15, "Mafia":
"Michael (Steve Carell) meets with an insurance salesman that visits the office and is later convinced by Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Andy (Ed Helms) that he is part of the mafia. Erin (Ellie Kemper) accidentally ruins Pam's (Jenna Fischer) painting."

Oct. 22, "The Lover":
"Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) shocks Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) when he reveals the identity of the new woman he has been dating. Dwight (Rainn Wilson) apologizes to Jim for years of torment with a strange peace offering."

HIMYM RECAP: 5.2 "DOUBLE DATE"

Read below for highlights from last nights episode of HIMYM, featuring Blind Date redos and Doppelgangers. What did you think of last night's episode? Post your comments below:

- Ted picks up picks up blind date Jen only to realize it is the same women he went on a blind date with 7 years earlier. She doesn't realize until Ted tells a bad shellfish joke at the restaurant. They both realize that not much has changed in 7 years [same restaurant, same conversations, same lame jokes], and they decide they need to go on the rest of date to figure out what it is that they are doing wrong to avoid scaring off future first dates with others.

- Barney's ploy to get the gang to go along with his plans is brilliant. "The Origins of Chewbacca - Star Wars". The girls want nothing to do with a Star Wars convention, so Barney's plan worked to get away from the girls and into a strip club. Barney made it up so Marshall wouldn't get in trouble with Lily; it turns out that Lily is cool with it, and Robin is the one not so happy to have a boyfriend hanging out at a strip club.

- Speaking of strip clubs, was Robin's jealous girlfriend reaction to the whole matter completely out of character from the former Bro Robin we know and love?

- I agree with Barney...Marshall's fantasy is pretty lame. Any time he sees a hot girl, he mentally has to imagine Lily being diagnosed with a chronic condition and before she dies, she tells him that after an appropriate amount of time has passed he should plow the fantasy girl like a corn field. Lily finds out and is more upset that Marshall killed her off rather than him fantasizing about another woman.

- The 3rd Doppelganger Theory - in a word...Awesome! I love that not only did they introduce [via flashback] - Lesbian Robin [1st] and Mustasche Marshall [2nd]...but now we have Stripper Lily [a.k.a. the 3rd doppelganger]. They also teased that Ted and Barney both have doppelgangers as well, and I can only assume they will be introduced down the road [hopefully soon].

My Rating: 7/10

DEXTER REACAP: 4.1 "LIVING THE DREAM"

Season 4 of Dexter debuts for our Dear Daddy Dexter. Real time has passed since last season when we last saw our serial killer. Now Dexter is living the dream with beautiful wife Rita, step kids Astor and Cody, and new baby Harrison. If, by living the dream means a needy wife, petulant teenage daughter, hyper son, and a screaming baby that keeps him up all hours of the night... [sounds more like a nightmare to me].

Meanwhile, we are quickly introduced to our latest bad guy, The Trinity Killer [John Lithgow] and boy is he creepy. He's preparing a bath, but its not to relax; it is part of the ritual he has for his latest victim. A young women walks into her bathroom and ends up naked in the tub with the TK choking her from behind as he softly whispers "It's already over". Then he slashes her femoral artery and uses a mirror to watch her face as she quickly bleeds out [and did I mention he is still in the tub with her as she bleeds out in the water - seriously creepy!] Later on we are also treated to a camera shot from behind [get it!] of TK sobbing in the scalding hot shower.

The opening montage starts rolling [hey, didn't they already show this at the beginning] but you quickly realize this is not the smooth Dexter you remember. The new Dexter is sleep deprived with spit up on his shirt and broken shoelaces. [I think Dexter is starting to realize why most serial killers are loners]. This was a great montage to show just how different Dexter's life has become from the 1st season.

The lack of sleep is affecting Dexter's work as he botches a case on trial by listing the wrong defendant in his notes. As a consequence, the killer on trial goes free and Detective Quinn is pissed. They get called to a new crime scene with a woman is found in a bath of blood. As Dexter pulls up the linoleum to analyze the blood they notice old bloodstains underneath. The blood doesn't match anyone in their database, but a search by address provides a hit on an old case with almost the exact same MO - only 30 years earlier.

Debra is still with CI Anton from last season, and it appears they are pretty serious and living together. She is also still looking for the other woman that her Dad had an affair with back when he was a cop. Her friend in records give her a stack of file of all of Harry's past CI's, and Deb begins working down the list determined to find out why Harry would cheat on their family. The camera pans down to show the Laura Moser file at the bottom of the stack, so eventually Debra is going to start digging into someone linked to Dexter's past...who knows what she may uncover.


Unfortunately for Debra, everyone's favorite FBI agent [and Deb's ex-boyfriend] Lundy is also back in Miami to complicate her life. He is retired from the FBI but still wants to find "the one who got away"...who is - you guessed it, the Trinity Killer. As Dexter and Lundy talk, they discover that the TK has been killing in sets of 3 in different cities for over 30 years.

On a side note, apparently Lt. LaGuerta is now having sexcapades with Angel [hey, wasn't he dating that cop from Vice?]. Hmmm, did I miss something...so far they are keeping their relationship low-key from the office, even if Masuka inadvertently puts himself in between them the whole episode [or at least every time they ride the elevators].

Back to Dexter. The new family and lack of sleep are also affecting his "after-hours" job. He get his equipment from the apartment [does anyone else wonder how he explains that to Rita?] and sets up for his next kill: Bennie Gomez, the killer he helped free earlier in the episode. Next, he goes to the bar where Benny hangs out...and falls asleep in his car waiting for him to leave. A cop knocks on the window to wake him up and assumes he is drunk. Dexter has missed his opportunity for the kill.

So Dexter must wait until the next night and scope out a different location at Bennie's trailer park, where he finally nabs him. He doesn't have much time to savor his latest victim when Rita interrupts by calling Dexter to pick up medicine for the baby. He quickly kills and disposes of Benny in his trusty biodegradable garbage bags, and swings by to get the medicine before heading home. The sleep deprivation finally gets the best of Dexter as he is driving as he nods off until dream Harry screams at him to wake up. He looks up just in time to swerve off the road and flip his SUV --- and Benny's body is still in the back....

And tune in next week for more Dexter....

My Rating 8/10

MAD MEN RECAP: 3.7 "SEVEN TWENTY THREE"

A total solar eclipse arrives midway through "Seven Twenty Three," and characters are warned repeatedly to not look directly at it. Betty tries and feels faint. Don puts on his sunglasses and waits for the sun to pass a bit before looking up, while Sally and Miss Farrell watch the eclipse from the safety of a cardboard camera obscura. And at other points in the episode, both Roger Sterling and Francine's husband Carlton talk about looking at the normal sun without any ill effects.

And all throughout "Seven Twenty Three" (the title stands for the date on which Don signs his contract), characters are given the opportunity to directly face something they want, or something they fear. Some choose to stare into the sun, while others try looking indirectly, each with varying degrees of success.

The episode itself starts with the indirect approach, as we get glimpses of Betty, Peggy and Don in situations that won't explain themselves until much later in the hour. It's not really necessary - I'm not fond of non-chronological storytelling, or in media res openings, unless they reveal something that wouldn't have been apparent had the episode been told in a traditional way - but it at least sets the tone for another intense, unsettling episode.

"Seven Twenty Three" doesn't have the macabre comedy of "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency," nor does anyone lose a foot (and the ability to golf). But by episode's end, we may have witnessed a murder, because it feels like when Don signs that contract on 7/23, Dick Whitman dies.

And if that's the case, good riddance to bad rubbish.

Because most of Dick's appearances in the first two seasons were in situations where Jon Hamm got to play him as vulnerable, even tender (think Don-as-Dick in Anna Draper's house), it's easy to forget just what a bastard he is. He's the one who coldly stole the real Don Draper's life without thinking of the consequences, the one who chased away his own brother to protect his secret, the one who makes Don hold himself at such a crippling distance from his wife. And Dick Whitman is the one whose first impulse at a sign of trouble is to bail on everyone who cares about him. As Jon Hamm put it to me, "When Don's in trouble, Dick runs."

And in "Seven Twenty Three," forces conspire to keep Dick from running, maybe ever again. Sterling and Cooper have always indulged Don's refusal to work without a contract, looking the other away and allowing him to make his power play against Duck. But Conrad Hilton's lawyers force the firm to look directly at this particular quirk, and they realize that it's no longer acceptable. Cooper won't let Don avoid the confrontation, and when Don tries, Roger tries going around Don to Betty, who calls out her husband for his wanderlust - where, she rightly wonders, does he plan to be in the next three years that this is such a burden?

Don-as-Dick is not pleasant to watch in this one. Cornered, he lashes out in ugly fashion at Peggy (who's devastated by it) and then at Betty (who has learned how to fight with her husband), and I'm not sure the character has been any more unappealing than he is in those two scenes. Then he tries going hobo, but he can't even do that well anymore, as his getaway is interrupted by visions of Archie Whitman calling him out for what Don fears is an empty life ("What do you make? You make bulls--t!"), and as he winds up getting rolled by the two hitchhikers. Dick's supposed to be the hustler, not the victim.

The man Dick Whitman turned himself into is a master of the universe, capable of playing all the angles and finding a way to win the unlikeliest of victories. But here, we see other men sitting in Don's chair, putting him ill at ease and telling him how his life is going to be. Connie makes it clear that, however they bonded at the country club, he's going to dictate the terms of this relationship. And Bert Cooper turns out not to be the doddering eccentric we've taken him for, but an absolute killer. He's had the Dick Whitman card in his pocket since the end of season one, but he's declined to play it until now, going straight at Don with it, yet being elegant enough to phrase his attack in an oblique way. (He paraphrases a line he used on Don in last season's "The Gold Violin" about how he knows a little about him, then asks, "After all, when it comes down to it, who's really signing the contract, anyway?")

