Manatron Golf Outing

Thanks to John & Barbara for coordinating our Manatron Golf Outing on Friday, September 14. We had about 30 folks who played on the challenging Indian Run Golf Course in Scotts, Michigan. The team winners were John, John Jr. & Ryan (dad & his two sons) in 1st Place. Rachel, Nick and friends came in 2nd Place, and 3rd Place was Terry, Dave, Bob & Mark. My team (Pam, Matt & Paul) came in 4th Place at 69! We also gave prizes away for longest drive (men & women), closest to the hole, and longest put.

The weather was vile - cold (about 59 degrees) and extremely windy. But afterwards we warmed up to a buffet of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, salads, beans, chips and drinks where everyone shared their stories (good & bad) about how they golfed. It was a fun afternoon and everyone is looking forward to next year's outing.

Check out my photos of our golf outing at:

Eureka: Games People Play

The plot of this episode is a bit easy to get ahead of, if only by process of elimination. It's also a bit of a cheat - just the very nature of it, the episode is essentially a variation on the "it was all a dream!" variety. Luckily, the fact that it's all in Carter's head is not the big climactic reveal, and instead the show wisely chooses an emotional moment to close on.

Even knowing the basics of what's going on, it's fun to watch Carter try and get ahead of the game and get answers before the next person he talks to disappears. There's an undeniable poignancy to how the episode deals with Jack's fear of losing Zoe. He's a man who is good at his job, but that job happens to take up an awful lot of his time. He's not always clear on what's going on in Zoe's life, often being a few steps behind on what is the latest development in her life. However, he knows that being in Eureka has been good for her, probably the best thing that's happened to her. What he won't admit is that it's also the best thing for him.

The fact that Jack won't "fight for Zoe" is not something born out of pride or an inability to be open with his emotions - it's out of doubt that he could really be what's best for Zoe. The journey that Jack takes with the help of Beverly's therapy device is one in which he learns to trust not just his ability as a Sheriff, but his worth as a father. It's something that he has to learn, but Zoe already knows it. When she looks down at Jack in the hospital bed she refuses to move - saying, "He wouldn't leave me, and I'm not leaving him." It's one of those moments where I know another gear has clicked into place on the show and this very important core relationship between these two characters is now that much stronger, lending a greater resonance to stories to come.

Meanwhile, Henry is closing in on what Beverly was doing in Kim's lab and settling in to his job at Global Dynamics. Beverly is of course conspicuous in her absence and remains a bit of an ominous presence without ever being…present. The show is doing a fine job of developing this continuing story and laying the seeds of whatever Henry is up to and how that may collide with whatever it is the Consortium is up to.

The Closer: Four to Eight

Those evil, evil writers over at The Closer kept me hanging on for one more episode about what on earth is wrong with Brenda. While it was frustrating that I didn't get an answer, it was also very well done. I thought the fact that Brenda went to see her doctor but didn't ask any questions about what could be wrong was very within her quirky character. She didn't want to know all the possibilities... just the facts. Now I'm strongly suspecting she's at the beginning of menopause. I just don't think her symptoms are of pregnancy.

I think Brenda's storyline kept me from guessing the twist in the case she was investigating. It seemed obvious once the story ended, but I was too concerned for Brenda to pay much attention to who dunnit. There was an apparent gang shooting. Everyone assumed it was a gang shooting because two gangs--the Catorces and the 1-5s--were in a war that was escalating. Even through her sickness (or whatever), Brenda was able to see what no one else could see: the shootings didn't have typical gang signatures.

While there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to say about this storyline, I did like how two of the characters were so ironic. Miguel, the cousin of one of the victims, was lucky enough that he wasn't in a gang and he had talent as a baseball player. Yet, he really wanted to be in a gang like his cousin.And Miguel's father worked hard to keep Miguel out of a gang, but then he goes and behaves just like a gang member by killing his nephew and a friend because they are in a gang.

Loved the irony... which is something The Closer always does very well.Hopefully the next episode I'll find out what ails Brenda.

The Kill Point: No Meringue

The premiere episode of The Kill Point gave an interesting start to this Spike TV miniseries, despite its reliance on many tried-and-true bank robbery/hostage situation clichés. The second episode, "No Meringue," did a fine job keeping the clichés, but left out most of the interesting stuff.

As was expected, the FBI got involved. And like nearly every movie and TV show that shows the FBI taking over for an already established negotiator, things didn't turn out so well for the Feds. Agent Ash was your stereotypical "my way or the highway" bitch. Captain Horst Cali did his best to talk some sense into her, explaining the methods she was using (loud noises, lowering the temperature) weren't going to have any effect on men who lived through winters warring in Afghanistan. The result: Mr. Wolf turned the tables and messed with Ash's head with several entertaining prank phone calls.The episode was very cookie-cutter. FBI comes in, Cali's kicked out, FBI screws up, Cali proves he's the better man by getting another hostage set free. There aren't a lot of people out there that didn't see it coming.

