FlashForward:FlashForward returned two weeks ago with a two hour episode. In this episode, we finally got some more information about Mark’s FlashForward. Dan thinks that they used the fact that Mark was drunk in his FlashForward to reorganize the show and fix some of the problems and plot holes by adding some new items to the board and using Mark being drunk as a reason for it not being clear on the board previously. I tend to agree with Dan’s assessment because of the whole Red Panda and the Hydra things, and a few others that we will discuss in the coming weeks. Also, they added the whole Simcoe and Mark discussion about D. Gibbons, but Dan and I agree that this change was probably always intended and was not part of the re-organizational changes previously discussed.




One thing that really pissed me off about the mid-season premiere was the lack of informatn about the whole Demetri death storyline. The lack of addressing this topic was inexcusable and lazy writing. It was such a huge part of the story at the mid-season finale that not addressing it in this two hour episode was an unbelievable letdown. Dan tried to explain it was because the timeline was out of sync and that the story was no longer in real time, so we had not reached the March 15 date of Demetri’s death yet despite being there in real life. This is the problem faced by shows when they try to do things really interesting like this. Ultimately the network and circumstances always seem to intervene and screw things up. ABC usually does not screw up like this, but the Haiti tribute and a few other circumstances prevented them from sticking to their initial spring schedule and essentially FlashForward is paying the price. Thankfully, this last week’s episode started to address the Demetri storyline and I am thankful for that.



The ratings for FlashForward are not where they need to be for this show to be secured for a long run. Dan and I both think that it is an excellent show that we both enjoy watching and discussing, however we feel that it just has not found its audience yet and needs an opportunity to catch on to a wider audience. LOST is one of the best shows of last decade and Dan and I both felt that FlashForward had the potential to have the same success as LOST. We still feel that it could have the same success if the show progresses as we expect that it can. The problem is that LOST is very character driven and the audience was drawn into the storyline because we could relate to and root for the characters. This same thing can not be said about FlashForward. FlashForward is plot driven and most of the time I can not wait to see where the story is going, but feel that the show is really lacking the character driven element that made LOST such a success. There is not one character on FlashForward that really grips my attention and thus, while I am excited to see where the plot goes, I am not vested in any of the characters. This could be a problem that ultimately spells doom for the show despite the great concept and plot. Dan describes FlashForward as an old fashion slow grow show, which is a great technique, but it needs to get moving and get into gear or it will be canceled before it can really reach its potential. I hope this does not happen because I really want to see where they are going with the storyline.


Do these shows compare? Tell us your thoughts.

Finally, Dominic Monaghan was amazing in this two part episode, especially the 2nd hour. I really like him as an actor and loved him as Charlie on LOST and am liking him as the pseudo bad guy Simon Campos. Dan likes him too, but felt that his part in the first hour of the premiere was unnecessary and seemed a little excessive. He did not like the whole kidnapping and cutting his finger off parts and felt that they did not really move the story forward. I tried to explain that the amazing second hour with Dominic Monaghan would not have been possible without the setup in the first hour. Thus, while it may have seemed a little out of place or excessive to Dan, I think it was necessary to move the plot forward. We both agreed by the end of the discussion that the excessive first hour was ultimately needed to make such a killer second half.

Watch FlashForward Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC. Dan and I will discuss it in our next week’s phone conversation and I will discuss the next two weeks worth of FlashForward next time on the blog.


Chuck:



This week’s Chuck was a good episode, but not the greatest of the season (probably Chuck Vs. The Beard was the best). It appears that the writers are attempting to do something in each episode to keep Chuck and Sarah apart while they try to resolve the whole Shaw storyline. In this last episode, Shaw was pissing Dan and I off something wicked, especially when he was interjecting himself into the conversations between Chuck and Sarah when they were on the stakeout. Like I keep saying, Shaw has got to go!!!!

Dan had a theory that Casey’s family may return in a future episode and that this return will help with the return of Chuck’s Dad to the show. Rumors have been swirling about Scott Bakula’s return as Chuck’s dad (Steve Bartowski ), but I believe Dan told me this has been confirmed…maybe not. We’ll leave it as a highly likely rumor for now. Ultimately, the return of Chuck’s Dad may be the impetus that pushes Chuck to strike out on his own and form Team Bartowski, separate from the CIA.


