Emmy Picks

It has been awhile since I updated as I have been busy with the start of law school and other related activities. Television's biggest award ceremony is tomorrow night and I thought I would take a stab at picking some of the most important categories.

Best Drama- Breaking Bad
This is a tough race with 4 worthy candidates including my pick, Mad Men, Lost, and Dexter. Breaking Bad delivered the goods all season long though with Bryan Cranston's Walt falling deeper into the drug world along with his sidekick Jesse, played wonderfully by Aaron Paul. These two characters got into so many different problems and watching them lie to the people around them and struggle gave the show so much raw, real drama that it would be a shame if this show did not take the prize tomorrow night. Lost had a great year with its time travel arc and Mad Men only got better. There are a lot of ways this thing could go, but I see Breaking Bad taking the Emmy tomorrow night.

Best Comedy- 30 Rock
The year's most nominated show with 22 nominations including nominations for all five principle actors, Tina Fey's increasingly bizarre comedy continued to deliver the goods in its 3rd season with some great guest stars and weird plots. The Office has an outside shot, but 30 Rock will make it a 3-peat tomorrow night.

Best Actor Drama- Jon Hamm
While I would love to see Michael C Hall finally get the recognition he deserves for his deranged turn as Dexter Morgan, Hamm deserves the Emmy after being passed over last year for the amazing Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad. Hamm plays one of television's most emotionally disturbed characters and a person able to suppress those emotions and assume the cool, unassuming alter ego of Don Draper. Whether he is fighting for his marriage, drinking in the office, cheating on his wife, or saving a company deal, Don is Mr. Slick to everyone who observes him. In those rare moments where we see the man in pain, you can see the genius that is John Hamm and why he so richly deserves this award.

Best Actress Drama- Elizabeth Moss
The youngest nominee in the category, Moss is exceptional as the confident, assertive Peggy Olson in Mad Men. In two seasons, her character has climbed the ladder from secretary to a member of the creative team at Sterling Cooper. Watching her deal with an unwanted pregnancy and the interesting situations she finds herself in being a woman succeeding in a man's world in the 60s, Moss always plays the scene perfectly and deserves the trophy for her engaging portrayal.

Best Actor Comedy-Jim Parsons
With legends like Steve Carrell and Alec Baldwin nominated, you might wonder why I am selecting the newcomer to the category. Parsons has created one of the television's most hillarious characters with his nerdy anal-retentive genius Sheldon. Watching him deal with a hot girl entering his life and the way he expects things to always be the same in different situations creates several laugh-out-loud moments on a weekly basis that have to be seen to be believed. The Big Bang Theory is one of the best comedies going and Parsons is a big reason why.

Best Actress Comedy- Tina Fey
Tv's current darling will win again as her Liz Lemon does weird so well on 30 Rock. Best moment of last season was when she see's John Hamm's character and yells out "I want to go there." Tina is awesome and will walk away with another statue tomorrow.

Best supporting Actor Drama- Aaron Paul
Paul's Jesse on Breaking Bad dealt with a drug relapse, working with the increasingly deranged Walt on his crazy schemes, and losing the love of his life when Walt let her die when she went into a drug-induced seizure. Jesse can be immature but the tender moments he had with a child when trying to collect money from the child's druggie parent shows there is a good person in there. From comedy to depressed sadness, Paul can do it all convincingly and deserves the Emmy tomorrow night.

Best Supporting Actress Drama- Chandra Wilson
Wilson continues to deliver amazing work as Dr. Bailey on the roller coaster ride that is Grey's Anatomy. Her role as the mentor to the residents continues to provide great moments each and every year. Give her an emmy already.

Best Supporting Actor Comedy- Neil Patrick Harris
Harris is the lock of the night as with Jeremy Piven not in the running and with Neil hosting the show, there is no reason he should not walk out with his long-deserved emmy for his amazing turn as womanizer Barney Stinson on How I met Your Mother. From his developing romance with Robin and increasingly crazy schemes including the Naked man and dressing up as an older version of himself, Stinson is legend, wait for it, dary comedy character. Harris plays him with such ease and grace that the time is now for him to win an emmy.

