Photo Credit: Michael Desmond/The CW.

90210 (season 2): C

Like I pointed out in January, I think that this show has shown a lot of improvement since last season.  However, I really found it awful in season one, so that’s not exactly saying a lot.  Unfortunately, the strides forward that it made in the first half of the season, which I praised in my last post, were quickly overcome by more ridiculousness.  Veteran Beverly Hills 90210 character Kelly Taylor, has been treated pretty terribly on the new show.  Since she and Brenda were the entire reason I was tuning into the reboot in the first place, and they are TV icons to me (hey, I went to middle school and high school in the 90s), I find that pretty unforgiveable.  Sloppy writing, ridiculous plot-lines, and border-line character assassination … keep your hands off my childhood TV, powers that be.  Sigh.  However, I shouldn’t be too overdramatic, as Brenda wasn’t even in season two, and turning Dylan into a terrible father happened in season one.  Season two was a fresh start … but then the show did similar things to Kelly, which annoyed.  I mean, first of all they gave her barely any screen time, and then when she did have screen time she was in love with a married man?  Sigh.  Jennie Garth deserves better.  Oh, and I almost forgot … R.I.P. Jackie Taylor.  

As for the rest of the characters, Naomi and Adrianna are my favorites of the bunch.  AnnaLynne McCord and Jessica Lowndes, while both extremely gorgeous, also have a certain je ne sais quoi that makes them compelling on screen.  Unfortunately, this season Naomi has become increasingly unlikeable.  I mean, I like a bad girl, but accusing an innocent teacher of sexual harassment?  That steps over the line.  Plus, the way that she was lying to Liam?  Ugh.  At that point, I claimed that I would stop watching the show.  Oh, empty promises … I couldn’t stay away.  I did stop watching regularly, however, and only caught parts of some of the episodes following that travesty.  Of course, then we had the twist that said teacher was actually is a sleazy predator.  Hmmmm.  Turning Naomi from guilty party to victim a little too neatly.  Still, regardless of Naomi’s actions, the teacher’s treatment of her in the finale was unforgiveable.  It was a bit of a cliffhanger though, with the sleazy teach poised to attempt to rape Naomi, but then the episode ends.  Will Naomi get away?

As for the rest?  Silver has been a very inconsistent character.  She swings one way, then she swings the other.  She seems cool, then she seems like a total idiot.  Her character makes no sense to me anymore.  Dixon and Annie are still wastes of space.  I still can’t believe Annie went the whole season without confessing her hit-and-run to the authorities.  And Dixon … just, not interesting or appealing to me on any level.  Maybe they’ll both move to Paris to study acting.  Here’s hoping.  As for the parents, they really have nothing interesting to do, and I am not really concerned about their marriage problems.  Still, all in all, I think that I will probably continue watching the show, when convenient, as it does have some appeal.  However, it will never be a beloved show for me, nor will it be the type I bother to catch up on missed episodes, or purchase the dvds.

Photo credit: Fox.com

BONES (season 5): B+

As I stated in my January post, Brennan continues to be one of my favorite characters on television, but the show as a whole is not as compelling, to me, as it used to be.  This season has been a bit inconsistent overall, in terms of the continuing plot-lines, but it also featured a number of really strong episodes.  Among the highlights of the season were “Harbingers in a Fountain” (the premiere, featuring Cyndi Lauper); “The Girl in the Goop” (the Christmas episode featuring Zooey Deschanel); “The Proof in the Pudding” (the JFK assassination episode); “The Parts in the Sum of the Whole” (the 100^th episode, featuring the flashback to when Booth and Brennan first met); “The Death of the Queen Bee” (Brennan’s high school reunion!); and “The Predator in the Pool” (the aquarium episode, which featured some of my favorite Booth-Brennan interactions, including jokes about “extraordinary rodents”).

It was also nice to finally see Hodgins and Angela reunite.  Honestly, I can’t believe that it took soooo long.  When they broke things off, early on in season four, I didn’t get too upset about it.  I just assumed that they would quickly reunite.  I mean, they were clearly meant to be, right?  Not so.  It felt like their time apart lasted forever—especially since their breakup never really made much sense to begin with.  So, I’m very happy to see the two reunited, even if their reunion was quite sudden and hasty (plus, poor little Wendell).  Overall, I think that their relationship could have been handled much better by the writers, and I hope that their characters will get a bit more screen time next season.

A consistent source of enjoyment this season has been Sweets.  Oh, Lance, you are just too adorable, sweet, and funny.  And how many degrees do you have again?  Hee.  Poor Sweets took quite the beating this season, so to speak.  His entire book rested on a false assumption.  If only Brennan and Booth had told him the whole story of their first meeting before Sweets finished his tome.  Sigh.

Which brings me to my last point … Booth and Brennan.  Oh, the will-they-won’t-they of it all … it’s getting old.  We have finished season FIVE, and still they are not together?  Yeah, we did get a Booth and Brennan kiss this season, but that was a flashback.  And when present day Booth professed his love for Brennan, in “The Parts in the Sum of the Whole,” she shot him down.  On the one hand, I understand where her character is coming from.  But at the same time, she has had healthy relationships in the past—for example, Sully, whom I LOVED.  And ultimately, what broke them up, was that Brennan was so tied to Booth.  She clearly loves Booth, yet that was the reaction we got when he professed his love?  It just did not sit right with me.  And then, there was that disappointing airport goodbye scene in the finale (and I’m not even including Booth’s terrible hair in my disappointment).  The two say goodbye, and plan to meet in exactly one year, at the reflecting pool.  There was all this build-up, and everyone was watching, and then … NOTHING.  Some hand holding and one longing look?  That’s it?  Not even ONE steamboat?  Hmph.

