Top Five: Shows of Last Pilot Season...Sorta

Well we are in the thick of pilot season now, which accounts for my lack of updates, sorry guys.

As I wade through scripts for countless doctor/lawyer shows and the inevitable copycat shows, already looks like there is a "new" American Horror Story and a "new" Homeland, I am reminded of what the last pilot season had to offer. So I've decided to do a Top Five of my favorite shows to come out of last pilot season. Here they are in no particular order:

1) Revenge - Ok, I admit it, when I first heard about the show I really didn't understand how they were going to make this premise work as a weekly show. As a movie or mini series sure, but I couldn't see how they could continue out this story week after week without it going stale. I am beyond pleased to say how wrong I was. Revenge has become one of my favorite shows, you know one of those shows you just devour. The cast is amazing, I don't even have words to describe how amazingly talented I find Madeline Stowe. It's a show that I look forward to week after week.

2) American Horror Story - I have mixed feelings about this show, but for reasons that will soon be explained, feel it had to be included in the Top Five. The show wasn't as terrifying as I had initially been lead to believe it would be. The first episode I unnecessarily forced The Boy's Brother, who is our other roommate and 6'5 to watch with me in case I freaked. Was the show creepy? Yes. Disturbing? Often. Terrifying? Not really, well except for the underutilized "infantada". That thing was the stuff of nightmares. But I digress, despite being littered with plot bunnies, often time confusing/frustrating, American Horror Story did do one thing I loved. It got people talking, discussing, theorizing. I'm a big fan of shows that get you thinking. While it was airing, Thursdays, and Fridays too for those of us who would DVR it, meant that the office was a buzz with conversation about that week's episode.

3) Hart of Dixie - I grew up in what I like to reffer to as the "Glory Days of the WB". It was the station to watch, they had Buffy, Angel, 7th Heaven (when it was still good), Dawson's Creek, the short lived Young Americans (which had Ian Somerhalder) and Dead Last (which had Tyler Labine). Side bar if anyone remembers those last two shows we need to be friends. Anyway Hart of Dixie brings the CW back to the WB hay day, with it's cute, feel good vibe and really, it's hard not to love a show that has Scott Porter and a very often shirtless Wilson Bethel.

4) The Finder - So I know we have just recently gotten a taste of this new show but as a fan of Bones since the beginning I felt it had to be given a spot. The show, although still finding it's legs,  has made some positive changes since the backdoor pilot during an episode of Bones last year. Saffron Burrows Ike is no more, replaced, without any mention, with Mercedes Masohn's Deputy U.S. Marshal Isabel Zambada and Maddie Hasson's Willa Monday. Throw in the riddiculously awesome guest stars, Brett Davern (Awkward), John Francis Daley (Bones), Wilson Cruz (My So Called Life), my random adoration Ian Reed Kesler (guest star on EVERYTHING), with Geoff Stults and Michal Clarke Duncan and you got some serious gold.


Okay, okay so after mulling this over for two days I have only come up with four. Sure, there were other shows I like that came out of last years pilot season, The New Girl, Once Upon a Time,  2 Broke Girls, Person of Interest, but they haven't made it to my MUST view lists. Then of course there is Alcatraz, and Touch, which haven't been on long enough for me to officially proclaim them, and factor in the scores of shows I am still DYING to see, Awake (can we just please get that on the air ASAP), Apt 23, The River top that list, by the way. So there you have it my Top Four pilots of last year.

The Finder "An Orphan Walks Into A Bar": AKA: My First Crack at the Midseaon Show

This past Thursday marked the first official episode of FOX's new series The Finder. Having been a Bones fan since the beginning, ever since I heard they were doing a spin off of Bones was doing a spin off I was excited to see what Hart Hanson had in store. I'm not going to lie and say that the fact that the pilot was guest starring, Brett Davern, Awkward's Jake, didn't make me even more excited to see it.

The show had what is called a backdoor pilot, that ran last year as an episode of Bones, it wasn't perfect, but it definitely had potential.The show has been tweaked since that first episode, getting rid of Saffron Burrow's character of Ike Latulipp, who didn't get a great response from fans. Instead she was replaced with the characters of  Willa Monday, epic name by the way, and Deputy U.S. Marshal Isabel Zambada.

Isabel seems to have been added to give Walter, played by the gorgeous Geoff Stults, a verbal sparring partner/love interest, to sort of fill the gap that would be created by removing Ike. Making her a Deputy U.S. Marshal gives Walter an inside with proper authorities.