With no contract, Don has always had the ability to walk away from his job, and even from his life. That's gone now, at least for the next three years. He completely loses this fight, able only to divorce himself from Roger (who poked his nose into Don's private life one time too many), and he's stuck. Throughout "Seven Twenty Three," we see how Don/Dick behaves when there's even a threat of taking away his freedom. Now that it's gone, will things get even uglier? Or will rooting him to one place - and therefore making Dick Whitman irrelevant - allow him to finally accept that this is his life, and to maybe be content with that?

Whatever happens, we can now forget about the idea of Don leaving Sterling Cooper to open his own shop anytime soon (unless Weiner decides to throw us a curveball and opens season four sometime in 1966, as Don's contract is coming to an end). This is where he is, and he, the show and the viewers need to make peace with it.

Getting back to the direct vs. indirect approach, the episode's three lead characters each try a different strategy in dealing with business and with potential romantic partners.

Betty, having realized that the baby isn't going to fix her marriage, is eager for the opportunity to do business with the very interested Henry Francis (who touched her belly at the same party where Don met Connie), and she and Henry flirt with each other without either one coming right out and admitting that they want to jump the other's bones. The closest they come is when Betty calls Henry out for knowing in advance that he wouldn't have time to see the endangered reservoir, and he cleverly changes the subject to the fainting couch in the furniture store window. And Betty, interested but maybe not ready for another affair just yet, can at least buy the couch so she can lie on it and fantasize about him (while looking like a character out of a Renaissance painting).

It's unclear whether Don is actually trying to flirt with Miss Farrell or if he's just making conversation, but things get frosty when she cuts right through all the talk about vacations to accuse him of hitting on her like every other dad. Between her behavior in the classroom, the drunk-dialing episode and now this, sometime tells me that Abigail Spencer is once again playing a role that needs to be measured on the Crazy/Hot scale. But even if she's as cuckoo bananas as I fear, her forthrightness clearly appealed to Don; if he wasn't interested before their conversation began, he is now. And this won't end well for anyone involved, least of all poor Sally.

Peggy tries the indirect approach with Don about the Hilton account, and he sees right through it. This is the second time this season she's had the bad timing to go see him after he had a bad meeting with one of his bosses, and it's just brutal to see Don be that cruel to Peggy, even if he does have a point about her ambition.

And just as Don chewing out Pete in last season's "Flight 1" (after a similar case of poor timing) drove Pete to become Duck's acolyte, Peggy goes to Duck's hotel suite. Duck - who has never had a problem being direct - tries to give her a glimpse of "what opportunity looks like," but she has to look away. And having never looked in Peggy's direction during their time at Sterling Cooper, Duck finds he can't stop looking at her now. Though the Peggy/Duck hookup comes from out of the blue, it makes sense in the moment. Peggy has only ever been with boys like Pete and the college kid, who don't know what they want and/or need Peggy to take the lead. Duck is a man, one who knows what he wants and can describe it in detail to Peggy. As with the Don/Miss Farrell flirtation, this will not end well - Duck is always too impulsive (he sees what he wants and goes after it), and the way he talked about loving the taste of liquor on Peggy's breath doesn't speak well to the long-term prospects for his sobriety - but at the moment I'd prefer not to look straight at that probability for the time being, and instead look around to the more immediate questions. Will Peggy be smart enough to realize that taking the Grey job now would be a big mistake? Will she feel so close to Duck now that she won't be able to resist it? And either way, how will Don and/or Pete react when they find out?

Click here to continue reading...

Recap courtesy of What's Alan Watching at http://sepinwall.blogspot.com

HIMYM SPOILERS: LOOKING AHEAD TO EPISODE 100

How I Met Your Mother turns 100 episodes old this January, and it’s marking the occasion by handing fans the mother of all gifts: some major intel about the show’s titular mama.

“There is some serious Mother action in episode 100,” reveals executive producer Craig Thomas. “It’ll be the closest Ted’s ever come to [discovering who she is]. He’s getting a step closer every episode this season, and episode 100 [we] kind of go bananas with it.”

Although Thomas won’t outright confirm that Ted’s future wife will be unmasked, he hints that he and fellow exec producer Carter Bays “are spending a lot of time trying to cast the female role in Ted’s story for episode 100.”

And if that’s not enough to keep viewers entertained, the milestone episode will climax with what Thomas calls a “big-ass musical” number headlined by the show’s resident song-and-dance man, Neil Patrick Harris. “There will be a huge Barney story culminating in an enormous musical number that we’re going to spend way too much of Twentieth Television’s money on,” Thomas says with a laugh. “Fans of Neil’s performance at the Emmys will enjoy the ending of the episode. It’s not a musical episode, but all of a sudden it becomes one. It’ll probably be one of the craziest things we’ve ever done on the show.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d say episode 100 is going to be… this is the second time I’m breaking my promise to never do this again, but I really can’t resist… episode 100 is going to be… forgive me God for I have sinned… episode 100 is going to be… legen — wait for it — dary!

Spoiler courtesy of The Ausiello Files at www.ew.com

THE OFFICE RECAP: 6.2 "THE MEETING"

Oh no, Michael did not just go there...he actually had the nerve to ask the now out of the closet [you remember that episode]Oscar into his office for advice on what to expect from a colonoscopy and how to make it more pleasurable.

David Wallace shows up at the Scranton branch not to meet with Michael, but instead wants a closed door meeting with Jim that Michael is unaware of. Of course, this drives Micheal crazy, as he continuously barges in the room trying to find out what they are talking about. He even gets Andy in on the game by making a haphazard cheese-cart that he wheels into the meeting [hiding Michael under the tablecloth-decked cart].

Pam is rushing around trying to figure out who in the office is attending their wedding. They invited the entire office thinking that none would actually come to Niagara Falls; unfortunately, Michael told the office anyone that wanted to attend the wedding could have Friday and Monday off. So now everyone has the option of attending the wedding, or coming to work [I am sure we can all guess what option most are going with].

Meanwhile, Daryl is filing a worker's comp claim with Toby after falling off a ladder while on the job. Dwight overhears and is skeptical that Daryl is telling the truth. After failing to prove what happened at work, the duo drives by Daryl's house and sees him with no crutches carrying some dog food. Dwight and Toby are outraged and start yelling obscenities until they see Daryl come outside on the porch still on his crutches; turns out they mistook his masculine sister for him.

David and Jim's meeting finally concludes, and David asks to speak with Michael. He wants Michael's opinion on Jim as a possible manager, and Michael [fearing he is being replaced by Jim], starts downplaying Jim's attributes as a possible manager. During the conversation David mentions that Jim had a proposal to have Jim manage the Scranton branch, which would allow Michael to become the regional sales manager. After David leaves, Jim realizes what Michael did and realizes that Michael screwed him over getting the promotion. They call David and try to repair the damage, and David comes up with a new proposal. Michael and Jim become co-managers of the Scranton branch, with Jim managing the daily operations, while Micheal focuses on new sales and client relations.

The episode ends with Dwight screaming as he realizes that Jim has been promoted over him...

My Rating: 7.5/10

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES RECAP: 1.3 "FRIDAY NIGHT BITES"

First things first: Good news for "Vampire Diaries" fans! This week, the CW ordered nine more scripts in addition to the 13 episodes already picked up. While this doesn't guarantee that they'll actually air the full season, it's definitely a step in the right direction for those who can't get enough of the Brothers Salvatore.

After two warmup weeks, it seems that "Vampire Diaries" has finally found its footing in this third episode, aptly titled "Friday Night Bites." I loved the mix of typical high school tropes (Will Stefan make the football team? Will Vicki choose to date Jeremy or Tyler?) and gory, horror-movie scare fare.

Last week I mentioned that I wasn't sure Elena (Nina Dobrev) could stand up to the other teen heroines who made executive producer Kevin Williamson famous. This week, she proved me wrong. It'll be easy to root for Elena after Thursday night's confrontation with Damon.

When Damon dismissed his new chew-toy, Caroline, as irritating, Elena surprised me with this retort: "Caroline does have some really annoying traits, but we've been friends since the first grade, and that means something to me." How refreshing to see a teenager stand up for her friends, when most high school shows today are overrun with mean girls and their backstabbing "frenemies."

I was also impressed by her refusal to participate in Damon's games.

Even with her Vervain necklace, which makes her immune to vampire powers of persuasion, I'm not sure it would be so easy to resist the allure of the elder Salvatore. Ian Somerhalder plays Damon with the perfect mix of devilish charm and coldblooded recklessness. In fact, I had almost warmed up to him when he startled viewers (and his brother) by murdering Stefan's history teacher just to prove a point.

As Damon proves himself to be every bit the bloodthirsty monster, Stefan (Paul Wesley) becomes even more benevolent – and if you ask me, more boring. "Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity," he tells Elena's best friend Bonnie, impressed by her ancestors' historical impact. His words make his quest to conform seem rather hypocritical as he sheds his "loner" status by joining the football team, befriending Elena's ex, and getting into his classmates' good graces with some history trivia parlor tricks.

He even manages to dodge confrontation with Tyler, the high school bully – though I suppose that since he's at least 160 years old, he's had plenty of time to learn some anger management tricks.

Stefan only gets interesting when he's toe-to-toe with his brother. Despite Damon's efforts to unnerve Stefan, Stefan continues to have the upper hand. "Kill me," he taunts. "You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am."

Sure, Damon toys with Stefan, but trying to steal his little brother's girlfriend isn't exactly the big leagues of vampire warfare. The fact that he hasn't finished Stefan off indicates that he may have a shred of humanity left – but that's dubious, at best.

Of course, "Vampire Diaries" isn't only about the three members of the undead love triangle. The peripheral characters become more well-rounded with every episode. Elena's brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen – yes, the grandson of the famed "King of Cool") is the picture of false bravado, drowning his grief over his parents' deaths in drugs and alcohol while trying to maintain a tough-guy image. Bonnie's psychic skills seem to be sharpening – maybe her grandmother was right about just how much she inherited from her Salem ancestors. And Caroline, powerless against Damon's mind control, is no longer the go-getter we saw in the pilot. Instead she's resigned to being little more than a vampire food supply – until Damon tires of her, which could prove fatal.