Best Supporting Actress Comedy- Jane Krakowski
Her turn as the insecure delusional Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock provides great comic moments especially when paired with Tracy Morgan. She provides a nice contrast to Tina Fey's character and is not afraid to look like a fool to get a laugh.

Overall the Emmys should be an interesting night and I look forward to seeing what Neil Patrick Harris will do with the hosting role. Michael Ausiello confirmed today that Harris will be doing a music number. The Emmys have stiff competition tomorrow with what promises to be the best episode of Mad Men this season according to Alan Sepinwall and Matt Rousch. Also Curb Your Enthusiasm kicks off its seventh season tomorrow and Entourage has a new episode. Plus the Cowboys open up their new stadium against the Giants. Enjoy the Sunday programming and GO BEARS!

Weeds Season 5, Episode 6 Thoughts

Weeds took a unique jump moving the plot ahead six months and allowing the audience to see how the character dynamics had changed. A very pregnant Nancy accepts a forced proposal from Esteban and seems kind of torn on the whole thing. Andy got depressed by Nancy's rejection and blew all of Judah's money on arcade games. He also grew a beard and allowed Celia to move back in the house. Justin Kirk did a great job emoting sadness and the fencing with Esteban at the end of the episode was hilarious. He buried the hatchet with Nancy. Shane and Ignacio became good buddies and the kid seemed quite happy in his new home.

Celia was given a new job by a fashion company, which could finally give the character some sort of purpose. Silas and Doug's medical marijuana shop has taken off but they still have the problem of the cop wanting a cut of the money. The major cliffhanger was a woman from Esteban's past coming into his house and causing him to break up his engagement with Nancy. Overall this was an entertaining episode that took this bizarre show into another unique direction. The writing and acting continue to be great along with the unpredictable nature of the whole show. Watching Nancy find a way to get out of Esteban's grasps will be fun and if Guellermo ever gets out from jail, even more fireworks could be in store. Weeds was nominated for the outstanding comedy emmy once again this year. Jenji Kohan deserves all the recognition in the world as the show delivers an engaging fast-paced half-hour every week.

TRUE BLOOD Season 2, Episode 4 Thoughts

- True Blood delivered in a lot of ways this past weekend in a great episode penned by series creator Alan Ball. The main reveal showed that Maryann is the horned monster that attacked Sookie. She staged an orgy at Sookie's home for Tara's birthday. Maryann has the ability to manipulate people into acting certain ways. If she wants people to look for sex, they act in a certain way. When too many people were having a good time, she did the vibrating thing she does and people started fighting while having a cursed look in their eyes. All in all, the Maryann stuff was intriguing and you wonder if Tara will be able to escape from her orbit.

Daphne knows Sam is a shapeshifter. I enjoyed Bill and Sookie's trip to Dallas which included Jessica ordering a male escort, Sookie discovering a man that can also read people's minds, and Eric and Bill talking about how dangerous the mission is. Eric definitely has feelings for Sookie and he healed Lafayette in a bizarre scene that saw Lafayette drink his blood. The Fellowship of the Sun tried to abduct Sookie at the Dallas airport. Watching Bill teach Jessica how to glamour humans was funny and showed how their relationship has developed into a father-daughter type situation.

Jason got to move in with Mr. and Mrs. Newlin, two of the top dogs at Fellowship of the sun. He got put into a high position in the soldiers of the sun, a group assembled to kill vampires and their supporters. Sarah's dance in Jason's hallucination was hot. It is only a matter of time before these two sleep together. A war is ahead and True Blood continues to build up the stakes with several strong storylines going on at once. Here's hoping the show finds some emmy love tomorrow morning.

I will be back with thoughts on the emmy nominations, Weeds, Entourage, and the Green Day concert I saw Monday soon.

