Viggle: Saving Money One Television Show at a Time

*Warning: Unless you own an iPhone, and have cable, you may not want to read the below post.



By now, you may or may not have heard of Viggle, the latest and greatest in phone apps.

Once you download the (free!) Viggle app to your iPhone (sorry!!), you can use it to "check in" to any show or movie that you may be watching on television. Viggle is able to audibly identify what you are watching based on your local cable listings. For each program you watch, you earn a certain number of points, usually around 200 or so. For extra special programs, such as award shows, you can earn additional points by "playing along" (answering trivia questions, predicting the winners, etc.). You can then redeem your points for rewards. Rewards range from a $5 Starbucks or Barnes & Noble gift card for 7,500 points, to a Kindle Fire for 375,000 points (although most are in the 7,000 - 14,000 area).

It's easy to earn points pretty quickly, and all of the rewards tend to be for things that people buy (or splurge on) normally anyway. You can earn gift cards to iTunes, Best Buy, CVS, Old Navy, Lowe's, or Chili's, win a movie ticket, and even donate a bit of money to a few charities!

This is absolutely a must-have for the budget-conscious individual who enjoys watching a good show or two at night.

Try it. You won't regret it.

New Mid-Season Shows - Smash

You're probably thinking that I must know some powerful people in high places to get to see the premiere of Smash three weeks before it's heavily promoted premiere date.

Well, I do not. But some powerful people in high places did think that it would be a good idea to release the pilot online and offer it as a free download on iTunes three weeks before its Feb. 6^th premiere date.

At first, I didn’t really see the logic behind this. Shouldn’t they want everyone to watch the actual premiere so that the show gets good ratings? But then I realized that it was actually a pretty brilliant move. Because here I am writing (and thus promoting) about the premiere before it airs, which will perhaps lead to some people watching it who might not have otherwise.

Yup, I’m playing right into their little evil plan.

Although, the creators and producers must be pretty confident in the show to make a bold move like that. But, to be honest, I can’t blame them. This show has some big names attached. It did, after all, stem from one of the many ideas rolling around in Steven Spielberg’s mind, who is also billed as an executive producer. The cast also includes a range of acclaimed individuals, such as Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, Brian d’Arcy James, Christian Borle, and Katharine McPhee. Not to mention, the filming quality is more in the ballpark of movies rather than television.

"Smash" is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire - to be a "Smash." The series centers on a desire to create a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe - written by the successful songwriting duo of Tom (Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, "Legally Blonde: The Musical") and Julia (Emmy Award winner Debra Messing, "Will & Grace"). Julia recently began the process of adopting a child with her husband Frank (Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James, "Shrek The Musical") of many years, but her focus is torn when she has the opportunity to write another Broadway hit. A rivalry soon forms for the lead role between a youthful, inexperienced Midwestern beauty Karen (Katharine McPhee, "American Idol") - who is trying to find fame in the big city against all odds - and stage veteran Ivy Bell (Megan Hilty, "9 to 5: The Musical"), who's determined to leave the chorus line and finally get her big break. A tenacious producer Eileen (Oscar winner Anjelica Huston, "Prizzi's Honor") discovers the "Marilyn" project and jumps on board with a brilliant director, Derek (Jack Davenport, "Pirates of the Caribbean" films) - whose talent is matched by his cunning and egocentric amorality.

Did I not mention there is singing?

There’s singing.

I don’t mean that everyone suddenly bursts into song and dance in the middle of the street (although I do think that that is perfectly acceptable behavior)...it’s a show about a Broadway show, so of course there will be singing.

But please, please, please, do not compare this show to Glee (and I in no way mean that as an insult to either show). Yes, they both have singing, but, in my opinion, the comparison ends there.

As a lover of all things Broadway and theatre related, I had high expectations for this show that I didn’t think it would live up to. And, I have to admit, most of this had to do with the fact that I was pretty dubious of Katharine McPhee as the star of the show. Yes, we know she can sing, but act? With this kind of heavy-duty role and among a cast of Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winners and nominees?

But, she proved me wrong. While, this was still only one episode, I thought that Katharine McPhee did a pretty darn good job of living up to the high-pressure role.

Overall, I’m pretty excited to see how this show goes. Anjelica Huston and Debra Messing both delivered top-notch performances (I also really enjoyed Megan Hilty's performance as Ivy!). The songs were well-written and performed, and the storyline and characters were well built-up and developed. You will particularly enjoy the show if you are any kind of theatre nerd.

