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Okay we have got to talk about one Chuck Bass (Ed Westwick).
You know I love him (not like Blair loves him, of course, but you know what I mean) and his nefarious, scheming, and preposterous ways. I love that he acts like no high school student I've ever seen. I love his witty banter and amusing ennui. I even felt kind of bad about not including him on my best characters of 2008 list. But I think he went over the edge in this week's Gossip Girl. The drama and carrying on was too, too much. I wanted to feel sympathy for Chuck on the death of his father, but I didn't. It was if he thought he was in a silent movie. We are treading dangerously close to David Caruso territory here.
The thing about a show like Gossip Girl is that it has to walk the line of being an entertaining soap opera, while being in on the joke that the characters are ridiculously over-the-top. This week I think they missed that mark.
What did you think of this week's Gossip Girl? Talk about it below.
Best of 2008
In the next two weeks, I'll have the best TV moments and the best quotes of 2008. If you have a favorite, now is the time to email me and let me know.
Fun Link
Dwight may be sold out, but you still might be able to own one of this year's hottest toys. Check out http://www.princessunicorndoll.com/.
And for a deleted scene of last night's episode of The Office, click here.
Quotes of the Week
"This is a religious holiday. When has religion ever caused any trouble?" Kenneth (Jack McBrayer) to Liz Lemon about Christmas on 30 Rock.
"Oh man Earl. You got me again. This was a long one though. All that running around about karma. I believed in that crazy list for three years. Bravo Earl. Bravo." Randy to Earl on My Name Is Earl.
"Anyone at this table who thinks I have the power to make your mom do anything raise your hand." Tom to his children about Lynette on Desperate Housewives.
"Why don't you hang out at a video store and tell everyone Kevin Spacey is Keyser Söze?" House to Wilson when he ruins all his fun on House.
Exchanges of the Week
"It will be great." Denny (William Shatner) to Alan (James Spader) about getting married on Boston Legal.
"Yes it will." Alan to Denny.
"Like jumping a shark." Denny to Alan.
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"This could be a television series." Denny to Alan.
"On a new network." Alan to Denny
"One that cares." Denny to Alan. Thanks to Shaun for the exchange.
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"Because I love you." Blair to Chuck on Gossip Girl.
"That's too bad." Chuck's response. Like I said the drama level was high.
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"He's human?" Cameron after she knocks a man unconscious on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
"Yes, of course." Lauren's response.
"My mistake." Cameron. Thanks to Lorena for the exchange.
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"You know what I was doing while you guys were out there being immature? I'll tell you what I was doing..." Marshall (Jason Segel) to the gang on How I Met Your Mother.
"Your nails?" Barney's response
"No, I was doing..." Marshall
"The relationship quiz in this month's Cosmo?" Ted
"No, I was doing..." Marshall
"Your best not to cry when Big came back for Carrie at the end of the 'Sex and the City' movie?" Barney
"No. Spoilers much. No. I'll tell you what I was doing..." Marshall
"The captain of the football team because he gave you his promise ring and you looked so pretty in your open back homecoming dress?" Robin. Thanks to Michelle for this exchange.
Ask TV Gal
Have you heard anything about The Middleman coming back for another season? That was one of my favorite shows last summer. Thanks, Katie
Excellent question, Katie and you are not the only one who wants to know. I think I get this question about once a week. I checked with my friends at ABC Family and, alas, there's no news to report. The network hasn't yet decided on whether the show will be back.
I saw on your blog about the Lifetime movie A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride starring Luke Perry and Joanna Garcia Saturday at 9 p.m. on Lifetime. It's on DECEMBER 20, not this Saturday. Just wanted to let you know, if others were confused! Thanks! Lisa
Thanks for the correction Lisa. I was going off some promotional materials that Lifetime had sent me that had the dates of their Christmas movies reversed. This Saturday Will You Merry Me? starring Cynthia Stevenson and Wendie Malick airs and you are correct, A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride airs next Saturday, December 20.
I was wondering if you have any idea when Medium is coming back and is this their last season? With Jay Leno taking over the 10 slot I am assuming a lot of the dramas are going to get pushed to 9 or just taken off completely. Thanks Caroline.