Dan’s Team Bartowski theory for how the show may be heading, seems to gaining some credence. My only question with regards to this theory is how will this work with all of the supporting characters? Will Chuck still work at the Buy More as a cover if he strikes out on his own? How will they keep Jeff & Lester a part of the show if Chuck is no longer at the Buy More? Jeffster is so over the top hilarious and such a fan favorite (especially me) that the show can not lose them without losing a part of itself that makes Chuck the show that fans love. In reality, if the show is going to lose any supporting characters, unfortunately, the two that would be the least disruptive to the show would be Ellie & Awesome. I really would hate to see Awesome go and hope this is not the case. Also, this was a strange episode for Morgan to be MIA. He should have been in this episode to be there in support as the best friend while Chuck took his big test, but alas he was not in this episode. His absence was strange. Dan and I both hope this does not mean that maybe Morgan is being squeezed off the show, which would be a travesty.




Anyway, watch Chuck Mondays at 8/7c on NBC and I’ll leave the discussion this week with the best line from the last episode: “I’m a naked spy”

Castle:
Dan and I were correct in our hypothesis that the cliffhanger for this week’s episode would be the explosion and we would be wondering if Beckett is dead. Of course Beckett is not dead! Dan is coming around to my theory that the killer used the explosion as a means to kidnap Beckett. Actually, Dan and I both thought the scene where the guy committed suicide was going to be the explosion scene as we were watching the episode because just prior to that scene we learned that the FBI agent (Guest Star Dana Delany) was a mother. Her random declaration that she is a mother, which is unnecessary personal information about a guest star or secondary character, usually means that the character is going to die. Thus Dan and I both believed that the FBI agent was going to die in the explosion as she was arresting the guy in the building with Kate and Castle outside watching. This, of course, did not happen, but we both believe she is going to be killed in the next episode based on my theory of excessive information and based on the previews.




Speaking of theories for next week’s episode, Dan believes that it is going to fall to Castle to solve the mystery and rescue Beckett. I agree with this theory. I still think that this killer could lead to a nemesis character and that they don’t need to necessarily catch him this week, but Castle will rescue Beckett. Dan believes we may see a little Malcolm Reynolds emerge from Castle this week…playful, but very driven demeanor… goof around to relieve tension, but very focused on figuring this case out and rescuing Beckett. Castle hit it off with the FBI agent in this episode so that it is not out of character for him to be his goofing around self whilst trying to find Beckett in the next episode.


Also, I think Castle was making nice with the FBI agent intentionally to make Beckett a little jealous… and jealous she got. Maybe she began to realize that she had more feelings than just annoyance and actually has turned to true fondness for Castle. I’m not saying romantic feelings (yet), but a true fondness and friendship has developed and thus she got jealous of Castle's interest and playfulness with the FBI agent.




Best scene from the episode: When Ryan & Esposito are questioning Castle about why he was at Beckett’s apartment and Castle calls them in for a huddle to say, “Tell you guys a secret…. NOTHING HAPPENED!” Great stuff! Along those lines, Dan and I have a crackpot theory that Beckett and Castle will eventually get together and when they do, Castle will get writers block since he can no longer use Beckett as his muse. Castle will have to ultimately decide whether to kill off the Nikki Heat character or end his relationship with Beckett so that he can go back to objectively writing the character. We think this is an excellent 3rd or 4th season overarching plot line. Watch Castle Mondays at 10/9c only on ABC.

Well, that is more than enough for this week. Keep up the comments, voicemails, and tweets. @AcrossAirwaves, AcrosstheAirwaves@gmail.com. The first good voicemail with a crackpot theory about any of the shows we discuss will be featured on blog, so please participate. Til next week, “I’m a naked spy!”

Dan and I had mixed feelings about the ending of this week’s Chuck. We know that Casey’s expulsion from the team does not mean he’s leaving the show, just that he’s no longer on the inside. Although, this development makes our prediction that Morgan & Casey will need to team up to save Chuck and Sarah in a later episode. Dan likes Casey losing his position on the team because it keeps the show from getting stuck in a rut and becoming stale. In reality, from the previews of next week’s episode, Chuck himself may not be a member of the team for much longer if he doesn’t kill the guy that the CIA orders him to kill. The Chuck I know won’t kill anyone and that could lead to him going back to being “just Chuck.” Dan and I speculate that Team Bartowski may strike out on their own to make a difference. Dan thinks that the show may change to a Buy More vs. a high tech, criminal enterprise (currently The Ring, previously Fulcrum) … in a sense the Nerds vs. Spies.


