The Following Message Has Been Sponsored By Sterling Cooper & Partners

[Don Draper poster - Sweet Christmas gift from the brother.]

When sitting down to watch an episode of Scandal, a certain level of ridiculous drama is expected. Someone getting their throat slashed completely out of the blue? Oh, that's just a regular occurrence in the lives of Olivia Pope and associates. Moments like these are definitely wacky and silly, which also makes for some gasp worthy and/or laughable television.

That surprise death at the hands of a main character (who is a serious wild card) happened on the show recently. Making that scene even better was that the dearly departed woman was played by random guest star Lena Dunham, acting beneath the wiggiest of wigs that has ever been present on primetime television.

Based on all of the above, it is completely understandable why "TGIT" has become a ratings smash every week. After all, according to commercials, Scandal put the "O" in the "Oval Office" (an example of ABC's so bad its good marketing, reminiscent of Revenge's advertised "love rhombus"). Really, it has put the "G" in guilty - guilty pleasure, if you catch my drift.

We've all got those shows that keep us tuning in just for the mere drama of it all. Scandal has become mine. Every week I try to kick it out of my jam packed watching schedule and then somehow I still end up amongst Fitz and the gang, because I can't stand the thought of missing any bonkers moments.

However, a show like Scandal could leave people hankering for more. Something that focuses on a different kind of drama - the real life sorts of dramas that fill all of our lives. The stories of seeking fulfillment, or searching for creative strengths, or even, questioning love, family, and what "it" all means. There is only one show that is delving into all of these thoughts and more - Mad Men - and it's all done stylishly set amongst the hectic time of the 1960s.

In the summer of 2009, Netflix instant streaming had finally become a better service (Remember when you could only stream a certain number of hours each month? Those are the dark ages now!). It offered many  television shows that, being an avid follower of awards shows and critics reviews, I had read about, but didn't have time to watch while I was frantically finishing college. Alas, people still blame me for the Pushing Daisies cancellation.

That summer, being unemployed with more time on my hands than I'd had in my adult life, I started, what people were beginning to call "binging", a couple of these shows. Very soon after starting, I could not get enough of the lives of a serial killer, a coach, and an ad man with a secret past - or Dexter, Friday Night Lights and, of course, Mad Men.

After spending my young adult life predominately watching reality shows, sitcoms, TGIF, and NBC comedies with my friends, being introduced to a show like Mad Men was very eye opening. At the beginning, I didn't know that this was what a TV show could look like or even be about. Up to that point, to me, a TV drama really only meant ER and Lost. 

To be honest, I felt / still feel pretty adult and sophisticated for adoring Mad Men. I was growing up and the television I was watching, apparently, was too.

[Realness in the form of a vintage ad from the Mad Men era.]

The old days were gone, and now that I was getting really into Mad Men, it helped me appreciate the nuance of TV writing. Before watching this show, I knew that The Office and 30 Rock were hysterical, and I spent many a night in college discussing the eventful plot twists on Lost. It was ultimately all surface discussion though and I never really gave much thought about how the episodes were actually written.  

Other shows with large casts face many writing challenges and end up taking crazy plot twists that majorly jump the shark (is that term still overused? Don't matter). The writers of Mad Men have always valued a well told story above anything else, so bring on even more characters, the show will still be solid. It helps that Mad Men never had to change or provide epic deaths (like The Walking Dead) in order to keep a larger audience happy. AMC just let the show be what it was and while it may not be a big money maker, its top notch quality will make it adored for years.

Seeing that Mad Men has been able to deeply delve into many character's lives and deliver quality story progression season after season, I can't help but nitpick if others shows write nonsensical stories. It's difficult to not become annoyed if the writing seems lazy, especially when you know how good things are capable of being.

But it hasn't just been the writing or quality stories that make Mad Men one of the best shows that TV has to offer, it's also about the immense set of characters you love and hate that all live amidst the vast world created by Matthew Weiner . There's Roger Sterling's charisma, Joan's tenaciousness, Peggy's cool ambition, creepy Pete, Ted looking good while flying planes, Sally's style and grace growing up amongst her parents who are lost and confused, Betty carting around a shotgun, and Don, who could knock your socks off just doing a presentation.

Those socks in the newest episodes could be covered by bell-bottoms, since the series has reached the 1970s. Mad Men has always been so immersive in its time period, making sure that all the clothes and sets are impeccably accurate.