So where does this season leave our characters.?  To recap, Brennan and Daisy are going to Indonesia, for very important research of some sort—something big enough for Brennan to suffer Daisy for an entire year.  Booth is going to Afghanistan, to train military.  It’s nice to have a television show acknowledge the fact that we are still at war, despite the lack of media coverage in general.  And Hodgins and Angela are off to Paris.  I have to say, I really look forward to seeing the gang reunited next season, and finding out what changes may come (plus, there better be lots and lots of steamboats).

The Walker children in "Time After time." Left to right: Cody Longo as Tommy, Kasey Campbell as Kevin, Dylan Thomas Larsen as Justin, Anna Wood as Sarah, and Kay Panabaker as Kitty. Photo credit: ABC/ Randy Holmes.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS (season 4): B+

So, having now seen the entire season (and oh, what a long season it was), I have upped my grade slightly.  There was certainly a lot of wasted melodrama, but there was a lot going on.  First of all, this was the season of Luc (whom you may remember as Samantha’s hot neighbor in the first Sex and the City movie), Sarah’s new love interest.  He’s not exactly hard to look at.  They had a rocky start, including issues of deportation and citizenship, but eventually they were reunited, and happy together.  Luc seems very sweet and good for Sarah, so I approve.  Meanwhile, Kevin and Scotty planned to have a baby, via a surrogate (played by Roxy Olin, a recurring character on The City, and real life daughter to Patricia Wettig and Ken Olin).  Yay!  Early in the season, Justin and Rebecca were set to get married, but various circumstances conspired to prevent them from saying “I do.”  Also, before they tied the knot, Rebecca realized that she was pregnant, but Justin made it clear that that was not something he was ready for, so she kept it from him, at first.  When he eventually found out, he was a total jerk about it, and not supportive at all.  Poor Rebecca.  Then the tension between the couple was exacerbated when Rebecca had a miscarriage.  Tragic.  Eventually, however, the young couple overcame their issues, and got married in the two-part episode “Time After Time” (more on that fabulous episode later) … only to possibly be separated while they both pursue their dreams separately.  Will they make it?  We’ll have to wait for next season.  Meanwhile, Kitty was battling cancer for the first half of the season, but she was able to fight it, and was declared cancer-free after her “first look check-up.”  Hurrah.  Saul, however, was not so lucky, and it seems that his one and only experience with homosexual intercourse, years and years ago, left him with HIV.  Although, I guess he really should count himself lucky, since he’s been living symptom free for decades.

However, it was not all about love, pregnancy, cancer, and AIDs, this season.  The show had a major turning point with the closing of Ojai Foods.  Yep, the Walker family business went out of business.  Sadness.  Another big continuing plot line over the season was the mystery of “Narrow Lake.”  After about 20 episodes of badly drawn out mystery, and sleazy Dennis York, we finally learned the truth in the finale.  It turns out that William Walker wasn’t a total monster after all, and he was planning on building Nora a house.  But, more importantly, the drills on the property hit water.  Apparently that is like gold in California.  The Walkers are the modern-day green equivalent of the Clampetts.

The real highlight for me, however, was the two-parter “Time After Time.”  Flashbacks?  Oh, you know I’m in.  It was pretty remarkable how well-cast the young Walkers were.  They had their older counterparts’ mannerisms down pat.  The kid who played Tommy, especially, was spot on.  I am pretty sure Balthazar Getty time-traveled to play himself as a teenager.  And the reveal about Kevin putting that kid in a wheelchair?  Tragic.  I was in tears—the streaming down your face kind.  All in all, I enjoyed this season, and will definitely tune in for season five.

My favorites! Molly Quinn and Susan Sullivan in "Deep in Death," the second season premiere. Photo Credit: ABC/Michael Desmond.

CASTLE (season 2): B

As I have mentioned many times, I would watch Nathan Fillion read the phonebook.  However, this crime-solving procedural did not really hold my interest this season, and I stopped watching for months.  However, when everything else was on hiatus, I did check back in with the show on Hulu, and was pleasantly surprised.  I was able to catch up with most of the episodes I missed, however, I was not able to find the Alyssa Milano eps online (though I’m sure I could, if I really tried).  Sigh.  Something to look forward to when the show goes on dvd.  The storyline about Beckett’s mother’s murder was kicked up a notch, and became quite compelling (though it does also increase the similarities between this procedural and another one featuring a crime-solving duo *cough* Bones *cough*).  Still, I feeling like I’m finally getting to know who Beckett is and starting to appreciate her character.  Fillion’s Castle, of course, is absolutely charming, and a joy to watch on screen.  I especially love his relationships with his mother and daughter.  All the scenes of that family together are gold.  Oh, and one more thing: Anders!  It was nice to see him on my TV screen again.  Really nice.  But I did find myself nodding off a bit during a lot of the cases.  And the supporting characters at the precinct are not very developed.  Of course, that is probably more of a statement of my own tastes, rather than the quality of the show.  I prefer more character-centric arcs, that draw me in—for example, the two-part episodes, “Tick Tick Tick…” and “Boom.”  Ultimately, I kind of wish that I had given the show more of a chance, and had followed it more regularly, as it has really turned out to be pretty good TV.  I look forward to next season.

