30 Days of TV: Day 6

Favorite Episode of Your Favorite TV Show

It was too difficult to choose just one episode of one show!  So I'm changing the rules here and bringing you a list of a few from each of my favorite shows!

First up:  my favorite episodes of Burn Notice

Season 2, episode 11;  Hot Spot.  See the promo for it here:

The "uniforms" sell this episode.  Watching the 3 of them getting dressed and then walking out of the loft is by far the best part, along with all the explosions!


Season 2, episode 13; Lesser Evil

Season 2 was by far the best season of Burn Notice.  It found it's groove and the story line was filled with non stop action.  This was the season finale episode, and it gets better and better each time I watch it.  Victor, (the man in the picture) was once an enemy of Michael's.  In this episode they end up working together to bring down the organization that burned them.  Between what happens with Victor, and the helicopter jump at the end, it is one of the BEST episodes.




Season 4, episodes 17 & 18;  Out of the Fire/Last Stand

"Dead" Larry

Brennon

Michael has always had some very worthy adversaries.  Brennon was one of the best.   He once strapped a bomb to a child, shot Michael's brother Nate, and was just really good at being really bad!  For the 4th season finale, Brennon brought hell down upon Michael, his friends, and family.  As if having Brennon back wasn't bad enough, Brennon brought "Dead" Larry back to help keep Michael "in line"; basically he was there to make sure Michael did what Brennon wanted him to do.  These two episodes have so many twists and turns, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.




Season 7, episode 2;  Forget Me Not

This was the 100th episode of Burn Notice and the fans finally got what we wanted:  to see more of the back story of Michael and Fiona.  Jeffrey Donovan (Michael Westen) directed this episode, and it is so fun to watch.  It is both exciting, and heartbreaking.  Having gone undercover in the Dominican Republic, Michael's cover has been blown so he has to return to Miami, but he isn't allowed to see his friends or family.  The episode is made up of flashbacks that show us how Michael and Fiona met, fell in love, and what kind of "mayhem" they caused in Ireland.




Season 7, episode 13; Reckoning

It's fitting to end with this episode, as it was the SERIES finale of Burn Notice.  I just finished watching it, since season 7 posted to Netflix this morning.  The best part about this episode is that it takes the lines from the characters in title sequence that we've heard throughout the past 7 years and uses them again.  Below is a video I made myself, so that you could see the opening sequence and the phrases that we've heard for 7 years.



This episode has it all:  danger, excitement, sadness.  At times I was sitting on the couch with my heart in my throat because of fear; other times I was actually yelling at the TV because of what was happening.  For fans of this show, the finale gave us everything we could've wanted and more.




And now moving onto to one more TV series.  My favorite episodes of NCIS.

Season 3, episode 23 & 24; Hiatus

Tony, McGee, and Ziva wait in a car as Gibbs contacts an undercover government agent on a Turkish ship. They witness an explosion from the ship which kills the agent and severely injures Gibbs, leaving him in a coma. In his comatose state, Gibbs has flashbacks of the murder of his wife, Shannon, and eight-year-old daughter, Kelly, and being wounded during Desert Storm.  The entire first episode is completely devoted to learning about the story of Gibbs' family.

Watch a video about the first half of Hiatus here

During the second part of Hiatus, Director Shepard informs the team that Gibbs has regained consciousness but can't remember anything after 1991, which is a problem because he is the only one who has important information about a pending terrorist attack.  Several characters attempt to help Gibbs regain his memory.  This is when we first meet his former partner, Mike Franks.  Ziva visits Gibbs on his last night in the hospital in desperation to help him remember, grabbing his hand and using it to show him his trademark "head slap".  This, together with her emotionally reminding him that she had killed her own brother to save his life, shocks Gibbs into regaining his memory.

In a live video conference, Washington bureaucrats ignore Gibbs' recommendations.  As a Navy frigate attempts to board the freighter, the terrorist detonates his bomb and destroys both ships while the NCIS team watches on a large surveillance screen. Infuriated, Gibbs resigns and hands his badge to Tony, telling him that he is now in charge of the team and is ready for the responsibility. The episode (and season) closes with Gibbs arriving at Franks' house in Mexico.




This episode had me crying from the moment it started until it finished a week later.  We had always heard whispers about Gibbs' family, but this is when we finally got to see it; and it was very sad.  Watching Ziva struggle through Gibbs' not remembering who she is, watching Gibb's quit, and seeing all the emotion from all characters was simply amazing television.

By far my favorite episode is their 200th episode.  Season 9, episode 14; Life Before His Eyes.  It was all about what Gibbs' life might have been like had he made different choices in his life....kind of like a Christmas Story type thing.  Gibbs' friend Mike Franks comes to take him through the journey.  We see what life would've been like had his wife and daughter not been killed, if Kate had never died; we even see Ziva in a very different role.

30 Days of TV: Day 5

A Show You Hate

I used to absolutely LOVE the show that I now hate.  For many seasons it brought joy and happiness, music and laughter into my life.  Then things started to change.  People left the show, and others were brought in to "fill their shoes".  It just didn't work anymore; the magic was gone.

The show I now hate is:

The first few seasons were fun.  I didn't start watching until season 2 when it was between Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard.  I was STUNNED when Clay didn't win, because let's face it; he is better than Ruben.




