Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #1 Breaking Bad

It was Breaking Bad, duh.

Contact Kevin

Review: Top Chef - An Offer They Can't Refuse (8.8)

The long wait since Restaurant Wars is finally over. I just had a feeling that someone who originally went home for making a simple and obvious culinary mistake was going to go home for a similar reason again. For fun I checked out the web site Prediculous.com, where you can do free and fun prop bets on just about anything. I put some points down on some Oscar nominations but I was mostly interested in betting on Top Chef week to week. I evenly distributed my points on three chefs that I thought might be going home: Fabio, Antonia, and Tre. At the time I had no idea what the challenge was and because of that I was way off on two of them but still succeeded with who ended up leaving. If you're bored, check it out.

The Quickfire Challenge was definitely interesting. Although, I don't really want to see any other challenges where the judges don't taste any food (which clearly pissed off at least half of the chefs). The challenge was to design a plate that visually made you want to eat it. I did not want to eat most of those plates. The majority went with a more artistic design rather than highlighting the food. Angelo, being the cocky person that he is, had already decided he would win the Quickfire. He was "inspired" by crocodile skin in fashion so he vacuum sealed some unrecognizable ingredients and wrote on his table (if only that table had spell check). He clearly didn't get it, along with Tre who through some colors on a plate like a mini painter's palette. The only ones I really would have attempted eating were Carla's and Richard's. Richard ended up winning immunity (which we all knew didn't mean anything to him quite yet). Dale put it best when he said he didn't care about the opinion a fashion designer has of his food.

The Elimination Challenge was one of the better ones of the season, in my opinion. Its about time we saw a straight up individual challenge. These chefs already have very different ideas and techniques, its why they're on the show again, and they need to be given their freedom by now. Keeping a classic family-style Italian challenge simple was very refreshing. Its great seeing the chefs pushed to the edge and forced under a lot of pressure this season, but sometimes you just want to see them all cook. There wasn't too much drama this week, that probably goes hand in hand with it being an individual challenge. That doesn't make it any less interesting though. Seeing Mike Isabella talk himself up as the "favorite" and then fail to make his pasta right was plenty of drama. By the way, why didn't he have a backup of dry pasta? Is there a rule or something that no one has ever mentioned EVER? If not, you would think that with everyone's previous experience they would have a simple backup plan. Having an extra pot of boiling water and ten minutes to make some pasta makes sense to me when you're cooking for your life.

The season seems to be getting going now and the judges clearly are only going to be expecting more each week. I just hope some of my favorites (Carla, Richard) make it far enough that I don't feel like I'm missing something in the late episodes.

Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #2 Parks and Recreation

© Chris Haston/NBC

I did not like the first season of this show to a point that I don't believe I watched it all. Being a fan of The Office and Amy Poehler I of course had to check out Parks and Recreation. Right away I didn't enjoy it that much. Poehler's character was more annoying than entertaining, the premise of the show seemed boring, and it felt all over the place. What really was going on had to with the writers and actors clearly trying to figure out what they wanted make out of this show. Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, who had developed and written for the US remake of The Office, brought too much of that show into this one. It originally aired before The Office, which seemed silly to begin with, and I honestly got tired of the format each week by the time the show I really enjoyed started. For example, the mockumentary style of having sit down interviewed sound bits that made The Office work so well seemed so out of place on Parks and Rec. It was if they put that in there because they had to, or felt it was one of the ways they could be funny.

The first episode of the second season I watched was titled "Greg Piktis". It was the seventh episode of the season. I took a look at it for two reasons: 1) Critics I follow on Twitter kept raving about how this is the funniest show on television and how it had changed drastically from season one. And 2) It was the Halloween episode and TV always does Halloween well. The differences were drastic. They no longer seemed to be relying on Poehler and were giving true voices to every character within the show's world (and process that also took The Office some time but made it what it is today). The show also had figured out that they didn't need to force the taped sit down interviews; they would come when they would make sense whether it was to segway from one scene to the next or to explain something that had happened in the past. After that one episode I went online that weekend and watched the first six episodes I had missed of the season and was HOOKED.