WEEDS Season 5, Episode 5 Thoughts

The first thought that came to my mind after Monday night's episode was "Wow! No other show has a weirder blend of storylines" The main story dealt with Nancy figuring out what to do next by either running away from Esteban or moving in with the drug lord. Shane went after the teacher that rubbed him with Ignacio, the Mexican bodyguard, in a hilarious scene where he misinterpreted Ignacio's instructions with the gun and shot an innocent bird. Ignacio's reaction to the poor little birdie being dead was funny seeing how easily he will kill another human being. The climax of this subplot saw Nancy get fed up with her youngest son acting like the rest of the family and deciding to finally do something about it. She has Shane return what he stole along with presenting the teacher with a new pet iguana. When the teacher threatens Shane with a bad grade, Nancy holds a bat to the man's neck asserting her toughness and refusal to back down from anyone. Mary-Louise Parker played the scene brilliantly.

Celia blackmailed Nancy into letting her stay in the garage by taking photos of Sucio's body getting removed by Esteban's men. Silas and Doug had an entertaining insult duel that featured Doug making a false statement about Silas having a role in the death of his father and receiving a right hand from his business partner. Two minutes later and the guys make up. This marijuana store venture has a lot of comedic potential. Alanis Morisette had one scene as Nancy's gynocologist and did a good job. I look forward to watching her in the coming weeks.

Justin Kirk stole the show again as Andy was forced into sex on his role play date with Judah's ex. The facials he gave while performing the act in front of people were great and showed how bizarre he was feeling about the whole thing. The performance got him the money from Judah's account. He went back home and made his plea to Nancy to go on the run with him and maybe try to be a couple of some sort. The cliffhanger featured Nancy taking Shane to go live with Esteban while a dejected Andy found a letter from Nancy on her bed. Where Andy's character goes from here should be interesting to watch along with how Esteban deals with having new housemates.

I will be back later this week with True Blood episode 4 and Entourage premiere thoughts, a look at Conan's first five weeks as TONIGHT SHOW Host, and commentary on the movies I have seen at theaters this summer. I have been working my way through HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which is an excellent blend of storytelling and great comedy. I will have thoughts on that show when I get through season 4. Have a great week and I will be back soon.

TRUE BLOOD, WEEDS, RAW, ETC. Thoughts

- What the hell was that creature that attacked Sookie at the beginning of the episode? The bullhorns were weird and it seems odd that the creature let Sookie live. With the revelation that Daphne had the same scratch marks Sookie did at the end of the episode, the creature can likely gain some type of possession over its victims. Sam had better watch out. Lafayatte being allowed to finally leave in exchange for Sookie performing Eric's favor was a nice development. Seeing some of the characters head out to Dallas will widen the scope of the show for sure. Eric definitely has feelings for Sookie as there is no way he would allow anyone else to slap him in the face without repurcussions. Bill and Eric not knowing what the weird creature is was bizarre. Ryan Kwantan has great chemistry with the actress who plays Mrs. Newlin. They are developing an interesting relationship between their two characters. I still cannot figure out what Jason being at Church camp will lead to. Maryann's orgy at her house entertained me. Watching Bellefleur and Tara's reaction to the wackiness was hysterical. Tara better be careful as Maryann will not let her out of that house easily. Could Maryann be the mysterious creature that attacked Sookie? Hoyt and Jessica's date showed the circumstances that occur when a human dates a vampire. Jessica not biting Hoyt showed that she still has some heart and self-control. Bill breaking up the Hoyt/Jessica makeout session seemed uncalled for and the fallout should be interesting in two weeks.

- Detective Till bit the bullet at the hands of Esteban on Weeds last night. The episode delivered a lot more comedy than the first few episodes of the season. I loved the boys' reaction to meeting Esteban especially Shane's. Andy had great moments both at home with Nancy and also while working out in the garage and then impersonating his brother Judah. Silas and Doug finally found a place to open their store. Celia annoyed in her few appearances and it was hillarious to watch Nancy throw lit matches at her to get the woman out of her home. The new bodyguard noticing Till's orientation had me laughing. Esteban seemed to show compassion after learning that the baby was real. He bought Nancy gifts, helped her handle the detective, and took a walk on the beach with her. He even asked Nancy to come live with him in his Califronia home. Shane getting robbed by his teacher should light a fire under the little guy. The next few weeks should be fun as an entertaining foundation has been laid.

