SEPTEMBER—COMING VERY SOON

We’re less than a month away from the new TV season (2011-12) to begin, around the Primetime Emmys on September 18, and the promos and spoilers of all the new seasons keep pouring in. I recently watched the promos of the forthcoming seasons of HOUSE MD, CASTLE and PARENTHOOD, and here’s what I thought of them…

SEASON 8: HOUSE IN PRISON!

We’ve heard earlier that House will be in prison in the beginning of S8, for driving his car into Cuddy’s house. What we didn’t know, until recently, is that he’s not going to be liked by people in jail. In an environment where it truly is about the survival of the fittest, this promo leaves us with so many questions about whether House is fit enough to survive. On the one hand, his arrogance and his bad attitude towards everyone else on the planet could be his downfall, but on the other hand, we also know that his superior intelligence will help him through his days in prison. Still, this promo just teases us, making us desperate to know how things will go down in jail, especially since they will pick up a few months after the last season left off. What will prison do to House? Will it be similar to what an asylum did to him (his temporary turning-over-a-new-leaf), or will it be more lasting? The only way to find out is to wait for the season to start in the first week of October!  

 

SEASON 4: CASTLE WAITS AS BECKETT FIGHTS FOR HER LIFE

Writers kill off protagonists only when the lead/s get/s fired (read: TWO AND A HALF MEN). Otherwise, it’s not much of a cliffhanger to show a protagonist being shot dead. But then again, a lot of times, it’s not so much about the ‘what’, but more about the ‘how’ in certain situations. So even though we know that Beckett will survive after being shot, the S4 premiere or CASTLE will explore the ‘how’. That’s exactly what this promo tells us. It’s tense and frightening, as Lanie and Castle watch Beckett being rolled into the OR. Not only does this offer us a lot of drama from the pilot, it also keeps us in sync with things, as they pick up right from where they left off last season. Besides, we still have to find out if Beckett will remember what Castle said to her in the last scene we watched—‘I love you!’ So while we wait for that, this promo is all we have!

SEASON 3: ADAM AND KRISTINA TAKE ON PARENTHOOD AGAIN

We know that PARENTHOOD won’t pick up from where they left off, because in this promo, Kristina has a baby bump that suggests that she’s at least eight months pregnant. We also know that Adam is preoccupied with something, from whatever little they’ve teased us with. Whether it’s just the fact that there’s another baby on the way, with him being unemployed; or it’s something entirely else, we don’t know just yet. Also, we have to consider what the passage of time means with respect to the rest of the family. There’s word out there that before the S3 premiere, there will be more promos with the other Bravermans in the picture, but so far, we can only wonder what Julia’s reaction to Kristina’s pregnancy will be, considering that she herself can’t have more children. Beyond Julia, would Kristina’s pregnancy have had any unforeseen reactions from anyone else, maybe Max, for instance? That is something we just can’t know yet. Here’s looking forward to PARENTHOOD’s return!

SHONDA RHIMES'S NEW SHOW AND MORE...

tvTALKsnips

SHONDA RHIMES TO DEVELOP A PERIOD DRAMA

Shonda Rhimes, with actress Ellen Pompeo 

who plays the lead in GREY'S ANATOMY

Shonda Rhimes, the enterprising TV producer is developing a new show—a period drama set in the 1890s, called GILDED LILLYS. The show will be set in New York City, based on the (fictional) first luxury hotel in the city. It will revolve around the employees of the hotel and will explore the drama of their lives and profession, involving even the guests of the hotel. It seems as though, with the success of shows like MAD MEN and BOARDWALK EMPIRE, and the upcoming ambitious project PAN AM, period dramas are becoming quite the trend on television. I think that despite having seen so many facets of Shonda, she’s out to surprise us all over again, with GILDED LILLYS. The 1890s setting offers her a great opportunity to present a show with the impeccable cinematography and storytelling that she is known for. I think this is going to be an exciting addition to ABC’s line-up next year. Rhimes, who already has two hit shows, GREY'S ANATOMY and PRIVATE PRACTICE on air, is also set to start the new legal/political drama SCANDAL very soon on ABC.