The show works best because the actors and the characters know their place within Pawnee, IN and the story of each week. Poehler gets to shine and use everyone to play off of while turning her character Leslie into a real person rather than just a workaholic. Nick Offerman, as alpha-male Ron Swanson, is used just the right amount to maximize his awesomeness without overdoing it. A nice surprise is the chemistry and friendship that has organically been created with Ron and Leslie. It adds a really nice dynamic that you can look back on week to week that was missing in its first season.

I'm sure everyone has their own favorite characters that make them laugh the most. I love each character a lot but my favorite that gets me the most is the friendship between Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza. Their reactions and polar opposite attitudes always adds a laugh to any scene. And I know a lot of people clearly love Aziz Ansari who has finally gotten a place to shine (and had my favorite moment of the season, DJ Roomba). The late additions of Rob Lowe and Adam Scott to the cast at the end of season two has only added more dynamics to the show without messing anything up, and that has to be hard to do. So if you haven't yet, please check out the next episode of Parks and Recreation now airing Thursdays after The Office where it was always meant to be. The second season is also available on Netflix Streaming to help you get caught up if you need to as well.

Now for you viewing pleasure here is a very random video using the Parks and Recreation opening credits called "Hutts and Recreation". Cracks me up every time:




Contact Kevin

No Updates Until Next Week

I just wanted to let anyone know (yeah, you) that I won't be able to post anything new until Monday January 31st due to work. I promise I will finish up my countdown of the Top 10 TV Shows of 2010 on Monday and Tuesday and will continue with reviews and hopefully work on my list of Top 10 Movies of 2010 in between that.

In the meantime, I finally got an email subscription going so if you'd like you can enter your email on the right side panel and you'll get an email notification whenever something is posted. You can also still subscribe with your favorite RSS readers as well just below that. And if you have a Google account (who doesn't) you can follow this blog through Blogger by clicking "follow" on the top toolbar. You will not get any email updates that way though. I hope you're enjoying this and always feel free to email me with any questions or comments.

Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #3 Community

© NBC

If you don't like Community then I feel sorry for you, and you're probably really really old. When this show got started it was marketed as bringing Joel McHale of The Soup to network television and bringing Chevy Chase back to TV. That potentially is a vast difference in the type of viewer that follows those two stars (although I think Chevy Chase is for everyone). It quickly became apparent that McHale wasn't the star of this show and Chase was being used just the right amount to maximize his craziness. It turns out that Community is one of the best (if not THE best) ensembles of actors/characters on television.

Abed, played by Chicago native Danny Pudi, is the best original characters on television. How he interacts with his friends can only be described as the way a baby alien would try to understand the simple things every person does throughout their day. He's like an encyclopedia of useless movie and TV knowledge that makes even the largest nerd have to check Wikipedia after an episode. If Jim Parsons can win awards for The Big Bang Theory, then certainly Pudi deserves at least a nomination at some point.

What's your favorite episode? If you said Modern Warfare (shown above) then congratulations, you're in the majority! Needless to say, I'm in the majority too! Its just such an amazing episode. What other show can you remember putting normalcy aside randomly throughout the weekly episodes to bring you something so creative and inventive like a school-wide paintball battle in the style of classic action movies? Most likely never because who would dare attempt something like that? On top of that it has really found its own voice by being able to make sure the human side and friendships still find their way into each episode while still being surrounded by the pop culture references and silly gags. All of this combines together for a one of a kind show that is just a breathe of fresh ideas and random enjoyment.