Those guys at NBC certainly do know what they are doing. It’s a pretty safe bet that I will watch the pilot again when it premieres Monday, Feb. 6 at 10:00 p.m.

If you also are curious and do not wait until then, you can watch the episode online here or here, or download it for free on iTunes.

Who knows, maybe Smash will be a smash!

New Mid-Season Shows - Alcatraz

Who’s ready for all of the exciting new mid-season shows?! Me, Me, Me, Me, Me!

Okay, confession time: I stopped watching Person of Interest. I know, I know, it really is a good show, I will not deny that, but I just could not get hooked.

Luckily, it was J.J. Abrams' mid-season show that I was more excited about seeing, when he announced his newest projects, than Person of Interest.

 

But, it may have had a little something to do with this guy:

Seriously, name one LOST fan who did not love Hurley!

But the premise sounded pretty fine and dandy too!

"From executive producer J.J. Abrams comes ALCATRAZ, a thrilling new series that follows a unique trio investigating the mystifying reappearance of 302 of Alcatraz’s most notorious prisoners and guards, 50 years after they vanished.


When San Francisco Police Department DET. REBECCA MADSEN (Sarah Jones) is assigned to a grisly homicide case, a fingerprint leads her to a seemingly impossible suspect: JACK SYLVANE (guest star Jeffrey Pierce), an Alcatraz inmate who died over 30 years ago. Given her family history – both her grandfather and surrogate uncle, RAY ARCHER (Robert Forster), were guards at the prison – Madsen’s interest is immediately piqued. When the enigmatic, knows-everything-but-tells-nothing government agent EMERSON HAUSER (Sam Neill) tries to impede her investigation, she becomes doggedly committed to it.

Madsen finds herself working with an unlikely partner, Alcatraz expert and comic book enthusiast DR. DIEGO “DOC” SOTO (Jorge Garcia), to help piece together the inexplicable sequence of events. The two discover that Sylvane is not only alive, but he’s loose on the streets of San Francisco, exacting decades-old revenge and leaving bodies in his wake. And strangely, he hasn’t aged a day since 1963, when Alcatraz was ruled by the iron-fisted WARDEN EDWIN JAMES (Jonny Coyne) and the sadistic ASSOCIATE WARDEN E.B. TILLER (Jason Butler Harner).


Detective Madsen and Soto must team with Hauser and his associate, LUCY BANERJEE (Parminder Nagra), to stop Sylvane’s vengeful killing spree. By delving into Alcatraz history, government cover-ups and Rebecca’s own heritage, the team will ultimately discover that Sylvane is only a small part of a much larger, more sinister present-day threat. Because even though he may be the first, it quickly becomes clear that Sylvane won’t be the last to reappear from Alcatraz.


During the course of the investigation, Madsen and Soto will learn that Hauser has been awaiting the prisoners’ return for nearly 50 years. Soto will witness his life’s work – the history of Alcatraz – come alive, while he and Madsen fight to keep the country safe from history’s most dangerous criminals."
- FOX.com


Alcatraz premiered this past Monday (taking Terra Nova's slot ironically enough) with a double episode, and I must say that I was hooked right away. Yes, I admit that I am a bit biased being a Abrams' fan and Jorge Garcia admirer (my brother actually met him in a bar in New York City one time!), but I think that this show has a lot more staying power than shows such as The Event and Terra Nova.


Why? Well, I shall tell you why.


Alcatraz certainly carries a lot of the same hallmarks as past Abrams' series, particularly Alias, but with some LOST thrown in for good measure. The main character is a bad-ass, independent woman who is dead set on finding out the truth about her past and the criminals who threaten her city, and there are also elements of FBI conspiracy (Alias). There are elements of mysterious time-travel that is not completely explained but that occur on an island (LOST).


While there is a strong main storyline thread that keeps you guessing (although the creators promise answers in the not too distant future as many people complained was the problem with LOST), each episode focuses on a different prisoner...similar to crime shows, but a really really cool crime show with criminals that are from a different era!


It is for these reasons, that I think the show has staying power...each new episode has its own interesting story that eventually all add together into a one main interesting story. I just hope this pattern continues...I need J.J. Abrams and Hurley in my life...