HEATHER GRAHAM SIGNED ON FOR NEW FOX COMEDY PILOT

Actress Heather Graham has been signed on for a new comedy pilot being developed by Rob Thomas, the creator of VERONICA MARS, who was also involved in developing 90210. The comedy pilot, called LITTLE IN COMMON, has been ordered by Fox. The premise of the show is the story of a group of adults who become unlikely friends because of the connections that they discover through their children. With Sarah Michelle Gellar returning to television, with The CW’s RINGER and Christina Ricci to appear on ABC’s PAN AM, it seems like big screen actresses heading for major roles on television is quite the trend this season. I, for one, am quite excited about Graham’s new pilot. I’ve always found her to be a nice actress and a great pleasure to watch. And we haven’t seen much of her lately, except for a few short appearances like the one in The Hangover, so I look forward to seeing her on TV soon.

SANDRA BULLOCK AND RYAN REYNOLDS ALSO HEAD TO TV

There’s another big-screen actress heading to television, in a way. Oscar winner Sandra Bullock, will be teaming up with her The Proposal co-star Ryan Reynolds yet again for a television project, an animated series, for which the two actors will be lending their voices. Called AND THEN THERE WAS GORDON, the show has only been ordered by Fox, as of now. However, if this project, about an ordinary child with several prodigy siblings, goes to series, Bullock will also be an executive producer. She will be otherwise lending her voice to the kid’s brilliant, but neurotic mother, while Reynolds has co-written the pilot. Even though I’m not a major fan of animation series, I still look forward to this one, not only because of the big Hollywood names attached to it, but also because of the premise, which sounds rather interesting.

WHITE COLLAR RENEWED FOR SEASON 4

In other news, the USA Network recently renewed its hit series WHITE COLLAR for a fourth season. The show, which could be called a ‘summer show’, is currently seeing new levels of success in its third season, with more than satisfactory ratings. Currently taking a mid-season break, the show will return in January, for the final few episodes of this season. I am still to catch up on S3 of WHITE COLLAR, but I can definitely say that this is a show I’d really like to see a lot more of, so it pleases me to know that we will be seeing a S4 next year.

HOW DO YOU THINK IT’LL END?

tvTALKcelebratesONEyear

With the announcement of the end of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES last week, I got thinking about how all my favorite shows would end, whenever it’s time for them. Therefore, in the third and final installment of tvTALKcelebratesONEyear, I look at five of them and explore what their series finales might have in store for us…

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

This one comes with the big question: Who will the mother turn out to be, and how will we find out? 

When we were introduced to Zoey last season, the more I watched her with Ted, the more I felt like this relationship had almost as much potential as Ted’s relationship with Robin had. I actually thought that Ted and Zoey’s relationship would become serious, and that she might just be ‘the mother’. I know that as the relationship would get serious, the suspense would be dead, but do we actually believe that Ted’s eventual announcement of a wedding to ‘the mother’ would end the show? I think not. I think that there might be several episodes, maybe an entire season, which will be like an epilogue after we find out who ‘the mother’ is. That epilogue could explore how Ted gets married, while simultaneously, winding up everyone else’s stories. A strange twist would be to have Ted meet ‘the mother’, subsequently have kids and then end up with someone else altogether. That’s where there’s still hope for him and Robin! Now I’ve previously mentioned here that I would love for Ted to end up with Robin, because, for me, it would be perfect for them to be together. Whether or not any of the above happens, it’ll be a tricky job for the writers to end the show well, because they could very easily just end it very predictably.

And while we take that trip with the writers, as they decide on a fitting end, I would really like to see Barney actually getting married, eventually. Who knows! With how seriously [we know] he feels about Nora, maybe they might get serious, and a couple of seasons later, after a series of ups and downs and back-and-forth, they might get married. Barney’s already in an emotional transformation, with the whole reconnecting with his father, and having true feelings for a girl, so you never know; a marriage that sticks might just happen for him before the show ends. As for Lily and Marshall, they’re already living their happily ever after, so besides exploring the travails of raising a family together, there probably won’t be anything drastically different happening in their story. Whatever happens, I wonder if they’ll show all of them with Ted’s grown-up kids in the end, in the time-frame during which he’s telling them the story. What do you think?

DEXTER

Will he get caught? 

As a fan of happy endings, I would love to see Dexter walk at the end. But that’s the extent of happiness I see in his future; I mean, with the alternative being him getting caught. I don’t really expect to see him having that happily ever after, which would entail a happy marriage, family, and possibly, him having finally left his ‘dark passenger’ behind. That could happen, after a major emotional meltdown, triggered by a situation that forces him to deal with the baggage from his past and his ‘sins’. We know that in the forthcoming sixth season, he will be revealing his secret to Debra. It makes me wonder if that will affect the final outcome of the show. We know that the show’s not ending anytime soon, so it’s most likely that she’ll keep his secret, but whether she will understand it is another story. In fact, when it does, the series could possibly end with Debra finally understanding and accepting that side of Dexter. All said and done, there are way too many possibilities of how the show could end. For all we know, they might just leave us with a vague climax, not revealing anything about where the characters would go from there.