This was also the episode where the hostages started to relate to their captors. Wolf and Robbie shared tales of swimming in shirts. The young ladies played dress up with the expensive jewelry Mr. Pig lifted from safety deposit boxes. Furthermore, Mr. Beck's decision to hire a hit man to take out Wolf was as predictable as everything else. The show is certainly hitting all the appropriate story beats.

Not helping matters was the clunky dialogue used throughout the episode. There were several unnecessary conversations that seemed to be trying to hit a Tarantino-esque tone. I'm referring to the sniper on the roof ruminating about the sodium in his body then switching his focus to a very out-of-place beauty behind the police barriers. Or the SWAT leader talking about Ash's man butt. Or the male team members conversing about nad scratching. Clearly this dialogue was intended to give the episode an edge, but it all sounded silly and out of place to me.

Added to this are all the little things occurring strictly for the purpose of advancing the plot, most of which completely blow the reality of the situation. For example, when Cali had Teddy Sabian introduced to Mr. Beck, the two men didn't shake hands. This led Cali to believe the gentlemen had already met, which is true. Here's the thing, though: why didn't they shake hands?! They both know what's at stake and they're both pretending not to have met before. They would have shook hands; they're not idiots. Or how about the greatest coin-wrapped-in-paper slide across the floor in the history of television? I mean, come on. They have got to do a better job of keeping things realistic or nobody's going to care about the fates of any of these people.

One thing I am enjoying about The Kill Point is the fact that there are men on the outside trying to devise a way of getting their partners out of the bank. The slow burn of this situation is working for me. In this episode, they spent their time scoping out the situation and figuring out logistics. They also foiled Mr. Beck's attempt to free his daughter. At this point, they are the reason I'll keep tuning in. How will they do it? Will they go in guns a-blazing? Will it be a covert operation? Will they find a way to contact their men on the inside? Without these questions, there'd be very little left to care about in The Kill Point.

Mad Men: Ladies Room

Is it possible to fall in love with a TV show? I don't mean a show that you really like and respect, I mean a show you actually can't wait until the next episode and count the days until it is on? Mad Men is that show for me. I'm even in love with the credits, a montage of black and white graphical images of buildings and people and subtle, sly music.

I also like how this show is set in 1960. It's firmly set in the attitudes of the 1950s but there are more than enough hints that the "60s" that I know is coming fast. And these people are trying to prepare for it (some a lot more than others, of course).

Betty seems unhappy, to the point of not only having her hands go numb (she almost wrecks the car with the kids in it) but also to the point of thinking of seeing a psychiatrist. But only "unhappy" saw shrinks in 1960 right? Don tries to talk her out of it.

At the office, everyone is still hitting on Peggy (what exactly is in the water at Sterling Cooper anyway?). Most of the guys are blunt and creepy, though Paul seems to have a little more depth to him (he seems to genuinely like Peggy as a person and even suggests she become a copywriter), even when he makes a pass at her in his office. He read her wrong. Of course, Peggy is waiting for Pete to come back from his Niagara Falls honeymoon (Roger's view: "Niagara Falls. It redefines 'lack of imagination.' ").

Don is working on the Right Guard account (a new space age deodorant in a can - how do you pitch that?), and it also looks like he's going to be handling Richard Nixon's campaign. This could be great fodder in a fun, historical sort of way, the 1960 campaign versus JFK, though I hope they don't go overboard and point out all these events with Nixon and Kennedy that I now know went a different way. It could tip into the "overly clever" realm, but I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with it in future episodes.

Is it weird that while watching this I often forget that it's a 2007 show about 1960 and not some movie made in 1960. OK, I'm not crazy or anything (there's that shrink talk again), but it gets the mood and attitudes and music and style so right that it sucks you into the world. There's a funny scene with Betty and another wife talking in Betty's kitchen and one of her kids has a dry cleaner bag over her head. She tells her to come over, and we think that she's going to shake her finger at her and tell her she could suffocate in that bag, but she only warns the girl that her clothes better not be on the floor. This isn't bad parenting, this probably was just another thing they didn't quite worry about 47 years ago. Like when the kids aren't secured in Betty's car during the accident and all the smoking.

I'm curious as to where the writers are taking the Don/Betty relationship. Jon Hamm should be nominated for an Emmy for his performance - it's a no-brainer, actually, and I hope it comes true. He seems moral and a family man, even as he's screwing the pretty artist in some apartment any chance he gets. He's old-fashioned but open enough to the new world, just a bit. Is it possible to be the "nice guy" on the show but also a cheater?

Betty ends up seeing the psychiatrist (after a weird speech about her not being afraid that she almost killed the kids in the car accident but that it could have been even worse - her daughter could have gotten a scar on her face!) The episode ends with Don secretly calling the doctor to get a full report on her state of mind.

