So yeah. I pretty much disappeared. Besides working, Rob and I have been prepping, painting and moving. OMG. It’s an incredible amount of work. In the past week, we’ve painted the entry, great room, staircase, 2nd floor hallway, and master bedroom. And there’s still many more rooms to finish. We thought we would be done with the entire house this weekend but that didn’t happen. We totally got burned out. Not to mention that the movers came last Friday so we’ve also been busy unpacking and trying to get things organized and livable. We’re getting there sloooooowly. Very slowly.

Catching up (a little) with the meme (I’m such a failure at these)…

Day 08 – A show everyone should watch

Friday Night Lights. This show is AMAZING. I think many people get caught up in the football/sports aspect of it and don’t give it a chance. It’s so much more than that. Football provides the framework but this is about small town life in Dillon, TX and the people that make it their home. The characters are likable and real, the storylines are rich with emotion, and the show’s not afraid to take risks (some bad – Tyra & Landry’s season 2 storyline, some good – turning the show upside down at the end of season 3). Catch up on DVD! You won’t regret it.

Day 09 – Best scene ever

From Dawson’s Creek episode 3.22: The Anti-Prom…
Joey: I’ve been meaning to ask you something all night, Pacey. Would you like to dance with me?
Pacey: Yes. (they move to the dance floor) How come this feels so right?
Joey: It was those dance lessons.
Pacey: (he looks at her earrings) Where did you get those? They’re not you.
Joey: Why? Because I’m just a poor tomboy or… Dawson gave them to me.
Pacey: Nah. (raising her hand with the bracelet) See this? This is you. It’s not showy or gaudy. It’s simple. Elegant. Beautiful.
Joey: It’s my mom’s bracelet.
Pacey: I know.
Joey: How do you know?
Pacey: Well, because you told me. Six months ago. You were wearing that blue sweater with the snowflakes that you have. You were walking down the hallway at school. I was annoying you as per usual. You said, “Look, Pacey, I just found my mother’s bracelet this morning… so why don’t you cut me some slack?”
Joey: You remember that?
Pacey: (whispering) I remember everything.

LOVE THIS SO MUCH. The ultimate romantic moment.

Day 10 – A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving

Burn Notice. Rob started watching this show and I just wasn’t interested. The burned spy premise sounded intriguing but nothing about the cast (specifically Gabrielle Anwar) or the advertising appealed to me. Yes, I’m *that* superficial. Fast forward a few years later when I happen to catch an episode and instantly fall in love with Michael Westen. He’s smart, witty, and unbelievably charming. I’ve only seen season 3 on but hope to catch up with the beginning soon.

Day 11 – A show that disappointed you

Heroes. It doesn’t even get its own photo that’s how bitter I am about this show. Season 1 was so great — an ordinary group of people discovering their powers and figuring out how to go about their lives. But it allll went downhill from there. They ruined perfectly good characters with lame storylines (Hiro’s time travel in season 2 was an absolute snoozefest, Peter in Ireland also comes to mind). Characters were introduced only to let them fall by the wayside (Maya, Elle, Monica). Story arcs were unclear and confusing (only season 1 had a fulfilling arc – after that, I had no clue what the point of each season was supposed to be). What wasted potential.

The rest of the prompts…

Day 01 – A show that should never have been canceled
Day 02 – A show that you wish more people were watching
Day 03 – Your favorite new show (aired this TV season)
Day 04 – Your favorite show ever
Day 05 – A show you hate
Day 06 – Favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 07 – Least favorite episode of your favorite TV show
Day 08 – A show everyone should watch
Day 09 – Best scene ever
Day 10 – A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 11 – A show that disappointed you
Day 12 – An episode you’ve watched more than 5 times
Day 13 – Favorite childhood show
Day 14 – Favorite male character
Day 15 – Favorite female character
Day 16 – Your guilty pleasure show
Day 17 – Favorite mini series
Day 18 – Favorite title sequence
Day 19 – Best TV show cast
Day 20 – Favorite kiss
Day 21 – Favorite ship
Day 22 – Favorite series finale
Day 23 – Most annoying character
Day 24 – Best quote
Day 25 – A show you plan on watching (old or new)
Day 26 – OMG WTF? Season finale
Day 27 – Best pilot episode
Day 28 – First TV show obsession
Day 29 – Current TV show obsession
Day 30 – Saddest character death

Rob was out of town last week so I took advantage of the fact that I had the TV all to myself and caught up on some of my girly shows! Some brief thoughts…