Another possibility would be that of an epilogue, probably one that jumps ahead a few years after the final climax. Picture this: Debra accepts Dexter’s dark side, while he, over the years, moves on from his need to kill, or not. Harrison’s a little grown up, and Debra’s married to some guy she met, with Quinn being a distant memory. Astor and Cody have become a major part of their lives, and they’re visiting Dexter from college. With all that established, and everyone having gone their separate ways, Dexter begins his final voice-over. He walks into his apartment, takes off the air-conditioner cover and opens his box of ‘trophies’, the glass slides with his victims’ blood, one last time, and it ends on a sinister note, with us never knowing whether or not he’ll kill again.

HOUSE MD

Will he fade into oblivion, or is there still hope for a happy ending for House? 

I can safely say that the end of his relationship with Cuddy was more than ugly, with her actually instructing the cops to throw him in jail. We know that Cuddy’s going, and some theories about the opening of the forthcoming season suggest that we might actually see House in jail. Some are also speculating over whether S8 will be the last one. Whatever may be the case, this is another show, for which an ending cannot be predicted; the writing is way too edgy for that. After so many years of being miserable, and jeopardizing almost every chance at happiness, all by himself, I don’t really see House getting a happily ever after. And that wouldn’t even be in keeping with the nature of the show. I think we’re more likely to see House fade into oblivion, while sinking into dementia, all alone in his apartment; or worse, die. As morbid as that thought may be, there’s nothing else that would be a fitting end to the show that HOUSE has been.

However, a happy ending could come in the form of House retiring, and moving off to some exotic place, not much unlike the beach where we saw him last, at the end of S7. After having had enough of his life at the hospital, he could finally hand over the reins of the Diagnostics department to Foreman, and go off to lead a happy retirement. On the other hand, we might just see the other characters have their happy endings. Foreman could meet someone and settle down, while I wouldn’t mind so much if Chase and Thirteen ended up together. Even Taob could end up in a happy relationship with one of his ‘baby mommies’. Wilson should ideally get back with his ex-wife, who’ll finally take him back, with House not being a factor in their lives. What do you think? Can you see any of the above happening?

GREY’S ANATOMY

Is it just a matter of who will end up with whom?

It may not be, but just for the heck of it, let’s start with that! Now, I think we can safely assume that Meredith and Derek, Callie and Arizona, and Christina and Owen will all stick with each other, even though there may be several rough patches that they might have to overcome in their relationships. That leaves us with the rest of the doctors. Let’s not think about any characters that are going to be introduced in the future, even though we know that some of the current ones will hook up with the new ones, knowing how people hook up on the show. With the existing set of characters, I can probably see Mark eventually getting back with Lexie, and Avery ending up with April. That leaves us with Karev, but I don’t see anyone else whom he might be suited for. Who knows! Maybe PRIVATE PRACTICE will end before GREY’S and Addison might come back. We know she has a history with both Mark and Karev! On the other hand, something tells me that Teddy Altman and Henry won’t last the long run, and that he might probably die, given his poor health. But when it comes to Bailey, I think her relationship with Nurse Eli is going to be explored, and it will eventually become something that’ll stick; and they might even get married by the end.

Speaking of the end, I don’t want this show to end any time soon. But be that as it may, it will eventually, because it’s not a soap opera and I don’t want to see Meredith and Derek playing with their grandchildren! That being said, I really hope we at least get to see the fifth-year residents in dark-blue scrubs, as each of them becomes an attending, after completing their seven-year residency (in what would be season 11). It would be great to see them all specializing in their fields—Christina in cardio, Alex in pediatrics, Meredith in neuro, and so on. By that time, probably a few of the current attendings could have gotten into extensive research, conducting heavy-duty medical trails, etc. At the same time, maybe the Chief should finally retire to be with his wife, who we now know, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. With that, I would really like to see Bailey as Chief of Surgery eventually, since Webber did tell her that she would, one day, run the hospital. Who would you like to see ending up as what and with whom?

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Will the series finale be as explosive as a disaster episode? How will everyone say goodbye?