The true standout on Thursday night was Matt (Zach Roerig), Elena's ex-boyfriend. The character could've been a cookie-cutter jock, but "Friday Night Lights" alum Roerig plays him with an intriguing sincerity. It appears that Matt may be the most mature kid in Mystic Falls – which is quite a feat, considering that some of the other "kids" are a century or two older than him.

So let's discuss! Has Elena won you over yet? Should I warm up to Stefan or is he still a little too reminiscent of that more sparkly high school vamp? Who is your favorite of the supporting characters? Leave a comment below, and check back after next week's episode to compare notes.

Recap courtesy of C. MacKenzie at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

HIMYM RECAP: 5.1 "DEFINITIONS"

Welcome back to a new season of HIMYM. Below are some quick thoughts on the season 5 premiere, which I am happy to say is just as funny as ever!

- Ted starts his new career as a college professor, but his first day does not go quite as he planned. Of ,he over-analyzes what type of professor he wants to be [including some bad advice from Barney]; he varies between the stern teacher that commands respect with wanting to be the cool, hip teacher you want to hang out with. Only later does he realize that it doesn't matter since he is in the wrong classroom.

- Barney and Robin are still together as friends [with benefits], until Lily finds out about them and starts dreaming up future double dates. Both Barney and Robin are hilarious as the new couple that both hate being in relationships. In fact, they continue to refuse to admit it until Lily locks them in the bedroom and refuses to let them out until they have "the talk" while Marshall literally cracks the whip.

- My favorite scene involved a flashback to a tuxedo-clad Barney lecturing Ted about the rules for how to keep women from becoming your girlfriend to Gremlins.
1. Never get them wet - or, don't let them take a shower at your place.
2. Keep them away from sunlight - i.e., don't ever see them during the day
3. Never feed them after midnight - meaning, she doesn't sleep over, and you don't have breakfast with her. EVER [And brunch is NOT cool, Ted!]

Barney is horrified to realize that he has broken all 3 rules with Robin. Marshall is just mad that they never invite him to tuxedo night.

- Barney and Robin are sick of being locked up in the bedroom and come up with a plan to utilize their best skills to get out of the room...lie about it. They fake being a couple to get out of the room and leave to get something to eat. Ted realizes that they lied to them, but Lily is alwasys one step ahead as she reminds Ted that they don't realize yet that they actually aren't lying...

My Rating: 7.5/10

TV SPOILERS [9/25/09] - DEXTER, TRUE BLOOD, THE OFFICE, HIMYM

TRUE BLOOD

Question: Any more "True Blood" season 3 casting news? —Richard
Ausiello: Yes! Alan Ball confirms that he’s currently casting the role of Talbot, “trophy husband” to Denis O’Hare’s same-gender-lovin’ King of Mississippi.

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DEXTER

Question: I just finished watching the first three seasons of "Dexter" and I can’t wait until the season 4 premiere. If you have a scoop, that would be awesome. And if you have more than one scoop — or a scoop-fest, if you will — that would be even more awesome. —Jared
Ausiello: To quote my onetime Ausiello TV co-star Ana Ortiz, “Oh, I will, honey. You bet your ass I will.” John Lithgow’s Trinity Killer will claim a high-profile victim (a.k.a. significant character) during the first half of the season.

Question: I am dying (ha! get it?) for some "Dexter" spoilers! —Alex
Ausiello: LOLOMGLAME! Look for Dexter and Rita to get a very surprising houseguest in November.

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THE OFFICE

Question: Got any "Office" relationship scoops — preferably relating to a couple that is not Jim and Pam? —Jen
Ausiello: Dwangela will eventually be reunited, according to both Angela Kinsey and Rainn Wilson. “They’re soul mates,” Kinsey told me on the Emmy red carpet. “They’re going to find each other.” Added Wilson: “I think they are destined to be together. I think it’s just a matter of when the writers need to dig that storyline back up and lay it back in.”

Question: Anything on "The Office"? 3… 2… 1… go! —Jason
Ausiello: Um… er… There’s footage of Jim and Pam’s wedding floating around, and Jenna Fischer’s seen it! “I have seen a rough cut of the wedding episode and [fans] will be satisfied,” she told me on the Emmy red carpet. And how ’bout the honeymoon footage? Will that satisfy us as well? “We’re not taking the cameras on the honeymoon. Sorry. That’s for us.” (First look at EW’s Jim/Pam wedding-themed cover!)

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HIMYM

Question: What can you tell me about the episode of "How I Met Your Mother" that Neil Patrick Harris is directing? —Cole
Ausiello: I can tell you two things: It’s the Thanksgiving episode and it’ll feature an appearance by Lily’s dad.

Question: Where’s all the "How I Met Your Mother" scoop?! —Daniel
Ausiello: I believe it’s on page 50 of the new Entertainment Weekly (on sale Friday).

All spoilers courtesy of Ask Ausiello at www.ew.com

MAD MEN RECAP: 3.6 "GUY WALKS INTO AN ADVERTISING AGENCY"

When I interviewed Matthew Weiner before the season began, I asked whether there would be any big mysteries this year like Don's identity or Peggy's baby. "Things get chaotic so quickly," he replied, "and there are so many more immediate problems. There is a high level of tension pretty soon."

Watching the season's early episodes, I kept wondering when the chaos and immediate problems would begin. Now, having watched "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" - the highlight of season three to date, and one of the best "Mad Men" episodes ever - I know. If we're going to consider, as I suggested last week, the first four episodes to be an extended prologue, and "The Fog" as the unofficial start of season three's storylines, then "Guy" is when all those storylines go insane, quickly.

I loved "The Fog," which was very Don-and-Betty-centric, but seeing all the Sterling Cooper shenanigans in this one made me realize how much stronger the series is when Don's work life has at least as much emphasis as his home life, if not moreso. Don's wife and kids are a key part of the fabric of "Mad Men," but Sterling Cooper offers so many additional characters and conflicts that episodes set largely in the office always feel richer. Don's struggle to play this role he doesn't really want as a husband and father is always interesting, but given the choice, I'd much rather see him argue with Roger, you know?

I'm struggling to think of an episode of the series that has made me laugh as much as this one did with all the twisted jokes about poor Guy losing his foot (including not only Roger's line quoted above but the janitor squeegeeing blood in the background of the scene where the chipmunks yell at Smitty and the episode's title itself), or the shock value of the lawnmower accident itself(*). Yet "Guy" was also a dramatic marvel, somehow providing even greater depth to characters like Joan, Roger, Bert Cooper and Lane Pryce, and upending nearly every relationship at the agency even as the status quo was (mostly) restored by the episode's end.

(*) A week after I made a joke about Chekhov's Gun in relation to Miss Farrell, the show gave us a much more immediate example with the lawn tractor. You drive a thing like that into an office in the first act, you know it's going to cause something bad by the last. And of course it was Lois at the wheel. Is there anything she doesn't manage to massively screw up?

The driving forces here are fear and anticipation. Characters are afraid of, and/or excited about, what they can't see, and what they don't know will happen next. Most of all, they fret about being replaced, or thrill to the idea that they might be replacing someone.

Sally is afraid of the dark, but really she's afraid that her baby brother is the haunted reincarnation of her dead grandfather. (And with a mom still trying to tell her fairies are real, can you blame her?) Lane fears being judged harshly by St. John, and is horrified to learn he's being "rewarded" with a transfer to the Bombay office. Joan is prepared to leave Sterling Cooper forever, to let the hateful Mr. Hooker succeed her, and to be a stay-at-home wife (and maybe mother?) for chief resident-to-be Dr. Greg, who has considered his promotion in the bag forever. Don lets Cooper talk him into the idea that St. John Powell is coming to New York to hand him the keys to the PPL kingdom, while Guy knows that he's the true crown prince.

"I bet he felt great when he woke up this morning," Joan will later say of Guy, and at various points in the episode, we see characters lying in bed, eyes fixed on a lamp (on or off) as they consider the possibilities and pitfalls of what will happen when they wake up.

In the end, everyone's hopes and fears turn out to be mostly wrong. Baby Gene is just a baby. PPL has no interest in Don beyond keeping him at his current station - though unexpectedly, Conrad Hilton(**) shows up to make Don's day end better than he had thought. Greg doesn't get his promotion, and in fact learns his surgical career is at a dead end in New York, and still needs to rely on his wife as the bread-winner. But Joan has too much pride to ask for her job back, even when given a golden opportunity after her quick thinking saves Guy's life. Guy's brilliant career is over before it really gets a chance to start, and Lane in turn is allowed to remain in charge. And Roger, who had no opinion one way or the other about what the British wanted, gets slapped across the face with how irrelevant he's become - and Guy's maiming perhaps gives him, like Lane, a second chance to show his relevance to the company.

(**) Hearing the words "Conrad Hilton" made me irrationally happy, because it meant all the commenters who guessed that "Connie" from "My Old Kentucky Home" was actually Hilton (based primarily on the birthplace of San Antonio, New Mexico) were correct. It's nice to get such a blatant reminder of how smart this show's viewers are.

I'm writing this review in advance of the Emmys, so I have no idea if Jon Hamm got the trophy this year (or Elisabeth Moss, for that matter). But while he was winning or losing an award on CBS, he was giving one of his best performances so far on AMC. When a show is at the age "Mad Men" has reached, and has a cast this good, the relationships are so well-established that the writers can lay off the exposition and let the actors tell us how their characters relate to each other. Hamm shows us a Don Draper who's actually a pretty good dad to Sally when he's around; a Don who can be magnanimous in presumed victory and make peace with Roger; a Don who for once seems totally happy and at ease with Betty (and vice versa) as she serves him leftovers; and a Don who understands and appreciates Joan more than anyone else at that shop. And because we know Don so well, and Hamm is so great at economically showing what's going through Don's head, we can quickly see him establishing the rules of his new relationship with Connie Hilton.