Now here is a Behind the Scenes clip from the Modern Warfare episode, enjoy:






Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #4 The Walking Dead

© TWD Productions/Courtesy AMC

The Walking Dead seems to be just the right amount of everything. That may include some over the top grotesque moments that may turn some people off of the show, but to me that is the right amount. I'll admit I don't read the comic book series by Robert Kirkman. I'm sure I would enjoy it, but I just have never gotten into comic books or graphic novels. Although I do always enjoy it when they are adapted for the screen so I found myself getting really excited when this show was announced. The amazing work AMC did promoting the show combined with the excellent teaser promos (see below) that were put together helped make this show the big hit it quickly became. How big of a hit? It was the most watched Drama Series among Adults 18-49 in Basic Cable history. That is the important data that advertisers look at, and what networks primarily use to help decide what shows stay on the air or get cancelled. Pretty impressive.

A zombie movie can be destroyed very quickly by its makeup effects. It can also be carried very strongly because of the care put into it. This show hits that extra level of realism with how these zombies look, react, and move around. By putting a backstory at times with some of these dead "walkers" you start to reach more into the main character's developments. It is done in such a way that at times you really start to view this show as how it would really be, how people would have to live, and how you would most likely deal with the situations at hand.

What separates this show from zombie movies is how many issues are dusted throughout the episodes. Human issues, like the morality on when to kill someone who has become infected. Emotional issues, like the main character Rick Grimes' (did you know he's British?) search for his family. And relationship issues, specifically the unknown love triangle between best friends and the jealous that comes with it. It was amazing how at times throughout the first season I almost saw the human drama to be a bigger issue for certain characters than "walkers" eating them alive while they sleep. These kinds of issues combined with a few unfinished storylines from the first six episodes (what happened to Merle?) that gets me excited for next season. Luckily this upcoming season will be the full thirteen episodes, which depending on when the premiere is could have us watching heads explode on Christmas (it falls on a Sunday!).

Contact Kevin

Review: Top Chef - Restaurant Wars: One Night Only (8.7)

Justo Thomas is frightening. If they ever make Finding Nemo 2 (which I hope they don't, its one of my favorite movies ever), Justo Thomas could be a great villain to all sea creatures in the Pacific Ocean. While the chefs were cutting up their fish in the Quickfire I knew the top few were going to have to make a dish out of it. I'm sure most of them had that in the back of their minds as well. What a great twist to force them to cook with the leftover parts, making sure no one had decent pieces to work with because they were the best at cutting their fish. It really shows how much Top Chef has stepped up its game for their All-Star Season.

It was so great knowing that Restaurants Wars was coming this episode. Seeing the reaction of all the chefs got me extra excited for what was beginning. Dale won this challenge right away by putting Marcel in charge of his opposing team. Marcel didn't help himself by picking who he thought were the best technical chefs with the best techniques, just like how he views himself. Dale looked at this challenge and picked people who viewed would help run a restaurant together as a team. It was clear right away who would end up winning, but by how much?

Knowing that this challenge isn't just about the food, but about atmosphere and service as well, picking Fabio was definitely the best pick after Richard. Ending up with both of those guys on one team shows how wrong Marcel was when it came to making the right decisions this week. In case anyone was unsure how valuable Fabio is in a challenge like this you just need to look at the judge's faces when they enter the losing restaurant and Tiffany isn't there to seat them. They were in the weeds right from the start and something like that often leaves more of a bad taste than any food will.

In the end Marcel went home because he spent most of his time boosting up his own ego rather than direct a team of professionals. Never listening to the judges about what he does wrong didn't help him one bit either. It was only last week they all groaned when they saw yet another foam sitting atop Marcel's dish. No one understood why it was there other than its easier for Marcel to make it than it his from him to write his name in puree on the plate so you know he made it. If Marcel somehow stuck around after this week it would have been terrible for the show. Sure he creates a lot of drama but after a certain amount of time it becomes so one-sided it is no longer fun to watch. He lasted just long enough for everyone to remember why they never wanted to see him again to begin with.