Of course, the highlight of the season, for me, was the epic Halloween episode, entitled “Vampire Weekend.”  The episode really seemed to be a love letter to Browncoats, and I loved it.  Here’s a fun clip, featuring Castle in his “space cowboy” costume.  Hee.

Video via Alien Collective’s YouTube channel.  And that is only one of the many many many Firefly references that Fillion has worked in on Castle this season.  There are hidden easter eggs in almost every episode it seems, which is a fun exercise.

Photo credit: NBC.com

CHUCK (season 3): B+

This season had a rough start, in my opinion.  I was really not enjoying Chuck as a character, and he was acting like a complete idiot.  However, after a stellar Casey-centric episode, I was back in.  Oh, Casey, you are my favorite, always.  Still, I wasn’t so hooked that I had to watch the show live.  Hey, Monday nights were busy this season, people.  Also, by the time that Chuck came back from its long hiatus, I was enrolled in a Monday night seminar, barring me from watching primetime live.  *Gasp*  It was hard times, but I persevered.  But finally (just this morning, actually) I got around to finishing the season.  It was fun, but not necessarily my favorite thing ever.  I see this show in the solid B+ range.  I really really like it … but I don’t love it.  Still, I’m interested to see where they go next, in the Alias-esque plotline involving Chuck’s mother (who should totally be played by Geena Davis, by the way!).

Chuck has featured a lot of fun guest-stars, and this season was no exception.  It was great to see the return of Chuck’s dad (whom I fondly remember as Sam).  Also, the lovely Kristin Kreuk (best known for her work as Lana Lang on Smallville) had a four episode arc, as Hannah, a love-interest for Chuck.  I thought she did well, though the character wasn’t exactly complex.  I look forward to seeing Kreuk on TV again soon (although, preferably not Smallville, as she has both been there and done that).  And then there was another Superman connection, with Superman himself, Brandon Routh, coming on as Chuck’s nemesis, Daniel Shaw.  While Routh is certainly swoon-worthy, in that tall-dark-and-handsome way, his character was a bit too arch for me, and he seemed to just miss the mark.  Still, ooooh so pretty.  Also, the older spy couple in “Chuck Versus the Role Models,” played by Swoozie Kurtz and Fred Willard were absolutely fabulous.

I love Ellie and Laurie so much, and this photo so much, that I even added it to my blog header. Photo Credit: ABC/ Adam Rose.

COUGAR TOWN (season 1): A

… Okay, I’m back.  I just had to stop writing for a bit to drink an extremely large glass of wine.  I had to get myself in the right mind set to write this post, after all.  I was a late comer to Cougar Town, but I’m sooooo glad that I finally started watching.  I have my twitter friends @ITveee and @ThisJessicaRae to thank for encouraging me to give it a try, and @MediaObsessed to thank for showing me that Ellie is who I want to be when I grow up.  I mean, I love love love the show.  Probably way more than I should, but there is just something about the characters and their silly ways that I just connect to.  I love crazy Jules and her overflowing glasses of wine.  I love sexy Grayson and his songs—he’s a heartthrob, but a quirky one.  And I love adorable Andy, and his man-crush on Bobby.  Andy, of course, is played by the fabulous Ian Gomez, who brought Javier to life on Felicity.  I still can’t believe that the man has such range.  Bravo.  I even love skinny-armed Travis, and his slightly damaged personality, smothered by this loving mother.  But most of all, I love Ellie and Laurie.  I mean, what can I say about Christa Miller and Busy Phillips that has not already been said?  They just inhabit their roles so perfectly, and I love that the two have begun to become friends (just a little bit), though they’ll never admit it.  Signature Ellie quote: “If  a conversation goes on too long without it being about me … I’m out.”  Signature Laurie quote: “If Matt Damon weren’t married and if he weren’t a movie star and if he lived in this town, I really think we would date.”  See what I mean?  Love them.

One of the things that I really appreciate about the show is that they totally went there with Jules and Grayson.  I’m so tired of the will-they-won’t-they of TV relationships, and it’s nice to just see these two people who are attracted to each other go for it.  It may not work out, but enough with the angst already!

Also, I love that the characters are so quirky and borderline insane.  I mean, these are not really “healthy” people, and they do not have “healthy” relationships, but they love each other, and that makes me love them.  I find their exchanges hilarious.  However, humor is very subjective, so I totally get why some don’t like the show.  It is not for everyone.  But it is most definitely absolutely positively for me.  More, please!  But, fair warning: Make sure to buy the wine ahead of time.  You will need a giant glass to keep up with the Cul-de-sac crew.

So, that’s it for Part I of my End of Season Report Card.  Come back soon for Part II tomorrow–covering Dollhouse, Glee, Gossip Girl, Greek, Heroes, and How I Met Your Mother.

First up: three trailers for 90210.

And now, here are the Melrose Place videos: three trailers and two extended previews.

Videos courtesy of CWtelevision’s YouTube Channel.

Photo Credit: Bob Mahoney/The CW.