I could easily write an entire review just about that Don/Joan scene at the hospital, where these two say so little and yet say everything about their feelings for each other. Christina Hendricks kills it throughout the episode, but it was stunning to see the exhaustion on her whole body as she stood there in a blood-soaked dress, and to hear what I have to assume is her real speaking voice(***), without a trace of the breathy sexpot tone we know so well. Joan isn't just a character Christina Hendricks plays; she's a character Joan plays. And when we see her at the end of this very long, bad day - the culmination of a pretty terrible period in her life as the wife of a rapist, who isn't even going to offer her the upward mobility she thought she was signing on for - we see what an effort it is for her to make everything look so easy. And we see Don, at the end of his own long, strange day (albeit one that was vastly more successful, career-wise than Joan's) appreciating this woman who, if circumstances were different, and if he wasn't so pathological about keeping his life compartmentalized, might have been his perfect match. I have to believe that the plot will conspire to bring Joan back into this world - either usurping the bumbling Hooker at Sterling Cooper, or perhaps joining Don if/when he decides he's had enough of British rule. But as far as Joan knows in this episode, this is the end of her story at Sterling Cooper, so she can drop her guard a little - call Mr. Draper "Don," give him a friendly kiss on the cheek, etc. - before she heads home to pick up the mess she made of her life by choosing to be with, and stay with, Dr. Greg.

(***) I've actually interviewed Hendricks several times, and she sounds like Joan, which suggests she's acting with the press a bit, too. Not that we're complaining.

And it's a credit to Matt Weiner and Robin Veith's script, and to the performance that director Lesli Linka Glatter got out of Sam Page as Greg, that for a split-second or so, I actually felt sorry for the SOB. (Then I thought of this image, and went back to my hate.) He's a rapist and a bullying control freak, but he's also been struggling to stay afloat in the deep end when he only looks like he can swim. He's no doubt glided through life to this point on those looks, that smile, and everyone's assumption that he'll be a brilliant doctor. We saw in "My Old Kentucky Home" that he was capable of worrying about his career, but still, he expected to succeed in the same way that he always had. Losing out on chief resident - and, worse, having his alleged mentor dismiss his surgical aspirations altogether - utterly destroyed him, in the same way that Lois's wreckless lawnmower driving destroyed Guy. Greg may still have all his fingers and toes, but his life has been derailed nearly as much as Guy's.

Roger, despite his heart attacks, is also a man who has spent most of his life getting what he wants, when he wants, which is why he remains so baffled at his current social and professional standing. He resents Don and everyone else who won't automatically congratulate him on his mid-life crisis marriage, and he expects to be an important man at the firm just because his name is on the door, even though he sold out to PPL months ago. He still won't acknowledge that some people have a right to be mad about the marriage (in their barbershop summit, it's Don who has to make the concessions), but seeing his name left off the new flowchart - and, worse, seeing Harold Ford scrawl it on the page as a patronizing afterthought - finally opens his eyes to what's happened to him at work. And the accident which leaves Guy hobbled puts an added spring in Roger's step. When he tells the chipmunks, "Somewhere in this business, this has happened before," it could sound like he's giving Ken and Smitty a pass because he no longer feels invested in the company, but instead comes across as Roger being thankful their massive snafu has given him an opportunity to re-establish himself.

Then there's Lane Pryce, who has once again turned out to be PPL's second choice to oversee their grand American experiment. (Remember: Duck was supposed to run the company until he got out-maneuvered by Don and lost his cool.) His trepidation about St. John's visit, and then the way St. John and Harold talk to him - "One of your greatest qualities is you always do what you're told" - suggests that he's used to being a cog in a machine. He's the guy they send into a hopeless situation to fix it, but he's not held in high enough esteem that they allow him to reap the rewards after. A week ago, he was railing at Don about expense reports and wasted man-hours; how, if at all, will the experience of attending his own metaphorical funeral, Tom Sawyer-style, change him?

And after all the sick comedy (I love how easily St. John and Harold dismiss Guy's career prospects) and tragedy at Sterling Cooper, we return to the Draper house for some more wonderful Don and Sally bonding. Don messes up by putting the discarded Barbie back on the dresser, not realizing how much this will frighten Sally when she sees it, but he finally stands up for her with Betty, and he gets Sally to look past her fear about baby Gene sharing so much (a name, a room, a face) with Grandpa Gene. In a way, the baby is there as a replacement, but only in the way all babies are here to replace us one day. And Don, at the peak of his word power in this episode, finds a way to remind Sally, and us, that fear of the unknown, and the knowledge that a replacement is coming, isn't so terrible, by telling her, "This is your little brother. He's only a baby. We don't know who he is yet, nor who he's going to be. And that is a wonderful thing."

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Recap courtesy of What's Alan Watching at http://sepinwall.blogspot.com

BOOK REVIEW: DEAD UNTIL DARK [SOOKIE STACKHOUSE #1]

SYNOPSIS: Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town Louisiana waitress who’s lived her whole life with a “disability”: telepathic powers that let her read minds whether she wants to or not, which have put a major crimp on her social life. She’s not the only supernatural being hanging around town, though: thanks to the invention of synthetic bottled blood, vampires have recently made themselves known to the public. When one comes into the bar where Sookie works, she think’s he’s handsome, and thoroughly intriguing… she can’t hear his thoughts, no matter how hard she tries. Bill finds her equally attractive, but dating a vampire is not without its problems – there are other vampires who are much less willing to “mainstream” into mortal life intent on stirring up trouble for Bill, and their small town also seems to have itself a serial killer… one who’s preying on women who associate with vampires.

GENRE: Paranormal Romance - this book has a little bit of it all: humor, romance, a murder mystery, and vampires...what's not to love!

PLOT: First of all, kudos to Charlaine Harris for developing a brilliant scenario that have our vampires "coming out of the coffin", so to speak. By doing this, we get a much more interesting interpretation of vampire culture: instead of them hiding from society, they have come out and are dealing with many issues [bigotry and prejudices] that many minorities face in real life. I also love how the romance is set up between Sookie and Bill. As a telepathic waitress, Bill is the first man she can date because she can't hear his thoughts. I also enjoyed how the mystery is introduced and subsequently unraveled as women known for associating with vampires [and labeled "fang-bangers" which I find hilarious] start turning up dead in the small town of Bon Temps. What was interesting to me was that finding out who the killer was is almost secondary to the actual relationships between Sookie and others [such as Bill and Sam].

CHARACTERS: This is where I feel the book really excels. As you read the character development of Sookie and Bill and other residents of Bon Temps, you feel like you have been there. In fact, I think I have met some of these people in my small hometown! Obviously, with the book told in first-person, Sookie is the most developed character. I love some of the phrases and dialogue she uses, and the details on the small things [like what to wear to a vampire bar] were great. Sookie worries about real-life problems: she is a simple waitress with a selfish brother and barely enough money to make ends meet. She worries about property taxes and paying bills and you really find yourself drawn in her story and rooting for her throughout the series because she is so relatable.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BOOK AND SHOW:
Honestly there were not a whole lot of major changes from Book 1 to the Season 1 of True Blood. In the TV show the main Sookie plot, the victims, identity of the killer, and even some of the dialogue is almost direct from the books. However, there are a few differences that are listed below:

- Book is entirely first-person so you only see things from Sookie's POV [a.k.a. no naked Jason sexcapades in the book, although it is implied that he is definitely a womanizer]

- Tara Thorton is not introduced until Book 2 [and she is white in the books]

- Obviously if there is no Tara in Book 1, then there is no crush on Jason, hookup with Sam, or exorcisms.

- There is no "V" storyline in the book - it is only mentioned in passing. In the show Jason becomes addicted to V and he and Amy kidnap vampire Eddie for his blood

- In the books Eric is the one that stakes Long Shadow; in the TV show it is Bill

- There is no Jessica character in the Books; in the TV show Bill must turn Jessica into a vampire as punishment for staking Long Shadow

- Bubba [a.k.a. vampire Elvis] although introduced in Book 1, per Alan Ball he will not be introduced in the TV show.


My Rating: 8.5/10

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES RECAP: 1.2 "THE NIGHT OF THE COMET"

The second episode of “Vampire Diaries” had a lot of hype to live up to. I'll admit it – I like my entertainment as soapy and cheesy as it gets. I still watch “One Tree Hill,” and I'm ashamed to say that my DVD collection includes at least one movie where Paris Hilton dies. So when the CW announced “Vampire Diaries,” I salivated. Broody guys with dark secrets and perfect hair! Mean high school history teachers! Love triangle angst!

Thursday night delivered all the gooey first-kiss melodrama I'd been hoping for, as well as a healthy dose of the good old-fashioned horror. The series has guilty pleasure written all over it.

Yeah, yeah, we all know the “Twilight” phenomenon is undeniably what got this show on the air. But if anything is going to pull it out of Edward Cullen's sparkly shadow, it's that there are two hot vamps on the loose: Stefan and Damon, (Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder). The chemistry between the estranged brothers is palpable: Stefan's every move is calculated and careful, and Damon's reckless, bloodthirsty antics seem all the more dangerous.

Their showdown on the roof Thursday night was, as the kids say, pretty epic...

Damon tried to tempt Stefan into feeding on the high school's hot stoner chick, Vicki, but in the end, Stefan was the master manipulator. He may be the strong silent type, but he's got his brother wrapped around his finger -– he not only made Damon let Vicki go, but he got Damon to happily wipe Vicki's memory of the incident. I'm looking forward to seeing how their relationship plays out -- sibling rivalry probably gets a little intense after a couple of centuries.

By the way, how chilling is Somerhalder's devious little smirk? I was way more uneasy when he smiled than I was when he jumped out of the shadows with bloodshot eyes and bared fangs.

The good guy vs. bad boy thing could have been overdone, but there's something refreshingly different about this one: While Stefan would love to date Elena, Damon would love to slaughter her and drink her like a nice Chianti.

Speaking of Elena, I'm still undecided on our heroine (Nina Dobrev). She’s recently orphaned and that's really sad and all, but writing in your diary about how no one sees your inner pain while sitting alone in a foggy graveyard is a little melodramatic, even for my tastes.

