Hart of Dixie: 1.1 "Pilot"

Series summary (from Netflix):  New Yorker Zoe Hart's dreams didn't involve patching up the locals in a tiny town in the Deep South, yet that's exactly where the fast-talking city girl finds herself when she ends up inheriting a medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama.

I'm watching this because: I remember when Hart of Dixie premiered last year, and I was interested ... just not interested enough to seek it out on Hulu or the CW's website. Then it popped up on Netflix, so I thought I'd give it a chance.

Recap: When Dr. Zoe Hart graduates from medical school, an older gentleman named Harley—who is a total stranger—invites her to join his medical practice in Alabama. Four years later, after being passed over for a surgical residency, Zoe decides to take him up on his offer. When she arrives in Bluebell, she discovers that Harley has died and left her his half of the practice he shared with another doctor. She also meets three intriguing (and sometimes infuriating) men—George, the local lawyer; Lavon, a former NFL star turned mayor; and Wade, a bartender/handyman.

Reactions: I've never been a fan of Rachel Bilson. There's something about her acting that seems a little stilted. But the charm of Bluebell drew me in, and once the action moved there, I knew I was in for the long haul. As I watched, I thought the town square, especially the gazebo, looked eerily familiar ... and I was right! Those scenes are shot on the WB lot on the old Gilmore Girls set.

Plus, I'm a sucker for a good love triangle, and that's what the writers have going with George, Zoe, and Wade. (After the pilot, I'm definitely Team George.) Hart of Dixie isn't a medical drama so much as it is a relationship drama where some of the characters happen to be doctors. And that's just how I like it!

The next Dawson's? Confession time: It already is! I started watching this at the beginning of September and powered through all 22 season one episodes by the time season two premiered at the beginning of October. (And by the end of the season, I'd jumped ship to Team Wade.) I absolutely love Hart of Dixie ... but now that I'm totally caught up to the "real time" airing, I still need to find a new Dawson's Creek!

Watch it on Netflix.

Alphas: 1.1 "Pilot"

Series summary (from Netflix): A team of individuals gifted with extraordinary neurological abilities is tasked with solving a series of high-profile crimes. Among them are an autistic man whose mind works as fast as a computer and an FBI agent with super strength.

I'm watching this because: It's sci-fi, and Netflix recommended it. Really, I clicked on it on a whim.

Recap: The show begins in a supermarket. A worker (who looked incredibly familiar but I didn't identify until I imdb'd him and learned he was in the incredibly implausible Hallmark movie The Most Wonderful Time of the Year) receives a text message listing a time and a place. From then on, the message "Time to kill" is everywhere he turns. And at the appointed time, he picks up a rifle and pulls the trigger.

Next we meet Dr. Rosen (the fabulous David Strathairn), who is in charge of a group of Alphas. Alphas' brains have evolved beyond those of normal humans, giving them special abilities. Rosen is not an Alpha (as least as far as we know), but his goal is to help them harness their abilities.

Then we meet the Alphas: Nina, a woman who can compel people to do her bidding by making eye contact when she speaks; Bill (Malik Yoba, who I will always know as Yul Brenner on Cool Runnings), a man with super-human strength; Rachel, a woman with synesthesia; and Gary (Ryan Cartwright, the dearly departed Vincent Nigel-Murray from Bones), a young autistic man who can read all waves on the electromagnetic field.

The Alphas are assembled to investigate the inexplicable murder of a suspect in a police interrogation room. Rosen learns the murder is the work of Red Flag, an extremist Alpha group, and soon the Alphas learn the murderer's identity: Cameron Hicks, the grocery store worker.

By combining their abilities, they are able to capture Cameron, and they discover he's an Alpha who has been brainwashed. Cameron joins up with them to catch Red Flag's operative, but the operative escapes. Eventually, Rosen realizes the entire operation has been a setup to take out the Alphas, and they finally catch the operative.

In the end, Cameron is invited to join the Alphas ... thus setting up the series.

Reactions: From the opening shot (of a cart wheeling down a grocery store aisle), I was hooked. Alphas is sci-fi done the way I like it—set in the present in our world with people who are special (but not too special).

I didn't even realize that Ryan Cartwright was playing Gary at first—he was that immersed in the role. The other actors fully embody their roles, as well. The casting of this show is spot on.

My guess is that Cameron will become one of the most important characters, and I'd love to see him find love with Rachel.