You can see if I'm wrong or right by watching Alcatraz on Fox, Monday nights at 9:00.


Photos courtesy of fox.com

New Fall Shows: Once Upon a Time

If you have read this blog, it’s no secret that I’m a big LOST fan (and for the record, I loved the finale, it wouldn’t be LOST if we weren’t left with a few a questions).

But I should also warn you that I have a tendency to be one of those super annoying “happily ever after” saps that most people would like to hit over the head with a copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.  

All of this together means that I have discovered the perfect television show for me:

 

“Once Upon A Time is, at its core, a story about hope. ‘For us, that’s what a fairytale is. It’s that ability to think your life will get better. It’s why you buy a lottery ticket—because if you win you get to tell your boss that you’re quitting and you get to move to Paris or wherever and be who you always wanted to be. And that’s Cinderella, right? One day she’s sweeping up and the next she’s going to the ball. Adam and I just wanted to write about something hopeful that for one hour a week allows one to put everything aside and have that feeling that your dreams just may come true.’ - Edward Kitsis, Co-Creator/Executive Producer

Emma Swan’s life has been anything but a fairytale. A 28-year-old bail bondsperson, she’s been taking care of herself since she was abandoned as a baby. But when Henry—the son she gave up 10 years ago—finds her, everything changes. Henry is desperate for his mom’s help and thinks that Emma is actually the long, lost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. Yes, the actual Snow White and Prince Charming. Even stranger, Henry believes that Storybrooke, the sleepy New England town he calls home, is really part of a curse cast by the Evil Queen, freezing fairytale characters in the modern world with no memory of their former selves.

Of course the seen-it-all Emma doesn’t believe a word, but when she gets to Storybrooke, she can’t help sensing that everything’s not quite what it seems. As Henry shows Emma around with the help of his fairytale book, the town, and its inhabitants like Henry’s therapist Archie Hopper and the enigmatic Mr. Gold, seem just strange enough to set off her already suspicious nature. She becomes even more concerned for Henry when she meets his adopted mother, Regina, who he suspects is none other than the Evil Queen herself!

Storybrooke is a place where magic has been forgotten—but is still powerfully close—and happily ever after seems just out of reach. In order to understand where the fairytale world’s former inhabitants came from, and what ultimately led to the Evil Queen’s wrath, you’ll need a glimpse into their previous lives. But it might just turn everything you’ve ever believed about these characters upside-down.

Meanwhile, the epic battle for the future of all worlds, modern and fairytale alike, is about to begin. For good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell.

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, two master storytellers behind Lost and Tron: Legacy, invite everyone to brace themselves for a modern fairytale with thrilling twists and hints of darkness, brimming with wonder and filled with the magic of our most beloved stories.

‘We kept circling back to the idea of fairytales. The very first stories that you hear when you're a kid. They're full of magic and heroics and fear and joy. But we also found fairytales are full of all these unanswered questions. Like why is Grumpy grumpy? Why is Geppetto so lonely that he'd actually carve a little boy out of wood? And did the Evil Queen really try to kill Snow White simply because of vanity? With Once Upon A Time, we set out to explore those questions and not re-tell these stories but attempt to dig beneath what we all know and try to discover something new.’ - Adam Horowitz, Co-Creator/Executive Producer” –ABC.com

This show is perfect for all the hopeful cynics out there (shush, they exist…trust me, I am one).

To prove my point, mon moment préféré in the premiere was when The Evil Queen declares she is sending everyone in the fairytale world to a place (wait for it…) “where there are no happy endings” (hey there Cynicism!).

And, why yes, she did in fact mean “our” world (like, the one we are in right now). Geesh, what a Debbie-Downer. What did we ever do to her anyway? I know that we tend to portray evil queens as, well, evil, and kind of, um, ugly, and heartless, and nobody ever likes them, but still. No happy endings? Has she never seen the show Happy Endings (she should have since they are on the same network)?

But I think Snow White has because she counters the queen by saying that “good always wins”. See? What did I tell ya? Optimism and Pessimism all in one!

But no matter if you are an optimist or a pessimist, this is a great show. The quality of acting is unsurpassable. I mean, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parilla, Jennifer Morrison, and Robert Carlyle? Seriously, who the heck was the casting director and how can I thank him (probably not with a basket of apples though right?)? Not to mention, it’s getting some pretty great feedback from both critics and viewers.