Still, Executive Producer Kevin Williamson has a pretty good history when it comes to his dark-haired ingénues. Sidney Prescott toughed it out through the entire “Scream” trilogy, and who didn't love Joey Potter's wordy banter? So I'm willing to stick it out with Elena for now (but whether she’s worthy of sharing a network with Blair Waldorf? That remains unclear.)

The show hasn't yet addressed the creep factor of a centuries-old vampire lusting after an emotionally vulnerable teenage girl. She's talking to her friends about texting as an "important milestone in any relationship," while he's haunted by grisly memories of the Civil War. When Stefan and Elena shared their first kiss, I was half enthralled and half waiting for Chris Hansen to pop out from around the corner. "Hello, Mr. Vampire, why don't you have a seat right there…"

Thoughts? Think I'm being too hard on Elena? Prefer Damon over Stefan? Let me know below. And check back after next week's episode.

Recap courtesy of Carina MacKenzie at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

THE OFFICE RECAP: 6.1 "GOSSIP"

"Gossip" [9/17/09] As the staffers at Dunder-Mifflin share in the gossip about the summer interns, Michael feels left out and decides to search for the next big rumor to spread. Meanwhile, Andy struggles with issues of the opposite sex.

Welcome back for another season of The Office. This episode doesn't miss a step as it begins with a homage to the freestyle walking art of Parkour that ends with Andy jumping off a trailer into an empty refrigerator box [Awesome!].

Michael Scott walks into the breakroom and overhears some office gossip about the 3 interns. Feeling left out, he pumps the office staff for new gossip so that he can spread the word and lands on a goldmine. The interns witnessed Stanley at a club making out with someone who was not his wife. Michael wastes no time spreading this rumor to the entire office.

Jim tells him it is a pretty serious rumor that should be confirmed, so Michael confronts Stanley and finds out its true. Stanley begs Michael to keep his secret, so Michael develops a plan to throw everyone off the trail of the Stanley rumor by spreading falsehoods about everyone in the office. Some of these include:
- Kelly is anorexic
- Angela is dating a 81 year old millionaire
- Andy may be Gay [and he actually starts questioning this]
- Kevin has another person living inside of him
- Toby is a virgin [even though he has a daughter]
- Dwight uses store bought manure
- Pam is pregnant

The problem is that last one is actually true...Pam and Jim had planned to keep the baby a secret and start freaking out that everyone knows their secret. Eventually, the office realizes that all the gossip is originating from Michael, so they confront him. He realizes the jig is up and confesses that he made them up to protect a true story. They demand to know what the truth is, and Jim [realizing Michael will out Stanley], steps up and admits they are having a baby, which no one believes until they bust out the ultrasound.

All in all, this episode was a great start to the season!

My Rating: 9/10

SEASON IN REVIEW: TRUE BLOOD SEASON 2

Now that Season 2 of HBO’s hit series True Blood wrapped up last Sunday, I wanted to review the Season 2 as a whole. So let’s talk about what worked and didn’t work this season, and list the best/worst episodes to watch. My thoughts are listed below so let me know if you agree or disagree with my assessment. Your comments are encouraged!

WHAT WORKED:

1. More Eric please….you only briefly saw Eric in Season 1 as the evil Sheriff of Area 5 that played the bad boy to Bill’s good guy. In Season 2 his role was significantly expanded and his character was explored in more detail. He was able to show his full range this season by terrorizing Lafayette and ripping Royce into pieces; tricking Bill by calling on Lorena & Sookie into drinking his blood; and heartbreak over Godric meeting the Sun. He stole every scene he was in, and I really hope they continue to expand his role next season (as they do in the books) because we can’t get enough of him….oh, and did I mention he got a hot makeover this season.

2. Lafayette Lives! If you have read the books, you know it is actually Lafayette’s body that is found in Detective Bellfluer’s car, not Miss Jeanette. In the books it didn’t hurt much because the character was very one-dimensional and rarely mentioned; however, in the show Nelsan Ellis has developed a character so rich and full of life that many viewers were up in arms on the thought of losing him in the show. Alan Ball must have been listening, and came up with a brilliant Season 1 cliffhanger that fooled everyone into thinking he was a goner only to be imprisoned by Eric in the basement of Fangtasia.

3. The Dallas Storyline – even though the main cast was broken up into two locations, the trip to Dallas really worked this season. The Introduction of new characters such as Barry, Godric, and the Newlins were great. I especially enjoyed watching the buildup and explosion of the Jason and the FOTS and Sookie and the Dallas vamps. And I wouldn’t mind staying at that vamp hotel, either.

4. Jason. If last season was all about Jason Stackhouse’s body, then this season was all about Jason’s mind, or lack thereof. He kept his clothes on this Season (I think even Sookie was naked more this year), but almost every word out of his mouth was priceless. Nobody can play equal parts stupid and sincere as Ryan Kwanten can, and I found myself cracking up at him all season, especially his interpretation of “The God Who Comes”. Brilliant!

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

1. Maryann Storyline. At first intriguing, the repetitive orgies and zombie eyes quickly took their toll with characters and viewers alike. This became glaringly obvious once the gang returned from Dallas. Most now agree that too many orgies can be a bad thing, and dare I say, boring.

2. Tara and Eggs. Tara was completely unlike her character from last year. With her crappy childhood, she should have been instantly suspicious of Maryann and Eggs. And letting them come live in then trash Sookie’s house – not cool, Tara!

BEST EPISODES OF SEASON 2

1. “I Will Rise Up”
The most emotional episode of the season dealt with the fallout from the FOTS bombing of the Dallas vamps nest, including sibling bonding and trickery by Eric before culminating in Godric deciding to meet the sun. Oh, and Sookie and Eric totally hook up [relax – it’s only a hot dream, for now].

2. “Timebomb”
This episode was non-stop action as the showdown between the vamps and the FOTS come to a head before finally exploding [literally]. I loved the interactions between Bill and Eric as they are starting to set up the love triangle for the future seasons.

3. “Scratches”
Sookie is attacked by a “bull-man” and agrees with Eric to go to Dallas in exchange for Lafayette’s release; also the adorable Hoyt and Jessica meet [love them!].

WORST EPISODES OF SEASON 2

1. “Frenzy”
This felt like a disjointed filler episode leading to the finale. Bill is stuck with the Queen all day [boring], Tara gets away from her friends and family to go save Eggs and ends up possessed [again], Sookie and Lafayette go after her [again]….plus Sam goes to Eric and nothing ends up coming of it. Shame on you, Alan Ball!

2. “New World in my View”
Everyone’s back from Dallas and most of this episode is used to get them up to date on what we already knew; the town is full of bug-eyed zombies and Meat Trees and Maryann is evil. Plus this episode only clocked in at 46 minutes, so you automatically feel cheated this late in the series. Come on, you could have at least squeezed another Eric dream in there [just saying].

3. “Beyond Here Lies Nothin”
This season finale resolved a Maryann storyline that was long overdue. True Blood opted to go bat-shit crazy over the top in this episode; some of it worked (Sam being stabbed and reappearing as a Bull to gouge Maryann was awesome!) and some of it didn’t (like bridesmaids that lick Ostrich eggs). Thankfully, Maryann was defeated within the first 30 minutes; but then the rest of the episode felt slow as a consequence…and I felt a little cheated that Eric was stuck playing Yahtzee with the Queen instead of being a part of the battle with Maryann.

My Season Rating: 8/10

TRUE BLOOD RECAP: 2.12 "BEYOND HERE LIES NOTHING"

Sookie is still screaming once she sees that Lafayette is possessed with the zombie eyes. He tells Tara and Eggs to take the “Egg” downstairs, then commands Sookie to take off her clothes [creepy!]. Never fear, Lafayette doesn’t swing that way, he just wants Sookie to put on a bridesmaid dress before taking her downstairs. Tara, Arlene, and Jane [the town drunk] are fawning over a bridal Maryann. Turns out Maryann’s borrowing both Gran’s house and her wedding dress [what a bitch].

Maryann asks everyone to leave so she can be alone with maid of honor Sookie. She wants Sookie to zap her again with her Electricity. Sookie attempts to zap her and only succeeds in pushing her in the chest [prompting Maryann to say she is not fully committing to this]. Maryann again asks Sookie what she is, cause she definitely isn’t human; otherwise Maryann would be able to control her and give her the zombie eyes. Sookie gets fed up and finally responds “I’m a waitress, what the f*ck are you?” [Awesome!]

Maryann asks Sookie if she has ever felt anything watching over her [and we see a flashback to the pilot episode when she slung that chain around the Rattray’s neck]. Maryann mentions that Sookie isn’t the only non-human in town, and Sookie jumps to the conclusion that it is Sam she wants to marry. Maryann is insulted; she is marrying a God, and Sam is only the perfect vessel that once got away years ago. They need Sam’s heart as the food of the Gods to feed him back into exsistence. Maryann plans to use Sookie to have a bait-and-switch with Sam for her ceremony. We also find out that the “Egg” is just an ordinary ostrich egg, used to represent fertility in the ceremony, but they still have to creep it out by having all the bridesmaids lick it [seriously, why?] Sookie refuses to participate in the ceremony until Maryann threatens to harm Jason.

Hoyt is trying to keep Maxine safe at home and away from Sookie’s house. He appears to be sleep deprived and has resorted to a boy scout’s trick of tying a string across the kitchen and attached to his hand to let him know if Mama tries to escape. She continues to spew her hatred but to no avail; Hoyt is not letting her go anywhere. Once Maryann is killed, Maxine regains consciousness and is disgusted that Hoyt would let Jessica feed on her. Hoyt tells her that he left Jessica because of that, but changes his mind when he finds out the truth about his Dad. He goes to Jessica’s to apologize but finds no one home as Jessica is now using her virginal disguise to pick up and feed on truckers at the rest stop.

Back at the Queen’s mansion, it appears that Eric has taken Bill’s place in the Vampire Yahtzee game. Queen Sophie Ann offers her condolences about Godric, then interrupts him to discuss the Maenad and Sookie. She also wants to know how Bill found out about humans selling Vampire Blood for her. Eric is shocked that she knows, but the guards hear everything. He reassures her that Bill only knows about the trading, but not that it is on the Queen’s orders; She throws him down and flashes fang until he responds that he will take care of Bill Compton. [PS – Eric sucks at Yahtzee].