This is one show for which we know that the end is near. With just one more season to go, creator Marc Cherry has suggested that he would like to pay tribute to the show, by having everyone, who has been associated with the show, come back to Wisteria Lane, in some way or another, during S8. Now while Nicolette Sheridan (Edie Britt) has said that she won’t be returning [they could have had her in a dream sequence or in a flashback], Dana Delany (Katherine Mayfair) has said she’d love to revisit the lane. But for now, let’s just consider how the show will end next year. I think there should be the backdrop of a big event, like a wedding perhaps. It could be Bree’s. However, I doubt they’d be able to have her establish a relationship deep enough to marry that person in one season. Moreover, given the current scenario on Wisteria Lane, her relationship with a detective won’t last too long. Maybe it could be Julie who gets married. That, we know would be a big deal for everyone. That would also be reason enough for people like Danielle Van de Kamp to visit the street.

As for those whose stories remain unfinished, I think the one person who should get their happy ending is Paul Young. Paul did return last season, and he finally had that showdown with Felicia Tillman, but he ended up going back to jail, and after losing his second wife at that. Now while Felicia is shown to have possibly died in a car crash, I think Paul deserves a happy ending, because he’s been wronged and misunderstood, and him killing Martha Huber was only to avenge Mary-Alice’s death. Cherry has said that they would revisit the original premise of the show—Mary-Alice’s suicide, so it would be a great time to have Paul get out of jail, return to Wisteria Lane, to his old home, and even reunite with his son Zach, who neglected him and let him rot in jail in S3. A crazy thought—what if Bree were to end up with Paul? Like I said, it’s crazy, but when you think about it, Bree is the one housewife who’s most like Mary-Alice, and Paul, the well-mannered and dignified gentleman that he is, would suit Bree perfectly. And if Bree could have had a relationship with Carl Mayer, why not Paul! Maybe the two could date secretly till the end, when they decide to tell everyone that they’re engaged or something.

Among other people who have unfinished business on the street, there’s Dave Williams (Edie’s husband), who was thrown into an asylum, after he tried to kill Susan and MJ, to avenge his wife and daughter’s death in the accident that eventually ruined Susan and Mike’s first marriage. I don’t know how, but if they could bring him back, it would surely be interesting. Kayla, Tom’s other daughter, who was sent off to live with her grandparents after her malicious deeds against Lynette, could also return. She’ll be all grown up now, so there might be some exciting story opportunities there. In the midst of it all, I hope they can pay some kind of a tribute to housewives from the past, like Betty Applewhite and Angie Bolen, who made quite a mark in seasons two and six, respectively.

As for the current housewives, we know Tom and Lynette will eventually get back together; Gaby and Carlos will establish a stronger bond, for sure; and Susan and Mike should have some strong storyline that doesn’t include any kind of threat to their marriage, because that’d old. I hope Renée finds someone nice to settle down with, and even Bree, whether or not it’s Paul.

How do you think DESPERATE HOUSWIVES should end, when it does next May?

How would you like to see your favorite shows end? Share your views with TV TALK...

FAVORITE TV COUPLES, THEN AND NOW

tvTALKcelebratesONEyear

I continue celebrating TV TALK’s completion of one year, with a list of my favorite TV couples, then and now

Ross & Rachel

FRIENDS (1994-2004) Then

How could their names not be at the top of this list! Almost every TV show has that one couple that is meant to be together, and may get together, but have to face several ups and downs, several break-ups and reconciliations, before they finally get together for good. Pioneers in that area, were undoubtedly, Ross and Rachel. In the beginning, they may have seemed an odd pair, with her being a glamorous, rich kid, and him, a geeky paleontologist, but the more we saw them together, the more they seemed to fit. It took them two years to get together and another, to break up, because ‘they were on a break’! Thereafter, there were so many moments when they almost got there, each instance going wrong in some way, breaking our hearts each time. And after a hasty wedding in Vegas, a divorce, an accidental pregnancy, and unplanned co-parenthood, what finally brought them together was the thought of living apart from each other. I would have loved to see more of them as a solid couple, and possibly see them have a proper wedding, but unfortunately, their reunion is all we got. They’re certainly my all-time favorite TV couple!