Michael Ausiello reports: “The CW has extended early renewals to Supernatural, Gossip Girl, 90210, The Vampire Diaries, and America’s Next Top Model.”  Via Scoop: CW renews ‘Supernatural,’ ‘Gossip Girl,’ ’90210,’ ‘Vampire,’ and ‘Top Model’ | Ausiello | EW.com.  While I could not care less about ANTM, I am happy about the other four.  I am especially thrilled for The Vampire Diaries.  While this renewal comes as no surprise, it is still nice to have some certainty, right there in black and white.

As for Gossip Girl and 90210, it is good news, but they are not exactly must-see-tv these days (regardless of the extremely long hiatus both shows are on).  I feel like Blair Waldorf has been a pale imitation of her former awesomeness this season, and I can barely stand it when Serena is on screen.  I think that maybe I am only watching due to habit.  However, I am going to continue the rest of the season before making a decision about quitting the series.  As for 90210, it has had some fun moments this season, but several of the characters are just not compelling.  I think they need to find a strong leading man, as the show is really lacking in that regard.  Additionally, the show needs to figure out what to do with the Wilsons, whose story-lines are just floundering.

And then we come to Supernatural.  There has been a lot of talk throughout the series’ run about Eric Kripke, creator and executive producer, having a five year plan, and wanting to go out on top.  While Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki were contracted for six seasons, I believe, the idea was to end at five.  However, in the past few months, there have been several interviews hinting at Kripke changing his mind, and CW president Dawn Ostroff supporting a sixth season.  Still, I was worried when I first heard about Supernatural‘s renewal, and wanted to make sure that Kripke was on board before rejoicing.  Well, hurrah!  Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune reports: “When I asked a CW representative whether creator/executive producer Eric Kripke would return for ‘Supernatural’s’ sixth season, I got a three-word reply: ‘Yes, he’s back.’”  Via The Watcher: CW renews ‘Supernatural,’ ‘Vampire Diaries,’ 3 others. Will Kripke be back?.  I think as long as Kripke, Sera Gamble, Ben Edlund, and company are on board, then I am too.

UPDATE: Ausiello now reports:

Kripke will be stepping down as the CW drama’s day-to-day showrunner next season. Executive producer Sera Gamble, who has been with the show since season 1 and is awesome, is poised to succeed him.  But, and this is a big but, Kripke will remain actively involved in the show — and not just in name only. Although CW and Warner Bros. reps declined to comment, a Supernatural insider assures me that Kripke and his current co-showrunner, Robert Singer, will continue to function as hands-on executive producers.

via ‘Supernatural’ exclusive: Eric Kripke stepping down as showrunner | Ausiello | EW.com.  So, Kripke is stepping down as showrunner, but he is NOT walking away.  And Sera Gamble has written a lot of the very best episodes of the show.  I’m not really too worried about this latest update.

So, what do you think of these renewals?  And how worried are you about Smallville, One Tree Hill, and Life Unexpected, which were missing from this early renewal list?  Don’t panic yet, however, as there is still plenty of time for decisions to be made.  Out of the three I just mentioned, I’m hoping for Life Unexpected‘s renewal most of all.  The other two have had plenty of seasons, and I would hate LUX to go the way of Privileged.

Photo Credit: Michael Desmond/The CW.

90210: C+

I think that this show has shown a lot of improvement since last season.  While it is not among my favorite shows by any means, I have no interest in giving up on it.  It is a definite guilty pleasure, and I have enjoyed most of the twists and turns this season.  Liam’s growth as a character has been a definite highlight, and I am really pulling for him.  I loved seeing Papa Kent as his step-dad, and look forward to more family moments.  I also really enjoyed Naomi, as usual, and her evil sis Jen was great entertainment as well.  The truth FINALLY coming out about Jen’s machinations was probably my favorite moment of the season so far.  Adrianna is one of my favorite characters, so her arc has been pretty disappointing for me.  I hope she has more to do in 2010.  I really miss the fabulous grandmother, and hope to see Jessica Walter return ASAP.  I’m pretty meh about Mr. Matthews, Dixon, the Wilson parents, Silver, and Navid.  I detest Annie and Teddy and the new thirty-year-old surfer chick.

Photo Credit: Fox.

BONES: B+

The season has been great so far, but I’m not in a rush to watch it on Thursday nights.  I usually save it for Hulu viewing on the weekend.  Booth has begun to get on my nerves since last season.  I was actually discussing that with my sister, and we agreed that he needs to calm down.  I felt that Brennan was underused last season, so I’m happy to see that being rectified somewhat.  In fact this season is a big improvement on last season, and has gone a long way toward making that awful season finale palatable, and even make good sense.  Brennan continues to be one of my favorite characters on television, but the rest of the show is not as compelling as it used to be.  The highlight of the season, for me, was the Christmas episode, “The Goop on the Girl,” which featured some Booth and Brennan hilarity, and the charming guest appearance of Zooey Deschanel

Photo credit: ABC.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS: B+

Oh, the drama!  Secrets, and lies, and pregnancy, and cancer—it never ends.  I have been rather annoyed with the recent melodrama on the show, which explains its lower grade.  Let’s hope that the New Year brings some improvements.  Still, I find it quite amusing, and continue to care about the Walkers and their struggles, so it must be doing something right.  Nora and Kevin Walker are my favorites.  Their expressions just kill me.  Also, Ryan needs to go.