I really enjoy when a show dives into the back story of a favorite character and shed some light on what has led them to become the character they are today. Last season we saw the episode with Sarah and her Dad and Chuck and his Dad. Well this week we had another insight into John Casey’s back-story. Understanding the life and love that Casey gave up for his love of country made his comment at the end of the episode to Chuck about Walker being a good woman and that it was not too late for Chuck to let her know how he feels, but he needs to do so before it becomes too late. Throughout the series, Casey has acted as mentor on numerous occasions, but this was the first time Casey overtly gave Chuck any personal advice. I liked it.



Finally, Shaw has got to go! I am going to be a broken record about this until he is gone. Unfortunately, my estimation is that Shaw will be around until the season finale, but mercifully that should be the end of the Shaw character. Dan and I both think the Shaw character was only created because Matthew Bomer who played Bryce Larkin left the show to become Neal Caffrey on White Collar. The Sarah and Bryce relationship would make much more sense this season than this Sarah-Shaw crap we have to deal with right now. It was nice to see Sarah and Chuck working together again. It was huge that when Chuck took the drug to flash and was out of control, nearly killing the guy, that Sarah was the only one that could get through to him and save him from going over the edge. Sarah has always been his compass, and now she seems to be the only one who keeps him grounded and prevents him from losing himself to the intersect.



Some good news is that Chuck is currently the second highest ranking scripted show on NBC only behind The Office. In my mind that should secure Chuck’s place on the schedule for next year, but we are talking about NBC and their record for not being stupid is questionable at best. We won’t know for sure until May 17th when NBC will make the official announcement of which shows will be on the schedule next season and which ones are canceled.

Castle:
Next week’s episode looks awesome. We are looking forward to it like it is a premiere. Beckett won’t be killed of course, but we may think she is for a while. Dan thinks we might see a darker side of Castle in this episode, I think we may see his true feelings for Beckett. The Superfan killer is trying to outwit the Master (Castle), which is a classic theme for a nemesis or super villain. For this reason, I believe that he could be a recurring evil character/nemesis of Castle and Beckett for the remainder of the season or could be the killer from her mother’s case, though I think this less likely. I am thinking that when Castle thinks that Beckett is dead, that his emotions will betray his true feeling for her and when he finally realizes she is OK, there may be a moment where things get physical.




Dan wants to see some drama with Castle’s character, needs to be pushed and challenged. Nathan Fillion is such a great actor that he can definitely handle it. I wouldn’t mind seeing him put in some new situations, but I also like the way the show is heading, so I hope they don’t change the show too much. Well, since this post was delayed by a crashing computer until Monday and TV is about to start, I’m going to cut this short and we’ll pick up the Castle talk next week.

Keep checking the Twitter, email your comments, and start leaving some voice-mails. See you next week. Also watch Castle Mondays at 10/9c on ABC and Chuck Mondays at 8/7c on NBC because it still really needs viewer support to ensure a 4th season.

After a 3 month hiatus, Across the Airwaves is back. Now, some of you may be asking, “Who the heck is this new guy and where’s Dan?” Good questions! My name is Nico (pronounced Neeko). I am a nerdy scientist and TV geek and have been friends with Dan for the last 8 years. Dan is busy finishing up film school and has asked me to contribute to the blog to keep it going until May when he will return. Also in May, Dan and I will launch the Across the Airwaves Podcast and co-host a weekly show that will discuss our favorite TV Shows, rumors, and theories. Shows we will discuss regularly will include: Chuck, Smallville, Flash Forward, V, Fringe, Castle, Leverage, White Collar, Human Target, Supernatural, and Big Bang Theory. Dan and I are still working out all the details, but we envision having a website, a Twitter (@AcrossAirwaves), email (AcrosstheAirwaves@gmail.com), and phone number (773-809-3363) that will allow listeners to participate in the show and we will have a Listener Feedback section that will include tweets, emails, comments, and play your voicemails as part of the show… so please participate. Just a quick warning, Dan & I will be discussing the plots of the shows and thus request you watch the show before listening to the podcast or reading the blog so there are no SPOILERS.

