conan o'brien: triumph visits bonnaroo

if the teacher pops a test, i know i'm in a mess...

Oh. Em. Gee. Mark-Paul Gosselaar appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as 90s icon Zack Morris. (The acid wash jeans! The white high top sneakers! THAT HAIR!) For years and years, MPG has refused to talk about his Saved by the Bell days -- understandably so, as he was making the transition into other projects (he's currently on TNT's Raising the Bar) -- but, because of Jimmy Fallon's obsession with reuniting the cast of Saved by the Bell, MPG sucked up his pride and took us on a nostalgic journey of utter awesomeness. There are references galore -- Kelly's romance with Jeff! Drug abusing Johnny Dakota! And of course, the Zack Morris phone makes an appearance. And to top it all off, MPG joins the band for a rendition of Zack Attack's "Friends Forever."

The only thing missing was a reference to Jessie Spano's "I'm so excited, I'm so... so... scared" moment. So to make up for it, here's a link to a shirt making that reference.

I think my heart exploded from too much awesome.



Update, 06/11: Star Pulse has an interview with Mark-Paul Gosselaar regarding his frak-tastic stint on Late Night. Topics discussed include MPG forgetting about the move from Indiana to California (from Good Morning, Miss Bliss to Saved by the Bell, respectively); MPG analogizing that Jimmy Fallon's reunion idea is like putting a gun to the cast members' heads (they have to do it now that everyone wants it); and, in a moment of humility, MPG confesses he was nervous during the live broadcast. Aww, TIME IN!

springfieldpunx: pop culture awesomeness

Dean Fraser, artist of the Springfield Punx series, enjoys taking pop culture characters (and real people) and turning them into Simpsons-style characters. When you go to his website, you'll find that he has a healthy obsession with all things related to Batman (he has at least four different variations on The Joker and three on The Penguin), and he's currently doing a series of Lost characters (Ben Linus, Charlie, and Hurley). I really enjoy and appreciate the work he does, and I hope you do too. His Arrested Development series (including some secondary characters!) is especially entertaining.


Update, May 30th: Here are some Lost characters. (l-r) John Locke, Ben Linus (he does get beat up a lot), and Sawyer (aka Jim LeFleur)


(l-r) Rorschach from Watchmen, Marty McFly and Doc Brown from Back to the Future


(l-r) Dwight from The Office, Captain Freakin' Planet, Dr. Greg House from House


Late Night Gods: (l-r) Steven Colbert, Craig Ferguson (complete with yodeling monkey!), and Conan O'Brien


Arrested Development alert! (l-r) Tobias "I Think I Just Blue Myself" Fünke, Steve "Steve Holt!" Holt, and Buster "I'm a Monster!" Bluth

lost: the valenzetti equation and a moment of grace

Between seasons 2 and 3 of Lost the writers and producers created an alternate reality game (ARG) known as The Lost Experience. In short, it was intended to engage the audience in a narrative that would be too difficult to tell on the show itself. Videos were created and hidden on the internet, following a band of contemporary characters following the Dharma Initiative and the Flight 815 hoax. The Lost Experience supposedly followed the story of Lost, and those who chose to engage in the experience would be rewarded with extra information while those who didn't follow the game (and only watched the show) would not be missing anything. And for the most part, that's been true. I stopped following easter eggs on the internet after season 3, but there is one part of the Lost Experience that has become part of the mythology for me, a major part that has yet to be addressed on the show: the Valenzetti Equation.


The Lostpedia website explains:

According to the 1975 orientation film in the Sri Lanka Video, the Valenzetti Equation "predicts the exact number of years and months until humanity extinguishes itself." During the video, Alvar Hanso also states that the radio transmitter on the Island, will "broadcast the core numerical values of the Valenzetti Equation." The numbers, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 and 42, are explained in the Sri Lanka Video, as the numerical values to the core environmental and human factors of the Valenzetti Equation. Alvar Hanso also states in the video that the purpose of the DHARMA Initiative is to change the numerical values of any one of the core factors in the equation in order to give humanity a chance to survive by, effectively, changing doomsday. However, Thomas Mittelwerk reveals that as of 2006, they have failed to change the values through manipulating the environment, as the equation continues to arrive at the same six numbers.

The equation, therefore, is a mathematical prediction of the end of days, and Dharma is part of the experiment to change the equation. So here are my questions: (1) Why hasn't the show explained either the Valenzetti Equation or Dharma's purpose? Having just finished season 5, I would think the Cuse and Lindelof would have incorporated this background information into the story by now. Changing the equation explains why Dharma is experimenting with polar bears in tropical climates, electro-magnetism, and time-travel (the bunnies). (2) The purpose of the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 are still being depicted on the show as coincidental. When they were etching the numbers into the Swan's door, why wasn't there an explanation as to why those numbers were chosen? And (3) the show is heavily invested in this idea of variables. If the following theory is correct (which I attribute entirely to my mother), then why hasn't the Valenzetti Equation been mentioned?

If the show does not incorporate the Valenzetti Equation into the last season of the show, I will be very disappointed. The following explanation of the show has allowed me to accept and appreciate the characters, their ridiculous circumstances (and even more ridiculous decisions), and to embrace the tone of the show rather than merely criticize the reality of it.

The End-All, Explain-All Theory (that makes Lost better than it actually is)

If we assume that changing the Valenzetti Equation is in fact part of Lost's mythology -- and I really hope it is because it explains so much (for a show that explains so little) -- then we can connect Jacob and Esau's "game" to the equation as well. Let's say that Jacob and Esau are god-like characters (not necessarily the Judeo-Christian God, but some sort of metaphysical beings), who are engaged in an eternal debate concerning the quality of humanity. To borrow the over-arching question of Battlestar Galactica -- Is humanity worth saving? Season 5's finale began with Esau stating, "They come, fight, they destroy, they corrupt. It always ends the same." It refers to the cycle of destruction in humanity's history, and cyles are traceably mathematical in nature, so Esau could be representative of the Valenzetti Equation. He predicts and awaits for humankind of destroy itself. (I will ignore, for now, what the loophole is and why Esau is intent on killing Jacob. Perhaps Esau isn't interested in saving humanity.) Jacob's duty, therefore, is to prove to Esau that humanity is worth saving -- that the outcome of the equation/cycle can be changed -- by choosing randomly selected individuals to represent the human race.