Loving this show changed the way I watched television and it definitely had a way of enriching my style over the years. I know I'm not the only one who tunes in for the costumes and set design just as much as for the stories and Jon Hamm.

As the show's 10:00 PM air time is a little late for this early riser, I have yet to watch the new episode that kicked off last night. It's only slightly driving me crazy. Still, since we're on the topic of admiring sets and costumes, and in honor of Mad Men's return, I present just a few props/costumes that I have deeply coveted from the series (so far).

Let's be honest - this is mostly about Peggy and Joan. 

Peggy's Painting

That ever so perfectly has been hanging in her office, because she's a bitchin' boss lady. 

Joan's Necklace

Any fan knows that this pen necklace is the most coveted of all Mad Men accessories.

Put A Pin In It

But that necklace is only one notch above this delightful daisy pin that Elisabeth Moss was rocking in last year's promotional ads.

Peacock Print

The Sterling Cooper & Partner's office has tons of cool swag.

Turtleneckin'

Yes, I'm about to write a sentence that's an ode to a turtleneck. There is a lot of notable fashion throughout the series, but this cute, casual top (can't believe I'm saying that about a turtleneck) stands out because it marks the turn when Peggy is FINALLY allowed to be stylish.

Office Flare

I've spent far too long online pining over vintage sets of chairs that look exactly like these two gems. Let's just say, they are a bit out of my price range.

After the final seven episodes of Mad Men air, a ton about this show will be missed. But we're not saying our goodbyes yet. There are still memorable stories to be told, characters to fawn over, and new dazzling style to admire. Let's soak it all up, because what a world to enjoy.

For all fans, i'll be trying my hand at episode reviews that should be posted every Wednesday.

Let's go Mad. 


Until next time!

What's In An Ending

For roughly 10 million folks, this Sunday was met with friendly conversing over snacks about varying death predictions, probably donning some Heisenberg fedoras, and quietly cheering (to not disturb other watchers of course) as the opening credits for the television event of the year started. After five seasons, Breaking Bad is over, and the rampant discussion continues days later.

Hostility in bashing the quality of the final episode has not been seen by these eyes - rather fans are banding together, suffering those pangs of loss, for there will be no more hyjinx with Walt & Jesse, or catching Jr./Flynn at breakfast, and no more blue meth. Done. Finito. Out.

Whether through binge watching for the last month, or riding high on the Bad for years, last Sunday was truly a phenomenon of the ages. Silly seeming to those who don't get attached to the stories streaming off of a screen, but yes, I stick to my guns about the final episode of Breaking Bad being an event. Not a vacation or party, or sporting match witnessed live, just a culmination of fantastic fiction.

Let's not forget this type of hubbub has happened tons of times before. Anyone remember Lost? Many have probably blocked out that epic build up of suspense and eventual let down, so we'll move on quickly and not mention the meaning of the island. On a brighter note, in the age of sitcoms, Seinfeld, Friends, and Everybody Loves Raymond, also had their giant swan songs tuned in by millions of Americans, which I know included most of you out there.

For me, Breaking Bad went out in a blaze of marvelous perfection, yet I'm sure someone could spend days arguing the opposite. (An insane person!) Instead of analyzing the true brilliance of every moment, or discussing the morality of Walt,  let's instead make this a spoiler free zone and skip ahead to a more interesting notion that isn't dissecting the show, but rather a broad idea about endings.

We've all been there, and if you're like me, you feel like a total idiot. "Why am I so upset! It's just the finale of a TV series for god-sakes!" you yell triumphantly to a room whose only other occupant is your cat.

No, being in love with TV doesn't necessarily make you a crazy cat lady (yet) and over the last couple days digesting the final tale of Walter White, I have been thinking more about these erratic emotions we all have for television finales. As I write this, I've decided they make a lot of sense.

Week after week in our modern culture, we come home, kick off our shoes, snuggle on the couch, and allow ourselves to be taken out of our own world, and into that of another. We can balance our own lives against that of the characters we're watching or completely dissolve our stresses away by getting absorbed in the comedy and tragedy of make believe. 

Unlike a movie, which could average around three hours, television shows ask viewers to stick with a story and remain attached to characters for hundreds of hours, over weeks, and for the best shows, years.

Television shows ask that you rush back from a dinner out with friends so not a minute is missed, or finish up homework extra quick that night. You can tune into your favorites alone on your computer, or even better, grouped together with family, friends, and other appreciators in the comfort of our living rooms where weekly traditions are formed. 