CASTLE: B

Photo Credit: ABC.

I would watch Nathan Fillion read the phonebook.  I would also watch him in a crime-solving procedural … but not at 10pm on a Monday.  It’s just too much at the end of a long night of TV, so while I adore Fillion, I’m saving this one for DVD.  Plus, I find the show a little boring.  Sorry, don’t hate me.  Rick Castle is utterly charming, and I adore the moments with his family, but the rest of the show does not grab me.  I have fallen asleep watching it several times.  Of course, I did catch the epic Halloween episode.  Seriously, that Halloween episode was a love letter to Browncoats, and I loved it.  In fact, I should go watch it right now.

Photo Credit: Jill Greenberg/ Showtime.

DEXTER: B+

The last few episodes were hold-your-breath-edge-of-your-seat intense, and kept me glued.  The finale caused me to weep.  Trinity was the creepiest serial killer on the show to date, and caused me to shudder.  I liked that Angel finally found some happiness, and that it was with Lt. Laguerda.  However, the bulk of the season was rather slow and dull, and I pretty much forgot to watch it every week, unless someone on Twitter reminded me.  I may also harbor ill-feelings that Rita is gone from the show, and now Julie Benz will be on Desperate Housewives.  Even my beloved Darla will not make me go back to watching that drama.

DOLLHOUSE: A

Photo Credit: Spoiler TV/ Fox.

How do I love thee, Dollhouse?  Let me count the ways.  I must admit that I was critical of the first two episodes of the second season—particularly “Instinct” and Echo’s imprinted mammary glands—but after that the show really took off.  Of particular note is Amy Acker as Whiskey/ Dr. Saunders in the first episode.  She just blew me away in her scenes with Topher. I cannot wait for her return.  Additionally, Topher has really grown as a character—from someone I despised to someone for whom I have great affection and compassion.  He finally feels like a real human being, and has made surprisingly compassionate choices.  Olivia Williams continues to rock the role of Adelle beyond all comprehension.  Through all the twists and turns that her character has taken, I have always believed that she has more going on in that head of hers than she lets on.  I have never seen her as the villain in the story, and I am glad to be proven right.

Sierra and Victor’s love continues to be très adorable, and I am dreading the moment when they break things off (alluded to in “Epitaph One”).  The back-stories for both were a long time coming, but well-worth the wait, and “Belonging” and “Stop Loss” are among my favorite episodes of the series.  Enver Gjokaj wows me in every episode, but I was mouth-agape when I saw him playing Topher in “The Public Eye” and “The Left Hand.”  Bravo!  I continue to adore Boyd, and I’ve gradually stopped disliking Paul. Echo has also really grown as a character, and finally seems to justify all the time spent on her.  Echo is a hard core bad ass guys, for real.  Oh, I could go on forever about this show, but I need to move on.

Photo Credit: ABC/ SciFi Wire

EASTWICK: C

I was really excited for this show about three witches when I first heard about it.  Alas, it did not meet my expectations.  It’s not a bad show, but it just wasn’t compelling enough to keep me interested.  I watched the first few episodes, and I quite enjoyed the Joanna character, played by gorgeous and talented Lindsay Price.  Jaime Ray Newman’s Kat was also charming, but I could not stand Rebecca Romijn’s Roxie, or the mysterious Darryl Van Horne. It was a little too Desperate Housewives-y for me, and the plot dragged, in my opinion.  For the fans of the show, I’m sorry that it was canceled, but I won’t miss it.

Photo Credit: Fox.

GLEE: A-

I was not sold on Glee right away, but it has slowly won my heart.  It made Wednesday a night of TV to look forward to, and always left me feeling good.  It is not a perfect show, but it has a lot of heart, and the songs make me happy.  I hope that it continues for a long time, despite the fact that I feel compelled to buy every song on iTunes—I need to stop doing that, but the music is addictive.  The highlight for me is Jane Lynch, whom I consider the awesomest of awesome.  I could listen to her yell at people all episode.  I also really loved the Puck/ Rachel storyline; sadly, it does not seem that they are meant to be, but that episode which featured them together was my favorite.

Photo Credit: Giovanni Rufino / The CW.

GOSSIP GIRL: B-

This used to be the show I looked forward to most each week—it was such fun!  Sadly, this season has been a major disappointment.  I feel like I’m watching it lately because I’m committed to it, rather than enjoying it.  Blair Waldorf is one of my favorite television characters of all time, but she has not had much to do this season.  The college transition has been a bit awkward, but I hope that the show can get beyond it.  Of particular note is the fact that Chuck has become the moral compass on the show—we are clearly in crazy land.  While Chuck continues to amuse, Nate and Dan continue to bore.  I find Vanessa a snooze as well, which is the saddest thing since I adored her character in the books.  If she shaved her head, wore combat boots, and was snarky rather than whiny, I would like her so much more.  Oh well.  As for Serena, I’m just hoping to see her written off the show.  Maybe she can go to Europe to be with her dad or something.  I will continue watching it, but I really hope for some awesome soon.