The random selection is important. Sure, Jacob could have chosen Buddhist monks or philanthropists to come to the island, but the point is that humanity is flawed. Our heroes are flawed. Our heroes make mistakes. Our heroes are not incredibly intelligent. They are average people who are conflicted between their hearts and their heads, between doing what is right and doing what is necessary. And as Daniel Faraday mentioned before he died, our characters are the variables. Not variables in time travel, but variables in the equation. Faraday noted that free will is what changes the course of history. Our heroes were chosen to save humanity through their choices.

In the finale, Jacob is reading Flannery O'Connor's Everything that Rises Must Converge collection of short stories outside of the hospital where Locke's father pushes him out the window. Wikipedia describes the collection as follows:

In the story after which the work is titled, human weaknesses are exposed and important moral questions are explored through everyday situations. Critics view the story as a prime example of O’Connor’s literary skills and moral views. [...] Through irony, the blindness and ignorance of the characters are exposed. The title Everything That Rises Must Converge refers to an underlying religious message central to her work: aiming to expose the sinful nature of humanity that often goes unrecognized in the modern, secular world.

My mother, having a PhD in Southern literature, explained to me that Flannery O'Connor's works are about a moment of grace, where a character, despite their moral turpitude, may be redeemed. Patrick Galloway expands on this in his essay, "The Dark Side of the Cross: Flannery O'Connor's Short Fiction":

O'Connor is compassionate to her characters in that she gives them the opportunity of receiving grace, however devastating that might be to their fragile self-images, as well as their fragile mortal frames, for in O'Connor, grace often comes at the moment of grisly death.

In a letter written to Winifred McCarthy, Flannery O'Connor writes, "There is a moment in every great story in which the presence of grace can be felt as it waits to be accepted or rejected, even though the reader may not recognize this moment." [...] Critic Carter W. Martin notes, "Most of the short stories are constructed in such a way as to dramatize the sinfulness and the need for grace..." and goes on to delineate two different kinds of grace normally received by the characters: "prevenient grace-- which moves the will spontaneously, making it incline to God--and illuminating grace, by which God enlightens men to bring them nearer to eternal life." That is to say either a kind of spark that ignites a low smolder of realization, or full-blown revelation. Usually the character "recognizes his need for repentance and either accepts or ignores the opportunity.

In "The Incident: Part I and II," many of the characters have a moment of reaching grace -- hence the significance of Jacob's flashbacks. (Earlier I mentioned that I didn't like the flashbacks, but considering that Jacob was present for each character's moment of grace, I now appreciate their relevance to both the characters and the mythology of the show.) Kate promises to near steal again, but we all know that she chooses to rob a bank later in life (which leads to the death of her childhood friend). Sawyer's decision to write a letter to the man who killed his parents is thwarted by an inkless pen. Jacob gives him a new pen, allowing him the choice to continue writing the letter. A friend of the family tells young James Ford not to finish the letter, but we know that he chooses to finish it later. Locke is essentially killed by his father but is revived from Jacob's touch. This is the moment where Locke is given a second chance at life. He can go on being pathetic and miserable (a failed relationship, daddy issues, etc.) or he can choose a life of adventure. His infamous line -- "You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do" -- places the decisions of his life solely in his hands. Despite being in a wheelchair, he chooses to do a walk-about. When faced with killing his father, per Ben's instructions, Locke chooses to ask Sawyer to do it (which is arguably Sawyer's moment of choice as well). Sun and Jin, our resident couple of institutional love, get married and vow to honor and love one another. But we all know that Jin chooses to work and murder for Sun's father and that Sun chooses to have an extramarital affair. Their moment of grace comes through their separation in time. Three years after the time split, Sun and Jin refuse to let go of the idea of finding one another. (Love, my friends, love is what will save humanity.) With Jack and Hurley, they are both at a crossroads -- Jack with quitting his job and Hurley with being released from prison. They can continue moving forward, or they can change direction altogether. As Jacob points out to Hurley, he doesn't have to get on the Ajira flight. He could have chosen to walk away.

And most importantly, Ben has the choice to kill Jacob. Perhaps it is because Jacob knows how Ben will choose -- Ben does have quite the history of killing people (let's not forget about The Purge) -- that prompts him to tell Ben, "You? What about you?" He says it with such sadness, not because he knows that he is about to die but because Ben represents everything that is greedy and immoral about humanity. Ben could have walked away. But he didn't. He chose to kill Jacob, hence Esau's victory burial of Jacob in the fire.

The entire series of Lost has been about choices. Originally it was about the choices of Jack versus Locke, but when you consider all of the flashbacks throughout the series, it makes a lot of sense that these flashbacks serve to illustrate not simply the type of character each individual person is, but also how they come to make choices. What outside influencing factors help determine their path? What do they choose to ignore, what do they choose to embrace? And most importantly, how is their moment of grace significant to the Valenzetti Equation? Sawyer sacrificed himself by jumping out of the helicopter. Kate returned to the island to find Claire. Jack and Juliet, the rational characters, are willing to "reset" history for love. Charlie sacrificed himself for Desmond and the others. Michael died as a means of redeeming himself for leaving the island. A majority of these deeply flawed characters have already had their moment of grace, that moment where they undoubtedly answer the question -- Yes. Yes, humanity is worth saving.

upfront week

Upfront Week doesn't technically begin until today (Fox on Monday, ABC and NBC on Tuesday, CBS on Wednesday, and CW on Thursday), but already Ausiello has a cheat sheet listing those shows that have been renewed. Here are some highlights, and by that I mean shows that interest me the most (and because reality TV is the bane of my existence, you will not find any of those listed here):

ABC
Better Off Ted: RENEWED. Whoo hoo!
Brothers & Sisters: Renewed.
Castle: RENEWED.
Cupid: Canceled. Yeah... this remake was alarmingly bad.
Desperate Housewives: Renewed. Forever.
Eli Stone: Canceled, and the last of this past season should finish airing this summer.
Grey's Anatomy: Renewed.
Lost: Already Renewed.
Pushing Daisies: Canceled, and the last of this past season should finish airing this summer.
Scrubs: Renewed, with Sarah Chalke and Zach Braff returning for six episodes.
The Unusuals: Canceled. Too bad; the actors had great chemistry together.

CBS
The Big Bang Theory: Renewed for two seasons.
How I Met Your Mother: Not official, but it'll most likely be renewed.
The Mentalist: Ditto. It's the number one show on television.

