Didn't find a lot to say about this one. LoM is moving to Wednesdays in the new year, following Lost which is both good and bad. It's bad only in that there will be less viewers leading it, but good in that those viewers will be more in line with LoM's underlying sci-fi angle.
The season finale of Skins kind of isn't really a finale at all here in the US, considering that BBCAmerica is broadcasting the seasons back-to-back. Nonetheless, it's got all the elements of a classic finale, complete with a 'will he or won't he die' cliffhanger and a change in tone different from the series.
All season long we're slowly led to the belief that Tony is a cad (or, as his sister aptly puts it in a rare instance of vocalization, a 'wanker,') but these past couple episodes seem bent on regaining sympathy for the character. Which is alright, I guess, in that Nicholas Hoult is such a great actor, it's almost necessary to bring him back into the fold somehow. Of course, getting hit by a bus would appear cliche to American audiences by now, but following it by slipping into a musical with the singing Cat Stevens' "Wild World," takes it a step further. It's been done before, obviously (see Magnolia, and the Season 4 finale of Nip/Tuck,) but it still feels somewhat fresh, using the actual voices of Sid, Chris, Angie and even the comatose Tony to sing along. (Here's video of the sing-a-long.)
There were a couple of other nice music moments, but for the most part, in order to catch them all, you need to watch the original UK (E4) version, which you can find on YouTube (Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, Pt. 4 and Pt. 5). The opening scene remains mostly intact, using the great soul track "I've Been Lonely For So Long," but the version that aired here seems to be a cover instead of the original Stax classic by Frederick Knight. The US version also manages to keep The Broken Family Band's "It's All Over" and even Starship's "We Built This City," which backs the philisophical and heartfelt patch-up between Anwar and Maxie, courtesy of Anwar's father. Most of the musical fun was stripped out of the episode, however, as Awar's embarrasing Uncle had some crazy music tastes that found their way to the dance floor (see playlist below).
One thing more to checkout before season 2 starts next week, is the Skins Secret Party mini-episode that is sandwiched between seasons. Unlike the 'Secret Skins' minisodes throughout the season, it actually aired on the network, and ends with an actual party featuring Skins fans who won tickets through various competitions. It features The Foals (pre-Sub Pop) playing "Hummer" at the secret party, with Maxxie putting up little clues around the city, like Where's Fluffy from Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. That it ends with Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is just an added bonus.
What a perfect Thanksgiving treat this Pushing Daisies episode was, and a reminder that this series is definitely something to be thankful for. And to wake up humming Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken," isn't a bad way to start a Thanksgiving day morning. By itself, having Aunt Vivan (Ellen Greene) singing the Cat classic would've felt over the top, but all the perfectly orchestrated silliness that preceded helped set it up to feel more then just a tug at the heart strings.
"Jews for Cheeses?" "Follow the yellow thick hose?" "Death by scratch-n-sniff?" All the makings of a classic episode of television. There's also Ned remembering the amorous encounter with a bear-skin rug, and don't forget Emerson's love of pop-up books. These wonderfully kooky turns felt right on in the context of the not-so-mysterious mystery. It was obvious pretty early that Napoleon Lenez (which means "the nose" in French,) was the stink bomber, but the weekly crime drama plots are always secondary to Ned's over-arching tragic existence.
We get that theme treated literally in the opening, with the brief story of the pie maker's origins, being related to the memory of his dead mother. He makes pies because "...the mere smell of it made him feel, if only for an hour, exactly like he wanted to feel : safe, and warm, and loved." And just like Chuck, he typically can't eat his pies, as he's more often then not, brought decaying fruit back to fresh in the baking. You can't have your pie (or Chuck) and eat it too.
Looks like Paul Reubens will be back as Oscar, which is welcome as his portrayal of the sewer-loving smell expert seemed like it had more to it then his brief appearance. He's plays a good villain -- I'm thinking Buffy the Vampire Slayer, not Pee Wee Herman obviously.
More: I've always thought the show overly accentuated Olive's (Kirsten Chenoweth) um... assets, but last night her cleavage was nearly stealing scenes. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
Didn't find a lot to say about this one. LoM is moving to Wednesdays in the new year, following Lost which is both good and bad. It's bad only in that there will be less viewers leading it, but good in that those viewers will be more in line with LoM's underlying sci-fi angle. 
The season finale of Skins kind of isn't really a finale at all here in the US, considering that BBCAmerica is broadcasting the seasons back-to-back. Nonetheless, it's got all the elements of a classic finale, complete with a 'will he or won't he die' cliffhanger and a change in tone different from the series. 
All season long we're slowly led to the belief that Tony is a cad (or, as his sister aptly puts it in a rare instance of vocalization, a 'wanker,') but these past couple episodes seem bent on regaining sympathy for the character. Which is alright, I guess, in that Nicholas Hoult is such a great actor, it's almost necessary to bring him back into the fold somehow. Of course, getting hit by a bus would appear cliche to American audiences by now, but following it by slipping into a musical with the singing Cat Stevens' "Wild World," takes it a step further. It's been done before, obviously (see Magnolia, and the Season 4 finale of Nip/Tuck,) but it still feels somewhat fresh, using the actual voices of Sid, Chris, Angie and even the comatose Tony to sing along. (Here's video of the sing-a-long.)
There were a couple of other nice music moments, but for the most part, in order to catch them all, you need to watch the original UK (E4) version, which you can find on YouTube (Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, Pt. 4 and Pt. 5). The opening scene remains mostly intact, using the great soul track "I've Been Lonely For So Long," but the version that aired here seems to be a cover instead of the original Stax classic by Frederick Knight. The US version also manages to keep The Broken Family Band's "It's All Over" and even Starship's "We Built This City," which backs the philisophical and heartfelt patch-up between Anwar and Maxie, courtesy of Anwar's father. Most of the musical fun was stripped out of the episode, however, as Awar's embarrasing Uncle had some crazy music tastes that found their way to the dance floor (see playlist below). 
What a perfect Thanksgiving treat this Pushing Daisies episode was, and a reminder that this series is definitely something to be thankful for. And to wake up humming Cat Stevens' "Morning Has Broken," isn't a bad way to start a Thanksgiving day morning. By itself, having Aunt Vivan (Ellen Greene) singing the Cat classic would've felt over the top, but all the perfectly orchestrated silliness that preceded helped set it up to feel more then just a tug at the heart strings.
"Jews for Cheeses?" "Follow the yellow thick hose?" "Death by scratch-n-sniff?" All the makings of a classic episode of television. There's also Ned remembering the amorous encounter with a bear-skin rug, and don't forget Emerson's love of pop-up books. These wonderfully kooky turns felt right on in the context of the not-so-mysterious mystery. It was obvious pretty early that Napoleon Lenez (which means "the nose" in French,) was the stink bomber, but the weekly crime drama plots are always secondary to Ned's over-arching tragic existence. 