-Raw delivered a fun show. The new ECW talent on the show fills out the roster more. I do not know if Mark Henry will ever win the title. but putting him over Orton was a nice start to his babyface run. The guest host gimmick showed potential as Batista did a good job in the role. If they bring in big stars from the past, the gimmick could be a ratings draw. HHH and Cena facing each other for the number 1 contender's spot next week is tired and stale. Jobbing out Miz and MVP sucked. HHH needs to change something as his gimmick from entrance music to promos feels dated beyond belief. I know he gets big pops, but do something new please. The Legacy still sucks and WWE are fools if they think breaking up Ted from the group sometime this year will work out for them. Jericho and Edge will be fun to watch as tag champs. Maryse is really hot and I enjoyed her banter with Jerry Lawler on commentary. I look forward to what WWE will do with Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger on Raw in the near future.

- I attended Summerfest to watch the Offspring last Friday night and had a blast. The event was huge but it was easy to get drinks and there was plenty of room between the various stages. I wish I lived closer as I would have been there all week as it is such a great bargain (15 bucks) for the lineup they are providing on a daily basis. Offspring did all their big hits to a huge crowd. If you are a fan and have not seen them live, definitely go see them if they come to your area. I am looking forward to Naperville Ribfest this weekend.

- I went to the Cubs/Sox game at the Cell on Saturday afternoon. The loud packed house added immensely to a wonderful back and forth contest between two clubs looking to escape from the mediocrity that is .500 baseball. While I am a Cubs supporter, I respected Scott Podesednik's four-hit effort along with the contributions of phenom rookie Gordon Beckham that ended up taking out the Cubs' shaky bullpen. Hopefully Lou finds a way to turn this bunch around as there is too much talent and money invested for this to be a wasted season. The atmosphere was playoff-like and I highly recommend fans go live to one of these crosstown games if they get a chance.

WEEDS, BIG BANG, and More

- Weeds was solid again Monday as the apparent murder of Esteban's bodyguard Sucio caused Nancy to pack up Shane, Andy, and her sister Jill and flee from their home. An angry Esteban told her to find a safe spot and await his call for what to do next. The show ended with a look at DEA Agent Till looking suspiciously at the fleeing family from afar. I believe he was the guy behind the murder of Sucio as he will no doubt want to make Esteban pay for having his partner murdered last season. Doug continued to provide comic relief in the form of stealing candy from an old lady and arguing with Silas over how to best manage their new medical marijuana retail venture. Justin Kirk was hillarious in the hospital scenes with the way he reacted to all the workers being Mexican and how offended he was with Esteban not acknowledging his greeting. Celia got kicked out of wherever she was stranded and will enter Nancy's life again next week.

- Nurse Jackie keeps churning out entertaining episodes as it was entertaining to watch Zoe try and get her medical tool back from Doctor O' Hara. The dying old man patient was sad to watch. It was great to see Nancy stand up to her boss and making her let the old man wait out the day in the hospital with his wife. When will Jackie's affair come out? I guess we must keep watching to find out.

-Raw received its largest rating in 7 years as close to 7 million people tuned in for the commercial-free episode and start of the Donald Trump buys Raw storyline. The show underwhelmed me as I am sick of Orton and HHH matches. The LMS match delivered but the draw finish sucked and there is no chance in hell of me buying the pay per view Sunday to watch these two go at it again. Vince buying Raw back this week for double made him look like an idiot in storylines and made me wonder if this was all that was really planned for the Trump storyline. Cena and the Miz built up their first ppv match with a decent in-ring promo and Miz causing Cena to lose in the main event against Big Show. The company has something working with the Miz and they would be best not to screw up his momentum this Sunday at the Bash. Overall the show provided mediocre entertainment and I feel the pay per view this Sunday will draw a low buyrate. When does Shawn Michaels come back?