Ugly Betty
I’m finding Amanda really grating and annoying this season. It might be her storyline bringing out the worst in her. Is it just me? And possibly another unpopular opinion but I think I’m starting to prefer Betty/Gio over Betty/Henry. Last season I adored Henry and was totally rooting for a relationship between him and Betty. But now that they’re a couple, they just don’t work for me anymore… they’re actually, dare I say it, a little boring. :/

One Tree Hill
I know that Peyton has been a completely unreasonable b*tch so far this season but I can’t help it… I’m still a Peyton apologist. I just love her and want her to be happy. And I take back what I said originally about Lindsey, I have decided that I am not a fan. Mostly because I don’t believe that her character is going to last long in the world of Tree Hill (I mean, come on) so quite honestly, I don’t feel the need to get invested. Anyway, I knew it — I knew Nanny Carrie was up to no good. I’m so pissed at Nathan for not doing anything or SAYING anything about her completely inappropriate behavior. ARGH. Why, Nathan?!? It’s totally going to come up again because there is no way that Carrie’s storyline is done. BOO.

Lipstick Jungle
I’ve only seen the pilot and the most recent episode and it’s marginally better than Cashmere Mafia. And that’s mostly because I like Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, and Lindsay Price (she looks exactly the same as she did on 90210) and find their friendship/personalities to be relatable and believable. (Except why is Lindsay’s character named Victory?! Really?) I never would have thought these 3 actresses would work so well together but they do. I’ll watch the show if I happen to remember that it’s on but I won’t go out of my way. It’s too bad… I really wanted to “click” with this show. Can you tell I miss Sex and the City?

I just realized that I haven’t watched the last 3 episodes of Smallville and I’m too lazy to download them… anyone want to fill me in?

YAY — NBC renewed Friday Night Lights! Woot.

Finally, voting for Diesel is still going on here.

I just LOVE it. It’s so shiny and pretty. I kept staring at it during work today.

Hmmm, I really need a manicure. Stat.

In TV news, it’s Upfronts week! NBC’s was today and there’s nothing really exciting to note except for the following…

– Heroes is expanding its universe with 6 stand-alone episodes revolving around new characters and their back stories. I love this show so I’m sure these Origins episodes will be just as awesome. This means 30 new Heroes episodes. Woot!
– Friday Night Lights is moving to Friday nights at 10pm. I’m so happy the show’s getting a second season but I just hate that the show’s stuck on Fridays. UGH. But maybe that’s my own hang-up… I don’t normally watch TV on Fridays. Hopefully this move will be a good thing since it’s away from American Idol and other heavyweight shows that air on Tuesdays.

I’m half-watching and half-listening to tonight’s episode of 24 and it’s totally upsetting me. This season is totally awful.

I’m crossing my fingers for a second season. (Does anyone know anything official about this?)

Ok, off to watch the finale again… and again…

I usually have big plans like cleaning the apartment, doing laundry, going to the gym, etc. But what always happens is that I catch up with my TV and eat. A LOT. For example, I rarely ever eat donuts but this weekend, we passed by Krispy Kreme and I think I inhaled about 6. YIKES.

And I think I totally overdosed on TV too. I caught up with most shows (except Studio 60 and Gilmore Girls) and I blew through a cumulative total of 10+ episodes to get almost-but-not-quite caught up with Smallville and Friday Night Lights.

Honestly, I’m not sure why I still watch Smallville sometimes, lol. Lex and Lana (the characters and their relationship) are ruined to me and I’m finding myself really loving Chloe. WHAT IS GOING ON?!

But Friday Night Lights is a completely different show and gawd, I absolutely love it. I cry for Jason, I get angry at Smash, I am sad for Matt, I am horrified yet understanding about the Street/Taylor lawsuit, and I go “Awww” for Matt/Julie and Coach/Tami. This show? It sure makes me feel. I especially love all the men. They’re the ones that make this show work for me. The ladies are great too (except Tyra — after 13 episodes, I haven’t warmed up to her at all) but they don’t really hold a candle to Coach, Matt, Jason, Tim, Smash, and Landry. *hugs them all*

So I’m watching the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy and all of a sudden, I see an old friend of mine from high school!!! He was playing a paramedic at the beginning of the episode and he actually had a few lines talking to Derek. Is that weird OR WHAT?! Back in high school, he was always the one who tried out for school plays/musicals so I’m not surprised to find that he’s still working at it. I’m so happy for him. We weren’t super close or anything but we had a lot of mutual friends so we kinda ran around the same circles and went to school events together as part of a big group. (Robyn, if you’re reading this, it was Tim!) The other big surprise of the episode was the very end. You know what I’m talking about. Mmmm. Also, Izzie needs to learn when to keep her mouth shut. Chastising George about his marriage was SO not appropriate at that time. I used to love her so much. But now, I can’t stand her. I think I might even like George more than her. Which is saying a lot.