There's a scene where Paul tells Peggy that he'll kill himself if they cancel The Twilight Zone. Peggy has never watched it because she doesn't like science fiction. Mad Men reminds me of that show, the way Rod Serling used monsters and aliens and the supernatural to talk about the social problems of the day. Like creator Matthew Weiner says in a behind the scenes snippet after the show, they can talk about things on this show in a way they couldn't talk about them in a show set in 2007. That's interesting to me.

And like Paul, I'll be upset if my new favorite show is cancelled too.

The Office: Phyllis' Wedding

Yes, Michael Scott is a complete idiot, but I can understand people putting up with him because he is their boss. Whenever I see Michael out of that work environment, however, the illusion is stretched -- if you don't work for this guy, why would you put up with him? The believability of the show's reality was taken to a new extreme in "Phyllis' Wedding."

Michael is over-the-top in this episode, making his actions seem more like that of a crazy person than that of the self-centered boss who thinks everyone likes him. His obsession with being the center of attention is something I've seen many times before (such as when Kevin got his test results on Michael's birthday) but the difference here is that it wasn't just in front of the office, in front of his employees -- Michael was obsessing about being the center of attention in front of all of Bob and Phyllis' family and friends. The only reasonable reaction shown throughout was Bob Vance finally having enough during Michael's toast and throwing him out. Sure, we got backstory on Michael's wedding obsession (wetting his pants while the ringbearer at his mother's wedding) which somewhat explained his behavior (he's only been to one wedding in his life -- really?) but the whole situation seemed much more sitcom-y than The Office usually gets.

There were some great moments in "Phyllis' Wedding," however: Pam's growing shock at Phyllis copying her wedding plans, the priest saying "Bob Vance, of Vance Refrigeration," Michael saying the definition of wedding is "the fusing of two metals with a hot torch," Ryan knocking the bouquet out of Kelli's hands, Toby actually being happy, and Michael's conversation with Uncle Al.

The most amusing moment was the opening sequence, showing Jim and Dwight over the course of a couple weeks, as Jim experimented on Dwight, seeing if he could generate a Pavlovian reaction for Altoids. It's another great Jim-Dwight prank, and sadly the only scene actually set in the office this episode (apart from various characters being interviewed there).

I also saw a big progression in the Jim-Karen-Pam-Roy storyline, as Jim nearly admitted to the camera that he'd be interested in Pam, and Pam becoming fed up with Jim and Karen, and leaving with Roy. Roy was behaving more normal and likeable than I've seen him to date. It was clear that he's been trying very hard to change for Pam, and I saw an incredibly nice side of him in this episode, as he admitted some of his past mistakes (that he wasn't involved in the wedding planning) and seemed to genuinely be paying attention to Pam. Now Pam & Jim fans have to not just hope for Jim and Karen to break up, but for Pam and Roy to not get back together. That's just cruel.

Rescue Me: Balance

"The hunt begins." - Lou

Did anything huge happen? Not really. The humor still exists just as it always has (Tommy trying to look at Feinberg while they were in the bathroom, Sean setting Mike's house on fire), but the dramatic elements are much more subtle. It's less in your face than it's been in past seasons.

The way Janet has slowly slipped into post-partum depression has been saddening to watch, especially when I know how lively a character she really is. The same goes for Mike as I've watched him cope with his mother's death or Sean deal with Maggie's alcoholism. Rather than explosive confrontations, everything is just simmering. Stuff never simmers on this show and that just leads me to believe that it's building up for one heck of a season ender.

New conflict has arrived with Bart ("Sean"). Tommy for whatever reason has rejected him. It's interesting to watch. It's almost as if Tommy is jealous, but not quite. Angry, but not really. He's being challenged by Bart in more ways than one. From joining the basketball team to questioning Tommy's faith. It's just great to watch those two play off of each other. What happens when Bart's faith is revealed though? Tommy wants Bart to do what all Probies do so that he gains trust. But if push comes to shove, can Bart trust Tommy? Or should I say "Stretch?"

To make up for the fact that Tommy's ghost parade has been far and few between this season, there were some returning characters to stir the pot. Lou's Cousin Mike is back in the fold and the next episode marks the return of Alicia (Susan Sarandon). I can only hope that since Tommy has realized that Janet really isn't well, that I get some of Johnny's ghost soon. The next episode would make sense especially since Tommy will be questioning Sheila's offer more seriously.

So after all that, there really is no serious plot... still. But look at all the questions that are just sitting dormant, waiting to pop. How will Alicia affect Natalie's feelings for Franco? Will Tommy find peace as his family falls apart for the hundredth time? Where'd Maggie run off to? Will Lou forgive Theresa? What happens when Mike finds out it was Sean who lit the fire?

Stuff like that is what I'm talking about though. It's slow now, but I'm looking at the big picture and trying to imagine how it's all going to play out. Leary knows what he's doing. He's earned my trust.