FOX
24: Renewed.
American Idol: Renewed. Ugh, go away.
Bones: Renewed for two seasons.
Dollhouse: Renewed for thirteen episodes.
Family Guy: Renewed.
Fringe: Renewed.
House: Not official, but it'll most likely be renewed.
The Simpsons: Renewed.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Canceled.

NBC
30 Rock: Renewed.
Chuck: Renewed for thirteen episodes, but with a tighter budget. They'll probably be getting rid of a character, or at least decrease the number of episodes the supporting cast is in.
Heroes: Renewed. Ugh, go away..
The Office: Renewed.
Parks and Recreation: Renewed.

Looking back over this list, I can't help but think... man, I watch a lot of television.

what i've been up to: TV edition

In all honesty, I haven't had the desire to update since the finale of Battlestar Galactica. I said I would post my reactions to it -- and perhaps one day I still will -- but I never got around to it because, in all seriousness, words failed me. It's analogous to writing a eulogy, except instead of eulogizing one person, you're reflecting on an entire world that's gone. I tried to prepare myself for the end, but nothing could have prepared me for the emotional flood that came at the line, "I know a bit about farming..."

But enough about my unhealthy idolatry of BSG. Here're some quick thoughts on a few things that have crossed my path...

Two shows that have surprisingly won me over are Castle and Better Off Ted. The former's success rests largely with the charm and charisma of lead Nathan Fillion, whereas the latter only succeeds when showcasing its ridiculously funny supporting cast. I think Castle is funnier than most other situational comedies (though technically it's billed as a crime dramedy -- I still haven't decided if incestuous genres elate or irritate me) because Castle's situations are actually funny. When meeting his daughter's boyfriend before prom, he opts to intimidate him with a blood-splattered lab coat and fake severed head. That's much better than the cliché ".45 and a shovel" line. Also, Fillion and his co-star Stana Katic have really strong chemistry together. Their potential romance is masked by Beckett's transparent contempt for him (she keeps him at a distance because his novels got her through a difficult time in her life, and she doesn't want to be vulnerable around him), but it works because the show is able to space time for them to be serious and smart as well as flirtatious and fun. Better Off Ted is the complete opposite of a crime dramedy -- if there would be an opposite for such a genre. This show is about a man who struggles with ethical and moral dilemmas while working at Veridian Dynamics (I recommend watching the company's commercials, especially their response to Barack Obama's address interrupting their air time), and it's therefore a... corporate satire. Between Portia de Rossi's perfect delivery and the Phil-Lem bromance, I'm really hoping ABC takes a chance and renews it for a second season.

Scrubs had a wonderful series finale last week, and I hope that ABC gives creator Bill Lawrence the freedom to create a new show rather than rehash the Scrubs formula. For one, it's time that Scrubs ends (even though I enjoyed this last season on ABC), and two, it's just not Scrubs without the inner monologue of John Dorian. The finale was funny, honest to the characters (J.D.'s book of Dr. Cox's insults was wonderfully balanced by Cox's secret compliment to J.D.), and Alan Sepinwall has a good rundown of some of the show's inside references in the finale. Also, I highly recommend checking out the last five minutes of the show, complete with the perfectly selected "Book of Love" (Peter Gabriel's version) in the background. And while we're on the subject of ABC, the penultimate episode of Lost moved along nicely to set up the events that will occur in the finale tonight. Although the theme of "leading" is so season one (instead of Jack-logic vs. John-faith, it's now Richard vs. Ben vs. Locke vs. Jacob vs. Widmore -- and any of those dynamics are interchangeable), I enjoyed the new and improved Jim LaFleur opting to save himself and his lady Juliet over rescuing the others. My biggest problem is -- and will always be, it seems -- that Lost spent so much time explaining time via the closed-loop theory that I'm going to be really irritated if they switch it midstream. Faraday had this extensive journal detailing his theories on the "constant," and then he goes to Ann Arbor for three years and says, "No, no -- it's about the variables!" That's an unnecessary red herring. And also... You. Can't. Change. The. Past. I'm sure I'll have much, much more to say on Lost after tonight's finale.

Now for the shows that are continuing to disappoint me... While I enjoyed last week's episodes of The Office and 30 Rock, they were still just typical episodes. As comedies, they're supposed to have jokes, and so I did laugh. But the jokes were not mind-blowing or gut-busting at all. (Although, I love that Liz and Pete couldn't guess the ages of black people. Samuel L. Jackson is 61 and Grizz is... 18?) Both shows have had a really uneven season, and the only reason to watch them is to catch the weekly pop culture reference. Unlike How I Met Your Mother, which has created innumerable phrases that have forever changed the pop culture landscape (Legend--wait for it--dary, the cougar, slap bets, the lemon law, "Woo" girls, and of course, Robin Sparkles), 30 Rock offers one-liners that only last a week before being replaced by the next week's one-liner. (This week, it was "That's a deal breaker, ladies!", which was spoon-fed so it's twice as awful.) These shows really need to step up their game and remind us why they were so great in the beginning. Also, I was disappointed in last week's episode of Bones. Brennan's rationalization of wanting a baby with Booth was... irrational. Now, on paper, it makes sense that Brennan would want Booth's child. They each have different skills that would be beneficial from an evolutionary standpoint. She's intelligent, and he's quick-witted and strong. But her reasoning for wanting a child was poorly executed. Having a child is obviously more than extending your good genes. It requires time, patience, selflessness -- and Brennan's decision to pass on her good genes was completely selfish and uncharacteristic of her. However, Booth's reaction (and everyone else's, for that matter) was characteristic and understandable. I just hate it when the Bones writers equate intelligence with obliviousness or social ineptness. Also, what was with Booth having a tumor? They've been planting the seed for a while (previous hallucinations), and all of a sudden he's diagnosed and treated in one episode? Judging by next week's previews, Booth is back on his feet. My guess is the writers needed an emotional response from Brennan to sleep with Booth out of love and not just logistics, and if that's the reason Booth had a freaking tumor, I'm going to be very upset.(*)

(*) In an episode of Slings and Arrows, the creative director explains that mourning is really a selfish act, that when we mourn, we're really mourning our own loss, a loss of ourselves or bits of our identity. This is a very interesting observation, and one that I agree with, that applies here. The only reason to give a MAIN character through a potentially fatal disease is so that other characters are affected by it. It's not a one-episode treatment; it's an evolution of a character's relationship with that person. See, for instance, Izzie and Alex getting married on Grey's Anatomy. Although I think the execution was poorly done (Miranda convinced McDreamy, who then convinced Meredith, who then talked Alex into taking her wedding), but the point is that it deeply impacted the structure of these characters. Most significantly, I think, it allowed Callie to repent her previous hatred for Izzie. Even Cristina was changed by the disease! On Bones, everyone in the waiting room seemed more concerned about Brennan than Booth... and that's just not good writing.