- I caught the first two seasons of The Big Bang Theory recently and thought the show was incredible. Jim Parsons as Sheldon is a genius comic creation that will provide entertainment for years to come. I love the will they or won't they the show has going with Penny and Leonard. Johnny Galecki plays a great straight man to the most anal human on Earth in his roommate Sheldon. Kaley Cuaco plays the sexy neighbor Penny who knows how to make friendships work with the nerd squad across the hall and adapt to new situations. My favorite moments are when Sheldon tagged along for a date to the movies and conducts sound tests in different seats around the theater. The reactions Leonard/his date and others in the theater have along with Sheldon's different sounds had me laughing out loud. I also loved when Penny gave Sheldon a signed napkin of an actor from Star Trek and he proceeds to give her all of the different bath baskets he was contemplating giving her. Raj and Howard Wallowitz are great supporting characters. Things I hope to see next season are Penny and Leonard in an actual relationship and Sheldon looking for a potential girlfriend. There is not a more obnoxious yet loveable character on television right now than Parsons' Sheldon and it will be a joy to watch this show for at least another two seasons.

- I will be venturing to Summerfest this Friday to see The Offspring and take in Milwaukee's big summer festival. I will be back with thoughts on the festival and anything else that interests me soon.

TRUE BLOOD Season 2, Episode 2 Thoughts

Alexander Skarsgard does an amazing job in the role of vampire Eric, the sheriff of Area 5 with the imposing way he demonstrates his power over others. He allowed Lafayette the opportunity to talk himself out of his prison but was unimpressed when he pointed the finger at Jason Stackhouse for the disappearance of Eddie the vamp for judgment on his fate. Right before Eric kills him, Lafayette suggests that he become Eric's badass vampire. The three vampires in the room then begin feasting on him. Lafayette was the dead character in the car in the book series, so Alan Ball made the call to switch things up and save Nelson Ellis' character, who developed a large fan following. Watching Lafayette and Eric interact over the coming weeks should produce some crazy scenes that demonstrate why both characters are so valuable to the show.

In another Eric scene, he confronted Bill with his request that Sookie accompany him to Dallas to find the missing vampire sheriff. When Bill denied the request, everyone could see that big problems lie ahead between these two in the near futur. While Bill was occupied with buying clothes for Jessica, Sookie allows herself to feel bad for Jess and takes her to the home of her human family. One of Bill's rules is that there cannot be any interaction between a vampire and their former family. Jess breaks the rules by going into the home and causes a large ruckus when she reveals herself as a vampire to her abusive father. At this point, Bill shows up pissed and throws Sookie out of the home. We the viewers are left to wonder if he will murder Jessica's father next week. Jessica has been the main source of problems for the Bill and Sookie relationship and the question of whether the relationship will survive has become harder to answer.

In other events, Maryann took over Merlotte's as she ordered everything off the menu and got everybody to dance at the place much to Sam's chagrin. She seems to have the ability to control people's minds and manipulate them into doing what she wants them to do. An infuriated Sam takes her to the back and threatens her about the restaurant being his. Maryann does not take kindly and turns Sam into a dog with her mind. Michelle Forbes amazed me again this week as she commands your attention with every move her character makes and keeps viewers guessing. Maryann gets more dangerous on a weekly basis. Tara learned about Eggs' crime history in the past but was dancing with him at the end of the episode.

Jason began the Fellowship of the Sun Camp as he found a new rival in his bunkmate and impressed the Newlins with his athletic prowess. When Mr. Newlin picked Jason to roleplay opposite his wife as a good member of the church, Jason was conflicted over whether he truly hated vampires as much as he thought he did. Jason managed to arouse Sarah Newlin with his performance. Ryan Kwantan keeps impressing with every scene he is in as Jason has remained an intriguing character.

Overall this episode built on the momentum from last week and forwarded all the major storylines. I look forward to seeing what happens with Bill and Sookie, how Maryann will show her power, and what the vampires do with Lafayette next week.