Oh, the conversations! Nearly the best part about TV is talking about it each week after the newest episodes have aired. I'm all about binge viewing old shows, or catching up a couple episodes at a time, but there is nothing better than the instant gratification of tuning in for a show when it's on live to both you and the rest of the world, and then striking up bombastic discussions once the closing credits role.

[Thoroughly enjoying this extra special Entertainment Weekly]

There's book clubs, so what's the difference? I happen to enjoy books and TV. Discussions over high quality writing, excellent acting, and vivid direction in television have the same merit. Literature snobs could disagree, but I say any art that makes you think and creates exciting conversation will always be worthwhile.

The simple pleasures of TV can bring together those from different lives with varying opinions. People who may never have anything in common, could crack up together over a Michael Scott, "That's What She Said" joke, or get into a lively discussion over the merit of creating characters with mental disorders, like on Homeland.

Really, with all this dedication to stories that inundate our daily schedule and wedge their way into weekly conversations,  how can we be anything but tragically jarred when it is all just suddenly over?

That is the killer about a television shows last episode and at times has made me feel all gloomy on the inside. No matter how well it is done, that collective enjoyment, that cultural bond, will slowly dissipate. There's always reruns and the appreciation will always be there for a series that stands the test of time. In that sense, I'm not worried about Breaking Bad, but what's gone is the excitement of catching a new episode for the first time -  the shock over a plot twist or perfectly phrased line can only happen once.

We all know there can always be another show. I have experience you know - just a couple years ago I had to pull my heart off of the football field when Friday Night Lights ended.  Now it's happening again, but this time it's taking my heart out of the crystal meth business and the deserts of Albuquerque.  

Breaking Bad had a lot in common with that rag-tag gang from Texas (besides sharing many of the same actors). Both shows could have told more stories, spread thin trying to make the audience happy for 10 seasons, but they decided to go out with all the class and excellence in the world. They demonstrated how the end of a series should be and why it made it extra hard to say goodbye.

When it's good, you don't want it to end, but sometimes you just gotta cut those breaks on the RV turned traveling meth lab.

We'll get through it together! Those tremendously riveting stories created by the Vince Gilligan team will be missed, especially when balanced against less than quality storytelling. At least all of your favorite actors from Breaking Bad will be inundating you in movies and TV for years to come. The possibility of Bryan Cranston playing Lex Luther in that Batman vs Superman business should help anyone move on, but if that comfort doesn't help, just watch this video.

Was Walt always a bad person? Keep the brain flowing with all these deep ponderings, and if you haven't already, spend this weekend catching up on Breaking Bad. True jealousy is reserved for those who still get to see this series with fresh eyes - those who can say this isn't goodbye, but just the beginning.

Week Of What!?

(Sign me up for this 13-hour recreation. Masterful poster created by Feministing.)

Connecting to the events occurring in the world around us has become as easy to do as breathing.

Like a pulsing heartbeat, endless apps, websites, and the mega-tron of social media are updated constantly - if there is something happening in the world, odds are you can find an informative (maybe not always informative...) article or post.

The citizens of this information driven society absorbs it all up on a daily basis, but how do we begin to compartmentalize it all? Is it possible to take it all in?

Being a person that faced with this dilemma often gets overwhelmed  (I want to read and know everything that is happening), I have to take a step back from it all and try not to become crazed. Otherwise, like earlier this week, I turn into Jesse Spano.

As a compromise with myself, I simply seek out a couple "important" tid-bits that make me feel connected to the events of the day, as well as discovering some news story or trivia facts that made me excited, most often making me burst out a loud "what!" from the other side of a screen, newspaper, or magazine.

This has been a huge news week, filled with culture defining changes. It's hard  to think of anything else after the Supreme Court decision last Wednesday, but here are just a couple other items that have been blowing my mind recently:

What? That's A Cover!.

Building up to the excitement of her new release, and getting tickets to her gig in September, I have been in a very Neko Case-y mood.

This merged with my affinity for doo-wop/rock girl groups of the 50's and 60's earlier this week, when I was presented with the reality behind a favorite song from Case. Well, what I always believed to be one of her songs.

Once again Pandora brought something new to my attention when it started playing a familiar tune, "Train From Kansas City", but with slower beat and sung by a chorus of girls. Now I know I actually owe credit to those ladies behind "The Leader Of The Pack", The Shangri-La's, for creating one of my favorites.

