TV GAL

TV Gal Admits to Being Wrong

By Amy Amatangelo, Zap2It.com | July 12, 2008

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Luke Perry on 'Windfall'
Luke Perry on 'Windfall'
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Are you all sitting down?

I have some bad news. Is everybody ready?

I was wrong. I mean I was wrong, wrong, what-has-George Eads-done-to-his-hair? wrong about "Windfall." At first I thought the show was a fun, frothy summer treat. Then I thought it was so bad it's good.

And now, sadly, I've come to realize that it's so bad, it's bad. I mean bad, bad, immediately-delete-from-your-DVR-bad. Stop watching immediately. I wish I could do something like when a car company issues a recall. I'd like to think that being this wrong was not my fault, kind of like when "The O.C." had a free fall in quality in its second season, but probably the truth is I was blinded by my affection for Luke Perry and the rest of the cast (including Jason Gedrick and Lana Parrilla).

Hopefully, this confession won't damage our relationship and we'll head into the new fall season with you trusting my judgment. Let's think of this week as a time to heal.

But the whole thing got me thinking, what are the other times I've been famously incorrect.

Well, when I first watched "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" I didn't love it. I didn't fully understand the show's dark sense of humor and satire. And now it's one of my all-time favorite shows. And I've never watched an episode of "Battlestar Galatica" and feel like it is too late to pick up the show. How wrong is that? I get so frustrated when people tell me they won't start watching "Lost" or "Veronica Mars" because they think it will be too difficult to understand what's happening. And now I'm doing the same thing. Bad Amy. Very bad.

Then there's the fact that I called Jennifer Garner a "Jennifer Love Hewitt wannabe" when she starred in the short-lived "Time of Your Life." Once "Alias" premiered, I quickly realized how wrong I was. And, horror of horrors, I thought "Everwood" was a tad too hokey when it first premiered.

Well, this is rather a cathartic cleansing before the start of the new season.

What was a time you were wrong about a TV show? Talk about it on a TV Gal Message Board.

Performances of the Summer

So I've watched the first five episodes of "Weeds" (which returns for a second season Monday at 10 p.m. on Showtime). And I'm so happy to report that the show is better than ever -- a wonderful mix of dark humor, compelling drama, surprising plot twists (you'll be seeing a lot more of Nancy's DEA boyfriend), inappropriate behavior and laugh-out-loud humor.

But who really grabbed my attention is Justin Kirk, who plays Nancy's (Mary-Louise Parker) brother-in-law. Kirk's hilarious Andy is the wonderful fusion of a great role with a pitch-perfect performance. His easygoing approach to the part is spot on. At one point I actually had to pause the DVD because I was laughing so much I couldn't hear what was happening. He's turning in one of the best performances of the summer.

What other performances are of note this summer, the characters who have truly come alive? I call it pulling a Jeremy Piven. Let's take a look:

  • Annabeth Gish as Eileen Caffee on "Brotherhood" (Sundays at 10 p.m. on Showtime): Skewering her good girl image, Gish's adulterous, pot-smoking politician's wife is palpably believable. When she's on the screen, you can almost feel the claustrophobic neighborhood closing in on her.

  • Patrick Flueger as Shawn on "The 4400" (Sundays at 9 p.m. on USA): Of all the characters on the sci-fi drama, Shawn has undergone the biggest transformation. And he plays both sides of his character so well -- the young guy who would like to reconnect with an old girlfriend or go on tour with a rock star and the leader of the returnees who must be wise beyond his years.

  • Tony Denison as Lt. Flynn and G.W. Bailey as Lt. Provenza on "The Closer" (Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT): Is there a better comedic team this summer? From the episode where they lost a dead body to Lt. Provenza's recent glee at being able to play the "bad cop" in the interrogation room, these guys just bring a smile to my face.

  • Michael Lombardi as the Probie and Steven Pasquale as Sean Garrity on "Rescue Me" (Tuesday at 10 p.m. on FX): Talk about bringing a smile to my face. We all know I've had issues with the show this season, but the firehouse's own version of Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee continue to crack me up. The Probie's wide-eyed innocence and Sean's questionable marriage decisions have been bright spots among the show this summer.

  • The Cast of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia:" Sorry, I couldn't pick just one. They all approach their roles with such unabashed enthusiasm and fully embrace their completely unlikable characters. You can't help but go along for their trippy ride.

    What performances are you enjoying this summer? Talk about it on the TV Gal Message Board.

    Where Have I Seen Them Before?

    Well "The Closer" is certainly keeping WHISTB in business this summer. Deidre Lovejoy was the overprotective mother who was convinced the hospital had killed her son on "The Closer." She's Rhonda Pearlman on "The Wire." Anthony Heald was the hospital administrator. Heald was Judge Harvey Cooper on "Boston Legal" (remember the way he said Massachusetts?) and Scott Guber on "Boston Public." John Bennett Perry was the grandfather of the dead boy. Perry, who is Matthew Perry's father, was Principal Alan Moorehead this season on "Veronica Mars."

    Rebecca and Cheri caught J. August Richards, Gunn on "Angel," as the soldier with a conscience on "The 4400."

    Quotes of the Week

    "Sweetheart, believe me, this is way way more bad boy than you're ever going to be able to handle." Tommy to a woman in a bar on "Rescue Me."

    Highlights of the Week Ahead
    All times listed are Eastern Time for August 14 to 20

    Things get mighty tricky for Brenda when she is asked to testify in Will's custody hearing with his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Her squad may find about Brenda and Will's past relationship on "The Closer" (Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT).

    You absolutely must watch "Weeds" Monday at 10 p.m. on Showtime.

    Relive the trials and tribulations of the Capeside crew, the Beek from the Creek and harken back to when Katie Holmes was more than one half of the TomKat train wreck when repeats of "Dawson's Creek" begin with a 12-hour marathon Monday at 6 p.m. on The N.

    FOX's new season begins next Monday. So "Hell's Kitchen" signs off with a two-hour finale Tuesday beginning at 8 p.m. The two finalists compete to become head chef at the new restaurant at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas.

    Get ready for the hook ups, break ups and hanging out. "Laguna Beach" returns for a brand new season with nine brand new faces Wednesday at 10 p.m. on MTV.

    Fantasia Barrino stars as herself in "The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale" at 9 p.m. on Lifetime. And, to top, that Dwayne Wayne plays her father.

    That's all for today. I will be back next week for the FOX's kick off of the new season (let's have a whoo and a hoo) starting with the return of "Prison Break" and the new series "Vanished." Have a question, seen a familiar face, have an inside scoop or want to nominate a quote of the week? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com .
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