Chandler & Monica

FRIENDS (1994-2004) Then

No one could have possibly imagined that these two crazy kids would hook up, but four seasons down the line, the live audience gasped and screamed as Monica came out from under Chandler’s covers in his hotel room in London! And that was only the beginning. A commitment-phobic Chandler and a romantic-at-heart Monica dealt with having a secret affair, the matter of defining their relationship, an almost-impulsive wedding in Vegas, living together and then finally getting engaged, bringing on the gasps and screams all over again! As a couple, they grew together, and that changed Chandler, who became more mature and sensitive, going down as one of the best character evolutions on television. Moments like them finding out that they couldn’t have kids, and then him pleading to their potential birth-mother to reconsider them as parents for her baby, were heartwarming and endearing to say the least. They were the marriage that anyone would want to have. There’s no way they’d not make it to this list!

Jesse & Rebecca

FULL HOUSE (1987-1995) Then

It may seem odd that Jesse and Rebecca are in this list, with greats like Ross-&-Rachel, but if you were a FULL HOUSE fan, there’s no way you could deny the amazing chemistry they shared and the beauty of the relationship they had. Right from the time when they first got together, one knew that Rebecca would be the one to make an honest man out of Jesse, the player! And watching two gorgeous looking people in a relationship so wonderful was an added bonus for us. Who can forget their wedding, before which Jesse goes bungee jumping and lands up in a tomato truck, and moments they shared, while expecting their twins… She was the perfect wife, who fit right into the family and he was the doting husband who loved her more than anything!

Ally & Billy

ALLY McBEAL (1997-2002) Then

We may not have ever seen them as a couple on the show, except for in flashbacks from their younger days, but I think they deserve to be on this list, because, for me, Ally and Billy have been the epitome of that one unrequited love, which almost anyone can relate to! They had their moments of unspoken affection, as friends, despite the fact that he broke her heart after law school and married the very classy Georgia. She learnt how to be around him at work, living with all the pain he had caused her, and eventually they seemed to become the best of friends, in some strange way. When his marriage to Georgia ended, there was some hope for them, but his sudden death in a courtroom became the most heart-wrenching moment on the show, for me. However, they did go on to have their special moments as she spoke to him occasionally, asking the memory of him to guide her through tough situations. And Ally may have gone on to have other relationships later, but none of them could ever come close to what she shared with Billy.

Kitty & Robert

BROTHERS & SISTERS (2006-2011) Then

I considered Kitty and Robert’s relationship to be the strongest on BROTHERS AND SISTERS, with their story being told in as much detail as it could have been told. Right from the time they first met, when she interviewed him as an up and coming politician, there was a wonderful charm about their relationship. They had more than their share of rough times. Seeing each other through his race for President, her taking to his children from a previous marriage, his heart attack, her cancer, their inability to conceive, them adopting a baby, and her almost straying away from the marriage, was all so beautifully handled. It broke my heart to see him die right before the final season of the show. Unfortunately, that turn of events took something away from Kitty’s story and left little for us to cherish in her character. That made me realize all the more how great she and Robert were together. If only he’d stayed alive right till the end.

Ted & Robin

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (2005- ) Then

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER began with Ted falling for Robin. They had one date, and he stole a blue French horn for her, but ended up ruining his chances by telling her that he was in love with her, the hopeless romantic that he is! They had undeniable chemistry, which is why, when they got together by S2, it really seemed like she was the one. Now, in a show that is, in a big way, about who ‘the mother’ of his kids will be, a revelation of someone being the one that early in the series would kill the suspense, so I guess they had to speak of her as his future kids’ ‘Aunt Robin’, but that didn’t make me lose hope, because there can always be loopholes. I thought they were great together, despite the fact that they were both so different. And now, with her past and possible future with Barney, chances of Ted being with Robin seem bleak, but on seeing them together as friends and roommates, even hooking up that one time after they broke up, I can’t help but hope they’d end up together!

Lily & Marshall

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (2005- ) Now

These two have been a total cuddly twosome right from the beginning of the show. Even though their little exchanges and, let’s not forget the unreal telepathic communication they have occasionally, can get a tad silly at times, those two are really, really cute together! What makes them even more special is the fact that they have had problems, and that things weren’t always great between them. When they broke up briefly and called off the wedding, that summer when Lily went off to pursue a career as an artist, it made them real and it made their wedding later so much more special than it would have been otherwise. Seeing each other through thick and thin, like Marshall’s conflict over having a meaningful career as opposed to a paying one, and Lily’s shopping addiction, have made them even more endearing as a couple. More recent moments like Lily being there for him when his father died, and then their discovery of their impending parenthood further made their relationship special.