Contact Kevin

Review: 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards

© Jeff Vespa/Getty Image

There has been a lot of mixed reviews and opinions out there for Ricky Gervais. I understand why, but part of me doesn't get it. I always thought the point of having him being a host of the Golden Globes was so he could say things that no one else would. I do agree that most of his jokes were mean spirited and he certainly broadened his targets to a lot more people who were actually at the awards in comparison to last year. He also went on every talk show last week warning everyone that this was exactly what he was going to do! I absolutely get why some people are upset but I don't think that most people are use to his kind of comedy. I was lucky enough to see Ricky at the Chicago Theater in the Fall for his stand-up special and there were just as many moans, groans, and silent patches throughout that night as there was at the Golden Globes on Sunday. His type of humor just isn't for everyone, and even most people probably don't admit. I was one of the people in Chicago who laughed uncontrollably throughout his set and did it again as he made fun of The Tourist (Which everyone had continuously thought was a joke to be nominated anyway, let alone the two stars).

Overall I was very pleased with the results of who went home with the tiny statues. Here are some quick thoughts on the winners:

• The Social Network winning for Best Picture Drama, Director, and Screenplay made me very happy. It ended up being my favorite movie of the year. It seems over-hyped, but that's probably because it was so good. The only director I really think that I would have been pleased to win otherwise is Christopher Nolan just because he translated his crazy vision so well onto the screen.

• I was rooting for Jesse Eisenberg to win Best Actor in a Drama, but I had a gut feeling the whole time that Colin Firth would take it. I still really want to see The King's Speech because of the clips I've seen of his performance. And as my Mom said, "It looks boring" - The Golden Globes love those type of brilliant, but not for everyone portrayals.

• Even if you haven't seen it you know that if any movie other than The Kids Are All Right won Best Comedy it wouldn't have been just silly. So thank goodness for that...

• It was nice to see that Paul Giamatti thought the same thing I did when his name was called. How fun it is that he won in a category filled with "real" movie stars. He solidified how normal of a guy he is when he mentioned all the Godiva Chocolate he ate.

• I was most happy with Katey Segal and Chris Colfer winning. They are the biggest reasons to watch their respective shows and it wouldn't have seemed right if anyone else won their categories.

Now excuse me, I have to go pretend I don't know who Rober De Niro is.




 Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #5 Modern Family

© Danny Feld/ABC

What is there to say about Modern Family that hasn't already been said? Some critics tend to hold this show too high and often expect too much out of it each week. I understand that because most episodes are consistently laugh out loud funny and rarely has jokes or gags that don't payoff the right way. I can understand if some people don't find it funny as most of the plots and characters are very relate-able and if you can't relate with the premise of the show then you may not find as funny as others. I, luckily, relate a lot to this show. I spend a lot of time with my family and this is the one show we'll make sure we watch together each week even though there are several shows we watch that overlap our DVRs. If you really think about it, when was the last time there was a family comedy that the majority agreed upon and watched? Everybody Loves Raymond? Family Matters? Full House?

Everyone knows that this show succeeds for two reasons: the writing and the cast. This show is the definition of ensemble. Each actor shares the duties week to week, and no one (other than maybe Lily, the baby) seems to ever be left behind or forgotten. It just seems to be the right mixture of people that have a realistic chemistry to them. I once said to my parents, "How much less funny would this show be if it had a laugh-track like all the CBS comedies?" Seriously, if you think about it this is the first comedy on network TV that has really mastered the single camera family comedy since Arrested Development left the air.

I was so extremely happy and relieved when Eric Stonestreet won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy last year. He was my pick and I still thought it was a long shot at best that he would win. He clearly carried the best episode of the series so far, Fizbo, where he dresses up as his clown character for Luke's birthday party and accidents happen EVERYWHERE; I could watch that episode everyday and still be laughing about it. You rarely see newcomers do as well as Modern Family did, especially at the Emmy's. The reality is almost anyone has a strong shot at winning awards on this show. Every episode I laugh uncontrollably at how dumb but honest Ty Burrell's character can be, the random stupid thing they give Luke (played by real-life genius Nolan Gould), and how much more suave of a man Rico Rodriguez is than myself.