Lastly -- on the TV front, at least -- Dollhouse was a thoroughly disappointing hour, and if the show is renewed for a second season, I will not be watching. The major problems I had with this episode: (1) Ballard tells Romo Lampkin (Mark Sheppard will always be Romo Lampkin to me) that the Dollhouse is underneath them and Romo walks away? Was Ballard's smile to the camera supposed to indicate that he intended for Romo to walk away...? (2) Ballard works for the Dollhouse now? NO. No. Why in the world would DeWitt allow that? Why would Boyd? (3) Eliza Dushku's acting was so horrendous in this episode that I almost broke my TV. Alan Tudyk's Alpha is implanted with multiple personalities (one of whom has a multiple personality disorder!), and he becomes schizophrenic. Dushku's Echo is imprinted with thirty-eight personalities and she simply talks through casual exposition? Poorly, poorly done. Even the editing favored Tudyk's performance. (4) The cat-and-mouse scene at the end was... non-existent. Sierra and November are imprinted as assassins and then... they're not seen again! Ballard and Boyd are able to capture Echo and take her back to the Dollhouse as Alpha escapes. (5) Why would the now fully-aware Echo willingly go back to the Dollhouse? There was pertinent scenes left on the cutting room floor. The ending of the episode was way too rushed for all that happens. (6) And this is the real kicker... the entire arc of the first season, the entire reason Alpha went psycho and killed people, the entire reason we've been watching the show... is essentially that Alpha thought Echo was hotter/better than Whisky (Dr. Saunders)? WHAT?!? I understand that, as a serial killer, Echo probably fit one of Alpha's profiles, but his actions can be reduced to mere jealousy. Whisky was getting all the attention. He thought Echo was better. So he killed a bunch of people and took off. And then came back in a ridiculously elaborate plot to steal Echo.(**) Seriously, Joss. This is first-draft material.

(**) I'm still unclear as to why Alpha stole Echo, imprinted her with the mind of an idiot, and then kidnapped a store clerk and imprinted her with Caroline's personality. What was the point of his crazy rant? Why steal all of Echo's previous imprints? Sigh...

promos of NBC's upcoming shows

What is community college? You've heard it's "loser college" for remedial teens, twenty-something drop-outs, middle-aged divorcees, and old people keeping their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity.

Via Kristin at E!: NBC has picked up Joel McHale's (E!'s The Soup) pilot, Community, to series. I have to say, NBC's promotional video is top-notch. We're introduced to the major characters (Chevy Chase as a horny professor!), and the jokes are both funny and appropriate -- Jeff's limited knowledge of Spanish includes the phrase "do not scratch my car," Chevy Chase giggles at the word "Asperger's," and Ahmed breaks out with Bender's "You know what I got for Christmas? A carton of cigarettes!" speech from The Breakfast Club (as a product of the 80s, I totally geeked out). This show looks really fantastic. Joel McHale has leading man good looks and such a subtle delivery of comedy ("school-shaped toilet") that I think very few actors could pull off this role believably. He's not an outlandish character -- none of them are, really -- and the weight of realism is what will separate this show from others like Better Off Ted or Scrubs (both of which, mind you, I thoroughly enjoy). My one wish for this show is that Patricia Belcher, who is hysterical in every role she takes on, stick around as a recurring character -- and further, that she inadvertently becomes Jeff's "cosmic mentor." There's potential for greatness with that.

On a related note... NBC has promos on their other upcoming new shows: 100 Questions looks awfully cliché; Day One offers a boring behind-the-scenes look at the apocalypse; Parenthood looks like a modern, more dramatic take on the Steve Martin film of the same name(*); and Mercy, about a group of nurses, has potential (it's postfeminist in the way that Sex and the City failed to be) and I'll definitely give the premiere a shot.

(*) I feel that if this show isn't funny, it would be too uncomfortable for people to watch. Do parents really want to see the drama of being a parent mirrored back to them, or would they rather have Steve Martin in a cowboy outfit?

first thirteen minutes of ABC's show Castle

ABC has released the first thirteen minutes of the Nathan Fillion crime-comedy Castle, and I have to say, it's a bit more charming than I was anticipating. At first glance, this show seems to be stealing the heterosocial "cop-buddy" formula of Bones, The Mentalist, and Fringe (whereby the goofy playboy male is juxtaposed with the intelligent and rational female), and this was a major turn-off for me. I'm happy that females are being represented as logical, but do they also have to be shown as cold-hearted and unable to let things roll off their backs? I also feel like pairings in this manner constrict the characters to certain boxes as a means of forcing the inevitable will-they-or-won't-they dilemma. I find this to be a terribly boring plotline when that's set up as a major premise, rather than unfolding naturally in the narrative. The original trailer for Castle, which can be seen at the end of the thirteen-minute promo, pretty much screams "SEXUAL ELECTRICITY! THEY'RE MADE FOR EACH OTHER!"

But, having said that, the first thirteen minutes shows promise. For one, the leading actress, Stana Katic, doesn't annoy me (at least, not yet). She's very fluid with her lines, and she doesn't seem to be putting on the tough act in every single one of her scenes. And then there's Nathan Fillion -- who is perfectly cast in this role -- who allows for serious moments, such as with his mother and daughter, in an otherwise absurd role. First, I'm pleased that he has a family of women around him. This will allow him to have heterosocial relations with women outside of Katic's character. Also, it will ground him as a character and make him seem more three-dimensional. If he were just a playboy with no moral foundation*, his schtick would get really old, really quickly. Second, I thought the incorporation of Castle into the police's work seemed natural and convincing. I hate that the original trailer makes the exchange in the questioning room seem so flirtatious, because the scene's actually better written than that. And third, Fillion is really bringing his A-game here. He's making sure that his character is likable, but also not a complete idiot. As soon as he's done joking with his new cop buddy, he goes home and starts looking through his old books for answers. It shows that he takes himself -- and his copycat psychopath fan -- seriously.