Claire & Phil

MODERN FAMILY (2009- ) Now

In the midst of life with their kids, who are most definitely a handful, and the other part of their chaotic family, Claire and Phil have one of nicest relationships on television today. With his constant attempts at being ‘cool’ and hip, and her undying spirit, while holding the family together, they make quite an odd pair. And while Phil may be a bit of a letch at times, and Claire has moments like subtly trying to look hot when they’re expecting firemen over, we know that those two are completely devoted to each other. Sharing emotional moments like exchanging notes on their growing kids and funny ones, like the two disastrous Valentine’s Days we’ve seen them have, give their relationship that amazing balance for us to enjoy. I’ve enjoyed watching Claire and Phil over the last two years, and I’m expecting to see a lot more of them in the years to come.

Lynette & Tom

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (2004-2012) Then & Now

Lynette and Tom have been that one couple in this show, where every other relationship has had someone cheating or being cheated on, or getting divorced and remarrying the same person… to put it simply, where no other couple has been together as long as they have. They’re the couple that has fought over being equals in the relationship, with Tom expressing his need to be ‘the man in the relationship’ and Lynette being too strong-willed and too much of a feminist to ever let him feel like he’s superior to her. They’re also the couple that stuck together through her jeopardizing his career, him having a lovechild from a previous fling, her supporting him while he pursued his dream, him forgiving her for sharing an intimate friendship with another man, her cancer, him having slept with her best friend in college, and of course, them raising five kids together. It’s unfortunate that their relationship recently hit rocky ground, and that they’re getting separated. But it’s only a matter of time before they realize that they’ll never be happy without each other!

Gaby & Carlos

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (2004-2012) Now

Now here’s one couple that has evolved so much over years of being together, and apart and together again. They both started out as being each other’s ‘trophy-spouse’, and being two of the most selfish, shallow people you could imagine. Their first marriage was a sham in the beginning, until they decided to start a family; but then things went downhill once again. During their divorce, they were an entertaining twosome, playing games to bring each other down, and it took Gaby getting remarried to another man who also treated her like a trophy-wife for her to realize how much she cared about Carlos. For me, that’s when they truly fell in love, and that became more and more evident when they stuck together through his visual impairment, through their poverty, and raising two of the brattiest kids you could imagine. Seeing them through better times thereafter made me really happy for them. More recently, their bond was further solidified, when she needed protection from an abusive stepfather, and he needed her support after committing an accidental murder. That will certainly bring them even closer together.

Addison & Mark

GREY’S ANATOMY (2005- ) and PRIVATE PRACTICE (2007- ) Then

I know that not many fans of the show out there considered this relationship as one that was worth exploring or had any future, but I know that some fans out there, including me, feel that there would have been no one as perfect for Addison as Mark would. First of all, they were both cheaters; second of all, they always had this sizzling chemistry between them when they were together, and an undeniable sexual tension when they weren’t. And they have been friends for years, so they get each other. That’s why, as Addison was about to leave GREY’S ANATOMY, I couldn’t help but want so badly for her to honor the deal she made with Mark, which would bring them both together. Unfortunately, she didn’t, and then moved to LA. But their chemistry never ended there. We’ve seen them together in PRIVATE PRACTICE also, and that again made me think of how great they would be together. I doubt that a future between the two is something that we’ll ever see, but that just makes me want to see them together even more!

Alex & Izzie

GREY’S ANATOMY (2005- ) Then

Right from the beginning of GREY’S ANATOMY, there was this spark between bad boy Alex Karev and former model Izzie Stevens, a spark that excited me way more than Meredith’s one-night-stand with Derek. I knew that Alex and Izzie would be a pair to look out for. They always had so much potential, and the several instances when they almost got together, but didn’t, left me feeling even more desperate for it to happen. Here was a love story on television that excited me more than any other had in a long time. Their bond came through incredibly strongly when Denny died, after months of Alex being jealous of Denny and Izzie. At that point, all he did was, be there for her. But that was not their time yet. It made him lose someone else he loved, and her suffer from cancer, for them to finally get together. Moments like him carrying her away from Denny’s deathbed are etched in my memory. And I think that their wedding while she was suffering from cancer was one of the most beautiful moments on the show. Their relationship, tragically, took a turn for the worse, soon after, and that definitely left me heartbroken.