I’m already looking forward to next Sunday at 8:00 when I can have another “one hour a week allows one to put everything aside and have that feeling that your dreams just may come true”

All photos from ABC.com

New Fall Shows: Terra Nova

I think it is safe to say that Terra Nova was certainly one of the most anticipated new shows this year considering Steven Spielberg is one of the producers and promised a Jurassic Park-esque experience.

Steve ol’ pal, you had me at “dinosaurs”.

"TERRA NOVA follows an ordinary family on an incredible journey back in time to prehistoric Earth as a small part of a daring experiment to save the human race. In the year 2149, the world is dying. The planet is overdeveloped and overcrowded, with the majority of plant and animal life extinct. The future of mankind is in jeopardy, and its only hope for survival is in the distant past." - FOX.com

After watching the two-hour premiere, I have to say, I don’t think Terra Nova (for those of you who did not have the supremely delightful experience of taking Latin in high school, Terra Nova means New Land) disappointed. In fact, it was a whole lot better than I was even expecting.

I was sold on the idea of a dinosaur, futuristic, Jurassic Park-like show already, but then I watched it, and to my utter enjoyment I discovered that not only is this a Spielberg-dinosaur show, oh no, it’s a LOST show too!

Let me break it down a little:

Jurassic Park Similarities

1. Dinosaurs (duh)
2. Purposefully filmed at the same location that Jurassic Park was filmed at
3. The vehicles, guns, and compound gates also look vaguely familiar…

 

LOST Similarities

1. Time travel (Where are we and when are we?)
2. The Sixers = The Others
3. “What is this place really?”
4. Strange symbols from an unseen mysterious person that can unlock the secret to everything that is a mystery.

I swear I've seen a similar-looking promo somewhere before...

And that was only in the premiere! I can’t wait to see what this show has in store in the future (or I guess in this case it would in the past…)!

I’m a little excited about this if you couldn’t tell.

And I don’t think I’m the only one since the premiere has seemed to be getting positive reviews.

Also, I thought the special effects were great, and the whole in-the-not-so-distant-future-there-will-be-so-much-pollution-that-you-can’t-see-the-sun-and-need-masks-to-breathe-and-population-is-strictly-controlled aspect is actually pretty probable, so while kind of frightening, is also very intriguing.

I’m also fascinated by the fact that all of the characters are from the future (2149 A.D. to be exact) but the majority of the show, and from this point forward, takes place 85 million years ago. Therefore, none of the characters and settings is directly relatable to the audience, but yet they are at the same time. There are still the fundamental concepts of family, friendship, loss, and survival, but just within circumstances (both prehistoric and extremely advanced all at the same time) that we have never experienced.

I will now conclude my geeking-out portion of this post.

If you are a fan of Jurassic Park, or LOST (if you dislike LOST then we can not be friends anyway), or both, or if you like shows with adventure, mystery, and sci-fi elements, then you NEED to watch this show.

Monday nights at 8:00 PM on Fox.

This concludes the coverage of new fall premieres (at least until Once Upon a Time in October, which is actually the show I have been looking forward to the most of all)

Anything you watched and liked that I missed?

All photos from FOX.com

New Fall Shows: Pan Am

Since I’m still riding on my wave of Mad Men enthusiasm, I was really looking forward to the new show, Pan Am, as a way of getting my 60’s-era fix.

"Welcome to 1963: a time when only a lucky few could take flight, experience a global adventure or gain a front-row seat to history. Those lucky few flew Pan Am, the largest, most prestigious airline in the world. More than Coca-Cola, Elvis Presley or the transistor, Pan Am exported American culture to the world abroad and brought that world back to American shores.

The jet age has arrived and Pan Am’s Clipper Majestic is about to embark on its inaugural flight with Captain Dean Lowrey at the helm. Dean, who has recently been made captain wouldn’t trade this moment for anything in the world. Step by step, Maggie Ryan has climbed her way up to a better life, to greater opportunity. As Purser of Pan Am’s new Clipper Majestic, she’s at last riding high; determined not to fall. Kate Cameron left her sheltered life in East Granby, Connecticut to brave the intrigue of a wide new world. Now, she must brave even more intrigue in becoming an international agent for the CIA. In running off on her wedding day, Kate’s sister, Laura Cameron, left her past and future, following her older sibling to the skies of Pan Am; a bold move, but one with serious personal consequences. Born and raised in France, Colette Valois has an innate understanding of international affairs. But in affairs of the heart, she’s still a wanderer, a searcher, a soul traveling a confused sea. First Officer and Co-Pilot Ted Vanderway, a former Navy test pilot, finds the commercial skies every bit as turbulent as he struggles to overcome past mistakes and prove his worth as an aviator.