WEEDS Season 5, Episode 2 Thoughts

After a solid premiere, Weeds followed up with another enjoyable outing that saw Nancy being self-destructive to try and gain some sort of control in her relationship with Esteban, Silas and Doug running into a Mexican camp, Celia helping out Quinn's ex-boyfriend so she could stay, and Andy moving Shane into Nancy's sister's home. Nancy's journey saw her escape Cesar after an ominous visit to Guillermo in which he warned her that rats die. She then created a living will with her lawyer Dean in a funny scene where she ripped apart his new lawyer ad. Nancy proceeded to drink heavily at a sushi joint and showed up noticeably drunk to speak with Esteban. None too pleased with Nancy trying to gain some pull in their relationship and angry with her reckless behavior, Esteban forcibly has sex with her to show her who is boss and clear up none of the stress Nancy feels. This pregnancy arc has been different so far and it will be interesting to see how Nancy can avoid a bad ending after delivering the child. The Silas and Doug interplay was fun while Celia managed to avoid having to leave her captor's quarters by organizing his supplies. Andy sleeps with Nancy's sister on his first day at the house as Shane snaps a picture. I loved the way the show presented Jill's family as fairly normal and then proceeded to have her committ adultery minutes later. Jennifer Jason Leigh showed a lot of charisma in the role and watching her interact with Nancy in the near future should be compelling television. Overall it was another solid episode with its fair share of laughs and plots furthered. The forced sex was disturbing but it was obviously intended to be.

NURSE JACKIE episode 2 was decent in that it showed that Jackie and her husband appear to have a real relationship. Why she chooses to stray from that and live a double life as a single woman at the hospital will be drawn out a bit for sure. Jackie's intern Zoey is hillarious and the standout scene by far was Jackie's lecture to her about the profession after she 2nd guesses joining the program. Episode 3 is much stronger and I will be back with thoughts next week on that.

6/15/09 RAWPORT- A Good show finally

Donald Trump buying Monday Night Raw is one of the most ridiculous storylines in years, but may be worth it if it attracts interest to the struggling Raw brand. Starting off the new era next week with a commercial free show and a HHH/Randy Orton Last Man Standing WWE Title match sounds pretty damn good to me. This week's show was kicked off by an excellent Jericho/Mysterio match with a fast pace and an exciting conclusion that brought Rey's mask into play again as Jericho distracted him enough to nail the codebreaker for the pinfall. This has been a really nice undercard feud and hopefully Jericho can get back in the title picture soon.

The WWE title match featured a frenetic pace as well. Big show impressed the hell out of me by performing a middle rope jump move and a running spear on HHH. In the end, Orton took back the title as most thought would happen. Seeing him feud with HHH again is not my idea of a fun summer of WWE so hopefully they have something else in mind seeing that they are giving away that match next week. Miz continues to excel with his promos ripping Goldust to shreds this week and shooting Hornswoggle with a t-shirt gun in the nether regions. He is proving to be a heat magnet and him and Cena in a meaningful match could mean big money for WWE very soon.

Dreamer and Christian had a forgettable five-minute title match. I am glad Dreamer got to win the ECW title, but he sucks now. Christian deserves a shot on one of the other brands. The Trump announcement was awkward but Donald delivered his lines in believable fashion conveying his enthusiasm for the product and his vision going forward to do things his way. Watching him interact with McMahon should be fun in coming weeks. I loved Punk cutting down Matt Hardy verbally to intensify his tweener character. The triple threat with Punk, Hardy, and Edge was exciting throughout and it was great to see Punk screw Hardy out of the win again. A one on one match between these two will steal the show at THE BASH.

The battle royal at the end kind of sucked as most do but at least we have a last man standing match to watch next week which should ensure a fresh title match for the actual pay per view. Overall there were three really solid matches and the kickoff of a huge new storyline. The three hours blew by and reinvigorated my interest in the product.

TRUE BLOOD Premiere Thoughts

Wild, exciting, mysterious, and exhilarating are words that can be used to describe the season premiere of True Blood. Picking up where last season left off, we immediately learn that the body in the car belonged to the store clerk who performed fake exorcisms on Tara and her mother. The woman had her heart removed from her body. This sets off yet another murder investigation in Bon Temps. Lafayette, who everyone assumed was dead, is a prisoner of Eric the vampire who states that he will deliver his own brand of justice to the people who did harm to the vampires of his area. I love the way the show has turned Eric into an unpredictable badass and the intensity Alexander Skarsgard brings to the role. Sookie and Bill are still very much in love even with new vampire Jessica living with Mr. Compton and the revelation that Bill murdered Sookie's uncle. Deborah Ann Woll was a nice addition to the cast as her Jessica will stir things up in Bill and Sookie's lives.

