TV time.

A resounding "yes" to Parks & Recreation, currently the funniest comedy on NBC. Remember loving The Office because it struck a perfect balance between heartwarming and cynical? Remember when The Office was funny? This feels like that; I genuinely enjoy spending time with these people. Amy Poehler has shaped Leslie Knope into a capable idealist surrounded by doubtful eye-rollers whose chests nonetheless swell with pride upon witnessing her achievements. Despite their spats, the characters really like each other, making it all the easier to love them.

Short cuts.

Avatar: Beautiful pictures (Pandora at night in 3D? Yes, please). Cheesy dialogue ("I see you"). Unoriginal script occasionally bordering on the ridiculous (your Home-Tree is sitting on my Unobtainium!). About forty-five minutes too long (let's bond with another jungle creature). Glad I saw it, but I never need to see it again.

Dollhouse: That last episode sucked. I mean, magic spinal fluid? That was the whole point of Caroline? Not to mention, they successfully assassinated Boyd's character ("you're my family") faster than the Battlestar writers killed Tory's, which I didn't think possible. If you're going to make him the Surprise Villian, he needs to have an actual motivation. A big, unfortunate mess. That said, I'm still optimistic they can salvage what's left for the finale.

All of this has happened before.

After watching "The Attic," the latest Dollhouse episode, I've come to a few conclusions about Joss Whedon. First, he loves The Matrix. "The Attic" wins the title of Most Obvious Whedon Matrix Homage: Adelle sends Echo, Victor, and Sierra into a computer program where they meet an old man who explains the plot, while their bodies reside in creepy, shrink-wrapped, goo-filled coffins* (I know). "The Attic" not only highlighted Joss' Neo boner, however, but also awakened me to numerous plot/thematic elements that have recurred throughout his body of work.

Fine in 09: TV

Instead of listing my five favorite TV shows, I've listed my five favorite TV characters of the past year. Working with individual characters expands the playing field, and makes things much more interesting/fun.

April (In Treatment): It will be a shame when Alison Pill doesn't win an Emmy for her work on this show. The structure of In Treatment (each episode covers one half-hour therapy session) demands the actors do little besides talk to each other. The writers also presented Pill with a defensive, stubborn character, unwilling to tell Paul (and the audience) directly the troubling details of her life (much less her cancer diagnosis). By season's end, April stopped therapy in order to focus on her physical health (to Paul's disappointment) but her renewed will to live was a triumph worth celebrating.

Cameron (Modern Family): The funniest character of the 09-10 season, Cameron's quiet confidence allows him to hilariously comment on the insanity of his boyfriend's family ("There's a fish that carries its babies around in its mouth. That fish would take one look at Mitchel's relationship with his mother and say, 'that's messed up.'"). He loves football, clowning, Diana Ross, and debuted his adopted daughter to "The Circle of Life," but he'll also kick your ass for messing with his loved ones.

Dr. Claire Saunders (Dollhouse): Amy Acker has only appeared once during Dollhouse's second season, but she left a lasting impression. Her character (a disfigured Doll programmed to serve as the in-house physician) raised fascinating moral ambiguities regarding the Dollhouse's work. Does a programmed persona deserve the chance to live once that personality inhabits a real person? Clarie's ongoing search for self (are any of her thoughts/feelings authentic, or just part of a computer program?) made her the most compelling character on the show.

Don Draper (Mad Men): Yes, he's an asshole, a horrible husband, a cheat, has a temper, regularly ignores his children, and tends to bail on people when the going gets tough. The show works because sometimes you don't want to root for Don. When he dismisses Sal with the homophobic "you people," or yells at Peggy to relieve his own stress, we'd really like to punch him in the face. The writers aren't afraid to show us Don's dark side, making his victories (the moments he connects with his kids or recognizes his co-workers' talents, his brilliant plotting in the finale) all the more memorable. Plus, the man exhales charisma.

Rachel Barry (Glee): She's annoying, overly ambitious, self-centered, and occasionally lacks basic social graces, but don't ever forget that Rachel Barry cares. She cares about her team, even if that team includes people like Quinn (and Kurt), who spend their time making her miserable. She cares about rising above and performing to the best of her ability. Rachel isn't afraid to stand on stage and sing like the world is ending. She might "want everything too much," but that doesn't stop her from pursuing her goals with a relentless (occasionally manic) vigor.

Honorable Mentions: Peggy Olsen (Mad Men), Kurt Hummel and Quinn Fabray (Glee), and Adelle Dewitt (Dollhouse).

TV time.