The next Dawson's? Quite possibly. I still have plenty of other pilots to watch, though.

Watch it on Netflix.

The Post That Inspired This Blog

This was originally published on my other blog, Christian Chick's Thoughts, on August 26, 2012.

The other night, I finished watching Dawson's Creek. I watched the pilot episode in May, right before my gallbladder surgery. In the week following surgery, I watched all of seasons one, two, and three. The final three seasons I watched at a more reasonable rate—about one season per month. Now that I've finished, I have a few things to say about the series! (This is more for me than for you, so you won't hurt my feelings if you click away now—especially if you've never seen Dawson's Creek!)

1. For a show called Dawson's Creek, I cared surprisingly little for good old Dawson Leery. In fact, I rejoiced whenever Dawson didn't appear in an episode, which happened surprisingly often in season six. Really, Dawson's Creek turned into the Joey Potter show, and that was fine by me. Even when Joey was making boneheaded decisions (like leaving Pacey for Eddie), I was captivated by the life and times of Miss Potter.
2. As I watched the first few seasons, all the Tom Cruise references made me snicker, knowing that Joey's portrayer was actually married to the man. Then the news of the Cruise-Holmes divorce hit, and any Tom Cruise reference after that wasn't quite so humorous. Also, I found it interesting that two Cruise exes appeared in the same episode, though they never shared a scene: Mimi Rogers (ex-Mrs. Cruise #1) played Jen's mom in a season six episode.
3. Is it just me, or does Capeside have the longest, most convoluted school year on record? Season one: sophomore year. Season two: sophomore year. Season one clearly begins at the beginning of their sophomore year and ends either at Christmas or summer break, as Joey is contemplating a semester abroad and would have to leave in a couple of days. Then in season two, they have homecoming. I've never heard of a spring homecoming, though I suppose it's possible ... but would the guys be wearing their football jerseys if that were the case? 
4. Holy dropped story lines, Batman! Does anyone remember Eve? Anyone? In season three, she was the bad girl Dawson met on the bus from Philly (where Gail lived momentarily) who turned out to possibly be Jen's half-sister. She disappeared and was never mentioned again until the end of season six, when the writers did acknowledge that they dropped the ball. Jen mentioned her, and when someone asked who she was, Jack's reply made me smile because it was so true: "Long story. Ambiguous ending." And then there's Gail's new husband. The whole reason everyone goes back to Capeside in the finale is for her wedding, but after the actual wedding, Gail's husband is never seen again—not at the house, not at the hospital, not at the funeral. Even though he didn't know Jen, you'd think he would have been there to support his wife. Also, this doesn't constitute a dropped story line per se, but I wish they would have told us what happened to C.J. (Jensen Ackles of Days of Our Lives and Supernatural), Jen's season six boyfriend, as he was supposedly the love of Jen's life. 
5. Boy, did the writers know how to do death! I did the ugly cry twice during Dawson's Creek. The first time was the episode after Mitch's car accident. I cried off and on through the entire episode as characters remembered how Mitch impacted their lives. And then there was Jen. I actually knew she would die because, for some unknown reason, I watched the finale when it aired, even though I'd never before seen a single episode. I had no idea, though, that Jen would end up being one of my favorite characters—especially since I loathed her through the first few seasons! Michelle Williams knocked that last episode out of the park, and I found myself wondering why on earth she didn't at least get nominated for an Emmy for that performance. I also found myself crying. A lot. And I was glad no one else was there to witness my farewell to Jen Lindley/Dawson's Creek meltdown!
6. Pacey & Joey. In season one, I was pulling for Dawson and Joey. That was before Dawson got all annoying and Pacey got sweet. Once Dawson's went down the Pacey-Joey road, there was no turning back ... at least for me. The writers seemed to have another opinion, as they "forgot" about the Pacey-Joey magic for all of season five and the first half of season six. Fortunately, they found their way back to Pacey and Joey in the end! In my favorite episode of the entire series, season six's "Castaways," none of the other main characters appeared, only Pacey and Joey. Not only did it feature a return to the wonderful Pacey-Joey banter of yore, but it also marked the end of the hideous growth on Joshua Jackson's face—the ill-advised goatee. If you have Netflix or Amazon Prime, you can watch the episode free.
7. I have never liked Paula Cole's "I Don't Want to Wait." Never. But I was still disappointed when I started watching Dawson's and realized that Paula Cole's tune had been replaced by Jann Arden's "Run Like Mad." That song ended up growing on me, and I could definitely sing the whole thing for you, but I felt sheer joy when I heard the strains of the original theme on the series finale! And without knowing the original theme, one of the funniest moments of the finale would make no sense: Sam (the Joey character on Dawson's show The Creek) comes into Colby (the Dawson character)'s room and says, "I can't take it anymore, Colby. I don't want to wait for my life to be over. I want to know right now. What will it be?" Love it!
8. Some people (like Blendy) didn't like the finale. I loved it! I thought it stayed true to the characters in a way that had been missing for quite some time—and the return to greatness may have had something to do with the fact that creator Kevin Williamson wrote it. I thought it was the perfect combination of humor and sadness, and it left me feeling satisfied ... what more could you want from a finale? (Blendy's beef with the finale is that we didn't see Joey pick Pacey. But we see the aftermath of that choice, plus Williamson totally telegraphed that she would make that choice, and that's good enough for me!)