* The fantastic part about this -- other than casting Susan Sullivan (of Dharma and Greg) as Castle's mother -- is that Castle's daughter will play the adult in their relationship, and yet he will no doubt play the adult in his relationship with his mother. A fantastic scene in the promo involves his mother singing "I'm just a girl who can't say no," which Castle suggests be her theme song. There's a real boy-in-a-grown-man's-body issue here, and I think that will develop into something interesting.

The premiere is Monday at 10pm on ABC. I'll be watching the first few episodes. Hopefully the rest of the episode will maintain my interest.

exciting casting news: michael cera, michel gondry, alan tudyk, and andy richter

I don't which of the following makes me happiest, but I am ecstatic to announce all of them.

• Michael Cera has finally signed on for an Arrested Development movie!!! I think I just blue myself! Arrested is my second favorite television show (right after BSG, right before Mad Men), and I am oh-so curious to see what new ideas Gob will come up with (will any ever match "Fuck Mountain"??) or what other phobias Tobias has (because you know the Never-Nude is not the only one). Eek!

• Michel Gondry is in talks to direct The Green Hornet. Yes, the one with Seth Rogen. Yes, the film that will no doubt be the most random amalgamation of awesomeness ever. How can this get any weirder? I know. Cast Meryl Streep as Rogen's love interest... and then everyone BUT Streep is nominated for an Oscar.

• This news is somewhat hidden in the spoiler chat (so don't click on the link if you don't like spoilers!), but according to Kristin at E!, Alan Tudyk will star as Alpha on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Be still my beating, bursting heart. Tudyk played Wash on Firefly (it really is true that Whedon keeps the paychecks coming for his merry band of men), and Wash is a favorite character in the Whedonverse. He was everything Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer tried to be but couldn't be. I'm surprised this news hasn't broken out elsewhere -- which makes me question the validity of the announcement -- but Tudyk would certainly heat things up on the show. And, oh, he's pretty damn easy on the eyes.

• And lastly, what may be the nicest surprise ever, NBC has announced that Andy Richter will be reteaming with Conan O'Brien on The Tonight Show. They were such a good team back in the day, and they have such great chemistry together. (If you missed O'Brien's last appearance on Late Night, watch it over at Hulu, and definitely pay attention at the 5:58 mark for O'Brien's early reporting on a team of people who played "old-timed baseball." Doesn't get much better than that.) In addition to joining O'Brien in some sketches (O'Brien has reassured us that his humor will not be "growing up" when it moves to an earlier timeslot, yay!), Richter will also be the announcer -- which means we will get some Richter-O'Brien lovin' every night.

flight of the conchords, "the carole brown song"

In case you missed last night's episode of Flight of the Conchords, which matched the height of the near-perfect first season, here is "Choir of Ex-Girlfriends" (or The Carole Brown Song?). The jokes were top-shelf (Keitha's "Australianness" was comedy gold), the sight gags were clever (Bret's gloves that look like hands!), and the songs were brilliant (see also "Too Many Dicks on the Dancefloor"). But instead of doing a commentary on the episode (I don't watch the show regularly enough to add anything insightful), I thought I would simply share this video that makes me so, so happy.

It is also worth noting that Michel Gondry was the director of this episode, and the music video above clearly showcases his unique visual style.

upcoming awesomness

Just a reminder about some upcoming awesomeness...

Important Things with Demetri MartinWed 10:30pm / 9:30c

Extended Trailer

Joke of the Day
Stand-Up Comedy

Get Funny Ringtones
More Funny Videos

Tonight is the premiere of Demetri Martin's new Comedy Central show Important Things. It comes on at 10:30pm, which gives you a half-hour of post-Lost brain-melting before you switch over to Martin's observational comedy. (On skydiving: "It's just showing off while you fall.")

Friday night is the premiere of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. It comes on FOX at 9pm (following The Sarah Connor Chronicles at 8pm). Of course, you'll need to switch over to Sci-Fi the awesomest awesome that ever awesomed -- Battlestar Galactica -- at 10pm.. Friday nights are a sci-fi geek's wet dream, so if you plan on going out, make sure you set your TiVo.

And on Saturday night, Alec Baldwin will be back to host Saturday Night Live's Valentine's Day episode. Baldwin should make up for Steve Martin's surprisingly unfunny episode from two weeks back.

my television worlds: "I want to go there"

Because my brain is spending so much time thinking about Lost and Battlestar Galactica (I'm either the coolest chick you know or the dorkiest), I have fallen behind on my episode reflections. Instead of going back and looking at individual episodes, I've offered some general thoughts on my favorite (and least favorite) shows below. In no particular order...


The Office: The post-Super Bowl hour-long episode (above) is honestly one of the funniest episodes of any television. The cold open alone is worth the price of gold. It also had an extended title sequence with the other secondary characters (Creed, Kevin, Meredith, etc.), but it seems like they've gone back to the shorter titles with the half-hour episodes. At any rate, "Stress Relief" has some gut-busting moments, like Dwight channeling Hannibal Lecter, Creed's declarative statement "I saw you in the parking lot! That's how I know you!", Dwight's "You don't have any land" insult, and one of the sweetest Jim-Pam interactions ever. And Ed Helms was nicely spotlighted with how unperceptive he is. Noting that he could never be a movie critic because he doesn't read into them that deeply: "I could be a food critic. That food is bad. I could be an art critic. That painting is bad." Last week's episode, "Lecture Circuit, Part I," brought closure to the Pam-Jim-Karen triangle (Karen is pregnant -- and married to a guy who looks like Jim!), and it ended on a note that suggested Holly (from HR, the one with the perfect breasts) might be coming back. I didn't care for Andy's storyline this week -- although, someone talking in third person is annoying, but Andy referring to himself as the Nard-Dog in third person is hilarious. This season has really been hit or miss with me, but when the show is strong, it's stronger than anything else out there.