Dollhouse "A Love Supreme": Can Alan Tudyk guest star every week? He's made Alpha into the Dollhouse version of the Joker - chaotic, unreliable, and menacing, yet also fun, dashing, and poignant. He brings an immediate sense of danger to any story. He also makes a good foil for Echo; while Alpha succumbs to his multiple personalities, Echo fights to control hers, thus maintaining a sense of autonomy. I like the idea that Echo (originally intended as a blank, Active persona) has developed into a functioning person (even if she's merely a composite of all the people she's been), and that it was Alpha who ignited her "awakening." It explains why Echo is more "special" than the other Dolls - they didn't experience a composite event, so they haven't been triggered. When Echo tells Adelle "I'm like [Alpha]" we understand her unique role in the series' mythology, and thus why we're supposed to care about her.

Glee: I loved "Sectionals" upon initial viewing, but the further I stray, the more cracks I see in the pavement. The Will/Emma final moment didn't work for me. Will hasn't done anything to deserve Emma's affection; he's still kind of a douche, and incredibly patronizing toward everyone around him (the kids, Terri etc.). It might have something to do with Matthew Morrison's acting choices, but I regularly want to punch him in the face. That explains why my Sue affection has only grown. The more she demoralizes him, the happier I am (her comment about his lesbian hair = priceless). I want her to metaphorically beat Will to a pulp, I just don't want it to happen at the kids' expense. Nothing beats Rachel performing "Don't Rain On My Parade." It's the perfect song for her because it will always rain on Rachel's parade. She admittedly wants "everything too much." People who want that badly, who try that hard, get penalized for their passion - it hurts harder when they fall, and the Glee kids are no exception. As Will says, "sometimes being special sucks," and that's a lot more compelling than two adults in their early-thirties acting out their latent Dawson Leery/Joey Potter fantasies.

Blurgh, argh!

Remember how I said I was done with Dollhouse? I lied. As soon as I canceled my season pass, Joss Whedon and Co. had to write an episode that a) featured very little Echo (and no Ballard) and b) made excellent use of the supporting cast, particularly Sierra, Victor, and Topher. I've said it before: this show only interests me when the story focuses on the moral ambiguities of the Dollhouse's existence. When the writers drop the Missions of the Week and start asking the hard questions, the viewers always win.

"Belonging" asks what happens when one of the Dolls never made the conscious decision to enter the Dollhouse. As speculated, Sierra never chose to become an Active, but was instead enslaved by a high paying client, who manipulated the staff into believing they were doing her a service. The show also becomes more believable whenever the writers acknowledge the Dollhouse's dark underbelly. That's what they did here, and the result is the best episode since "Epitaph One." It helps that Dichen Lachman works wonders as Sierra. She somehow makes her default Active persona ten times more intriguing and sympathetic than Eliza Dushku.

Franz Kranz (Topher) also hit a home run, as Topher begins to question the morality of his occupation (programming the Actives with their various personalities). His actions in this episode indicate he may possess some moral compass, even though Adelle tells him he views the Dolls as "toys." Since we know the knowledge of what he's done will eventually drive him insane, his growing moral awareness makes him a tragic figure, as opposed to a grossly unaware one. Against my better judgement, I think I'm in this for the long haul (it actually won't be that long, since the series is ending in December). Even if we only get one or two more episodes as good as "Belonging," the journey will have been worth it.

TV time.

Dollhouse and The Office are no longer Mandatory Viewing. Dollhouse showed so much promise with "Epitaph One," but now it's back to Echo's Mission of the Week. I don't find Echo interesting, so count me out until they start focusing on the larger mythology again and/or Amy Acker returns. As for The Office, it's still a great show, but my interest has waned. When I couldn't bring myself to watch Jim and Pam get married, I knew it was time to say goodbye. Unless the writers can find a new status quo, like they did with the Michael Scott Paper Company episodes, I probably won't be back to Dunder Mifflin for a while.

The City: Ditching the Hills style narration and focus on love relationships has done wonders for this show. Whitney is massively more appealing as a nice girl trying to make her way in the fashion industry than she was as Jay's doe-eyed girlfriend, plus Roxie and Erin = awesome. Is it just me, or does Olivia seem kind of downtrodden this season?

Glee: Too much Terri, but I loved everyone else, particularly Rachel. Her reaching out to Quinn ("the kids in glee won't judge you") was a great moment; Lea Michele has grown exponentially as an actress. I also loved her extra-hyper introduction to the girls' mash-up (" . . . and also ANGELS!") and morning routine. If Emma marries Ken, I'm going to be sad.

The Hills: Audrina doesn't like Kristen because Kristen has more charisma in her pinkie finger than Audrina does in her entire person, so Audrina is funneling her rage into all this "girl code" bullshit, since she can't acknowledge the cast's celebrity status on camera. Also, why is it that even with Lauren gone, Heidi and Spencer don't interact with anyone but themselves?