This season its obvious that Sofia Vergara has been given more to do and has really come into her own on the show as a comedic force. The Emmy this year has to be her's to lose for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Can you think of anyone funnier on television right now, because I can't. My Dad still laughs randomly thinking of their neighbors who think the have a loud-mouthed parrot at home when in reality its just her shouting her husbands name in her think Colombian accent, "JAY!"

If you haven't given this show a shot, watch the pilot and see what you think. If it doesn't instantly make you laugh consistently I won't blame you, I'll just be enjoying myself while also knowing what your missing out on... Underneath the moonlight, moonlight.

Contact Kevin

Review: Top Chef - We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat (8.6)

© Barbara Nitke/Bravo

I have to give the producers a lot of credit. When I saw there wasn't going to be a quickfire challenge I was kind of disappointed. I understand why they had to do it. Instead of spending their time planning and shopping, the chefs instead had to sit on a boat and try to catch fish. I had forgotten that I missed out on a quickfire as soon as Carla made that face to Tre when she said she had gone fishing all the time, but never has held a rod.

Either that water in Montauk was chummed (a lot) before the chefs got there, or we all need to head to New York to do some fishing. I'm glad the obvious disaster of a team not catching enough fish never happened. That would have been the extreme end of bad luck in Top Chef history. Its rules and challenges like this that keep you interested in the show week to week. Sometimes, though, I think these rules need to be more precise during these challenges.

Tom Colicchio, as he tends to do, instantly called Marcel, Richard, and Fabio's team for only making one dish together. Even though they knew they probably were playing it too safe and would be called out, if you listen to the rules at the start of the challenge it simply says that each team of three is responsible for catching and cooking fish for 200 people. I don't understand the point of making this a team challenge if you aren't supposed to work as a team. One team made a single dish, another team made two dishes, while the other two teams made three individual dishes. This is really the first time this season we get to see some of these contestants use their knowledge of the show itself to give them the best chance to move on each week. By three people only doing one dish they know how tough it would be for the judges to pick which two should go home.

After last weeks episode I said to a friend that Tiffani and Jamie better be the next to go. They both had overstayed their welcome and twice each I thought they were going to be the ones sent home. So you can be sure that I'm pretty happy with the results. I was extremely worried about Richard going home though. I was almost certain that he would be safe and if anyone from their team was going home it would be Marcel. But with how their dish was being talked about at judge's table there was a little seed of doubt that really got me nervous as I fast-forwarded through the final commercials to get to the verdict. In the end it made sense that the two girls were going home. They made obvious, simple mistakes and those tend to end cheftestant's seasons more often than anything else.

Next Week's Preview: Let me just say that I am so glad to see Anthony Bourdain back on the next episode just in time for restaurant wars. A lot of people (including myself) were very excited when it was announced he was going to be a regular, full-time judge this season. Why he's only be in four of the six episodes so far I'm not sure, but here's hoping he'll stick around from this point forward.

Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #6 Terriers

How many good shows did people not watch last year? Here's one more: Terriers. There has been discussions among the show's producers and critics that the name wasn't the best fit for the show. If you watch a few episodes you'll understand that its about two scrappy private investigators who do whatever they need to get things done. What probably didn't help it the most were the promos that ran before the show premiered of a terrier running around a beach. THAT definitely could have (and I'm sure did) confuse some and turned them off from watching the show. I mean who wants to watch a show about a dog (Lassie)?

Through the first few episodes I didn't think I liked this show that much. I really kept watching it for the character dynamic between Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James who hands down had the best relationship on screen last year. I've never seen a show that could go from dead serious (literally) to funny with a random conversation about nothing. Sometimes I wished the show could spend more than half the time in their truck just chilling and talking, it was that good.

Before I knew it the show had become a lot more. It suddenly wasn't a serial case-of-the-week kind of show. There was a bigger picture, a much bigger picture, that put our two heroes more over their head than they could ever admit. Pieces from previous episodes that the viewer had written off as nothing that would be brought up again were coming back and fitting into this ultimate story arc. I didn't know what I was getting into but about half-way through the season Terriers went from two or three episodes sitting on my DVR to not being able to wait for it to record to watch it. Out of nowhere Terriers became the intense mystery that was missing from my TV schedule.