Andy and Jason plan is to ambush the party and save the town. They overlook the dancing and revelry in front of Gran’s house. They make their move and are apprehended in about 2 seconds flat. Next thing you know they both have the zombie eyes [oh man, them too...this is getting old].

Bill and Sam are in the bar discussing what to do about Maryann. Bill commands Sam to go with him and give himself to Maryann. They arrive at the ceremony and Bill trades Sookie for Sam. Sookie is appalled that he brought Sam into direct danger and certain death. Bill pleads for Sookie to trust him as they watch on. Sam gets tied up and Eggs stabs him in the chest while Sookie screams. Maryann licks his blood and proclaims him the true vessel. Sookie breaks free of Bill and runs to try to apologize Sam. Sam speaks to Sookie telepathically and tells her to destroy it all, so Sookie snaps to action and smashes the eggs and pushes over the Meat Tree.

Maryann is so mad that the ceremony is ruined that she attempts to harm the possessed ones before busting out the claws and chasing after Sookie [round 2]. Just as Sookie falls to the ground, a great white bill appears and stuns Maryann. After all these years she believes her Bull-God has arrived. The bull approaches her and suddenly gouges his horn into her. She is willing to die as the bull’s horn transforms into an arm – it’s Sam, and he yanks out her heart and smashes it, FINALLY killing Maryann [and is it just me or did she transform into the Crypt Keeper’s bride]. Everyone celebrates! Once Sookie had distracted Maryann, Bill was able to give Sam his blood to recover so he could shift into the Bull to kill Maryann. [Hey, does this mean that Sam will have naughty Bill dreams]?

Bill thanks Sam for trusting him, and Sam replied that “you suffer more hiding stuff than you do facing it”….and it looks like Bill has something on his mind regarding that statement….Sam has reflected on all that has happened, and decides he needs to find out who he is and where he comes from. He uses the internet and tracks down his adoptive parents that abandoned him as a teen. He wants to know who is real parents are and his adoptive Mom states they are bad people that he is better off not knowing. His adopted Dad is dying, but feels guilty enough that he gives in to the request by writing down their names and last known location [Magnolia, AR – which is where author Charlaine Harris is from].

The townsfolk are no longer zombie eyes, but seem confused about what has happened. The next day they speculate on what could have caused the mass blackout. Theories such as aliens, the pharmaceutical company poisoning the water supply, and pure ethanol vodka. Apparently that is why you should stick to Mountain Dew…[and women want to wear Sam like a scrunchie]. Jason and Andy are discussing their heroism…even if they can’t remember what happened. You know, because if a tree falls in the woods, it is still a tree [God bless Jason and his sayings].

Eggs is still freaking out that he literally woke with blood on his hands. He corners Sookie and she is stupid enough to open his mind to show him what happened. Eggs sees that he stabbed and removed hearts, and freaks out before taking off running. He appears back at Merlotte’s that night and approaches Andy with the murder weapon. He is there to give himself up but for some reason he throws Andy to the ground and stands over him with the knife. Former soldier Jason assesses the situation and promptly shoots Eggs in the head. Andy tells Jason to give him the gun and run, he will take the blame for it. Tara comes outside and starts screaming and crying [guess she will have to find a new way to annoy us next year].



Sookie receives a package while at work [and at this point I was certain it was an Eric gift, like in the books]; alas, it is a pretty lilac dress from Bill and an invitation for dinner that night. Bill gets suited up and takes Sookie to a nice French restaurant that he has rented out for the evening. After dancing and dinner [for her], he surprises her with plane tickets to Burlington, VT and an engagement ring. He proposes, but Sookie freaks out – she doesn’t even know what she is [plus isn’t her house still in shambles with a fallen Meat Tree in the front yard – is he the king of bad timing or what?]. She runs to the ladies room to compose herself, and realizes that even though she is scared she loves Bill and decides to accept. She rushes back out to tell him, but he’s not there. While she was in the bathroom, someone in gloves used a silver chain to garrote and kidnap him. She rushes back out to tell him, but he’s not there and she softly calls his name….

And that is the end of Season 2. Who took Bill? What’s the fallout from Jason shooting Eggs? Will Sam find his parents? Will Jessica become an AWOL vampire? And where was Eric during all this? Guess we will have to wait until next season to answer these questions and more...Thanks for tuning in!

My Rating: 6.5/10

SEASON IN REVIEW: WEEDS SEASON 5

Oh Nancy, what a tangled web you have weaved. Seriously, just when you think she has sunk far enough, she finds a new low, yet you still find yourself rooting for her thanks to the delivery of Mary Louise Parker and her sad brown eyes…overall, this season was a split decision for me, with equal parts of laughing hysterically or cringing at some of the storylines delivered. So read below for what worked and what didn’t, plus the best/worst episodes of the season. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below:

WHAT WORKED:

1. Andy – this guy is pure comedic gold! Every time other storylines start veering towards the dramatic, I only have to wait a few minutes for Andy to say something that will have me on the floor rolling. This season he professed his love to Nancy [after sleeping with her sister], bought the General Lee and Mrs. Pacman, and dated a doctor, all the while giving Nancy shit for getting knocked up by the drug kingpin.

2. Doug and Dean - How did these two end up being a lawyer and an accountant? Because every time they get together the IQ level in the room drops by 50 points, but their pot shtick never gets old. It is comical the situations they get themselves into [like slamming their manparts in a desk drawer] and the discussions they have that make this duo work.

3. Shane’s Growing up Botwin – remember that Silas was already mid-teens when Nancy got into the pot business, so while interested in growing/selling as a business model, he is still an emotionally and mentally well adjusted young man. So it makes sense that younger brother Shane was more impressionable living around Nancy’s other life. This season you really see his full development into a scary, emotionless sociopath. He uses violence to solve problems, and refuses medication because he likes to feel the pain after being shot in the arm. After giving his mom a hand in the finale, who knows what he is capable of next season….a chilling thought, indeed!

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

1. Celia - I love Elizabeth Perkins, but this season they really scraped the bottom of the barrel to find storylines for her to follow, and most of them failed. Kidnapped by the daughter we haven't seen since Season 1 - didn't work and she was shipped back. Selling cosmetics and turning into a pot distribution was sad and not very funny, and impersonating Nancy was creepy. And don't even get me started on her foray into lesbianism [not funny at all]. Celia worked best as the opposite of Nancy: the uptight type A control freak mom that couldn't relate with anyone else...over this season her character seemed to lose her way, and I hope they can find it next season cause I really like the actress.

2. Nancy’s sister – I can’t even remember her name… that is how much of an impression she made on me. At first, I was intrigued, as someone that knew Nancy before she was Mrs. Botwin Reyes. And although the actress [the Single White Female chick] did well with her role, she was in and out in two episodes; you know, long enough to have sex with Andy, take Shane in and then take him right back, and trash talk Nancy. There was no further development before she hit the road so the whole point of introducing her seems wasted.

3. Are we still in Mexico….does anyone else remember how much better life was for Nancy living in Agrestic? Anyone miss Conrad or Helia? Are we ever getting the heck out of Tijuana and back to where we started? Sometimes, when storylines start getting out of whack, it is best to take a step back and regroup, and the easiest way to do that is to go back to the beginning.

BEST EPISODE OF SEASON 5: (tie)

“Van Nuys”
Nancy meets up with Alanis Morrisette, I mean Audra, to discuss having an abortion; Andy takes a freak-show ex of Judah’s on a date to try to claim his savings account; and Shane teaches his teacher a very important lesson on stealing other’s pot. I heart Andy and his bad 80s date from hell – totally awesome!

“Where the Sidewalk Ends”
Nancy finds out about Pilar, the other woman in Esteban’s life, and his plans for a home delivery. She decides she needs to have this baby legitimately so there is a record to keep her safe, so she plans with Andy and Audra to make sure her baby is born in the USA before Esteban can stop her.

WORST EPISODE OF SEASON 5:

“Suck ‘n Spit”
Now that the baby [Stevie Ray Botwin – Cool Name!] is home both Nancy and Andy take turns with the crying infant. Meanwhile, Shane gets a yeast infection [awkward], while Dean and Celia steal Silas and Doug’s pot supply for her cosmetic venture. Only a few funny moments [like Andy reminiscing about the “ol’ Cotton Eye Joe] that were overshadowed by some cringe-worthy moments…really, I don’t need to see Andy help relieve Nancy’s breast milk issue at the restaurant - eewww...

My Season Rating: 6.5/10

TRUE BLOOD SPOILERS: MORE WITH ALAN BALL ON SEASON 3

In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Ball hints at what's on the horizon for Sookie and Bill, new creatures, Sam Merlotte's quest, Jessica, a possible romance for Lafayette, the Vampire King of Mississippi, Sophie-Anne, and much, much more. Ball also told me that the writing staff had broken the fourth script for Season Three of True Blood already and that shooting is tentatively slated to begin December 3rd on the highly anticipated third season.

Televisionary: Season One saw Bill protecting Sookie on an almost weekly basis but in Season Two we see Sookie take a major step into adulthood and stand up for herself. How will their relationship continue to develop in Season Three, especially given with Eric’s influence over Sookie and Bill’s kidnapping?
Ball: I know exactly what’s going to happen in Season Three, because we’ve already started breaking the episodes and figuring the arc of the season. So I can’t really say without giving too much away what I think. But I’ll say this: the love between them is authentic and real, but that doesn’t mean that they will necessarily stay together. But it doesn’t mean that they won’t either, though.

Televisionary: Looking ahead to Season Three, are there are any themes or plots that you intend to employ next season? One of the more intriguing threads picked up in last night’s episode is both Sam and Sookie looking to find their roots.
Ball: Yeah, I think that whereas if we had any sort of major overarching theme for Season Two it was about the power of belief, both positive and negative. I think probably Season Three is going to be more about identity and characters really sort of coming to grips with who or what they are.