To me it's interesting to discover which songs are actually covers, some more surprising than others ("Respect", for example). Even with this factoid and actually enjoying the original, I still hope to hear Neko bust out her more pumped up version live someday.

That show Medium was real?

No, Patricia Arquette doesn't work for the police, but apparently cops actually use psychic tips as a basis for tracking killers.

I didn't hear about this story when it actually happened in 2011, but recently a follow-up article over at Gawker caught my eye.

The local police department storming onto a couple's property looking for a mass grave, and claiming they are murderers all because of a psychic vision sounds like, 1. a terrible novel, and 2. is definite cause for a lawsuit.

What's baffling is the entity being sent the $6.8 million bill.

According to the Gawker article, a suit against the police department, fell through. The psychic didn't exactly force the property invasion, just made a suggestion, but that doesn't seem to be an important factor.

Several news outlets also rushed to conclusions and covered the story, before any real information was released, and though a suit was also dropped against CNN and The New York Times, they are owed a public shaming.

All blame is resting on the psychic, who is set to pay the wad of dough to the couple that has had their name wrongfully tarnished. The law suit is more than justified, but really, the police department is not facing the most blame? Our justice system at work.

No! Not T-Bone

Nashville, may have had the most ridiculous, yet highly enjoyable season finale of the last five years, but there was one thing that kept us coming back even with the sometimes terrible, over the top storytelling - the music.

We can all cry black mascara tears, as it was released that T. Bone Burnett, the mastermind behind the music on this show and many movies (including Walk The Line, and the upcoming Coen Brothers', Inside Llewyn Davis), will not be coming back for Season Two. 

Will we get anymore catchy, often beautiful tunes, or will the show completely crumble? Covers have already been thrown in a few times, so now will it merge with Glee and just be covers all the time?

As this show is set in a thriving music city, and not run by Ryan Murphy, a new music producer may be able to throw together more soulful, folksy, countrified covers a lot better than auto-tuned pop mash-ups.

Filibusterin' Like A (Wo)Man

Back in high school when I was learning about the government and certain rules set up for the Senate and the House, the idea of a filibuster actually made me annoyed. Why should anyone be able to distract from a vote, especially when important bills are trying to get passed?

Like usual, I was only looking at it like the Pollyanna type I am, still naive with a gleam in my eyes as if the people in government were always trying to pass laws that are positive for all people.

Turns out  filibusters can be inspiring, and as most everyone knows, we saw that happen this week.

Wendy Davis literally stood up against, what most would say, our culture's most controversial issue - and she did so with passion. After 13 hours, she was being applauded from coast to coast and had a pair of internet famous tennis shoes.

Not everyone agrees with her stance on the issue, but we should all be able to acknowledge that having the guts to push against a majority is highly admirable.


The week has just begun and so much has already been boggling my mind. Paula Deen? Plus you heard Michelle Obama joined Instagram, right?

Until next time!

Listing: How To Break Bad

It's Labor Day weekend, and nothing honors those laborers better than a day off, and relaxing while watching a show that has been riveting the people of our great land; Breaking Bad.  Over the last seven weeks, Breaking Bad fever has broken out all over the country.

While I'm not a wanted criminal for selling Meth under the name Walter White or creating "Yeah Bitch! Magnets!" t-shirts, my devotion is shown in little ways, and mostly by staying up way past my "bedtime" every Sunday night.

Getting sleep is nice, and working early is brutal, but every Monday morning as I tightly grip my coffee mug, and can't string two words together, all I can think is: it is totally worth it. There is no way I could wait and be driven mad all day wondering what happened to Walt, Jesse, Mike, and the rest of the gang.

Just like any full blown addiction, it didn't help that we all had to deal with the anticipation that has been building for over a year, since last summer's explosive (has that literal pun been overused yet when referencing that episode? I hope not.) Season Four finale. Once the latest season started in July, each and every second has left you wishing that Season Five wasn't the last.

Tonight, we have reached the half way point of the season. After this installment many more months of anticipation will be building until sometime in 2013 when the show will officially end in a way that is nearly impossible to predict.

The only way to cope with the months of separation anxiety will be by watching the show from the beginning, since I cranked through it extremely fast the first time, and by continuing to revisit Bryan Cranston's previous gig as Hal, the hilarious, rollerdancing, speed walking, neurotic dad on Malcom In The Middle. By the way, that show is pretty fantastic - how quickly we forget!

