TV time.

Glee: Oh hello, Glee! I missed you. "Hell-o" felt like a season premiere, as the writers reintroduced the major characters (Will, Rachel, Finn, and Sue) and shuffled them into place. Similar to the pilot, a lot happens here. I'm thrilled with the addition of Jonathan Groff to the cast - his voice matches Lea Michele's in ways Cory Monteith's never will, and the pair have excellent chemistry. Unfortunately, "Hell-o" also contained a hearty dose of sexism, as Will and Finn strive to find their special snowflake selves despite the "craziness" of the women around them. When Emma told Will "maybe you're trading [Terri's] crazy for my crazy," I almost gagged (I also want to punch Matthew Morrison whenever he makes his "Maybe You're Right That I Am Actually Too Good for You" Face). As usual, I loved Brittany ("Did you know that dolphins are gay sharks?") the most. Next week, this.

Fables #94

King Cole: If you're going to indulge in the messy world of real-politics, Ozma, you've an important lesson to learn - forgiveness only accompanies success. Failure is still and always a crime.

The Unnamed

If Joshua Ferris' first book took a while to grab me (and ultimately, won me over), his second novel, The Unnamed, had me, and then lost me somewhere west of the Rocky Mountains. Initially, Ferris portrays Tim's disease as a tragic disruption of everyday life. A high-powered attorney, Tim walks out in the middle of trial. His wanderings force his wife, Jane, to scour area hospitals and police stations, searching for her wayward husband. He undergoes bizarre tests that leave him home alone watching TV with his overweight, distant daughter. The books begins as a portrait of privileged, suburban life, disrupted by the suddenness of illness. Tim's body does dangerous, unhealthy things he cannot understand; his condition throws his life into chaos.

To Max Records.

I know you are just a kid, but I kind of wanted to slap you for the last third of Where the Wild Things Are. You kept making that same "I Don't Understand These Unintended Negative Consequences of My Actions" Face, and it seriously bugged. I still liked the movie, though (Becca explains why, here). I especially loved Lauren Ambrose's line reading of "They're these really good friends of mine." KW's on-again off-again teen snobbery matched Max's little kid left behind frustration perfectly.

Uncanny X-Men #523

Color me surprised by the number of plot developments that occurred in this issue (the second chapter of Second Coming). Not only did Cyclops admit his role in the formation of X-Force to an increasingly irate Nightcrawler, but the Alpha Squad (pictured here) actually found Cable and Hope (the supposed mutant messiah recently returned from the future).

That said, it's not a very fun time to be an X-Man. The mutant species is on the brink of extinction, a futuristic cyborg (Bastion) has amassed an army of racists who want nothing more than to wipe them off the planet, and their leader (Cyclops) has resorted to sending teenage girls turned living weapons (X-23) into battle with a license to kill. It's all rather dour. The entire line needs some levity before the reading experience becomes as depressing as the stories themselves.

Song for you.

April playlist now posted (with links).

TV time.

Survivor: Goodbye, Boston Rob. At least you left with one of the best exit lines in recent memory (to Coach, "you're a little man"). I was definitely rooting for the Rob/Courtney/Sandra alliance to prevail, but I understand Jerri's decision to side with Russell/Parvati/Danielle. At the end of the day, I'd certainly rather be sitting next to some combination of the latter three (with the exception of Parvati, who is just as dangerous a threat as everyone has made her out to be; she not only plays the game, but the entire construct of the show. You want a te-he "black widow" type? She'll give you one, and then she'll win the whole damn thing [Apparently, I have a lot to say about Parvati]). Russell is a gifted strategist, but he has no idea how to play the social game. He's the ideal final two or three partner because he will get you to the end making big, bold moves that drive people to hate his guts.