Jetlagged and Reunited with TiVo

I'm baaaack!

Thank you all for your really nice congratulation emails and blog posts. It was so much fun to come back and read through them all. You guys are the best.

Also thank you for emailing me all the great familiar faces and quotes that happened while I was gone -- I will be posting them in my columns on Wednesday and Friday this week.

So after a 17 hour trip home (where American Airlines showed the same episode of The Big Bang Theory at least three times. I think they heard that I had become a fan of the show), I returned Saturday from a two week honeymoon in Hawaii. And I think you all will be proud of me --- I actually didn't watch any TV the whole time we were gone. Can you believe it? I really can't. I've never completely dropped out of pop culture like that.

The only pop culture report I received during the entire time we were away happened when my mom texted me that Madonna was divorcing. I was so glad that I had taught my mom how to text because that's definitely a report that needed to be filed immediately.

I did for a moment fantasize about pulling a Don Draper and not returning to work. But then I realized that, like so many of you have reported to me, The CW network does not exist in Hawaii and a TV Gal cannot live by four major networks alone. Plus my husband had to go back to work and I couldn't stay in Kauai without him. That would be kind of rude, right?

My TiVos and I had an emotional reunion when I returned. I think they thought I never was coming back. I had never gone that long without checking in. Of course there was some of the usual acting out -- recording the local cable news broadcast instead of Without a Trace and deleting some shows before I had watched them (something about all the episodes of Lost from last season taking up too much room). But all in all the TiVos did very well (good TiVos, nice TiVos) and we've basically been inseparable since I walked in the door.

Since I'm still making my way through everything I missed (oh look Simon Camden is on Bones!) and catching up with all the review DVDs that arrived while I was gone, I'm going to do something a little different with today's column. I'm going to talk about what I've watched so far and then I'll have more thoughts on Wednesday until I'm all caught up.

Here we go!

Project Runway: I was rooting for Korto and liked her final collection the best but I liked Leanne's too so I was okay with her winning. Mostly I'm still in shock about how quickly Kenley went from adorable to annoying and I have to think her whiny attitude really hurt her with the judges. I'm also a little concerned about when we'll see the show again since now the series is caught up in a legal battle between Bravo and Lifetime. So that means we better get all the Project Runway while we can. Check out this link of post finale interviews with Leanne and Kenley. And if you missed any of the finale, check out this link.

The Office: I love what Amy Ryan is bringing to the series as Holly. It was a savvy move to give Michael a love interest that is similarly goofy but also rooted in a little bit more reality. So far the series is doing a better job this season of tempering the outlandish, cringe-inducing moments of the show with believable moments. Michael and Dwight's antics (for example, Dwight delivering a watermelon to prepare Michael for childbirth) work best when they are surrounded by characters who are more realistic. And I loved seeing the show returning to its first season roots with the Jim and Dwight pranks. Jim discussing Battlestar Galactica while Dwight fumed was an example of the kind of humor the show does so well. I remain concerned about the long term plans for Jim and Pam but will concede that what's happening between them is relatable. I'm kind of wondering if they are leading the audience in a direction where we will begin to think they should take a break while Pam pursues her art dream.

How I Met Your Mother: Last week's intervention episode was hilarious. There are certain shows that I love that I can understand other people not enjoying but I really don't understand people who don't think HIMYM is one of the best comedies on television. Tonight's episode (Monday on CBS at 8:30 p.m.) is can't miss. When Stella's sister's wedding gets called off at the last moment, Stella and Ted decide to have their wedding in its place. The episode answers some long lingering questions (which of course I won't spoil here) and also gives us more of Robin and Barney. After you watch tonight's episode, let me know what you think.

90210: Now, don't be mad. Consider it your wedding gift to me to let me talk about the show without incurring your wrath. I've been gone two weeks and I have to talk to someone about the episode that aired while I was gone. I would like to get the gang from HIMYM to launch an intervention on Annie about her AFE (awkward facial expressions) syndrome. Seriously someone has got to talk to her about this because she is entering the upper echelon of annoying TV characters. She's had a quick rise up the annoying ladder. She is currently right up there with Meredith Grey. Kind of liking Jessica Lucas as the undercover cop though --- as many of you have pointed out, there is something potentially entertaining about a 90210 meets 21 Jump Street plot line. Also I don't want Adrianna to die because I do think she's one of the best actresses the show has right now. Live Adrianna. Live!

House: What I've always liked about this show is that it never takes the easy way out with the irascible Dr. House. Many shows would have gone the other way, but I really appreciated that House didn't give a touching and poignant eulogy at his father's funeral and that he remained bitter and cranky and unforgiving. No very special episode messages here. Even after all these seasons, House remains a consistent mystery. Just like his colleagues, we don't really know the man. Plus the way his ongoing break up with Wilson is evolving is pitch perfect. Their dialogue touches on real issues while offering up some very biting comic relief. In other news, I so need to make "Mmmbop" my ring tone.

Brothers & Sisters: It looks as though this family drama took my honeymoon as a time to regroup and to begin exploring ways besides an all in family throwdown as a device to stir up dramatic tension among the Walker family. As with real families, problems don't go away easily and long ago hurts continue to linger. I like that Tommy is still hung up that his father brought Sarah in to run the business. I like that Nora still struggles with her husband's infidelity. And I particularly like that Holly (Patricia Wettig) and Rebecca have a complex mother/daughter relationship. Do you think Tommy is planning to oust Holly from the business? I kind of do.

Okay that's all for today. I'm back on Wednesday with all the fun familiar faces and references that happened while I was gone. This week, I'll also be checking on Life on Mars, Eli Stone, Grey's Anatomy, Mad Men and more. Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com. Talk to you on Wednesday. It's good to be back.

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