Join our crew as they travel to intoxicating cities such as Paris, Berlin, Monte Carlo and Rome and bump into history along the way. Through their eyes we revisit an era nearly half a century ago. So, buckle up; adventure calls. And thank you for choosing Pan Am." -ABC.com

The general consensus among the critics seems to be that it’s not as good as Mad Men, but better than NBC’s The Playboy Club (do not even get me started on that show).

And I agree. But it also seems that I liked the show more than most critics.

Similarly to Mad Men, it appears that the creators intend to incorporate significant historical events, standards, and stereotypes. However, unlike Mad Men, there was not a great deal of strong characterization or extreme delving into the issues of the time period. Which it seems is what most of the criticisms are stemming from.

Um, did they forget that this was only the first episode? I agree, it seems like Pan Am is a little more on the light-hearted side of things, but they have to save some things for future episodes and (fingers-crossed) seasons. And, to be quite honest, what’s wrong with a show that, while maybe not having a huge amount of substance (yet), is enjoyable to watch?

Overall, I thought the show did a splendid job at portraying the time period and lifestyle of a Pan Am flight attendant, and at setting up storylines that make you become invested in the characters.

In fact, remember how Mad Men made me appreciate the fact that I’m not a 20-something woman in the 1960’s? Well, Pan Am actually made me wish I was a Pan Am flight attendant back in the 60’s.You get to travel, see the world, and, oh, be a CIA agent.

Anyone have a DeLorean they are not using?

No?

Darn.

In the meantime, I will be watching Pam Am on ABC, Sunday nights at 10 PM.

Tomorrow: My thoughts on Terra Nova. Spoiler: I liked it.

All photos from ABC.com

New Fall Shows: Person of Interest

I'm a big J.J Abrams fan so I was super excited for this new show on CBS since it was developed by J.J. Abrams and Jonathan Nolan, AND it stars Michael Emerson, who played the infamous character Ben on LOST. Plus, the description of the show sounded quite unique.


"PERSON OF INTEREST stars Jim Caviezel, Emmy Award winner Michael Emerson and Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson in a crime thriller about a presumed dead former-CIA agent, Reese, who teams up with a mysterious billionaire, Finch, to prevent violent crimes by using their own brand of vigilante justice. Reese's special training in covert operations appeals to Finch, a software genius who invented a program that uses pattern recognition to identify people about to be involved in violent crimes. Using state-of-the-art surveillance technology, the two work outside of the law, using Reese's adept skills and Finch's unlimited wealth to unravel the mystery of the "person of interest" and stop the crime before it happens. Reese's actions draw the attention of the NYPD, including homicide detective Carter, and Fusco, a cop whom Reese uses to his advantage. With infinite crimes to investigate, Reese and Finch find that the right person, with the right information, at the right time, can change everything." - CBS.com

After watching this show, I am a little on the fence about whether or not I would like to keep watching. I am very intrigued by the fact that this show is unlike any other on television, combining mystery, crime, drama, and action. It is also fascinating from a post-9/11 perspective since the machine that Emerson's character developed to predict crimes was invented in an attempt to prevent the next 9/11 from happening, and does so by the government observing every citizen using security cameras that are everywhere. 

The one aspect of the show that I can't quite decide if I like or not is the character Reese. He is supposed to be "the hero" of the show, but a dark one, and to be quite honest, he kind of scares me. This is actually a good thing since his character is someone you should be scared of; he is extremely multidimensional. Just because he is working to stop crimes and save people, and he will only kill someone if he has to, he chooses to remain isolated from society; he is stoic and rather cold (Also, is it just me, or does he look like a slightly older Jack Shepard?). I'm just trying to decide if he creeps me out TOO much to keep me from watching.

Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous that I wouldn't watch a show that I otherwise like because a character is a little creepy. 


I'm a scaredy-cat, so be it.


So for now, I am going to keep watching, and give it a whole-hearted recommendation, but I can't make any promises that I  will keep watching.