It's not over yet, so lets not get gloomy, and instead talk about the best of Season Five:


1) Jesse is making a lot of sense. 



No longer simply the Robin to Walt's Batman, Jesse was the Think Tank of Ideas this season. Walt is lost in his obsession trying to be a drug kingpin and Jesse just keeps bringing the rational thinking, when he used to be the one least likely to be dependable.

From Magnets to train robberies, Jesse stayed level headed and his brain seemed to be going a mile a minute coming up with solutions whenever the team got backed into a corner. Or was Walt just trying to build his confidence...



2) MacGyver Walt

Nobody locks Walter White to a radiator.

In many circumstances for some reason, characters on Breaking Bad tend to forget that Walt is a genius first, drug lord second, so always use real handcuffs and not those flimsy plastic zip ties. If you don't, Walt will obviously MacGyver the hell out of an escape plan and deliver one of my all time favorite moments in any TV show.


3) Lance Takes On Meth

Finding actors from Friday Night Lights pop up on, literally, every TV show has become a game of sorts, so finding Jesse Plemmons' name, aka Landry/Lance the front man of Crucifictorious, in the credits for Breaking Bad this season made my day.

At first simply a guy working for an extermination service, his character Todd was recruited to help out with the Meth Business - the rest is history.

Trying not to give anything away, but, as a friend reminded me recently, once a killer always a killer. Oh, Lance.



4) Mike Forever

Once the badass errand boy for Gus, this season Mike joined the bald tri-fecta as the boys try to break out on their own.

Taking out anyone in their way makes Mike terrifying and critical to any team he is part of, but it is his terrific deadpan delivery and loveable devotion to his granddaughter that has made him an essential character to this season.



5) Strangers on A Train Robbery

Episode Five of this season, Dead Freight, found the guys in their biggest pickle: they are out of methylamine (critical to the drug production) and with no way to obtain any more. The above four reasons for Season Five's greatness collide in this exciting episode, especially as Jesse comes up with his second brilliant plan of the season; robbing a train of course!

Once there was a discovery that a train would pass through the dessert filled with methlamine, there was no looking back, and the new team of four concoct their plan.

Over nearly twenty heart pounding minutes of the episode, in almost real time, the robbery occurs where every second ticks by, and we are never sure that this is a plan that will turn out to be successful.

Brilliant suspense for a show that keeps concocting stories that keep us all guessing, and one more reason why Breaking Bad continues to be making cable TV the king of storytelling and all around quality.


Tune in for the mid-season finale tonight at 10 PM on AMC. Not watching the show? Quick, head over to Netflix where every season is Instantly Streaming.


(Side Note From The Future: What! Season Five doesn't come back until Summer 2013! That's what I get for assuming 2013 means January. Let's all hold hands people.)

"Yeah... I cherish these moments"

If this blog can testify anything to my personality, it would be; I love movies!

Hundreds of flicks pass by these eyelids on a yearly basis, forgettable or memorable, and even through all this movie watching there will always be the ones that are cherished for a lifetime. One of those stories, built into the walls of my heart, had a little 25th Anniversary this year.

(Our Semi Train Dodge)

Four boys, cursing up a storm, leave their small town one summer day following a set of railway tracks in search of a dead body, and end up on the adventure for the ages.

One of the great stories brought into the world (thank you Stephen King), and how else can we honor it except by sending out a personal love letter regarding Stand By Me as a treasured classic.

Excuse me, this is probably going to get cheesy and heartfelt. Bare with me while I gush.

In 1986, the year of the movies release, I was still TBD, but about a year later would make my grand entrance on the great stage of life. With this in mind, it's hard to say the first time I saw Stand By Me, as I feel like I grew up with it always around influencing my daily life.

Based in the 1950s, starring a cast of hooligans played by men and young boys (with the exception of maybe a waitress and a mother), how can a girl in today's world relate to anything this movie has to say? This is where the true beauty of a timeless movie comes to play.

It is hard to imagine anything else that has perfectly captured what it is like to grow up. Or even more specific, what it is like to spend one of those endlessly leisure filled summer days, just hanging out under the sun with your friends, no worries in the world. It doesn't matter what gender, we all, hopefully, have these experiences to look back on.

As the years creep by, more quickly it seems the older I get (damn. I always heard this happens!), I sometimes long for those days, but then I remember the tough parts that comes along with the ease. Who really wants to relive high school?