Televisionary: It seems almost like a red herring that Eric was behind Bill’s kidnapping last night. Should we be looking at any other potential suspects behind his disappearance?
Ball: I think you should always be considering all possibilities. (Laughs) That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to make the choice that is the one that’s being positioned to look like a red herring. But with this show, you never know what’s going to happen. I try to work with the writers in creating a show that when you buy the DVDs and you watch the season over again, knowing what’s going to happen, you’ll see moments where you’ll say, oh, of course. We tried to structure Season One with Rene’s identity as the killer that way, to never shine a light on it but Michael Raymond-James, who played Rene, knew from the very beginning that he was the killer. So he played it in a very subtle way so that if you watch those DVDs, now you’re like, oh, I see it. But we never want to give that away on the first go-around. I’d have to say it’s a similar situation with [Bill’s kidnapping].

Televisionary: So, we’ve seen telepaths, vampires, maenads, and shifters all turn up in Bon Temps. Any new creatures we can expect to see in Season Three?
Ball: Werewolves…

Televisionary: Are there any clues for what viewers can expect for next season?
Ball: I can tell you that we will meet the Vampire King of Mississippi and he will have an agenda with the Vampire Queen of Louisiana. We will meet werewolves, some other weres that aren’t wolves but they are not shifters either. (Laughs.) We are going to meet Sam’s blood relatives, we’re going to meet probably the nastiest vampire we’ve met yet and Lafayette might get some action, might have a little love story of his own.

Click here to read the full article...

Spoilers Q&A courtesy of Jace with www.televisionaryblog.com

TRUE BLOOD SPOILERS: MORE ON SEASON 3

Though last night’s True Blood finale tied up a bunch of loose ends, it also untied a bunch more! For instance (spoiler alert): Who kidnapped Bill? Why was Eric mostly MIA? Will the Queen return? Are Jessica and Hoyt over? What is Sookie? And that’s for starters. Luckily, series creator Alan Ball agreed to a little post-episode Q&A to finish us off.

Some folks were surprised by the structure of the finale and your decision to wrap up the Maryann story in the first 30 minutes.
ALAN BALL: I try to look at the show as basically almost like it’s a novel, and each episode is a chapter. I guess I’m influenced by the fact that when I watch TV shows, I watch the [DVD] boxed sets. Ultimately, it’s just organically the way it worked out. And the season finale last year was very similar.

Why wasn’t there more Eric in the finale?
BALL: There is a reason for not seeing Eric in the last part of the episode, but if I explain it, I’ll be [giving away] too much.

Will he be prominent next season?
BALL: Yes. Although, when I saw your [latest episode of Ausiello TV], for a moment I thought, we’re going to have to kill Eric, because you are the man. I thought wow, I had many seasons of Eric planned but I guess I’ll have to off him. [Laughs]

Speaking of which, are you surprised at how passionate the Sookie/Eric fans are?
BALL: Yes. I try not to get involved in that because it just sort of — it’s too confusing. I don’t want it to influence what the show is. Personally, I’m like, yes, Eric’s hot, but beyond that he’s dangerous, and I don’t know if he’d love anybody besides himself. What’s the appeal there? The bad boy? The danger?

How closely will you follow the third book next season?
BALL: We take the gist of the books, [but] we will depart whenever we feel like it makes better television as opposed to reading. We continue to use the books as templates. But now that I’ve read all nine books there are things that are revealed in later books that we are moving up so that they’ll probably happen in the show earlier than they do in the books.

Will you introduce werewolf Alcide?
BALL: Yes.

Have you cast him?
BALL: No. We will also meet Sam’s blood relatives, the super bad vampire Franklin Mott, we’ll meet Debbie Pelt, we will actually meet the people who live in Hotshot a little bit ahead of schedule. We’ve already broken four episodes and I’ve sent writers out to write scripts over the hiatus.

Are Hoyt and Jessica doomed?
BALL: They still love each other. But there will be problems — as you probably could tell based on last night’s episode.


Click here for more spoilers...

Spoilers courtesy of The Ausiello Files at www.ew.com

NEW THE OFFICE SPOILERS - 9/15/09

Melanie in Hartford, Conn.: Need Office scoop! You got anything that doesn't have to do with Jim and Pam?
We'll learn in the season premiere of The Office that someone at Dunder Mifflin has been having an affair, and for once it's not village mattress Angela. (We love you Angela. Please get back with Dwight soonly!)

Spoiler courtesy of Watch with Kristin at www.eonline.com

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Question: Is there a possibility this season that Andy and Oscar will become a couple on The Office? A recent NBC promo seemed to hint at that. —Sarah
Ausiello: I haven’t seen the promo you’re referring to but I have seen the premiere, and I can confirm that Andy finds himself wrestling with the very real possibility that he likes both girls and boys. And because I know you’re dying for some Jim/Pam scoop, let’s just say the episode features one of the most unique and funny pregnancy reveals I’ve ever seen on TV.

Spoiler courtesy of Ask Ausiello at www.ew.com

NEW HIMYM SPOILERS - 9/15/09

We're less than a week away from the How I Met Your Mother premiere, tuberinos, and we have four superfun sneak peeks just for you. What's the gang been up to since we've been away?

Lily (Alyson Hannigan) is in absolute heaven upon hearing about Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin's (Cobie Smulders) summer of doin' the nasty, but much to her dismay, the lovebirds aren't intersted in putting a label on their fling just yet.

Luckily for everyone (viewers included), Lily refuses to accept their unexclusivity and takes drastic action that involves Marshall (Jason Segel) and an Indiana Jones-esque whip.

Want more? CLICK HERE see Marshall's desire for a tuxedo-night invite, Robin's lame attempt at a date night with the anti-Barney (boo!) and the newly dubbed Professor Mosby's (Josh Radnor) first day of college.

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Duffy in San Jose: Have you seen the season-five premiere of How I Met Your Mother?
We just watched it and can tell you this: The HIMYM season premiere is filled with sex, hostages and violence. Yes, you heard us. Our favorite comedy has turned into The Mask of Zorro. Well, not really, but there are some new elements of excitement not usually seen on HIMYM. In a nutshell, Barney and Robin struggle to define their relationship, so Marshall and Lily take matters into their own hands. (FYI: This storyline includes bacon, whips and locks.) In the meantime, Ted's first day as an architect professor gets off to a less than perfect start, but according to him, his love is in the classroom. Hmmm...was it the cute blonde in the front row who asks him a question? Watch the premiere on Sept. 21 and join the speculation!

Spoilers courtesy of Watch with Kristin at www.eonline.com

NEW DEXTER SPOILERS - 09/15/09

Dexter returns Sept. 27 for season four! To celebrate, we're bringing you five sneak peeks from the first two episodes, and as frosting on top of that treat, we're also sharing spoiler bonuses that reveal a little more about what's to come. We've seen the first four episodes, and they equal or top anything that's come before. Read on to find out what secrets we're spilling...



Click Here for more Sneak Peek Videos...

Spoiler Bonus #1: Dexter (Michael C. Hall) is actually a darn good dad, but what he's really having trouble with is "neighbors" and "community." Let's just say suburban life and Dexter's skulky ways don't exactly fit together perfectly. And at one point, Rita (Julie Benz) even gets a glimpse of how much the real Dexter doesn't like to play nice with others.

Spoiler Bonus #2: Lundy (Keith Carradine) is back, and we're happy to see him, but this time, he's here with a couple of twists. Twist one: He's no longer FBI, he's retired. But that doesn't mean he's done hunting serial killers. He thinks that the shadow he's been hunting for 15 years, the Trinity Killer, might be in town.

Spoiler Bonus #3: John Lithgow's Trinity Killer is easily the most chilling nemesis Dexter's ever had. (Well, he doesn't start out as a nemesis, but we suspect they'll get there eventually.) He's more frightening than the Ice-Truck Killer, Doakes, Miguel Prado or the Skinner, not least because he's played by dear old John Lithgow who can go from grandfatherly charm to merciless murderer in no time flat—and his crimes are deeply cruel, if not as brutal as some we've seen.

Spoiler Bonus #4: Oh, Deb. We really hoped Deb (Jennifer Carpenter) was headed toward a more solid, saner personal life, but Lundy's return means it is not to be. Crazy girl. In other news, look for an unexpected flirtation between two regular characters.

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Cara in Virginia: Thanks for the Dexter sneak peeks! What else is coming up?
Think Daddy Dex will be able to keep his wits about him? Think again. Within the first two episodes something so big happens to Dexter it causes him to misplace the dead body of one of his victims. Yes, you heard correctly. Those chunks of people Dex is normally so meticulous about chopping up and throwing out have gone AWOL.

All Spoilers courtesy of Watch with Kristin at www.eonline.com

NEW EXTENDED TWILIGHT: NEW MOON TRAILER #3 RELEASED!

This new extended clip of Twilight: New Moon came out over the weekend [it premiered at the MTV VMA awards on Sunday]. I am pretty excited to see this movie, especially since this new clip emerged. It really looks to follow the books, unlike the first Twilight movie. Enjoy.



Trailer courtesy of www.ropeofsilicon.com

WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG

Hello,
I have been out of town all weekend for a friend's wedding, so apologies for no new posts over the weekend. I plan to update this week several items, including the recap of the True Blood finale, plus my overall thoughts on the seasons of several TV shows I follow. I will also let you know any spoilers I come across that focus on the shows I watch. Thanks for your patience, more to come.....

MAD MEN RECAP: 3.5 "THE FOG"

I've been getting a sense from some critics and "Mad Men" fans that, while they've enjoyed season three in isolated moments, the lack of a major story arc akin to Duck vs. Don, or a secret to be revealed (Dick Whitman, Peggy's baby) has made this season feel oddly lacking compared to the first two.

I don't agree, but I at least understand where those complaints are coming from. And now that we've seen "The Fog" - an episode that had almost everything people have been asking for, and so much of it - it almost feels like the first four episodes were just an extended prologue, and the story of season three genuinely begins here.