The critics all loved this show and I learned to as well. This show wasn't watched by many and won't be returning for a second season, but don't use that as an excuse not to watch it. If you have some time in between seasons of other shows pick this one up. It is 13 great episodes that has charcaters that you'll learn to love.

Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #7 Justified

America needed a Western. I personally had no idea how much I would enjoy a Western. I have never been one of those people who list it off at the top of my favorite movie genres. But as Justified was getting close to premiering I remember every time I saw a commercial I got more and more excited; then my brain could help but force to tell more and more people. Before I knew it this became one of my favorite, have-to-watch-the-night-of, shows.

Timothy Olyphant, who stars as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, should have recently been nominated for a Golden Globe. I know he won't be nominated for an Emmy as they often stick with the status quo and rarely think outside of the box. The Golden Globes on the other hand tend to at least nominate and notice great performances wherever they come from. The Raylan character is a bad ass Marshal whose methods are transported from a Wild West Sheriff. Throughout the first season he is being questioned and investigated for what appears to be his style of "shoot now, ask questions later". Even though he's killing people left and right, you can't help but love this character. Olyphant will be nominated someday for this role, he just has to be. Until then he'll just be one of those TV treasures you yell at your friends about for not watching.

What isn't there to like about this show. It has everything: shootouts, standoffs, romantic drama, family problems, and comedy that I definitely laughed out loud at least once every episode. Remember how excited I was with the previews and commercials leading up to this show? Well it pays off quickly in every way when the premiere climaxes with a bazooka explosion. You gotta love it.

*Justified Season 2 Premieres Wednesday, February 9th on FX*

Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #8 Louie

Similar to my number nine show, there's a really good chance you didn't watch this. Unlike other shows though, it fits this comedy well. Louis C.K. stars as a version of himself who is a comedian and a divorced father of two in the dating world. He also directs, writes, produces,and if I've been told correctly he even owns the cameras they use to shoot the show. C.K. has been one of my favorite (top three easily) stand-up comedians for as long as I have known his existence. Seeing him have his own show again (Lucky Louie), combined with the creative freedom he's been given by FX makes this show hilarious and extremely refreshing.

The show is built in a way that really no show has been structured before, most certainly never a 30-minute comedy. Each episode has two or three vignettes (or small, unrelated stories) with C.K.'s stand-up placed between, and sometimes during, each of these stories. What I like most about this show is how at one point it will be placed in the very normal, very real world and then suddenly it will enter a fantasy version of that world or go to the edges of C.K.'s surreal mind. For example, I knew I loved this show when in the first episode our hero was on a first date with a woman. The date was going horribly, which in itself combined with C.K.'s deadpan humor and facial expressions was funny enough. Suddenly as the two characters sit down at a park bench with the women still going on and on a helicopter lands behind them; Louie runs to it, jumps in, and flies away from the awful woman.

This show goes anywhere from a lazy day in the apartment, walking around New York, his childhood battles with nuns, and conversations with God himself. Even though all these things occur I always found myself laughing hardest at his stand-up, the thing that I've loved and enjoyed for a long while now. I can safely say I didn't laugh harder in the first season than when C.K. verbally assaults a heckler (who is sitting at a booth literally on stage with him) during one of his stand-up sets. It was relentless, unforgiving, and frickin' funny.

If you like humor, and I'm not talking about the kind assisted with laugh tracks, real humor, then please check out this show. It will go places that may make you uncomfortable, but that's the point. No other comedy does that on television and if you've ever found yourself laughing at darker comedy before then you need to at least take a look at Louie.

Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #9 Rubicon

The average viewer probably doesn't know what this show is about, or that it even exists. I must admit I was on the verge of complete boredom through the first three episodes of Rubicon but then something happened: Three people sat in a room looking at papers for an hour. No joke, that's what got me hooked on this show. Sure when its put that way it sounds horrible, but it quickly became a fascinating, intense thriller.