Medium will return on Monday, February 2 at 10 p.m. Blythe Danner will be one of the season's early guest stars. She'll play the mother of a missing private nurse. There's no word yet about whether or not this is the last season of Medium but you are correct that when Jay Leno debuts in the Fall of 2009 in the 10 p.m. slot, there will be a lot less room for dramas.
That's all for today. I'm back next week with my picks for the ten best shows of the year and much more. Have a question? Seen a familiar face? Want to nominate a quote of the week or the year? Write me at amytvgal@zap2it.com. Have a great weekend. Talk to you on Monday.
Amy Amatangelo, TV Gal ®
Zap2it Twitter Talk 
I for one am disappointed to hear that NBC will be pulling all their 10pm shows in the fall in favor of Jay Leno. I will not be tuning in to see that.
Thanks for answering (or at least trying to!) my question about The Middleman, Amy. It's such a fantastic show - I hope the peeps at ABC Family read your column and bring it back.
I haven't been watching Gossip Girl (they don't have CW where I live) but have ordered the dvds of the first season. I can't wait to see what all the fuss about Chuck B*** is about. Of course, when I saw the the title of your column, I thought it might be about MY fave Chuck, Chuck Bartowski. Oh, well... maybe some other time.
Ok this is going to be a rant for me. I watch TV to be entertained with a wide variety of drama and comedy shows. I like to be able to escape to a different world if only for a half an hour or an hour. This is why I don't like reality shows and why the idea of Leno getting the 9:00 time slot is very disappointing to me. I also tend to like alot of the shows that run during this time block, as they are not always appropriate for an earlier time slot.
I actually thought that Gossip Girl was great this week, mainly because of Chuck and Blair. Of course that is usually the case but I thought that Ed Westwick did a great job. Watching him was so much more preferable to having to sit through more Serena-Dan-Aaron drama.
Extras kudos to the episode for being Vanessa free.
No, loved it and I don't think it was anywhere near David Caruso.
I think this was Chuck's best and I have never awaited an episode of ANY tv show like I await 'In the Realm of the B***es' Jan 4 (thanks Canadian broadcasting).
I have to agree, I loved Chuck this week. I think he was finally able to be a little vunerable with Blair and I loved it!! I want more!!
I completely agree about Ed Westwick's acting, it was so cliched and over-the-top, not nuanced at all. It was all look at me I'm hurting and ****ed, I have dead eyes, fluttering eyelashes, snarls. You shouldn't be able to quantify an actor's motions. It should be a lot more natural. Having said that, it was still affecting at moments, he just needed to pull it back a bit. He is a young actor, he'll learn.
Amy thanks for the information about Medium I thought NBC had done awat with it, so now I'm looking forward to it's return hope it's not the last season for it.
I just don't see what putting Leno on five nights a week is going to bring to the table for NBC, that's going to hang them quick in my view.
KATIE71483: Yeah, I thought Amy was referring to Chuck Bartowski, too. You know, the NICE CHUCK! ;-)
Anyway, I put both Chucks on my list of the Top 10 TV Characters of the Year.
After watching this week's episode of GG, I knew that a lot of viewers would complain that Ed Westwick was chewing the scenery. However, I thought that finding out that his father died in a car accident AND that Lily was (is?) in love with Rufus was the perfect motivation for his character to go CRAZY! The tragedy called for Westwick to be melodramatic; it's not like he was crying over something trivial, like a hangnail or something. When Chuck walked away from Blair after she finally had told him she loved him, you just knew that he had lost it!
Sorry, Amy, but NO OTHER ACTOR on American television even comes close to the hamminess of David Caruso (not even William "Priceline!" Shatner himself). Why else would Joel McHale keep doing his Caruso/ CSI:Miami impressions on The Soup? Caruso's "acting" style consists entirely of stilted dialogue delivered extremely s-l-o-w-l-y and deliberately, while tilting his head, hands on his hips. Then don't forget that he needs to put on his sungl***es before walking out of frame! ** Cue The Who theme song! ** :-P
My favorite TV moment this week was from 'Chuck'. Sarah's father (played by Gary Cole) keeps calling Chuck a "schnook" and Casey "Cop Face". Casey angrily growls back at him, but it is partly true, since Casey is an undercover NSA agent. :-)
Wow. I completely disagree. This was the first time since the show started that I actually liked Chuck, and it was the first time I rooted for him and Blair. I LOVED this weeks episode.