 The addition of Willa adds a whole other dimension to the show, a younger perspective. Having her being from a home of thieves and sent to Walter and Leo, played by the ever amazing Michael Clarke Duncan, against her will in an attempt to reform her is a really interesting twist, sort of a will she won't she type thing. While I would say her reforming is more than likely, you never know I definitely didn't see Vincent's death coming on Bones, by the way, I am still not over that. Willa's questionable state also lead to my favorite quote of the show:

"She's redeemable" 

"Like a coupon!"

Brett Daven did an amazing job as Cooper Allison, a future military man searching for his father, who's plane had gone down. It was pretty awesome watching him kick ass as opposed to his usual nice guy demeanor. Sure, Cooper was still a nice guy, but a nice guy who could take you down if need be. I can't wait to see how his character returns.


All and all The Finder's first official episode was a pretty good effort, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next.

Top Five: Female TV Characters I'd Want to Be Best Friends With

So today is the anniversary of the day two of my very best friends were brought into the world. Happy Birthday to my Andi & Amy!!!! While these lovely ladies both rock Hardcore, it got me thinking which TV (female) characters which make awesome besties. So here in no particular order are my top five:

Angela Montenegro

1)  Angela Montenegro - Bones - beautiful, smart, creative & artistic Angela is an awesome friend to have. She has a huge heart, and would do anything for her friends. Remember the time she helped Zack get a perminant job at the Smithstonian by giving him a make over? Or the countless times she's explained to Brennen how nonsquints do/interpert things? Always patient and understanding she'd be the perfect person to go to for advice. Plus she's not afraid to be herself and believes in love in all forms. Oh and she has a rockstar father. Bonus.

Abby Sciuto

2) Abby Sciuto - NCIS - a happy goth, what's not to love? Always full of smiles & good cheer, Abby is awesome. She is a loyal loving friend, who has been know to go upstairs and refuse to leave the pen till her friends come back from a dangerous mission. She's also willing to do anything to help a friend, like the time she got McGee to place a call in MTAC to allow her friend's nephew to see his mom on Christmas. Plus I knda LOVE her style and that she isn't affraid to express herself.

Kaylee Frye

3) Kaylee Frye - Firefly - by now you're probably sensing a theme...what can I say I like people who are their own individuals, & very cheerful. Kaylee is definately her own person. She's not afraid to be exactly who she is. She is a sweet, loving bit of sunshine on Serenity. She's the one persin who plays with River, & she dreams of simple things like going to a ball in a pretty dress. She's always there to offer a smile & kind word. Plus a best friend with tech skills is just awesome.

Lisa Turtle

4) Lisa Turtle - Saved By The Bell - going a little old school on this one, but seriously, who didn't want Lisa as their best friend. She was smart, sassy and had fantastic fashion sense, well at least for the '90's. She would tell you exactly how it was, and gave excelent advice. She was after all the best advice giver on the Teen Line. Lisa was always there to help her friends our even with the most hairbrained of schemes. She also is responcable for saying one of my fave lines of dialogue ever: "You can't give me pop corn & say no butter!" Seriously, how could you NOT want her as a friend?

Vanessa Doofenschmirtz

5) Vanessa Doofenschmirtz - Phineas & Ferb - Ok, so she's got a evil scientist father, kick ass clothing, she sings AND knows Perry the Platypus....get better? Don't think so!

BONES "The Daredevil in the Mold": AKA: Why I Hate Hannah Burely...

So while I was flipping through the channels and stopped on a rerun of Bones. It was only 1/2 way into the episode that I realized which one it was.

The one where Hannah rips Booth's heart out & stomps it to pieces. Which causes me to HATE her for all time. Sorry, Katheryn Winnick, but no matter what you do in your career in the future, you will forever be that bitch who broke Angel's heart. Please note I LOVE David Boreanaz WAY more as Booth then I ever did as Angel, but he will always be Angel to me.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying a woman, or man, HAS to get married. If that isn't what you want that's perfectly fine, however Hannah went about it the completely wrong way. Her excuse was about how she always told him she "wasn't the marrying kind" and he just must not have been listening, is made invalid by her previous actions. She had also told Booth she would never leave the war zone to work as a correspondent stateside and yet she did exactly that. If she was willing to do that to be with him, wouldn't it be possible she also changed her mind about marriage? To make matters worse her suggestion that they "just go back" and pretend it never happened is almost insulting. He's supposed to just forget that she stomped on his heart and that she doesn't see a real permanent future with him?

Booth's speech about why do no women want what I have to offer, breaks my heart EVERY TIME. Everyone, at some point in their lives has felt hurt and unwanted. It such a well written dialogue, and David Boreanaz, delivers it beautifully. You can almost see his the moment his heart shatters into a million pieces.

Even watching the episode for the third time, even knowing what was coming, the scene still stung. Points to the writers for such an epic scene, and reminding me once again how much I love these characters and this show.

Seriously, worst mistake you ever made Hannah....