Other interesting developments included the Sam flashbacks which showed how he stole from Maryann after sleeping with her as a teenager. Played by the mesmerizing Michelle Forbes, Maryann has a bizarre agenda and it will be interesting to see what she is and why she came to Bon Temps. The way she talked down to Tara's mother was interesting along with the way she slapped her housekeeper after he interrupted a tender moment between Eggs and Tara. What purpose will Tara serve for her? Jason enrolling in the Fellowship of the Sun Camp was the least enjoyable part of the premiere but hopefully something big will come out of it and provide some comedic moments that Ryan Kwantan excels in.

The introduction of the new waitress Daphne was handled well and it seems her and Sam will grow closer in the near future. Overall it was an excellent premiere that opened up several new plots for the season ahead. The pacing, music, and acting were excellent completely immersing you in the world the show has created and making you care about what happens to these characters. Now that the show has a season under its belt, you get the feeling Ball has a clear vision for the series and it will be exciting to watch the story unfold over the next several weeks.

TRUE BLOOD RETURNS

Last season's best new show is back this Sunday at 9et on HBO as the ongoing saga of Sookie Stackhouse continues. Who was dead in that car? What is up with Maryann? How will Jessica impact Sookie and Bill's relationship? Why is Jason getting involved with Fellowship of the Sun? Alan Ball has promised that the show amps up every aspect this season with bigger stories and new characters. I will be back with premiere thoughts tomorrow night.

WEEDS and NURSE JACKIE Premiere Thoughts

Weeds kicked off its 5th season in entertaining fashion as Nancy's pregnancy saved her from Esteban for the time being. In a lot of ways, this episode was about setting up future plots with Nancy forcing Andy to take Shane to her sister's, Silas and Doug set to leave on a weed growing trip, and the budding love Andy has for Nancy. Some funny moments included Doug playing with the kid toys and everybody's reaction to the Mexican holding Celia up for ransom. Here's hoping that Jenji Cohen has some plans for Celia as the character has become completely useless to the show. I hated every scene involving Celia, her daughter Quinn, and Quinn's boyfriend. Elizabeth Perkins does a great job in the role and the show needs to find a way to get her involved in a meaningful story with Nancy or kill her off. Mary Louise Parker continues to light up the screen and it will be fun to watch this pregnancy story unfold over the coming weeks.

Edie Falco was brilliant in the series premiere of Nurse Jackie. From pill popping to her stunned reaction to a doctor grabbing her breast, Falco showed off several facets of what is sure to become a riveting character to watch. The confident way in which she bends the rules to do what feels right to hear made me question if this really happens. In one episode, she discarded an abusive man's ear, forged a signature of a dying patient to make him an organ donor, and gave a poor girlfriend of a dead patient the money she stole from a scumbag. The relationship she has with a pharmicist at the hospital was presented in a cute way as her lover provided her with the ailment for her back pain as she headed home. The kicker was that Jackie is actually married and has two children. I look forward to seeing what situations this fascinating character finds herself in on a week-to-week basis as the show has great writing, supporting characters, and moves at a brisk pace.

6/8/09 Rawport- Another bad show

Raw is so bad right now as they continue to feature the lifeless Legacy group in almost half the show each week. Batista is now out with injury for awhile and surprise, surprise, HHH returns and we are right back to the feud so many were sick of. HHH and Orton have good matches, but you can only have them wrestle so many times before people tire of the redundant nature of the product. The undercard is sucky as well with the useless tag belts, women, and US division just killing time on the show with nothing of real meaning coming from any of it. Cena needs to be put back on top immediately as Orton will never be a legit top guy. Bringing back Michaels a bit early from vacation would be a great move.