If you've seen Dawson's Creek, I'd love to know your thoughts!  

Murdoch Mysteries: 1.1 "Power"

Series summary (from Netflix): In Victorian-era Toronto, Inspector William Murdoch uses unconventional scientific methods to crack complex murder cases, including the deaths of a well-known attorney, a professional pugilist, a former theater owner and a prominent philanthropist.

I'm watching this because: I was intending to pull up the first episode of Primeval on Netflix when Yannick Bisson's brown eyes jumped out at me. I've had a soft spot for him ever since he appeared in the Dean Cain movie I Do (But I Don't), and even though I'd never before heard of Murdoch Mysteries, I thought I'd give it a chance.

Recap: The City of Toronto is considering switching its electricity from direct current to alternating current. A woman is killed during a demonstration showing how dangerous alternating current can be, and Murdoch soon discovers her death was no accident. He enlists the help of inventor Nikola Tesla as he searches for the murderer, and they have fun trying out Tesla's new inventions. Meanwhile, Constable George begins a romance with an animal rights activist.

Reactions: Though I questioned how factual this was (especially concerning real-life inventor Tesla), I certainly enjoyed watching it. It's kind of a Victorian-era CSI. Not too much explanation is given regarding each character, but I picked things up as the episode progressed. The episode just jumps right in with Murdoch (Bisson) and Dr. Julia Ogden (Hélène Joy) on what seems to be a date ... though I questioned if she was as into him as he was into her. I'm fairly certain they'll be the couple the audience pulls for, which means they probably won't be together for a very long time!

I did think the mystery was fairly predictable—though it took a couple turns I didn't expect, I did have the original murderer pegged immediately—but it was still fun to watch. A few lines made me laugh out loud, like when Tesla and Murdoch came up with the term "television." Overall, it was enjoyable but not memorable.

The Next Dawson's? Nope. But I may catch an episode from time to time.

Watch it on Netflix.

Welcome!

I've been blogging quite happily for some time now at two other blogs: Christian Chick's Thoughts and Cinematic Survey. So why do I need another blog? Inspiration struck as I sat down to write out my thoughts after watching all six seasons of Dawson's Creek in just over three months. (In my defense, a surgery put me out of commission for a week, during which time I watched the first three seasons.) As I wrote, I wished I had blogged each episode. I'm sure the readers of Christian Chick's Thoughts are happy I didn't write about all 128 episodes (in fact, I bet some of them wish I hadn't written about Dawson's at all), but it got me thinking: what if I blogged about each episode of whatever show I watch next?

So that's what I'm going to do, and I created this blog as the forum on which to do it. I don't know yet which show will take the place of Dawson's Creek, so to begin with, I'll be blogging about the first episode of several shows—including all the shows that were recommended to me by Facebook friends when I asked for suggestions (provided they're available on Netflix or Amazon Prime). Once I settle on a show to watch from beginning to end, I'll start writing about each episode. Plus, I'll be doing a feature called "Memory Lane" every so often, where I check back in on an episode from a favorite show. (Now to give credit where credit is due—I got this idea from the "Talking TV with Ryan & Ryan" podcast [which is fabulous, by the way!]. Periodically, they do a podcast where they watch and discuss a favorite TV episode. If you were a LOST fan, you really should listen to this episode.) And as inspiration strikes, I may write about other things as well—but one thing's for sure: everything on this blog will be television related.

Now sit back, relax, and feel free to join in the discussion as I watch TV!