Also, I must say Michael Emerson is incredibly perfect for the role of Finch. He is awesome. 

So if you're looking for a new Abrams-fix and something different, give Person of Interest a try on CBS, Thursday night at 9 PM.


Looking forward to Pan Am tonight!


All photos courtesy of CBS.com

New Fall Shows: Charlie's Angels

I have to confess that I didn’t really watch all of Charlie’s Angels last night.

 

But I had a good reason- dinner (yes, I frequently eat dinner at 8:30).

However, I saw enough to form a bit of an opinion on it, and from what I have heard, I didn’t really miss that much.

 "Set and filmed in Miami, this fun, glamorous, action-packed take on the 1970s smash hit series introduces us to three new angels, all fearless detectives, head-turning beauties and close friends. There's Abby (Rachael Taylor), a Park Avenue princess who became a world-class thief. Then there's Kate (Annie Ilonzeh), a Miami cop who fell from grace, losing both her career and her fiancé. Finally there's Gloria, a disgraced army lieutenant who has a way with explosives. When one of the angels' missions ends in Gloria's tragic death, Charlie persuades them to partner with Gloria's childhood friend, Eve (Minka Kelly), a street racer with a mysterious past. They may not know each other yet, but one thing's for sure -- Abby, Kate and Eve will always have each others' backs. The angels are rounded out by the new Bosley (Ramon Rodriguez), a hot, young computer hacker who helps them solve cases and enjoys being surrounded by powerful, beautiful women." -ABC.com

In my personal opinion, if you are going to do a remake of a show that is as iconic as Charlie’s Angels, you better do a damn good job of it. And I don’t think the creators of this reboot even did a good job, let alone a damn good job.

Is that really the best you can do?! I've seen more realistic Charlie's Angels poses on Facebook!

I really really hate to criticize, but I think the writing was just plain awful. The first 10 minutes of the show are pretty dramatic, but the dialogue came across as really cheesy and fake. Rather than thinking: “Oh my goodness! I can’t believe that just happened, I feel so bad for them!” I was thinking: “Did she really just say that? That is not what a normal person would say!”  Some reviews that I read declare that the acting was not that good, but even the best actor can’t turn a terrible script into something worth watching.

 

The other problem I had was with the character of Bosley, or I should say I have a problem with the way the character was casted. I have a feeling they went for a young, and, to be quite honest, hot Bosley because they want to set up some kind of romantic storyline, but it just seemed strange to me. Isn’t he supposed to be a kind of goofy, fatherly figure to the girls?

 

I’m going to give this show a few more chances because it is Charlie’s Angles after all, and I did enjoy Minka Kelly’s character quite a bit, but I have a feeling this may be the first new show this fall that gets axed from my To-Watch List.

 

Hoping to watch Person of Interest (LOST people! Yay!) over the weekend so I can cross that off my list before Pan Am Sunday night.

I swear I have a life outside of TV. Really.

All photos courtesy of ABC.com

New Fall Shows: Revenge

Revenge is a modern re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo (!) starring Emily VanCamp (!) and taking place in the Hamptons (!).

"Emily Thorne (Emily Van Camp) is new to the Hamptons. She's met some of her wealthy neighbors, has made a few new friends and seemingly blends into the town. But something is a little odd about a young girl living in a wealthy town all on her own, and the truth is that Emily isn't exactly new to the neighborhood. In fact, this was once her old neighborhood, until something bad happened that ruined her family and their reputation. Now Emily is back, and she's returned to right some of those wrongs in the best way she knows how – with a vengeance." -ABC.com

I loved The Count of Monte Cristo when I read it, I’ve admired Emily VanCamp since her early Everwood days, and while I’ve never been to the Hamptons, I don’t think there is anyone on the planet who would deny that it is a beautiful place. And probably the perfect setting for a story that involves the rich and glamorous lying, keeping secrets, and backstabbing, to save themselves and make even more money (Here’s a tip: if you can afford a mansion roughly the size of a department store, on the beach, in the Hamptons…you can stop…you are rich enough. No need to embezzle any more millions).

But Amanda, a.k.a Emily Thorne, comes onto the scene to seek revenge…dum, dum, dum.

 

And let me tell you something, I would not want to get on her bad side. She pulls off the “sweet, new girl on the beach” act flawlessly (probably because she was that person once), but it becomes very clear that she is cunning, smart, definitely not messing around, and has no problem with crushing a grown man’s wind-pipe. You go girl. Go Amanda for the whole wind-pipe-crushing thing, and Emily VanCamp for pulling off the character wonderfully.