House: This is one of my "passive" shows, a show that I watch with little consideration or care. I don't care for Thirteen or her relationship with Foreman (they have the worst chemistry ever!), but it is interesting to me that Thirteen was given the placebo drug for her Huntington's treatment. I just wish Foreman hadn't switched the placebo to the real treatment in the same episode that he discovered this. He should have wrestled more internally -- going to every other doctor is a dumb idea because any of them could, and should, turn him in for even thinking about switching the drugs -- for more than thirty minutes of one episode. Cuddy's baby storyline is RIDICULOUS and poorly constructed. She wants a baby but adoption's harder than she thought... she finds a crack baby and becomes its foster mom... then she struggles between work and home and doesn't know if she wants a kid... I'm sorry, but it really aggravates that shows keep representing this struggle between motherhood and a career. I'm not saying that this struggle doesn't exist -- because it does -- but every show dealing with a baby storyline uses this plot. And besides, Cuddy has resources to not be burnt out. She may have to be at the hospital a lot, but I'm sure should could take a lot her work home, and she could hire a live-in nanny if she needed to. It's a stupid obstacle to put between her and House. As for that couple's pairing... they're actually a nauseating couple to me. Verbal foreplay does not mean they would be good as a couple. This isn't the 1930s, folks. No self-respecting woman would be attracted to House's childish antics, and it certainly wouldn't be Cuddy. Maybe it's because I don't like her character (her clothes are two sizes too tight and she's poorly developed, especially in how she deals with House), but I don't consider Cuddy to be House's equal. Bring back Stacy. Bring back his ex-wife. That pairing was amazing.


Chuck: Last Monday was their first episode back after a long hiatus, and they came back with a 3D episode, no doubt trying to pull in new viewers. I won't go into the episode because, although funny at times, it didn't move the plot anywhere and acted as a reintroduction to the show and its characters. I love this show and am glad it's back. Monday is the new Thursday with its lineup of high-profile shows at the 8pm timeslot -- HIMYM, Gossip Girl, House, Chuck -- and I would choose Chuck every time. Besides the fact that I'm in love with Zachary Levi and Adam Baldwin is the biggest untapped comedic talent ever, the show is extremely well written and there's always something/someone to laugh at. Sadly, tonight's episode was preempted because of Obama's address, but it should be back next Monday and I will go back to posting episode commentaries on them. I'm looking forward to Scott Bakula's upcoming stint as Chuck's dad. (When did Bakula get old enough to play a 30-year-old man's father?)

On Sunday, Alan Sepinwall moderated the Chuck panel at NYC's ComicCon, and he shared this wonderful exchange between creator Josh Schwartz and a fan:

Kid: "In the Christmas episode, when Casey's toe got shot off, did he get a robotic toe?"
Schwartz: "He does now, as of today."
Fedak: "It's actually a toe and a missile."
Kid: "Does that mean he's like Darth Vader?"

Grey's Anatomy: My biggest problem with this show is that I would never let any of them be my doctor. Cristina is the most competent, and Meredith can spout off ridiculous medical terms, but the former has horrible bedside manner and whenever the latter's in surgery, she's preoccupied by her own unwillingness to be happy. The others are all idiots, and the new interns lack any credibility. They are caricatures of middle-schoolers; they're either sheepish or giggle like school girls at an embarrassing surgery. I'm supposed to believe these people are adults? But... I do enjoy the show. It's another one of my "passive" shows (that I used to be die-hard about, but no longer am after that unfortunate Gizzie mishap), but I'm almost guaranteed to cry during one of the episodes. This season specifically, the episode with Bernadette Peters broke my heart. (A woman with a 30-second memory window had to be retold over and over that her husband died.) I didn't mind the Izzie-Denny storyline because I do like Denny. I feel like, and I hope this was intentional, the Denny-apparition is not the same as real-world-Denny. They talk to and treat Izzie differently; Denny-apparition's repetition of "I'm here for you" was creepy from the beginning, and it seems like Izzie is heading towards a brain cancer storyline. I'm thrilled that Meredith and Derek are finally settling down and past their obsessive behavior, and I do like the development of Cristina/Hunt and Lexie/Sloan. I still find Lexie to be incredibly whiney and annoying, but she's bringing out the best in Sloan and I'm glad he's no longer a two-dimensional sex-obsessed jerk. And... George? Is he leaving the show? He's all but disappeared this season, which, honestly, I'm okay with because I've never cared about George. Speaking of George... Melissa George's stint needs to be over soon.

One last thing: I really, really love the addition of Dr. Arizona... Something, but her interaction and kiss with Callie in the bar restaurant was very poorly done. First of all, we've never seen these two interact with each other, and the writers think they can mask this or overlook this by adding a line like "People talk, and there are people who care about you"? There are rumors and so this adult doctor (really one of the only adult characters on the show) puts the moves on someone she doesn't know? This was just a quick-fix to get past the firing of Brooke Smith as Dr. Erika Hahn, and it made me lose all respect for this new character that I initially enjoyed. Her interactions with Bailey were phenomenal, and they work well together. Speaking of Bailey... would somebody give Chandra Wilson an Emmy already? It is well past due.


Secret Diary of a Call Girl: Another "passive" show. I really need to stop watching this. Even with the addition of Callum Blue (The Tudors, Dead Like Me) as Hannah's boyfriend Alex, she's a boring character. Why does he want to be with her? Because she's sexually explicit? What about her dodgy behavior and her inability to put down her defenses is appealing to him? She's not just guarded; she's absent. She dodges him and his questions. Hannah is a very strange character; she's not fleshed out at all. And as I've mentioned before, I don't think Billie Piper is particularly attractive, but whoever is doing her makeup is not helping. Since Piper was five months pregnant while filming this, we get a lot of close-ups on her face, so why paint her face like she's a clown? And why isn't her friend Ben in these episodes more? Grrr. Season one ended on such an interesting note; why is season two dragging its feet?


United States of Tara: I just can't get into this show. It's not personal. It's not enlightening. The storylines aren't very interesting (in fact, they're quite boring). The actors don't have chemistry together, and the family dynamic is awkward. The actors seem to exist separate of one another, at least until a scene calls for them to be in the same room with one another. I just don't buy them as a family. Not in the way they act or talk to each other. I love Toni Collette, but she just doesn't have strong material here. And her character's son isn't just gay or stereotypically gay; he's "hip gay." As in, his maturity is too advanced for his high-school age (his in-class comments on films are entirely unbelievable -- I should know, I teach film to college students), and it's like his sexuality is idealized in this bizarro version of what it means to be the "perfect homosexual." Bah. I just don't like any of the characters. I gave up on this show three episodes in.