Watching Stand By Me allows us all to dwell on the past, thinking about those who have come in and out of our lives over the years, like busboys at a restaurant (a pitch perfect statement from the film). We can relish on the grand memories without actually having to live through it a second time.




Meaningful story aside, what truly pulls the whole film together is the dynamic pairing of Will Wheaton, River Pheonix, Jerry O'Connell, and Corey Feldman. From the continual heart-beating scene involving a train dodge (every time I think they are going to get hit!), to running away from a maniac dog in a junk yard, to bonding around a campfire with a pack of smokes, it was not hard to imagine these kids were actually friends causing a menace, as boys will do, around their small town.  

Their dialogue between one another is classic and instantly quotable. When referring to a crazy person the first thing to come out of my mouth is always the line, "My dad stormed the beaches of Normandy!" followed by "Looney", "Looney", "Looney".  Also, many lines can be drawn from the hilarious conversation around a camp fire, including pondering the question everyone wants the answer to, "God, that's weird. What the hell is Goofy?" Oh, Vern.

Over the years we loose touch with people, and others are taken away from us (an undeniable truth that is sadly echoed throughout the entire film), but just as the four friends learn, life is really about the experiences, big and small, profound and trivial, finding a dead body or the entire voyage, that connects us all together.

Stand By Me, here's to another 25! Don't you go changing on me now! We'll be here continuing to bask in your excellence.

The Truth Is Out There...I'm Obsessed

"Sculder" and "Mully" are one bad-ass duo that now have a long overdue spot in my heart.

The X-Files has become so much a part of my daily life lately that the characters, Mulder and Scully, literally blend together in my mind. Almost as if they are the new Bennifer on some metaphysical cover of People Magazine (did I really just make a reference to that?). Baffled in fits of excitement, I find myself yelling, "Sculder! Watch Out!"

There is something wrong with me.

Becoming heavily interested in pop culture icons long post their time in the spotlight is really hilarious. Something exciting will happen, and all you want is some kind of water-cooler to huddle around and discuss  deep thoughts like, "Why does Mulder always puts that X in the window?" Oh, everyone talked about this fifteen years ago? Dang. Well, better late than never.

With The X-Files, it's like having a huge epiphany; "So THIS is what everyone was thoroughly enjoying when I was too scared to watch it in middle school." Really, when the show began in 1993, I was in Kindergarten!  Even over that much time, it remains fantastic and, of course, addicting.

Currently the entire series is streaming via Netflix, which makes it irresistible. I already had the Duchovny love, and feeling pretty confident that it would no longer scare the crap out of me, I decided it was about time to check out this classic.

The first season, is a little hard to stomach at first, where only the episodes involving extraterrestrial activity kept me wanting more. It was hard to fight against grabbing the remote to skip past extremely cheesy and low budgets episodes, involving Sasquatch babies and killer computers, but a little more than half way through  the season the show gets into its groove (and it helps that, obviously, the production was given more money as the show progressed). Any first time watchers, shows always gets better, stick with it!

Currently, I am deeply into the third season, and  the quirky episodes, not involving aliens, have become the crave worthy ones. This show excels in the ways they craft each episode into something that can be serious, as well as wacky and fun. At times it bridges on Twin Peaks crazy, which is always a good thing. The agents will be tracking a serial killer, but then by the next week they end up with a bunch of sideshow circus performers.

The latter, a Season Two episode called "Humbug", where Mulder and Scully find themselves in the presence of  a side show performer who pounds nails up his nose, a guy who eats everything in site, and something called the Fiji Mermaid, might be my favorite episode so far, and literally has a Twin Peaks connection. It also fits well in my curious fascination with circus people and old-timey circus life.





This clip only captures a snip-it of the bizarre and comical tone of the episode (Mulder's stance...classic), but alas, it is the only one I could find.

After this episode, the show regularly hits high notes on the comedy scale, which I wasn't expecting. From teen witches in a small town, to an episode that literally functioned as a B-Movie with killer beetles and poop jokes (hilarious. always.), and even the last episode I watched, involving an author writing a book about an alien abduction, had an INCREDIBLE cameo by Alex Trebeck that nearly had me collapse to the floor with laughter. Love me some Jeopardy.