In the space of an hour, we get the return of Duck and his attempt to woo Pete and/or Peggy away to a rival agency; more overt signals that Don is attracted to Sally's teacher (and, especially, vice versa); the conflict between Don and Lane Pryce coming to the forefront (and complicating the Peggy situation); and, of course, the birth of baby Eugene Scott Draper, whose arrival takes over the middle portion of the episode, in the same way he's about to take over Betty's life.

And with the birth of the new Gene (so soon after the death of the old one), the episode is as important for what doesn't happen as what does. Since the season began - really, since the final scene of season two - we've seen that Don and Betty are each making more of an effort at closeness in their marriage. Don's doing it because he realized in California he wanted to stop being a bystander in his own life. Betty, on the other hand, has been doing it for this baby. She doesn't want to be a single mother to an infant, and it's become increasingly clear over the past few episodes that Betty has convinced herself, as many expecting parents in problematic marriages do, that the kid is going to fix everything. But when she's under the influence of the anesthetic, she's able to articulate her true fears about Don: "He's never where you expect him to be!" And in director Phil Abraham's beautiful final shot of the episode, we see her stand in shadow in her bedroom, shoulders slumped, bracing herself to deal with a crying infant, and she realizes that nothing is better. (And with her father dead and Carla gone to be with her own family for a while, things will probably get worse; Gene may have been losing his marbles, but at least he was available to drive the kids to school when needed.)

Things will get particularly bad if Don acts on whatever is going on between himself and Sally's teacher, Suzanne Farrell. When Don stroked the grass while watching Miss Farrell dance barefoot on it at the end of "Love Among the Ruins," some of you speculated that he was attracted to her and trying to connect in the only way he could. I assumed that Don is too intensely private and compartmentalized to relieve himself where he eats, so to speak. But it's clear during their meeting at Sally's school (with Don managing to look anything but childlike while seated at a kid's desk), and especially during their phone conversation, that they have the same kind of connection Don had with Midge, and Rachel, and even Bobbi. Her proximity to his home life aside, Miss Farrell ticks all the boxes for Don - smart, independent and ahead of her time (she believes in a different, more nurturing model of childcare than what Don and Betty are familiar with) - and they both know what it's like to lose a parent (or in Don's case, two parents) at a very young age. And it's even clearer during that call that Miss Farrell wants to, and likely will, have a more private, clothing-optional parent-teacher conference with Don. What is it that Chekhov wrote? I think it went something like, "If you put a drunk woman with a half-buttoned blouse and a dangling bra strap on screen in episode five, she's going to have sex with Don Draper by episode nine." Right?

Because of the long birth sequence and the visit to Miss Farrell's classroom, we spend little time at Sterling Cooper this week, but Kater Gordon's script makes every second there count.

We knew from the MSG incident in "Love Among the Ruins" that Don and the Brits don't exactly see eye-to-eye, but the conflict becomes starker with Pryce's expense account witch hunt. Their refusal to do the MSG deal was absolutely penny-wise and pound foolish, and Pryce's "Pennies make pounds!" rant just confirms that they have no eye on the long-term, and that this will continue to cause problems between the two.

Yet this isn't a straight rehash of Don vs. Duck. For one thing, Don has become much more important at Sterling Cooper than ever before - work essentially stops while he's at the hospital, because too many decisions now require his approval - and Lane can only afford to fight the firm's star so much. For another, we see later in the episode that Lane (who, despite his background in finance, doesn't seem to resent Don's position in the same manner as Duck) isn't completely reactionary and inflexible, as he's willing to consider Pete's ideas about marketing across racial lines. As written, and as played by Jared Harris, Pryce still remains an enigma. While he could certainly turn out to be the Richie Aprile of this season, I hope Matt Weiner has something more complex - and, yes, long-term - in mind for the character.

But the tension over expenses in turn puts Don in a bad spot when Peggy comes to him to ask for a raise. (This is the second time this season where Peggy has unwittingly tried to get something from Don while his thoughts are occupied with a conflict with Pryce.) We know, of course, that everything Peggy says about equal pay for equal work is right - even as it's sadly amusing to hear her describe the concept as such a novelty - just as we know that Don doesn't have the juice right now to fight this battle for her. And what makes this scene - one of the best Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss have ever played together - sing is how well we understand each position, even as the characters are only somewhat aware of what the other is dealing with.

But the scene becomes more than just two characters talking past each other when Don catches Peggy's gaze lingering on the baby booties. Just as Peggy has seen the face of Dick Whitman, Don has seen Peggy suffering from post-partum delusions. These two know each other so well, and care about each other so much, that it hurts to see them at cross purposes like this. Though she doesn't intend to, Peggy cuts Don to his core when she points out how much she envies him - Don can't stand to hear that this life he finds empty seems so bountiful when viewed from the perspective of somebody who isn't really Dick Whitman - and Don in turn lets her down when he fails to make even a token attempt to get her more money.

And outside Don's office, Peggy comes face-to-face with Pete, another man she's wounded deeply, even if she doesn't understand how much she hurt him - or, for that matter, that Pete is capable of being so hurt. Though he's as petulant and childish with Peggy as he was with Duck when he stormed out of the recruiting lunch, when he says "Your decisions affect me," it speaks volumes. Now we understand why Pete and Peggy haven't had any significant one-on-one interaction this season, why Pete was so unhappy in the premiere to get so many accounts that Peggy works on, why he's so often working with Paul, and, for that matter, why he and Trudy suddenly seem like such a functional unit. Peggy had Pete's baby and gave it away, all without telling him, and while he likely wouldn't have been much help if she had told him, he feels betrayed. He wants no part of Peggy, which has driven him away from her at work and driven him towards Trudy at home.

I certainly can't imagine Pete going to work for Duck if Peggy's part of the deal, but given that meeting with Don, would Peggy go on her own? Knowing Duck, he's selling Peggy (and Pete) a bill of goods in order to hurt Don and Sterling Cooper (though if he had to poach two SC employees, these would be the right two). Should Peggy go to Grey, things likely wouldn't turn out to be any more enlightened than the frat house she'd be leaving. But it feels like she needs to leave the nest at some point, doesn't it?

Because most TV shows try to maintain the status quo at all costs, I could see some resistance to having Peggy or Pete jump ship to a rival firm. But if this season, and this series, are about showing much things changed (and how much other things didn't) during the 60s, then does it really make sense to have all the same characters working at the same place for however much of the decade we cover? Isn't it only logical that someone like Peggy would try to branch out? Or that Ken would hop from agency to agency?

For that matter, wouldn't Don sooner or later get fed up with working under the authority of men who don't share his values and vision and consider opening his own shop? I don't know that you can plausibly bring everybody on board in that scenario, and I would hate to have to say goodbye to, say, Roger Sterling as a regular character. But Duck's attempt to sow discord at Sterling Cooper is just a reminder of how unlikely it is that all these characters will continue to work together for however long a period "Mad Men" ends up covering.

Because Weiner isn't generally in any kind of hurry to tell his stories, we'll get a few episodes a season where the plot is put aside for a long interlude, like the election party in "Nixon Vs. Kennedy," or Betty playing house with Glen Bishop in "The Inheritance," or the lengthy hospital sequence here. If "Mad Men" had been more plot-driven once upon a time, passages like these might feel self-indulgent, but from the start, the show has been as much about taking a snapshot of the era as it is about showing us the adventures of Don Draper, mad man.

The birth of the new Gene is important to the larger story of Don and Betty's marriage, but it's also a window into a very different time from the one we know. When my daughter was born, there wasn't even a question that I'd be in the delivery room to provide moral support (and snap a ton of photos once the baby came out). Don, on the other hand, is told "Your job's done" as soon as he drives Betty to the hospital, and he spends the entire birth getting drunk in the waiting room with prison guard Dennis Hobart, while Betty is left alone with a cheerfully condescending nurse who has no patience for the overgrown child in her delivery room. As Don was told by a nurse during Sally's birth, "Your wife's on a boat. You're on the shore."

Abraham's direction and January Jones' performance do a great job of capturing the fog of the title (which I initially assumed was referring to another trip to the London Fog plant in Baltimore). Cut off from her husband, under the influence of anesthesia, failing to get the sympathy of her own Nurse Ratched (or even to get a return call from her regular OB/GYN) as she experiences labor pains, Betty feels lost in a fog, disconnected from her body, and her life. Even after the baby comes, she's still mostly alone, forced to wave to the kids from the distance of her second-story hospital room window. And in the dream she has under the anesthesia's influence, she sees her late father, and her mother (comforting civil rights activist Medgar Evers, who was murdered on June 12, the day after Grandpa Gene died in the "Mad Men" universe) and is again infantilized by them both. Gene tells her she's a housecat with little to do, while her mother points to Evers and warns Betty, "You see what happens to people who speak up? Be happy with what you have."

But Betty's not happy with what she has, and despite his best efforts, Don isn't, either. Jon Hamm is so terrific at showing how anxious, and ambivalent, Don is about all of this. As Dennis talks and talks about what he's going to do with his own child, you can see Don thinking of all the ways in which he's let his own kids (and his wife) down, and yet he's also still not sure this is the life he wants, no matter how much he tries to dedicate himself to it. He's noticeably uncomfortable when Dennis insists on telling him how little baby Hobart is going to change his life - "This is a fresh start. I don't know who's up there. I'm going to be better. I'm going to be a better man." - because Don know how often he's made those promises to himself, and how hard they are to live up to.

In many ways, "The Fog" is a fresh start to this third season. Until now, the characters have all been in a holding pattern. Betty's been hoping the baby's arrival will make everything better. Peggy has been working hard and assuming her effort and talent will allow her to keep rising. Pete's been avoiding the woman who gave away his son. Don and Lane have been trying to avoid locking horns. But by the end of this great episode, they all know none of that's possible. The baby can't fix the Draper marriage on his own, Peggy still has a glass ceiling to break through, Don's going to keep chafing under Lane's authority, etc., etc.

And now that everyone has had their own emotional fog lifted and can see clearly the position they're in, what are they going to do about it?

Click here to continue reading...

Recap courtesy of What's Alan Watching at http://sepinwall.blogspot.com