Chuck:

This week’s Chuck was amazing. Finally Chuck is on his way back to the regular guy that we all know and love. Also, now that Morgan knows his secret and Chuck has an outlet to talk with, things are going to be great the rest of the season and a lot funnier. Dan and I were talking and all we need now is for Shaw to be gone and Sarah to realize she is actually in love with Chuck, like he realized his continued love of Sarah this week and then everything will be right in the world of Chuck.


Best scenes from this week’s Chuck were the Iwo Jima pose in the Buy More revolution scene, the Fortunate Son montage/ Jeffster Song (I have been waiting all season for the Jeffster Song and it did not disappoint, though not quite as good as the performance of Toto's Africa which was the best, but it was still great and made my day). Jeff and Lester songs are comedic gold!




Finally, here are a few Dan and Nico theories: Ellie and Awesome look like they are out the door, maybe at the end of the season, maybe sooner. Neither of us is happy about this. I think Awesome is well, awesome. I will miss him if we are correct about this. Dan and my second theory is that at some point this season Casey & Morgan will have to team up to save Chuck and Sarah. Since we think Shaw will be gone, it will come down to Casey and Morgan, and it will be incredible… and probably hilarious.


Smallville:

Even though Smallville was not new last week, Dan and I always discuss Smallville. This week Dan informed me that Smallville has been renewed for a 10th season, which Dan and I both hope means he will have an opportunity to write for the final season or be involved in some way with a job on the show. Two major rumors for the upcoming episodes next season are 1) the Jack Kirby created character Darkseid may be a major villain and 2) that the 200th episode (next season) may be when Lex Luthor returns to the show or a certain hero takes flight. The rumblings that Darkseid will be appearing in Season 10 comes from new baddie Amanda Waller mentioning an oncoming Apocalypse or Apokolips at the end of Absolute Justice. This is up for debate because Geoff Johns (the writer of the episode) commented on his Twitter page that he spelled the word in the script Apokolips but the closed captioning listed it as Apocalypse. In other words, this means the appearance of the characters made popular by the New Gods comics and the Superman/Justice League Animated Series might be a Fanboy's fantasy.


Now for some bad news for next season, well at least in my opinion, Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman) has signed on for a few episodes next season. I can’t stand her character, but I’m not sure if it’s the character, writing, or the actress. Dan and I speculate that if Lex returns in the 200th episode, then she will be killed (hopefully) in that episode, maybe even by Lex for her failure to lead LuthorCorp.



Finally, I don’t remember if this was a rumor or just wishful thinking on our part, but James Marsters may be reprising his role as Brainiac for next season as another clone of the popular Superman villain arriving on Earth. I’m an unapologetic James Marsters fan and would love to see him back on Smallville (also look for him on Caprica this season).


Well, I think that is good for this week’s blog. Look for new posts each week by Saturday and look for the podcast starting in late May following Dan’s graduation. Please participate, leave comments, check out the Twitter, send an email and help us grow the blog and eventually the podcast. By the way don't miss Chuck Mondays at 8/7c on NBC and Smallville Fridays at 8/7c on The CW starting April 2nd.

After watching the insane cliffhanger at the end of White Collar's mid-season finale, my younger brother was extremely frustrated because he had to wait until January 19th for a resolution. Well, for those of you who don't know this period of time or torture as my brother calls it where the Networks show reruns or reality shows until they start airing new episodes is known as a hiatus.


The reasoning behind hiatuses which take place around the Holidays and over the Summer is not to make you angry, it's to give the cast and crew a well deserved break for all of their hard work. While watching TV it feels like the creators of your favorite shows deliver an episode on a 9 to 5 work schedule because it is sometimes put together so flawlessly that it looks easy. However it normally takes a 60-70 hour work week for a cast and crew to bring entertainment into to your living room. Based on this fact, even though a TV show going on hiatus is annoying like being forced to put down a good book, you got to remember that the people who help you escape reality have lives too and they look forward to spending the time off with their families. This means that if you are a TV watcher complaining about a hiatus, just suck it up and let the people who put their all into entertaining you have their vacation.


