Tuesday the 14th’s episode was another solid start to the season. Good things are clearly on the way. Of course, good things are happening already, but since there’s still time for new viewers to jump on this season, I don’t want to be spoiler guy. Hulu is slowly rolling out Season 5 episodes – you can watch the first one here:
The second episode really built on the comedic momentum of the opener, although we’re still not into the dramatic meat of the season yet. Tommy’s Section 8 ordeal was resolved in an interesting way: I’m sure the dramatic huge-budget rescue of the woman in the runaway car pissed off some long-time viewers because it was yet another instance of Tommy acting Superman. The whole joke of it, though, is that on any other show, the higher-ups would have seen the save, realized Tommy’s value to the job, and torn up the Section 8 paperwork because of it – of course, the ultimate reason for Tommy’s salvation was much more petty and bureaucratic and cynical than that.
Also structurally bold was the way that Black Shawn’s revelation went down. He paced the entire episode, waiting to reveal to Tommy his relationship with his daughter. When he finally got up the nerve, Tommy hesitated. Black Shawn asks, “What are you gonna do about it?” Then there’s a cut to an entirely unrelated Gina Gershon hookup scene, leading we shmucks in the audience to wonder what that volatile bastard Tommy IS gonna do about it. I’m not sure this scene should have been placed so near to the runaway car scene, because it played twice as disorienting as it may have been intended, but it was an interesting choice regardless and it sure does make any fan of this show want to see the next episode tomorrow.
Still trying to decide if I’m going to do this sub-column every week, and what shape it should take if I am going to do it. But one thing I would at least like to provide is a repository for the episode’s most quotable quotes. It’ll be fun conversation for the full-timers and taste-wetting for the new show-watchers.
This Week’s Quotes:
“Well that’s a banana when you peel it…” – Dwight (Michael J. Fox).
“I’ve waited my whole life for this. We’re actually having a discussion about pussy feng shui.” – Lou (John Scurti).
“I want to call it Lumberjack’s.” – Mike (Mike Lombardi).
“So his cock farted?” – Garrity (Steven Pasquale).
Some other stuff I dug this past week:
1. Anvil! The Story Of Anvil
Please don’t wait for my full review. Find where this brilliant (yes, brilliant) documentary is playing near you, and rush towards it. If you don’t take my word for it, hopefully you’ll trust everybody else who’s seen it.
2. The Kris Kristofferson story in Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/27113898/the_last_outlaw_poet
Ethan Hawke, of all people, wrote a profile of the great singer, actor, and national badass Kris Kristofferson. Its page count puts The New Yorker to shame and every page is worth it. If all you know of Kristofferson is his stomping around in the Blade movies and bellowing “Damnit Blade!”, you definitely ought to check out this primer on an excellent American songwriter and poet.
3. http://www.postmodernbarney.com/2009/04/uncomfortable-plot-summaries/
I’m not sure who compiled this lengthy list of super-literal movie plots, but whoever wrote that is to be commended. By the time I got to the Predator entry, true inspiration has been touched.