GREEK: A-

This show ranks among the surprisingly good.  I never would have thought that a show about sororities and fraternities would be so sweet and entertaining, but it really is.  Every regular character on the show is compelling and likable, which is very rare.  For the record, I love both Cappie and Evan.  I even loved Frannie, and miss her.  I think Ashleigh is the character I most relate to, and I adore her style.  I hope that she gets more to do beyond Casey soon.  I also enjoy the pop culture references, which were really on a roll this season–from Alias, to Batman, to Twilight, to Terminator.  I love it.  I’m definitely looking forward to watching what happens next.

Part II is forthcoming, featuring reviews of Heroes through V.  I welcome your comments below.

Photo Credit: ABC Family.

Gilmore Girls fans, take heed.  TVGuide.com’s Adam Bryant reports that our beloved Luke (Scott Patterson), is returning to TV.  He will guest star as Liam’s father (as opposed to his stepfather, who is played by Pa Kent).  While 90210 is not exactly my favorite show (at all), at least it is one that I watch, and I’m super excited to see Patterson in his new role.  Check out the link below for the full scoop:

Scott Patterson on 90210 – Exclusive: Gilmore Girls Star Joins 90210 – Today’s News: Our Take | TVGuide.com.

Photo Credit: Michael Desmond/THE CW ©2009 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved.

Read on for my thoughts on the last two episodes of 90210, 2×03 & 2×04:

I didn’t bother to write a recap last week, as I was late in watching the episode, and had so much other TV to cover.  However, I feel like talking 90210, so I’m going to combine the last two episodes into one post.  I would also like to note that TPTB really need to come up with new titles for these episodes.  Preferably something that will not cause tags that attract people searching for porn to my site.  First “To Sext or Not to Sext,” & now, “The Porn King”?  Seriously?  Come up with better titles, please.  OK?  Thanks.  Moving on, I’ve divided up my thoughts by character.  As always, your comments are much appreciated.

• Naomi: She’s been dealing with the fall-out from sending the “sext,” which, as it turns out, is not much fall-out at all.  Adrianna and Silver forgave her, and Annie still hates her, so it’s pretty much more of the same.  Waste of a plot-line.  Also, she still doesn’t know that Jen was the one who slept with Liam—egged on, in fact, by Annie’s blatant lie to the contrary.  Thus, Naomi is still a victim of multiple lies and manipulations, though somewhat less so.  In the latest episode, Jen came clean to her sister about having been married, and about being broke—but not about the sex with her sister’s boyfriend.  Jen has also repeatedly steered her little sis away from repairing things with Liam, but their reunion is inevitable, so I’m not worried.
• Jen: As I noted above, Jen is still manipulating her sister.  Liam found out about some of the gold-digging skeletons in her closet, and forced her hand.  Thus she came clean to Naomi about her failed marriage, and her money issues.  However, she played the victim card, and managed to get Naomi to forgive her.  I don’t trust her one bit.  Also, she is still stringing along the poor teacher, all in order to land the rich guy.  Her reign of terror may be soon over, however, as Liam managed to record an incriminating conversation.  Lets just hope this plot-line is better than the “sext” faux fiasco.

Photo Credit: Jaimie Trueblood/THE CW ©2009 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved.

• Liam:  In addition to dealing with the Clark sisters, Liam has his hands full with his home situation.  Papa Kent, his new step-dad, is not a fan of the Ryan Atwood wannabe, and the tension between them continues to boil.  Liam’s mom is not much help, as she seems to side with her husband, most of the time.  I wouldn’t mind seeing more of his family dynamic.  What’s the story about his dad?  How bad were his bad-boy tendencies pre-West Beverly?
• Adrianna: The return of her ex-boyfriend Teddy is causing all sorts of problems for the girl.  Looks like her attempt to be “No Drama Adrianna” is failing.  First she has to deal with Navid’s over-blown jealousy.  Then she has to deal with the fact that perhaps that jealousy wasn’t so irrational, as she begins to find herself attracted to Teddy (God knows why!?!?).  In the latest episode, she gave into her attraction and kissed him.  Uh oh.  Also, Silver totally saw, so I’m sure the secret will come out.  Poor Navid … if I cared about him.   Also, she is involved in a subplot involving an acting job.  It seems that her agent will drop her if she doesn’t show up for a TV audition.  Navid disapproves, as she’s still recovering from her drug abuse problem and the pregnancy.  Adrianna doesn’t want her agent to drop her, so she ends up going to the audition.  Navid is upset, which makes Adrianna upset, who turns to Teddy (blech, and see above).  Then she feels guilty, so she turns down the part and finally sleeps with Navid.  What a great message to be sending to young girls, 90210.  I hope that my sarcasm here is blatantly legible, because ICK!
• Navid: Speaking of Adrianna’s boyfriend, he’s been rather pointless lately.  They need to give him his own storyline.  He is basically just the jealous and clueless boyfriend right now.  Also, the guy who’s stupid enough to lend Dixon his Ferrari.
• Dixon: Dixon, after being completely pointless himself, has finally got an interesting storyline.  He’s not really the interesting part though, as it is his new crush Sasha who brings the fun to his storyline.  Sasha is the only together character on this show right now.  Her only problem is that she’s too gullible.  She and Dixon met at a pizza place, then Teddy’s yacht, and then 2 seconds later they were over-nighting in wine country.  Sash is much older than Dixon, and much more mature, so Dixon lies to her.  Great plan.  I liked her comment about high schoolers, as I remember that oblivious feeling very well: “Dumb as dirt. Thought I knew everything, but really knew nothing.” (Disclaimer: If you’re related to me, or a reader of this blog, and you’re in high school, you’re clearly the exception.  You’re a genius.)  Sasha pretty much exactly described Dixon.  The couple gets a flat tire, leading Sasha to discover the trunk full of porn—hence the ridiculous title of this episode.  In case you forgot, Navid, the owner (or rather the son of the owner) of the Ferrari, is the son of an actual “Porn King.”  Hence the trunk’s contents.  Instead of telling Sasha the truth, Dixon decides to lie.  Stupid boy.  He just went a long way towards proving Sasha’s speech correct.  Somehow, Dixon convinces the woman not to dump him, but she is still a bit suspicious.  This is not aided when she and a friend drive by Dixon’s house: “Who is that white woman?  And why is she hugging your boyfriend?”  He’ll have to find an excuse to prove he wasn’t cheating, or admit that he still lives with his mom.  I would imagine that either way spells disaster.
• Gia: Despite Rumer Willis’s awesome character name, she has not done much worth blogging about yet.  She works on the paper.  That is all.
• Annie:  She has some new admirers, and doesn’t seem to be ostracized anymore.  I’m a bit confused as to why people aren’t still mad, but whatever.  The homeless man, whom she ran over, donated $100,000 to West Beverly.  Also, he has a nephew, who seems to have his eye on Annie.  Annie spent the whole episode crying over a guy she supposedly didn’t know, so the kid is suspicious—as he should be.  Also, I’m surprised that Annie, being a “good girl,” has not yet broken down and admitted her guilt.  How can she stand maintaining this terrible secret?  Guess she’s not so “good” after all.
• Teddy:  I don’t really want to write about him, because he’s dumb.  However, he made fun of homelessness to Silver, and he kissed a girl with a serious boyfriend, so he’s making friends and influencing people wherever he goes.