Lets talk about cameo's for a minute; this show has got to have a record for putting a jolt in the most actors careers. Nearly every episode features someone who later became famous or is currently a hot ticket in Hollywood, so much so it has becomes a game of wondering who will appear next.  Just to name a few: Felicity Huffman was stuck in the arctic with a huge case of cabin fever, Jack Black was the friend of a guy (a twofer cameo episode with Giovonni Ribisi) who gained powers through getting struck by lightening, and Ryan Reynolds got tricked by a duo of witches.

Being a proud member of the born and raised in the Pacific Northwest club (I'm from Washington, about 45 minutes South of Vancouver), I can't deny that I love the way our homeland is showcased.

The entire show was filmed in and around Vancouver [Editors note from the future: whoops, it moved to L.A. for season 6!], and every outdoor location is utilized, from the surrounding mountains to the scenes in serene, yet vast and ominous, Evergreen forests. All of these locations clearly defined the look of the show and added to giving the series its spooky tone.

Over the years tons of TV shows and movies have filmed in Vancouver, but nothing else captures our beloved atmosphere as much as The X Files. I don't know about British Columbia, but maybe the vibe of this whole area works well for this show, specifically, because Washington has always had a strange connection to alien abductions.

The fan base for this show is still going strong (there is even a racing horse named Spooky Mulder), and the difficult part now is avoiding all these fans and their excessive clips/articles/anything on the internet that will ruin what happens. You can't escape looking up anything! Even that stupid new Google Instant screwed me over; you type in "Mulder and Scully" and the second option is, "Mulder and Scully Kiss". DAMN.

Do I care if Mulder and Scully ever get together? Maybe.

Do they?

Okay, don't tell me! When I get to the end, I will finally know what everyone else knew, nearly ten years ago.

I Couldn't Have Said It Better

The People Magazine, Sexiest Men In Existence issue came out this week, and everyone is in pure mania!

Sure Ryan Reynolds, who is the cover boy, is great and I'm not in a panic about it or anything, but I just always feel like People is about a year behind on everything. Honestly, I thought this had Jon Hamm written all over it (yes, I actually had thought about who would be a part of this list before the magazine came out).

This is all beside the point. People magazine definitely knows how to pick out some hot men, but it's always the same guy. Michelle Collins, over at Best Week Ever, compiled a list of what she calls, "The Smart Girl's Guide To The Sexiest Men Alive".

I love a good list, and this is an applaud worthy one. Not only was this nearly exact list in my brain (there are exceptions...I just can't sign up for Alton Brown), but if this was in a magazine I would get out there and buy a copy right now.

However I have a couple additions (just because I like any reason to mention them):

Lee Pace

Jason Sudeikis

Kyle Chandler

Swoooon Of The Week: Halloween Edition

It has been a long week, folks. Dealing with The Crazies who frequent the local mall can really wear a person down.

Only a shining beacon makes it possible to survive this week; Halloween is on Sunday! Mad Men-ing it out for dress up this year has been a fun distraction, especially in the hair department. Bouffant (fun word!) experimenting and nearly suffocating on hairspray for the art of the 60's up-do was worth it this afternoon. Although, the head ache is lingering a little longer than expecting. This girl just doesn't hang around a teasing comb and hairspray that often (which I think is a good thing).

The highlight of the week, on the Halloween theme, is (of course) what is showing on television and scary movies. As noted earlier,I pointed out my favorites to watch during this season. This list did not include, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (which I do like, just not enough to mention it), but you know what will in the future? The Glee themed version of the movie!

This tops my Swoon Of The Week, because everybody needs something to entice a good, dramatic, hand to the forehead swoon every now and then.

Glee has lost me a bit (just a bit!) in this latest season. The Britney themed episode was just meh, Puck being absent for two episodes is ridiculous, not enough Stamos, and too much about the new kids in school and not enough about the adult characters.

Well, last nights Rocky episode gave me everything that had been missing and more (except Puck, boo).







(Cue Stamos basically killing it on that Meatloaf number)

Anyone that watched this will note it would be difficult to pick one swoon moment, so we'll just say it was the whole episode. From Stamos finally getting his own production number to Emma and Mr. Shue (notably shirtless) dancing around a classroom to Touch-A, Touch-A, Touch Me (I was wondering how they were going to pull that one off...). Actually all of the musical numbers were great and definitely did all those classic songs justice. It made me want to jet out to find the nearest midnight showing of the movie.

A very fun episode that continues to show the immense creativity that is possible for television.