But I also wouldn’t want to mess with Victoria, “The Queen of the Hamptons”. She seriously gives me the heebie-jeebies. And she just happens to be Amanda’s main target.

She looks like she is ready to cut someone with her crystal champagne glass!

Let the war of women’s wits begin. Will desperation (Victoria) or vengeance (Amanda) win? Dum, dum, dum…(Are you getting tired of that yet? Cause I’m not!)

I’m interested to see where this show goes, especially since we got a small taste of what happens in the future in the first few minutes of the premiere. It appears that the producers of Revenge are planning on making the whole, or at least most, of the season a flashback of what happened during the five months prior to the opening scene. And within that flashback are more flashbacks of what happened to get Amanda to this point of seeking revenge against these particular Hamptonites. Flashforwards and flashbacks and present- time all together…are we sure that someone from LOST isn’t a part of this show?

 

While this made everything slightly confusing at first, I think it was a wise move since it shows the audience what they can expect, which will hopefully make the viewing audience stick around for more than just a few episodes.

Catch up online and then start watching Wednesday nights at 10:00 on ABC so I don’t have to be the only one drooling over all of the Hampton boys-- I mean, beaches.

Dum, dum, dum…

Tomorrow: Charlie's Angels!

All photos courtesy of ABC.com

Mad (Mad, I Tell You, Mad!) Men

I have only ever heard good things about the television show Mad Men. But I had never watched it, mainly because I knew that in order to start, I would have to catch up on a few seasons, and I didn’t have enough, you guessed it, time.

My brother recently began to catch up on all the episodes of Mad Men at the encouragement of his girlfriend, and they both encouraged me to take it up as well. Since the three of us share a deep obsession love for LOST, I trust their judgment when it comes to this kind of thing. But I still had the problem of trying to watch four seasons of Mad Men without having to buy them or have them clog up my Netflix queue (yeah, yeah, I know, what a terrible dilemma).

Netflix Instant to the rescue: all four seasons just became available for instant streaming. Plus, the fifth season does not begin until spring, giving me ample time to catch up.

Turns out, I don’t need all that time. I began my foray into the 1960’s Madison Avenue advertising world exactly one week ago and I already have season 1 and most of season 2 under my belt (let me just say, before you think that I am completely bonkers, that there are “only” thirteen episodes per season). I think it is safe to say that I have officially been won over by Mad Men.

It certainly is not hard to be won over by this show though. It presents a very realistic and fascinating peek into the way society functioned in the late 1950’s/early 1960’s. In their world, no one blinks an eye at a pregnant woman smoking and drinking, the men drink at work starting around noon, and it is rare for a woman to be anything other than a housewife or secretary. Yet, all of these fascinating and provocative tidbits are just on the surface. When you look deeper, you find complex, multifaceted characters.

There is no character on this show that I completely like (except for Bobby Draper…I would adopt him if I could), and no one that I completely dislike. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses about them; they are all flawed. Translation: they are all human (gasp!). I forget that I am watching actors play their roles, instead I often feel like I am spying on others’ lives. And that, my friends, is the make of great acting, on a great show.

This love-hate relationship is particularly true for the infamous Don Draper. I find myself routing for him one second, and then hating him the next. Yet, even while I am routing against him, I feel sorry for him. I think many people are a product of their upbringing and their environment, and I think this is painfully true for many of these characters, but especially for Don Draper. I’m looking forward to learning more of the intricacies of his character.

Next to Don Draper, I think the most complex and intriguing character is his wife, Betty Draper. It is the same situation of love-hate in which my heart aches for her, as she seems to be on the edge of a complete nervous breakdown, and then the next second I am deterred by her moments of shallowness.

Yet, her character is the epitome of what I love most about this show. It is a constant reminder to me to be grateful that I live in a time when it is commonplace for women to go to med school and getting married doesn’t mean that you have to stay at home and have dinner ready on the table when your husband gets home.

As much as I enjoy getting a glimpse into this world, I appreciate that I don’t actually have to live in it. Except for the clothes, I wouldn’t mind getting to wear some of those clothes.

Don't worry! After watching Mad Men, I would still pick scrubs over an apron (but I do love a good apron)!