I agree with critics that say some parts of this show didn't work right. The B-Story with Katherine Rhumor, the widower whose husband commits suicide in the opening sequence of the series premiere, never seemed to figure itself out. It was too confusing and tedious throughout the 13 episodes that the pay off in the end from it was nowhere near worth it. Towards the end of the season (series) at one episode I even forgot who she was because of a combination of too much going on and just not caring about her.

What always worked for the show was when the team of analysts were racking their brains for days on end stuck in a worn down generic office conference room. The three characters dynamic with one another and how they each looked at the problem at hand differently was always riveting. This all combined with a short time line, knowing they need to make the toughest decisions made this an overnight thriller.

And I know I should mention James Badge Dale, the star of the show, but frankly there I don't know what to say. I think he was great and I am definitely going to be looking for him in whatever his next project ends up being. The reality is that most of his time on the show was spent secretly running around from building to building (and parks), reading different clues, and sitting paranoid in his apartment. This once again sounds boring but I'm telling you that once this show found its real voice it was a non-stop intense mystery.

Rubicon was canceled after its first season by AMC.  The network said it loved the show, but with the ratings as low as they were even a cable network couldn't bring it back. I'm not bothered by the ending because it did leave the possibility for a second season while still satisfying this season's storyline. Really that's all you could ask for in a show like this. If you have some time, like when TV is on Summer vacation, I highly recommend checking out this show. I can best describe it as the thinking man's James Bond or Jason Bourne. Its the untold stories of the people behind the scenes of spies and military operations that get things done.

Ru·bi·con [roo-bi-kon] — Idiom

cross / pass the Rubicon, to take a decisive, irrevocable step: Our entry into the war made us cross the Rubicon and abandon isolationism forever.

Contact Kevin

Top 10 TV Shows of 2010: #10 The League

I'm going to start things off with my Top 10 TV Shows of last year. Each day I'll post one of my favorite shows with my reasoning. After that I will do a recap and then move on to the Top 10 Movies of last year. Sound good? No?! Well too bad.

When The League started last season I was unsure how much I would enjoy it. I know just enough about Fantasy Football to do well, but not enough to understand why I do well. FX had been trying for years to find a show to fill the slot after It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and half way through the first season it was obvious that The League had won out.

In it's second season the show has found its grove and was finally hitting everything right with very few misfires. It was obvious the cast had figured out what was best for the show and made it more about the dynamic between each of the friends, which were the funniest parts of the first season as well. I must admit for as much as I have loved Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia over the years, this season I can easily say I enjoyed The League more. They found ways to take each episode right to the edge of what you are willing to see and laugh at, and then go past it just for the hell of it. All of that combined with using just the right amount of Taco (the absent-minded pothead who just appears at random EVERYWHERE) in every episode had me laughing non-stop.

Tomorrow, #9 - A Show that almost no one watched, and never will get the chance to again.

Lets Try This Again...

Alright. The last time I was "blogging" was for a class project. I think that was Junior year of college which would be 2007. I just realized the internet is vast and I could look this up (one moment). October 15th, 2007, a good guess by me. That was a dumb class. Moving on.

I've been needing to find a way to get whatever it is in my head out of it for a long while now. I have been thinking bigger but there's been issues every which way. So while making my Top 10 Lists of 2010 I couldn't figure out the best place to put them. Posting them on Twitter wouldn't work, that's not the point of that. And making a "note" on Facebook means only a handful (if that) would actually read it. Now I'm not saying ANYONE is going to read them on here (or that anyone is or will be reading this even). But it does seem like a more permanent spot.

I can't promise how often I will post on here or what it will be about. But frankly that's why I'm doing it. Its here when I need it to be and we'll leave it at that. Please comment when you read a post for no other reason than I know you were here, like leaving your dirty shoes on when you come into someone's house.