At the same time, there are circumstances when getting angry over a hiatus is warranted like when a show goes into reruns during a month where new episodes should be airing like October or March because that means it is going to get canceled. In this case you as viewers have every right to be angry because the people who helped you escape the stresses of school or work on a weekly basis are going to lose their jobs. Recently, fans of TV shows have been channeling their anger over shows being canceled into organized campaigns such as sending Mars Candy Bars to Network Execs at The CW for the purpose of keeping Veronica Mars on the air. On some occasions these campaigns have worked like when the short lived TV series Firefly was made into the movie Serenity, FOX put Family Guy back on the air and Chuck is now coming back in January instead of March.

Even though they make viewers like you and me scream at the TV screen hiatuses are extremely powerful marketing tools. This is due to the fact that if pulled off correctly a mid-season or season finale cliffhanger will cause the hiatus to be a period of time where audiences members hype a show by speculating what will happen next to everyone who will listen which will cause the anticipation for the premiere episode to be so high that the ratings will go through the roof. Digging back through TV History this concept worked the best with the Who Shot J.R. cliffhanger at the end of Dallas season 2 because at its time the season 3 premiere was the highest rated episode in US History with an estimated audience of 83,000,000 people.




In my opinion even though the start of a hiatus at the end of a finale leaves me frustrated at first because I always keep wanting more, I totally respect them. Especially since they are just long enough to make me miss my favorite shows to the point that coming back to them is like reuniting with an old friend. As an avid TV watcher I love this feeling and I would not give up hiatuses for the world unless it foretells the cancellation of a favorite show.

Make sure you check out new episodes of your TV favorites and posts on this blog in March after a short hiatus.

My favorite thing to watch when it comes to late night television is the Late Show with David Letterman. If you haven't seen it the Late Show is structured very much like The Tonight Show based on it featuring stand-up, a live band and celebrity guests. However, even though Dave's show is the same as the other nightly talk shows I tend to like him better than his competitors. I can't really pin it down to one thing but I prefer watching Dave because Conan comes across as arrogant to me and Jay feels unapproachable almost as if NBC is whispering conservative jokes into his ear.


Conan and Jay, the Late Show's competition


Then when I turn on Dave I feel like it's a completely different ball game because he gives me a sense of comfort by being brutally honest with me as a viewer. Through doing this watching Dave feels like I'm hanging out with an uncle who tells crazy jokes. Now don't get me wrong there has been times that Dave has gone a little bit overboard and I occasionally agree when the media calls him out on some controversial jokes. I can also see why some of you as TV viewers can't stand watching him because of the mistakes he has made in his own personal life but I don't let that bother me. I'm not saying that I agree with what he did I'm saying that I enjoy watching Dave because his TV persona is highly entertaining and all about having fun which is shown by Dave laughing at his own jokes including ones at his own expense.


The fact that Dave laughs at his own jokes like any other average person makes him stand out compared to his rivals at least in my mind because it shows he is focused on one thing making the average Joe laugh. Dave caters his jokes to the average American by having people just like them perform comedy in segments like Stupid Pet Tricks or having a bunch of students come in to do bird calls or science experiments. Dave also interacts with average folks during the course of his show such as the man who lives in the apartment in the studio, his mom in Indiana, and the guy in the Deli down the street. At times Dave even has to act as a translator between regular people and celebrities like when Joaquin Phoenix spaced out on the show.




Honestly when I think about it Dave interacts with everyone during the course of his show from the audience to the orchestra led by the talented Paul Shaffer to the crew working behind the scenes. He even at times has had Regis Philbin run through the audience like a crazy man high- fiving people. Although Dave's fun with the audience doesn't stop there because he is always asking them silly questions that may earn one of them an entire pizza or cause the Horns section to proudly raise their hands. I guess out of all these examples the main thing I want you to get out of this post about the Late Show is to give Dave a chance because watching him is like going to a party where something fun is always happening.

Check out the Late Show with David Letterman weeknights on CBS at 11:35/10:35c or online.