Next week: It’s one of those public service announcement episodes.  Naomi goes green!  Hehe.

Heroes Season 3 Premiere.

Gossip Girl Season 2 so far: “Summer Kind of Wonderful,” “Never Been Marcused,” and “Dark Night.”

The New 90210.

90210 and Nip/Tuck’s AnnaLynne McCord with sisters Angel & Rachel at Skybar Emmys Suite from Thomas Attila Lewis on Vimeo.
Check out the link below for the full story, and another video with Carrie Preston:

TV Junkie: 2009 Emmys – Talking Fashion with Carrie Preston of ‘True Blood’ & ’90210′ Star AnnaLynne McCord – LAist.

Photo Credit: Michael Desmond/The CW © 2009 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved.

Read on for my thoughts on this week’s 90210, 2×02:

• I have to admit that I really enjoyed this week’s offering.  Last season was pretty shabby, and I was pretty out-spoken about my disappointment.  However, I really enjoyed this episode, and it gives me hope for the rest of the season.  Why on earth would I say such a thing?  First, I really enjoyed the return of Naomi’s evil older sister Jen.  She’s back and worse than ever.  I think my favorite moment of the entire episode was Jen giving Naomi a lesson on “How NOT to be perceived as a gold-digger by paranoid billionaires.”  Wow.  I would feel sorry for Ryan, but I just don’t care enough about him–plus, he’s an idiot for getting involved with Jen in the first place.  Everything that comes out of Jen’s mouth, is just beyond the beyond of crazy b@#%h.  I kind of love watching the craziness, and I can’t wait until we see Jen get what’s coming to her.  I suspect that Naomi might be able to give as good as she gets, so watch out Evil Jen.
• I also LOVE that Papa Kent (John Schneider) is Liam’s step-father.  It’s fun to see Schneider play the “bad dad” after so many years as “the good dad.”  I’m actually starting to feel for Liam, whom I rather despised last season.  He had to join the surf team (really, they have surfing teams?) in order to show his step-dad that he has reformed his attitude.  The theory is that he needs to occupy himself with school-sponsored activities to keep him out of trouble.  Conveniently, every other male character on the show is also trying out … and they all make it.  Surprise!  Sigh.  It could be worse and they could be playing water polo or something.  Anyway, Liam and Dixon bond over both being from New York.  Liam even made a Ryan Atwood reference, which is hilarious because I was totally contemplating his similarity to Ryan–what with the punching and the hair.  (Disclaimer: Don’t yell at me O.C. fans.  I’m not saying that he’s as good of a character as Ryan–just that he seems to be channeling the O.C. heartthrob.)
• There’s trouble in paradise for Adrianna and Navid.  Navid seemed compelled by craziness to mess things up.  I certainly don’t blame Adrianna for being upset at Navid’s attack on the unsuspecting Teddy.  However, I can’t say that I trust or like Teddy either.  I’m sure Adrianna and Navid will reconcile, if Navid can get past his jealousy issues.  So silly.
• Meanwhile, Silver is an emotional wreck after her break-up with Dixon (i.e the useless character whom I often forget is on the show).  She keeps trying to secretly call him, but her friends stop her.  At one point, however, Silver makes the call.  She then watches while Dixon ignores it.  More tears.  I like how supportive Adrianna and Naomi are to their friend.  It may not really make sense, but I like it.
• The main plot-line of the episode, however, revolved around a supposed “sext” (really?!?!), featuring Annie topless.  It seems that two people are in possession of the “sext”: the skeevy boy who hooked up with Annie, and Naomi.  Annie shows some backbone (finally) and crushes skeevy guy’s phone with her heel, so one less problem.  Unfortunately, Naomi is a more formidable foe.  She and Annie have multiple conversations in the bathroom, and Naomi tries to get Annie to admit that she slept with Liam.  At first Annie vehemently denies it, but then desperately admits it (i.e. lies) and begs for Naomi’s mercy.  Naomi goes back in forth throughout the episode, unsure whether to release the “sext” or not.  Adrianna sways her to put the kibosh on the plan, but then evil Jen goads her on.  Jen uses some kind of crazy troll logic to convince Naomi that she’d be “optimistic” (i.e. stupid) if she gave Annie and Liam the benefit of the doubt.  Terrified of looking like a fool (again), Naomi send the “sext.”  Tragical.
• While the release of the topless photo sends Annie into a tail-spin, that’s nothing compared to the final reveal of the episode.  New guy Teddy’s interview plays on the TV in the background, and Annie is horrified (or at least she should be) to hear an account of her own hit-and-run.  It seems that Teddy found the body of a mostly dead (I couldn’t resist writing that) homeless man–i.e. the man that drunk Annie ran over with her car, before driving away to whine and blame others for her problems.  Oh, what will happen next?  How long until people find out the truth?  Did the poor homeless guy survive?  Will Annie spontaneously combust out of guilt and self-loathing?