I continued watching.  Carrie Underwood was fabulous and I finally was happy with a win.  The last season I actually remember watching was season 8, when Adam Lambert came into the world of American Idol.  Holy cow, this guy can sing, and it was so fun to watch him evolve as a performer each week.  I didn't care about the black nail polish, and mascara, it was Adam.




And then, once again, America let us down; Adam didn't win.  The world, and the judges, were stunned, and I have NO IDEA who did win.  I kept watching because Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson were so much fun together.

When Simon and Paula left, I was done.  I'll get this wrong, but I know that Jennifer Lopez came on to judge, as did Steven Tyler.  They left, and Mariah Carey, some weird singer named Niki something came on, along with Keith Urban.  B-O-R-I-N-G!!  The magic was gone, the show became all about the judges and their drama, and I completely lost interest.

When you have a show where you leave America to judge, they will get it wrong almost every single time!  Here's a little Adam Lambert for you!

30 Days of TV: Day 4

Your Favorite Show Ever

This day was so easy, that it almost wasn't fair.  If you know me in any way at all; whether it's through Facebook, my blog, or in person, then you can answer this one for me.  My favorite show ever is......

For those of you who've never seen this show, here's basic premise:

The title refers to the burn notices issued by intelligence agencies to discredit or announce the dismissal of agents or sources who are considered to have become unreliable.  When spies are burned, they are left without access to cash, and basically no identity.  The series is about Michael Westen's attempts to get back into the good graces of the agency, because all of the things he was blamed for doing were actually done by someone else.

He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend, Fiona, and old friend Sam Axe, and later Jesse Porter, and they become problem solvers for ordinary citizens.  The series juggles two main ideas:  dealing with why Michael was burned, and individual episodes focusing on the cases he works for clients.

When the 100th episode premiered during the final season, this was posted on Facebook by USA's official Burn Notice page:

Many fans said they turned it into a drinking game.  Let's just say that if I was an alcoholic drinker, I would've been out within minutes.  The appeal of this show is summed up in this Facebook post.

I love this show because they are helping out people, they blow stuff up ALL THE TIME, the chases are AMAZING, and it's just a lot of fun.

And below is by far the BEST Burn Notice video that I have ever seen.   My favorite parts:  at :44 when Michael jumps out of the helicopter; 2:07 when his loft blows up....Jeffrey Donovan (Michael Westen) actually made that jump; and 4:36 when the Charger blew up....I almost had a heart attack when that happened in the season 4 finale!!




If you've never watched this show, it is currently on Netflix.  The final season just posted Saturday.  Give it a try, it is A.MAZ.ING!!!!

30 Days of TV: Day 3

Your Favorite New Show (Aired This Season)

I don't have cable.  All of my TV viewing comes from either Netflix or the few internet channels that allow viewership of complete TV episodes.  Unfortunately network cable channels are now making it more difficult to watch shows unless you are a cable subscriber.  USA did it first with the final season of Burn Notice.  You could only watch it if you put in your TV account number.  Why would I watch it on the internet if I could watch it on cable?  They're just forcing people to subscribe to cable again.  ABC has also done it.   CBS is my "staple" network.  If the day ever comes where they block their internet channel, then there will be major issues!  Bottom line is that I haven't watched any new shows that aired this season.  That being said, my favorite new show (which is currently on Netflix!) is:

Sherlock is a British television drama that is a contemporary adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories.  Sherlock is a "consulting detective" and assists in solving crimes. Dr. John Watson was just returned from Afghanistan and helps him.  

My sister told me about this show, and I was hooked within the first 5 minutes.  I teach literature in 5th grade, and one of the core knowledge books we read is Sherlock Holmes.  To be perfectly honest, I DID NOT like the book at all.  This show however, is IN.CRED.I.BLE!!!!!  Watching Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock), and Martin Freeman (Watson) play off of each other is so fun.  The stories are brilliantly written, and the way they show how Sherlock's mind works is amazing.

I just finished watching the show last night.  Holy cow, simply amazing.  Season 1 & 2 are on Netflix.  Season 3 in on PBS Masterpiece only until March 4th.  There may only be 9 episodes to this show, but they are 90 minutes long each, so it's like watching a full length movie.  That also helps explain the almost 2 years that fans have to wait between each season....major bummer.

A lot of the words to this next video are perfect, however, please realize that these two are not in a romantic relationship!  Their friendship makes each of them whole.  It's more of a 'bromance'!

30 Days of TV: Day 2

 A Show That Should Never Have Been Cancelled

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Set behind the scenes at an ailing late-night television sketch show, Studio 60 follows a genius writer-producer team (Perry and Bradley Whitford, West Wing's Josh Lyman), who are shipped in to return the show to its glory days. Amanda Peet plays the enlightened new network head who believes that 'the people who watch TV are no dumber than the people who make it'. This trio set about revitalising Studio 60 as the sharp, bold cultural totem it once was. 

The first few episodes of Studio 60 are as complete a piece of television entertainment as you could wish for. The dialogue, one of Sorkin's trademarks, fizzes with one-liners, and the performances have an instant depth.

For some reason, the ratings for this show plummeted quickly.  I thought this was a great cast, and with Aaron Sorkin (write of The West Wing) at the head, it should have been a home run.  But NBC only gave it 1 season and then pulled the plug.