Sunday Night TV - 1/23/11

Big Love

The lesson this week is more Barb, Nikki and Margene and less of Bill is a good thing. The relationships between the sister wives has always been the more compelling that whatever scheme Bill is working on. Bill gets to run around and stir up a hornets nest but it's his wives that have to suffer the stings. Barb's walk on the wild side, well the wild side for a Mormon housewife, has been refreshing and a much needed turn for her character. As viewers we've been deprived her story. The story of how Bill re-embracing the principle after many years of marriage has affected her as a woman and her relationships with her family. We knew her family disapproved and relationships were strained but the scars never seemed to be revealed.

Equally refreshing is the maturation of Nikki. She was always too much of a two dimensional character, petulant and predictable in her stubbornness. Now that she is raising her teenage daughter and has turned her back on Juniper Creek, she is evolving into a more complete character ready to reveal the damage growing up on a polygamist compound has done.

I'm of the opinion that Margene should take Bill up on his offer to let her leave the family. One thing the last two seasons have revealed is that She is not going to be happy long term kept in her cage raising kids and waiting for Bill to come home. Her personality is too big for that life and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to go on a self realization journey with Ana.

One more item, we need more Alby. No one brings the creepy like him and we need that.


Californication

This weeks episode had two highlights. First we found out producer Stu Beggs is "rich as fuck and hung like a moose." Then the episode closes with Hank finally getting around to writing the "Fucking & Punching" screenplay. In between was a collection of disjointed, out of character scenes that really took us no where.

There is no denying Hank is a poon chasing dog but he does possess a certain integrity that makes him using an assumed suicide attempt to get back into Karen's good graces unbelievable. I think Karen has become a huge problem for the writers. She should have been written off the show after season two but for whatever reason continues to hang around LA. I understand the convenience having a plot tool of you're lead character hung up on his "sole mate" is, but has Karen ever done anything to show us why Hank would be obsessed with her? And having a child together isn't enough. There's very little chemistry between the two. She has yet to reveal a quality about her character that would draw a dynamic person like Hank to her. And worst of all, she's just boring. With the series being picked up for a fifth season, I'm hoping season four finds a way to finally put the death knell in the Hank/Karen relationship.


Episodes

The good news is that each episode has improved on the one before it. The bad news is that Episodes still isn't a good show. I haven't checked my "all holidays" calendar but Sunday must have been Big Dick Day on Showtime. Not only did we find out about Stu Beggs moose like qualities on Californication but much of this week's Episodes revolved around what the Lord has blessed Matt LeBlanc with in penis department. I do know it's going to take more than LeBlanc's giant cock to keep me tuning in past next week. I've been more patient with Episodes than I probably should have but the show is looking like a lost cause at this point. Tune in next week for the funeral.

Shameless 

Hey a really enjoyable episode. That's different. Frank still doesn't offer much more than a catalyst to start fires for Fiona to put out but if that's what the character is, I'm OK with that. I just wish they weren't wasting a talent like William H. Macy to fill that role. Lip and Ian continue to be the most interesting on all the Gallagher clan with Ian revealing to a girl at school he's gay. Unfortunately for Lip that revelation came too late to save him a beating at the hands of the Milkovich brothers.


The Aunt Ginger stuff brought a nice bit of levity to a sometimes depressing household and gave Debbie a place in the episode. It was important to get to know Debbie a little before next week's episode when she apparently steals a baby from somewhere.


This was the first week there weren't lulls where I was bored with what I was watching. Hopefully, things will continue looking up in the weeks to come.