Mad Men: A fantastic episode, if only for the show's willingness to portray its characters acting horribly. Don must be on a mission to personally destroy every favorable member of the cast (though Peggy seems to have gotten over her tongue lashing a few weeks back). Poor Sal seems to be a recurring response this year; my stomach lurched when Don muttered "you people." I hope we see more of Carla soon, and mark me down as unenthusiastic about Don's new affair and Betty's character in general.

Modern Family: The funniest show on TV. Just watch it.

TV time.

Thanks to the cable I got last week, I've been able to catch up on all my favorite shows. You can check the sidebar to see what I'm watching; the roster is pretty much complete, except for The Hills which returns on Tuesday. Going forward, I don't intend to blog about every episode of every show. While I enjoy shows like The Office, I don't have something new to say about them every week. So we're all on the same page, here's a quick look at recent viewing:

Dollhouse: The premiere, "Vows," was good, thanks again to the genius of Amy Acker. The Echo/Ballard storyline was fine, and we learned Echo retains something of her multiple personalities, but Dr. Saunders' identity issues were easily the highlight. I don't really care about an undercover FBI agent; I do care about a woman coming to grips with the idea that her persona is an invented personality inhabiting the body of a stranger. Less B-movie explosions, more tortured soul-searching, please.

Mad Men: I'm two episodes behind on this one. "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" was a great showcase for Christina Hendricks. I'm sure Joan will be back at some point; I just hope she doesn't go away for too long. Tonight's "Seven Twenty-Three," on the other hand, was tough. Between Peggy sleeping with Duck (ugh), Don acting like a total dick to both Peggy and Betty, and Betty having another near-affair, no one was acting admirably. The evening's Gold Star goes to Bert Cooper for demonstrating he's a total fucking badass, not just some funny, old guy who walks around in socks. Still the best show on television, but I'd like to be able to root for at least one of the main characters, you know?

Modern Family: Watch it. Go to Hulu, or ABC, and watch it. It's well made and amusing for the first 17 minutes or so, but the last five minutes will make you laugh until you cry.

The Office: Like I said in my comments on last season's finale, these people are old friends. Watching this show is like wearing your favorite pair of jeans that are starting to get worn, but that just makes you love them all the more. This season's first two episodes were standard Office fare, but that doesn't mean they weren't wonderful. I'm interested to see what will happen with Jim and Michael as co-managers (I'm a little skeptical).

Entertainment weekly.

I said that I would hit the ground running when I got home from my mini-vacation; I ended up wafting gently back to earth. I'm finally back, so let's get to it:

Dollhouse "Epitaph One": Like I said, easily the best episode of this show to date. It raises the stakes monumentally. The series is no longer sitting in Philosophy 101 debating the existence of the soul, it's staving off a zombie apocalypse! The episode also featured a lot less Echo/Caroline (she has got to be one of the least compelling lead characters, ever) and a lot more Adelle, Victor and Claire/Whiskey (this show has a killer supporting cast). I'm definitely on board for next season, both to see the flashbacks in context and spend more time with our merry band of post-apocalyptic rebels. The best thing Joss Whedon has made since Serenity.

The Lovely Bones: Friends told me they loved this book, but hated the ending. I'm neutral about the whole endeavor. Maybe I'm not the target audience? Susie's story just didn't pack the emotional punch that I thought it would. My favorite parts were the near-misses with Mr. Harvey; the chapter where Len ignores the phone to consummate his affair with Abigail was maddeningly tense. I wanted more of that thriller feel. The ending: I thought the point of heaven was that Susie had to let go of Earth and accept she couldn't go back? Her getting to possess Ruth/have sex with Ray felt like a cheat. Oh, and I liked the meaning of the title.

Mad Men "Out of Town": So, so, so great to have this show back. It's the best thing on television, period. The opening sequence threw me off, but once we got back to the Sterling Cooper offices it was smooth sailing. Loved Pete v. Ken, Round 1 (who knew Ken could be so awesome?). At first, I couldn't believe Don was willing to sleep with the flight attendant, but his boredom/increased unease with his behavior redeemed the redundancy of the encounter. I definitely wanted more Betty/Joan/Peggy, but we've got the whole season ahead of us. And poor Sal. I'm glad he got some, but he's got a long way to go.

Netherland: I read this two books ago, so pardon my failed attempts to generate a detailed response. It's good, challenging at times, very literary. It's the kind of book I could see being taught. The cricket stuff bored me, a little. I felt cool recognizing NYC cross-streets. It's the first book I've read about 9/11 and the Iraq War (it's not really about those events, but it does touch upon them) that didn't piss me off (I just think writing about 9/11 is so cheap/easy; what is the new take on that day? It was horrible for everyone. Writing about 9/11 is the Sally Field performance of literature). Read this book, but not at the beach.