One of my favorite cult shows is Veronica Mars. If you haven't seen it the show's title character Veronica played wonderfully by Kristen Bell is a girl that had a horrific Sophomore year of High School. Basically to some it up, Veronica's best friend was murdered, her Dad lost his job as Sheriff and she was dumped by her boyfriend which in turn caused her to get raped. Now if this was a normal teen drama the show would have Veronica contemplating suicide but what emerged from her tragedy was an incredibly smart, yet sassy girl with a concealed big heart who I still have a TV crush on til this day. Although, having a TV crush on Veronica is not the only reason why I was attracted to this show, it was the fact that Veronica Mars dealt with an universal issue everyone can relate to which is something bad happening to you in High School.



Who's a stronger heroine Veronica or Buffy? You Decide.

Sadly just as fans got to know her, Veronica Mars was taken away from us after three seasons for the purpose of The CW being impatient with the show trying to find its legs after moving Veronica to College which I didn't think took the show very long compared to Buffy season 4. The show's creator Rob Thomas tried to save Veronica Mars by connecting her best friend's murder to an conspiracy and making a season 4 mini episode where Veronica joins the FBI but it left us with unanswered questions. Now I guess the only thing we Veronica fans can do is hope those rumors of a movie is true.

Check out the Veronica Mars season 4 mini episode below...



Get Veronica Mars Seasons 1-3 on DVD or watch it online and keep an eye out for Kristen Bell, she's going to become a very popular actress in the next few years.

If you don't know Kurt Sutter is the man behind the TV hits The Shield and Sons of Anarchy, a show I have raved about on this blog. Recently my respect for Mr. Sutter has risen even higher level due to the post he put on his blog entitled Why Most Network Scripted Dramas Suck. Basically in his post Sutter gives his two cents on the Leno debate by expressing the belief that development execs create shows based on what they think people want to see. Churning out clones of semi-successful shows or in other words looking for a hook to market instead of concerning themselves with story and character. Then Sutter goes on to praise FX for taking a chance on Sons of Anarchy by making the realization that the show's success rests on his shoulders not their own.


The main thing that needs to be taken from Sutter's post for the purpose of standing up with him on a soapbox is that I whole heatedly agree with his viewpoint. This comes from the fact that I have a variety of very different types of shows in my weekly TV watching schedule from teen dramas like The Vampire Diaries to crude off the wall shows like Family Guy simply because I get bored of the repetition that exists in the form of CSI, Law and Order and all of its variations that are aired during the week. In order to better demonstrate my point I thought it might be best to give all of you my current TV watching schedule.

Monday

Heroes, Chuck, 24, Castle

Tuesday

V, Sons of Anarchy

Thursday

The Vampire Diaries, Fringe, Supernatural, 30 Rock, The Office

Friday

Smallville, Dollhouse, White Collar

Sunday

Family Guy

*Shows are not all currently showing new episodes

With this list I can see someone making an argument that Smallville and Heroes are similar to each other due to the superpowers concept. Although with something like Chuck and 24, they both focus on a secret agent but one show is a dramedy and the other one is completely serious. The bottom line with my TV schedule is that there are thousands of ways to explain how all these shows are all different from each other but what's important is that this line up keeps watching TV fresh. However with my schedule containing many fantasy based shows like V or shows off the beaten path like Chuck I run the risk of being heartbroken because these are the types of shows that Network Execs see as risky. Then again I would much rather suffer the heartbreak of TV Show cancellation than having to stomach one of David Caruso's cheezy lines he spouts off at the beginning of every formulaic episode of CSI Miami. With that being said I do have a friend who watches every form of CSI and NCIS during the week but I respect him for it because he also watches my TV schedule on top of those shows. On the other hand for those people who just center their schedule on just watching all the forms of CSI and Law and Order, you can do what you want but just know that I think you have no lives.


CSI and Law and Order, two incredibly formulaic shows

Going in the vein of Kurt Sutter's post I do feel like Network Execs need to put their faith in cutting edge shows like Sons of Anarchy instead of shows like Cold Case where every episode starts with a cardboard box being taken off a shelf to be opened and ends with a box being put on a shelf to be closed. The reason behind this is that I believe Sons of Anarchy's success can be attributed to people's desire for a good story to escape the frustrations in daily life caused by the Recession or whatever else is going on in the world. So Kurt Sutter if you happen to stumble upon this post I want you to know that I would totally be interested in writing for Sons of Anarchy after I graduate from Columbia College in May because I would much rather work on a show that will knock an audience's socks off than doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.