30 Rock: I'm just not feeling this season at all. I think the biggest problem I have with this show is that the situations themselves aren't funny. The situations are mediocre -- like Jenna auditioning for the Janis Joplin biopic or Liz going on a date with Peter Dinklage or Jack dating Salma Hayek -- and then they try to cover this up with one-line jokes. Most of the time these jokes are fantastic (though nothing as quotable as "Son of a married couple!" or "Live every week like it's Shark Week!"), but because they comprise most of the comedy, the episodes don't seem very cohesive. I know I'm in the majority, but bring back Will Arnett. He brought the right amount of ridiculousness to the show. Tracy is sort of the child, and Jenna is the idiot, but Arnett's character was the man-child, and he plays those characters so well (see Arrested Development). I'm also a bit annoyed by all of the guest stars because I don't feel like they're incorporated very well into the scripts, though I am enjoying Jon Hamm's guest spot as Liz's hunky neighbor. I may be biased, but his first episode was last week and we rarely saw much of him. Again, the situation wasn't very funny -- the entire episode was set up so that he'd be accidentally roofied -- and I felt like he wasn't given strong material. But I think this Thursday's episode shows promise. We'll see. I'm just disappointed overall this season. Liz is becoming as silly as the secondary characters, as is Jack, and I don't know if there are enough "adults" on the show to make me believe that they are actually able to produce TGS every week.

mo ryan's interview with michael angeli on "blood on the scales"

My reflections on last night's mind-blowingly awesome episode of BSG will come later today. For now, Mo Ryan has an interview with "Bloods on the Scale" writer Michael Angeli:

Why did Gaeta insist on a "trial" of Adama? Was it because he wanted to hang on to the idea that this coup was a legitimate transfer of power? Was it because he needed to hear Adama to say that Adama was wrong? What was that about?

For whatever else he was (or might’ve been) Gaeta was an idealist and despite his near occasions of peevishness, he was a romantic. He believed in the idea of government, laws, leadership, service, etc. and if you look at his behavior away back on New Caprica, there was a certain nobleness to his intentions. He wanted to do things right, he was an advocate of justice, fairness.

So, it’s not surprising that even with a coup snowballing, he’d want some form of a trial. But more importantly, Gaeta was conflicted. He loved Adama and just couldn’t get around to killing him. Gaeta was the romantic; Zarek was the realist. For Gaeta, the “trial,” was a stall. And having Adama admit that he was wrong was really about Gaeta convincing his own intellect that Adama should die – because he, himself admits he’s wrong.

Were you channeling Winston Churchill when you wrote Laura's "I'm coming for all of you" speech? What did you draw on for that dialogue?

[Executive producer] Ronnie [Moore]. He told me to bring Laura to a breaking point. So I had Zarek just becoming this terrible liar/bearer of bad news, pulling out all the stops, telling Adama that Tigh’s been shot dead escaping when Tigh was very alive and at large, telling Laura that Adama had been executed (and Zarek assumed that he actually was), all of it building to a point where Laura’s either gonna collapse in a pile or come out swinging.

What worked in our favor was the fact that, because of scheduling problems, we had to shoot this scene after a long day and everyone was exhausted. Mary had been traveling all day, flying back from Europe. We thought she’d be wasted, but she was still on London Time or something and she just rocked everybody’s headsets off. Everyone was clapping after the take, going wild.

That scene near the end between Baltar and Gaeta -- why put those two characters together? What were your reasons for including that scene?

Oh, I think Gaeta and Baltar were so close and had so much history together, it just seemed so right. The scene serves a couple of purposes. First and foremost, it humanizes Gaeta once again. We see the Gaeta we always loved and enjoyed. And it gives Baltar some emotional honesty. It’s obvious that his heart is breaking for Gaeta. And it’s obvious because both James [Callis, who plays Baltar] and AJ [Alessandro Juliani, who plays Gaeta] just killed on that scene, they’re both so frakking good.

I watched the show at Mark Sheppard’s house with some people and Liz Nankin ([director] Michael Nankin’s wife) brought up a really good point, which was that we’re killing off one of our oldest, and to some, one of our most revered characters, and it gives the audience a chance to legitimately say good-bye.

The scene is kind of wicked, too. We’re supposed to believe that Gaeta’s been spared. It takes place in Gaeta’s quarters (Ron’s idea). And Gaeta speaks of himself in the present tense, how he wants people to know who he is, or something to that effect.

Does the title "Blood on the Scales" come from a work of literature? Or was it a title you came up with? Either way, can you talk a little about that title?

I’m sure I was influenced by the title of Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks” album and the whole “Watchtower” tie-in. But thematically, it was an oblique signature of Gaeta’s fate and his conundrum. He starts out as the good soldier/idealist, becomes disillusioned (even stabs his hero, Baltar, with a pen), then the loss of his leg colors his perception of Kara and the Cylons. His embitterment eventually grows its own limb – the mutiny. He wants to do the right thing but the, er, scales of justice are tipped not only by the bloodshed of innocent people, but by Gaeta unable to silence his own humanity (his love for Adama), the blood running through his veins, etc.

Why did Baltar have a vision of Adama's execution -- was he psychic or just having a bad dream based on what had been happening?

A lot of Baltar’s story on the base ship didn’t make the cut. Baltar has some deep, underlying guilt for running away -- from his congregation (in the previous episode), from danger, etc. He meets another beautiful Six (Lida) who mistakes his moodiness for injury. She wants to help him feel better and all of it plays on his psyche, which causes the nightmare – which compels him to want to go back to Galactica and face everything.

SNL: harry caray and jeff goldblum

Many thanks to J&G, who unknowingly made me addicted to this gem. It's a slightly older SNL sketch with Will Farrell as Harry Caray and Jeff Goldblum as -- what else? -- a serious scientist, and the real genius behind this is Farrell going off script, to which Goldblum responds, "I'm confused." Farrell's impersonation reminds me of a friend, who used to tell his jokes in that same startling voice, and it's the spontaneity that cracks me up. "HEY! If you had a choice between being the top scientist in your field or getting mad cow disease, which would you choose?"

love for freaks and geeks

I am finally done watching the entirety of Freaks and Geeks, and I have to say, it's honestly one of the best programs I've watched in a long time. Sports Night was well written, but some of the character interactions seemed gimmicky and the relationships forced. Leverage, on the other hand (which I do recommend to anyone who hasn't seen it yet), has fantastic characters, but the episodic narratives leave room for improvement. And with Coupling, the episode-long set-ups are great, but I often times find myself waiting impatiently for the end to roll around, just so I know what the thematic punchline is. With Freaks and Geeks, however, it's a-generic, existing somewhere between nostalgic drama and comedy, a commentary on the present as well as the past. I don't have the time to go through each individual episode (why when Alan Sepinwall has already done it so thoroughly?), but below are some of my favorite parts to this painfully entertaining show -- painful in its honesty, entertaining in its accuracy.