Which of these couples did you really like seeing together? Or were there any others? I’d love to know…

MY FAVORITE CHARACTERS

tvTALKcelebratesONEyear

As TV TALK celebrates the completion of one year, I start this celebration with a list of my favorite characters from a few of my favorite TV shows. Now a few of these choices may not be popular favorites, but that’s why they’re worth mentioning…

PENNY from THE BIG BANG THEORY

Popular choice: Sheldon Cooper

Penny (I can’t believe they’ve gone four seasons without ever mentioning her last name) is a character that I’ve enjoyed watching right from the beginning of the series. I like her role in the comedy about four nerdy scientists; she’s a breath of fresh air, and a wonderfully vibrant one at that. It amuses me how she’s stuck in a temporary job of being a waitress, while waiting for a career in acting to happen for her. She’s spunky and carefree, and her sarcastic sense of humor is a major plus point for me. The thing I like most about her is her ability to reach out to Sheldon in ways that the others can’t, or avoid even trying to. At the same time, she’s also the one who challenges him, when the others just humor him and give in to his unreasonable quirks. Her undying spirit, for trying to make Sheldon see reason endears me and I think she adds even more color to the show than Sheldon’s t-shirts do!

TEMPERANCE BRENNAN from BONES

Popular choice: Seely Booth

Seely Booth is the alpha-male, an old-fashioned man, who believes in chivalry and believes in being the protector and provider; yet, he has a soft side to him and a fear of God. I love him for that, but what I love more is Temperance’s (Bones) spirit to challenge that, and also challenge so much more. She moves away from social norms and ‘givens’ in situations, and pursues an evolved sense of rationale that people can only be amazed at. Her lack of ability to pick up underlying sentiments appeals to me in a way that makes me wish that everyone could be so logical and rational like her. Her inability to understand references to popular culture, when she says things like “I don’t know what that means,” is completely endearing, as are her attempts at understanding the logic behind everyday jokes that people around her crack. Statements like “I see… That is amusing because…” and “We should call her; she very much likes drinking alcohol,” leave me in splits and I can never have enough of her. She makes the show what it is for me!

PATTY HEWES from DAMAGES

Popular choice: Patty Hewes

In a show with just two strong characters, or pillars, if you will, there are limited choices of characters to like; and when it comes to DAMAGES, Patty is the clear-cut choice for many, and for me as well. Patty is a no-nonsense woman, whose arrogance and unwillingness to admit her faults come from years of experience, and being at the top of her game. Her ego is what drives the show, and while you might hate her a lot of the time, there’s no way you can hate her character. While she may ruthlessly tear apart anyone who might come in her way, she’s also willing to risk her life and career for the ones she cares about. She is completely gray in nature, and that’s what makes her so fascinating. Patty Hewes is undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters written for television, and one of my favorites indeed.

BREE VAN DE KAMP from DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Popular choices: Susan Delfino, Lynette Scavo, Bree Van de Kamp, Gabrielle Solis

The team that conceived the four protagonists of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES did an impeccable job. All four are such distinctive characters, and throughout the show’s run, so far, there has been an undeniable consistency in maintaining who each of them are. All the housewives have qualities that appeal to different people, which is why all of them are up there among the popular choices. But Bree—now she’s something else! A woman of character, who handles every situation that presents itself before her, she is my favorite for so many reasons. She’s someone, who uses her wit and her intelligence to fight for what she believes in, with morals strong enough to send her husband to prison and jeopardize a friendship. She’s someone who literally picked up a gun to shoot at the one who interrupted a dinner party she was throwing, and then immediately afterward, went on to serve dinner with all the grace and dignity as anyone could. Despite all that, seeing her with all her flaws makes her so very real, and everything about Bree makes me love her more, each time I see her!

DEBRA MORGAN from DEXTER

Popular choice: Dexter Morgan

We all love Dexter. The show is all about him, and Dexter is who we see all the time. We love him for his twisted personality, his strange sense of justice, his vulnerable nature and the dual life that he leads. However, my favorite character from DEXTER has, in some strange way, always been Debra. Her foul mouth is only a part of her kickass attitude and her ambitiousness as a cop. She’s an individualistic person, who lives life by her own terms and doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone, be it her boss or anyone influential, or even a boyfriend whom she might care deeply about. Her series of failed relationships, and her knack for often falling for the wrong men make her very real, but that’s not the half of what she’s about. With strong values, and deep respect for her late father, she’s the one thing that makes Dexter more human than anyone else does. She’s his only family and I absolutely love the sibling relationship they share. For me, there’s absolutely nothing not to love about Debra.