The highlight of the show was Vickie Guerrero legitimately quitting Raw. Her character draws great heat, but was annoying and a horrible actor as well. The 3 hour show next week should be interesting with three world title matches. However, with the oversaturation WWE has with 4 shows a week on television, it is hard to get too excited about anything these days.
Meanwhile, on the Smackdown side, giving Punk the belt was awesome and it will be fun to watch him feud with Edge and Hardy while Mysterio and Jericho continue their epic feud underneath. Jericho attacking Mysterio in a mask from the crowd was one of the greatest angles in recent memory. WWE made a great move by making the show available on Hulu, which is where I will catch it from now on to see some of the only good stuff WWE is producing these days.

I will be back with Weeds and Nurse Jackie thoughts tomorrow.

WELCOME

Welcome to the blender where I, John Sturgeon will discuss anything in the entertainment world that prompts me to share some thoughts on it. I had a blast writing my column this past year for the Villanovan and look forward to providing you some fun stuff to read. Here are some random thoughts I have currently.

- Breaking Bad Season 2 concluded its epic run last weekend with a stunning conclusion as Skyler finally confronted Walt on his lies and told him to get out of the house immediately. Aaron Paul especially shined in his grief scenes both by the body of his dead girlfriend Jane and when Walt comes to take him to a rehab facility. The chemistry between him and Cranston continues to be magnetic and both men should be in line for plenty of emmy love this fall. Next season should up the ante with Walt now having to make sure his brother-in-law does not get suspicious and if he should tell his wife the entire truth about his meth business.
The pink teddy bear and body bag teasers we saw this season had everybody looking forward to a major catastrophe to close the season. While the plane exploding above Walt's house was random and kind of a let down, what they did with Skyler will significantly alter the show next season as they achieved the game changing ender of sorts by having her throw Walt out of the house.

- I ventured to Las Vegas with three of my best friends last weekend as a graduation present and we had one hell of a time. As a big fan of great food and entertainment, Vegas was like heaven on Earth. The trip started with a dinner at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand. We all loved our meals, but I was the only one who tried the six-course tasting menu which delivered in a big way. For $85, I got to sample some of the best dishes of the house(Scottish Barbeque Salmon, Filet, Sea Bass, Lobster salad) and was treated like royalty as each dish was explained in detail to me by one of the servers there. After the meal concluded with Emeril's magnificent banana cream pie, I told my friends it was one of the best meals I ever had.
The other major dining highlight on the trip was NOVE Italiano at the Palms Resort and Casino. Set 50 floors up in the Palms' Fantasy tower, the restaurant offers unparalleled views of the Las Vegas Strip and surrounding area. We shared a buffalo mozzarella pizza and two ceasar salads for appetizers before indulging in some of NOVE's specialty pastas. My dish was the Nove Pasta, a delectable combination of various pastas, fresh seafood, and spicy tomato sauce that combined to create something truely special. The service was incredible as they allowed our party of four to sit in the green room, where the best views are and were helpful with everything we needed from picture taking to menu advice. Servando Daniels, the manager there, gave us free club passes for all four clubs in the Palm after the meal. NOVE is a can't miss dining experience in Las Vegas.
I will share some more on the Vegas dining experience this week.

- Television has pretty much died for the past couple of weeks after Lost, American Idol, Grey's, and Breaking Bad concluded their seasons. I cannot wait until the new seasons of Weeds and True Blood start up as I will be doing some thoughts on them in the coming weeks. Other shows of note starting later this summmer include Entourage and Mad Men.

- Blockbuster season got started off with a bang due to J. J. Abrams sensational reboot of Star Trek. Get out there and see that film in theaters as it will satisfy any person that enjoys a good film. I watched The Hangover last night and felt that it was crazily enjoyable comedy with surprises around every corner and the emergence of both Bradley Cooper and Zach Galafianakis as big stars with Ed Helm continuing to add strong stuff to his resume. There was so much laughing in the theater that I will definitely have to see the film again at some point to make sure I didn't miss anything. This afternoon I saw Up, the latest cinema greatness served up by Pixar. A touching and thrilling adventure story, UP is sure take you through a variety of emotions as we follow 78-year old Carl on the adventure of a lifetime to Paradise Falls. The laughs are fast and furious while the story delivers a powerful message that will be felt by all who see it. I will have more on this film in the coming days along with a look at what Pixar can do with Toy Story 3 next year.

- Have a good weekend and I will be back soon.