(Unfortunately, some of my favorite "moments" are entire episodes -- like "We've Got Spirit," "The Garage Door," and "Dead Dogs and Gym Teachers," and I can't very well post entire episodes on here. You know what? Do yourself a favor and just go out and buy the show. It's only eighteen episodes, and you'll thank me when you're done.)


Coach Fredericks tries to find out who's been prank calling him.


Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) defines awesome.


Daniel (James Franco) explains the three tracks of high school.


"As I pulled the reigns of the horse, she pulled the reigns of her soul."
Possibly the best worst song ever.

lost: mavin candle is... pierre chang

Ever wanted to know more about our friend Marvin Candle? The following video was released at ComicCon 2008 (the video released at CC in 2007 was about the traveling bunnies, if you'll recall), and you need to skip to the :55 mark as to avoid the obnoxious fanboy who is so excited with his illegal footage. (Although, my friend Matt thinks the kid was "staged," and it's a valid point. There's really no way someone could have gotten away with this, and the Lost crew needed this footage leaked somehow.)


And the Lostpedia Blog deconstructs some of the opening scene from season five for us... but warning, there be potential spoilers below (depending on what your definition of spoiler is).

We saw Chang wake up with a woman - so it's probably not much of a stretch to assume she might be Lara (though the ABC press release helpfully credits the actress as playing "Woman"). Then we saw the baby, who we knew existed from the Comic Con video. I'll let you all speculate about who the baby might be in this crazy time messed up world... but my money is on Charlotte.

Furthermore, it seems pretty much proven now that the man behind the camera is none other than Daniel Faraday. Faraday was always the front runner because of the voice, and now with the opening S5 scene - we can all accept this chain of events. We can also somewhat explain why Faraday describes Chang's comments as "useless" in the video - as his speech in S5 about being unable to change the future would naturally make him cut-off Chang's pleas about us finding ways to change the timeline.

Lastly, we can gather that Faraday must make some form of contact with Chang in his time, and that he will tell him intimate details about the DHARMA Initiative's future (including that Chang will lose a hand judging by the way he cradles it).

So what will happen next? We can be sure to look forward to 1970s DHARMA scenes for sure - which personally I think is very exciting. What's even more interesting though is the possibilities it throws up - will it be Bernard who leaves a glass eye in the Arrow station? Will Faraday help build the sonic fence? Will Juliet and Sawyer be the Adam and Eve skeletons? With time relative, anything is possible!

My only question is... why would Faraday tell Chang about the purge and about losing his hand? Wouldn't he think that this would mess up the space-time continuum? Did he have some foreknowledge that he would and should interact with the Dharma Initiative?

pushing daisies movie?

Rumors of dead but beloved television shows making it to the big screen will always make their rounds on the internet, and, since Firefly was eventually translated into Serenity, there will always be that hope for truth in these rumors. Personally, I will hold on to the idea of an Arrested Development and Veronica Mars movie until we're all swallowed by the hellmouth. (Some of you reading that statement just realized how much of a geek I am. But if you got the hellmouth reference, it means you're a geek too, so shut it.)

Well, now there are rumors rumbling about a Pushing Daisies film. Slash Film reports Daisies star Kristen Chenoweth has spoken of the cast's desire to make a film, noting that creator Bryan Fuller already has a storyline mapped out. If this ends up happening, it won't be for a while because Fuller is now back working on the show Heroes. My only thought on this development is... as long as Lee Pace gets work. I want to see lots, lots more from that man.

Besides pointing out this rumor, this post allows me to refer to more geeky goodness. Bryan Fuller, as some of you may recall, is the creator of Showtime's Dead Like Me. I've only seen the first season, but I highly enjoyed it. It was killed after two short seasons, and I don't believe there was a conclusion to the series. So... Dead Like Me is coming to the little screen (your DVD player) with Dead Like Me: Life After Death. It will be released in February 2009, and because Mandy Patinkin dropped out as the Grim Reaper's right-hand, Henry Ian Cusick -- yes, Desmond from Lost -- is stepping in as a new head reaper named Cameron Kane. So be sure to add it to your Netflix queue if black comedies about death are your thing, or you just need a Desmond fix.

demetri martin, "important things"

After seeing a commercial for Demetri Martin's upcoming "Important Things" on Comedy Central (eek!), I had to figure out what it's all about... especially since the commercial was just him waltzing with a guitar and harmonica.

Via The Futon Critic:

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA, January 9, 2009 -- Demetri Martin launches potentially the most important TV show ever of all time, "Important Things with Demetri Martin," a sketch comedy series premiering on Wednesday, February 11 at 10:30 p.m.

Stand-up comedian, Emmy-losing writer and all-around person, Demetri Martin is the creator, executive producer and star of "Important Things with Demetri Martin." In this sketch comedy series, Martin mixes stand-up comedy, sketches, animation, studio bits, and music to explore one "important thing" per episode - like Power, Safety or Chairs. Demetri's jokes, drawings and hair will play major roles in the series. There are also some celebrity cameos by David Cross, Amanda Peet, and Martin's "Daily Show" colleague John Oliver.

"Important Things with Demetri Martin" is the second series pick-up under COMEDY CENTRAL's first-look agreement with Jon Stewart's Busboy Productions, Inc. The show is produced by Busboy in association with One Verse, Inc. and is executive produced by Stewart and Martin. Rich Korson and Chris McShane are the executives in charge of production for Busboy. Dan Powell is the executive in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the episode about chairs. I think chairs look silly, and I know Demetri Martin will tap into the undiscovered comedy gold hidden in the existence of chairs. Below is a youtube clip from his show "Person," in which he also incorporates musical and artistic sketches. As evidenced by the clip below, his drawings are hilarious. Visual puns are brilliant. Best part? Pillow vs. Pillow = Crazy Awesome.