The series finale of The OC is just days away. The penultimate episode was great but I couldn’t watch it without feeling sad. I did love the following moments:

– Ryan: I suddenly have the urge to listen to Death Cab and….read comic books.
Seth: Really?
Ryan: No.
– the callbacks to prior storylines and characters… Lindsay/Sadie, making a list of everyone Ryan’s punched in Newport
– Taylor diving into the kitchen before shooting her mom. BWAH.
– Ryan: I don’t know if I mentioned…
Seth: You did.
– Ryan and Seth becoming blood brothers
– Seth: If we could’ve turned this into a body swap comedy, we could’ve squeezed another year or two out of this.

I have high hopes for the finale. *sobs*

I think I’m giving up America’s Next Top Model. I have too many shows to keep up with and something has to go. Especially since I’d like to give The Black Donnellys a try.

Spoiler warning!

It was gritty and moving and thoroughly engaging. And there was just enough character development to make you want more. I want to learn about the lives of Smash and Tim and why they seem so darn angry. I want to find out what Jason’s injury will do to his self-confidence and to his relationship with Lyla. And I also want to see how Coach Taylor will deal with the town, the expectations and the loss of his star quarterback. SO MUCH GOING ON!

I don’t even like football but this is a GREAT show. I hope it does well.

If you want to catch the pilot, it’s up on NBC.com. Go Panthers!

I keep seeing promos for Friday Night Lights. I wasn’t originally planning on watching this show but… I might. It looks pretty! And I love the Fort Minor song that plays over the promo. What is wrong with me?! I don’t even like football, people. *sigh*

Does anyone know any fansites where I can find hi-res photos for the new TV shows (ie. Studio 60, Heroes, etc)? I haven’t had much luck while searching today.
So, my thoughts on a few returning shows…

Prison Break
There’s something *off* this season for me. Maybe it’s because the prison isn’t the primary setting anymore. I’ve always enjoyed the prison politics and now that they’re outside, it’s not so exciting for me. Especially since I CANNOT STAND the thought of T-Bags loose in the world. It gives me the creeps. And I just can’t take Mahone seriously. He’s too smart. I mean, really. REALLY? But whatever, Michael in a suit keeps me coming back. Though how DOES he keep that suit so clean?

America’s Next Top Model
BWAHAHAHA. This show is awesome. I don’t know everyone’s names yet except Monique. Girl is CRAZY. I thought Jade (from last cycle) was arrogant but Monique is about ten times worse. UGH. No favorites just yet but I am liking the twins. They’ve both had amazing pictures. Oh, and Anchal rocks because she was the only one to actually say something to Monique when she was monopolizing the phone.

Grey’s Anatomy
Whoa, McSteamy. Go Addison! Hehe. In all seriousness, I am SO GLAD it looks like Derek and Addison are headed towards separation. Actually, I am SO GLAD *Derek* has finally realized that their relationship is over. Addison really wanted to try and repair their marriage and he went along with it because he thought it was the right thing to do. Ugh, he just prolonged their pain. And made himself look like a complete weasel since he continued to string Meredith along. I really liked Meredith and Derek in the first season but season 2 left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Still loving Cristina. Still don’t like George. But I like Callie. Which is weird since her storyline (as of now) revolves around George. And am I the only one who doesn’t think Izzie should return to the surgical program? I love her BUT she got too emotionally involved with a patient, she worsened his condition to get him a heart… she pretty much broke every rule in the book. I’m willing to suspend belief for my shows but seriously? She would not be returning to surgery.

Smallville
I *really* enjoyed the premiere. I can’t believe I’m so excited about this season. It might have been the promo picures I just stumbled on… or maybe it was because it was a solid episode. I loved the fight between Clark and Zod (“Kneel before Zod”). I loved that Chloe brushed off her kiss with Clark… and I actually believed her. I loved the open-ended Lex/Lana scene at the end (so angsty!). Plus, this episode introduced Jimmy Olsen! I think the show needed a fresh face. I’m definitely intrigued. It’ll be interesting to see where Clark is headed now that he’s pretty much all alone (can’t confide in Lex or Lana and Jor El and the Fortress are closed to him).