"To New Beginnings"-- LtoR: AnnaLynne McCord as Naomi, Jessica Lowndes as Adrianna, and Jessica Stroup as Silver on 90210 on THE CW. Photo: Michael Desmond/The CW ©2009 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved.

So, last night the new season of 90210 began, and it was better than I expected … at least the first 10 minutes or so before Annie showed up. Read on for my thoughts on the season 2 premiere.

• I loved all the color and excitement in the first segment of the episode. Those pastel RayBans, gorgeous swim-suits, big floppy hats, and colorful dresses made me happy.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy depressing television, but it’s nice to have a break from the gloomy.
• Unfortunately, the gloomy came back, in the person of Annie and her self-destructive and mopey ways. Ick. I had almost forgotten that she even existed, and then the show had to cut to her and all her problems.  Downer. That said, her story-line seems to echo one for Brenda Walsh back in the day, when everyone was mad at her (this may have been a recurring story-line, as Brenda often pissed the rest of the gang off). Kudos for trying to make Annie somewhat Brenda-like, but it is SO NOT working. Pick another personality and storyline to copy, please.
• While I love Naomi, I do not approve of her romance with that old man.  I mean there’s older, and then there is OLD.  It is super-skeevy.  Even worse, was when Naomi began talking about his “big meaty hands.”  No.  Just no.
• Silver has a new short hair cut, and I like it. Adrianna continues to be gorgeous, and I continue to be one of the few Adrianna fans.
• While I would like to avoid the subject, I should probably address Annie’s multitude of problems.  It seems that Naomi still thinks that Annie slept with Liam. We all know, of course, that it was Naomi’s evil older sis who did the deed with Liam, but I guess both are content to let Annie suffer.  Additionally, everyone knows that Annie was the rat who called the police on Naomi’s party.  Annie refuses to defend herself, or to apologize for selling out all her friends (and her brother) to the cops.  What is not one of her problems (although it really should be)?  Her dramatic hit-and-run from last season’s finale.  You know, when she may have killed another human being with her car, while drunk from an entire bottle of vodka.  Aggghh!  OK, now I’m getting frustrated, so I’ll move on.
• New credits? I don’t hate them. Lots of people on Twitter seem to though.
• I love that Naomi has a new nemesis, an older (not OLD) blond woman played by Elizabeth Rohm (Kate from Angel).  I have to say, I barely recognized her at first.  She is looking good, and I think the longer hair works for her.  Unfortunately, said nemesis is revealed to be the wife (or perhaps just steady girlfriend?) of Naomi’s OLD man.
• Silver and Dixon broke up … again.  Turns out the chemistry between Silver and Ethan heated up off screen, and the two were cheating on Dixon for a while.  In the most hilarious line of the episode, Silver admits that she “was relieved” that Ethan was moving across the country.  Ha!  Aren’t we all?  (Sorry to the one Ethan fan I know)  When Dixon finds out about Silver and Ethan he says that Silver’s dead to him.  Way to be dramatic.  Maybe he and Silver are perfect for each other.
• Also, key fact: the Silver-Dixon break-up was triggered by the new guy, Teddy, who looks like a Ken-doll and is apparently very wealthy.  Teddy was also Adrianna’s first, and was making eyes at Naomi.  Who will he hook up with next?
• Naomi reveals that she’s still not over Liam.  I was relieved to hear this, as this means we may be rid of the OLD man soon.  Of course, as soon as Naomi admits this earth-shattering news to her friends, Liam’s back and cuter than ever.  Did he change his hair?
• The episode ended with a boring cliff-hanger about a possibly nude photo of Annie.  The random guy Annie hooked up with was just using her, and we see him show a presumably scandalous photo to his friends.  Then Naomi gets a hold of photo, which supposedly will prompt all hell to break loose next week.  We’ll see.