BLAIR WALDORF from GOSSIP GIRL

Popular choices: Chuck Bass, Blair Waldorf, Serena Van der Woodsen

While the characters in GOSSIP GIRL are rather fickle, and weak, the only ones that come close to being strong are Chuck and Blair, their annoying inability to just be together or just move on individually aside. For me, Blair Waldorf is not perfect in the least, and can even get annoying at times, but in a show about spoilt, rich Upper Eastsiders from New York City, she’s practically synonymous with the show. She’s sure about herself, confident for the most part, and has a kind of presence that everyone notices. She’s your typical ‘mean girl’, with enough clout to destroy anyone who crosses her, but she’s also someone who can appreciate the friendship of someone from Brooklyn, who’s at the bottom of the social ladder. Blair’s style and the way she carries herself, and the way she comes through for her friends when they need her, is indeed admirable.

MIRANDA BAILEY from GREY’S ANATOMY

Popular choices: Meredith Grey, Derek Shepherd, Christina Yang, Miranda Bailey

Many people like the Grey of GREY’S ANATOMY, while others like her ‘person’, the hardcore Yang, and yet others like ‘McDreamy’. However, there’s no one who doesn’t like Miranda Bailey! She’s who they called ‘the Nazi’, for the strong leader that she is, but she’s also the ‘mama bear’, who looks after the ‘kids she raised’ since the time they were all interns. Bailey has been the pillar of strength for every other character on the show, from the Chief, to the interns, through times of crisis and through times of individual strife. But she’s also the one who couldn’t see reason, while breaking up with a boyfriend, who, out of no fault of his own, simply wasn’t around during the shootout, which showed her to be so very human. She doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone, but at the same time, she can endearingly encourage a friend to fight the odds and pursue their dream of marrying their gay partner. Bailey’s undoubtedly the backbone of GREY’S ANATOMY, and I can confidently say that not one fan of the show could ever think of a moment when they didn’t like her.

TED MOSEBY from HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Popular choice: Barney Stinson

I know this one’s going to raise many eyebrows! I do love Barney, a clear popular favorite, but he seems unreal in many ways, despite the displays of emotion he’s shown in certain situations. On the other hand, Ted is someone who I can’t help but feel for. All the guy wants is to find love, and stick with it. Deep down, that’s what everyone wants, and not many can admit it, like Ted does. On his perpetual pursuit for finding the one, ‘the mother’, he may come off as annoying at times, but that’s just a small part of him. And besides being the one who can only think of settling down and raising a family with someone he loves, he’s also the one who has ambitions and goals that are just as important for him to achieve. And aren’t those things exactly what everyone wants from life! His relationship with Robin may not have been enough for her, and his relationship with Stella might have been disregarded by her; yet, he hasn’t given up on love, and that is something I really admire.

GLORIA PRITCHETT from MODERN FAMILY

Popular choices: Cameron Tucker, Phil Dunphy, Gloria Pritchett

There are so many characters in MODERN FAMILY that are loveable in every possible way; it was hard to choose. I love Cameron for his colorful ways; Claire, for being the one who holds the family together; and Phil, for his endearing nature of trying too hard. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that the one character, whose scenes I most look forward to, is Gloria. She’s one bundle of fun. Everything about her—her exotic being, her vibrant personality, her way of being herself, no matter what—are all things that I’ve loved to watch through the show. I enjoy her accent, her histrionics, her maternal nature and her enthusiasm, even when there’s none from anyone else. She comes across as a completely genuine person, owing to her naivety, in the midst of cynicism and pessimism in certain situations, and while she may seem over-the-top in several ways, that’s a major part of what makes her who she is. I can’t help but love Gloria!

CHARLOTTE KING from PRIVATE PRACTICE

Popular choice: Addison Forbes Montgomery

I loved Addison on GREY’S ANATOMY; in fact, she was one of my favorites. And, while her character was so good that Shonda Rhimes put made her the protagonist in PRIVATE PRACTICE, something was, well, let’s just say, ‘lost in translation’. On the other hand, there was Charlotte King, who didn’t seem like a very important character in the beginning, but came into her own as the show progressed. Her very real relationship with Cooper Freedman was a small part of me liking her. She’s constantly been this strong person, who needs to be peeled, like an onion, for you to see who she really is. Another no-nonsense woman, who she’s also got a caring, vulnerable side to her, she’s someone who knows how to deal with her issues with dignity. Her recent rape was evident of that, and brought out a side to her that gave her new meaning, while maintaining all that we knew her to be. Moreover, her Southern charm adds value to Charlotte, and I can’t think of anyone else on the show that could even hold a candle to her.

Who are your favorite characters on television. Share your choices with TV TALK. Comment below...