Tv Reviews

Why is hate-watching the only realistic option? Because loving or even liking this expensive misfire is simply not possible. Don't let the fancy names in the cast fool you: "Hemingway and Gellhorn" is a stupid, stupid movie.

While Joan's contemplating her future and Don's about to get a plate of cold dinner thrown his way by an angry Megan, Lane sneaks into the office and takes out one of the bonus checks with Don's signature on it.

In many ways, "The Magician's Code" is the quintessential HIMYM episode, as funny as almost any show on television when it's willing to put in the effort, but more often than not falling into unnecessary plot twists,

It might have been funny, a long time ago, for two straight men to constantly fend off the suggestion that they are gay. Not anymore.

Whereas "Lady Lazarus" seems to celebrate the death of the body and thus the end of suffering, "Tomorrow Never Knows" focuses on the potential for embracing the potential for new beginnings. And that's what this week was all about.

People grow up and what they want changes -- is her father holding onto some childhood dream his daughter had, while she's moving on and finding she can use her talents in ways she hasn't thought of before?

I couldn't help but think about the feminist movement of the '60s as I watched all of this week's episode of Mad Men.

"Veep" merely reinforces what most people already think about Washington, D. C., but if these politicians and aides are so worthless, why are we paying attention to them?

It's certainly been a long time since I was this beguiled by a set a characters, but Girls is one of those rare birds. It's a fresh and wonderfully realized show that feels like nothing else on TV.

So many shows have trouble wrapping information the audience needs in dialogue that is actually a pleasure to listen to, but Justified makes it look easy. Many conversations this season went down like a nice Kentucky bourbon.

How much do you LOVE Pamela Dunlap as Pauline Francis? Her babysitting skills reminded me of my own mother -- scare the crap out of them with stories about serial killers then give them drugs so they pass out and stop bothering you. Sigh... memories.

The first two episodes of "Magic City" boast a lot of what I call "H.B.," which is short for "Hey! Boobs!," which denotes the presences of breasts in a scene for one reason, and that reason is: On pay cable, networks can show boobs.

Maybe it's not quite Revenge: The Presidential Years, but Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and Jeff Perry spark nicely off each other and there are plenty of juicy twists and turns in the show's potential presidential scandal.

"Best Friends Forever" lays the foundation for what could be a zippy and enjoyable exploration of the intricacies of intimacy and friendship ... and each actor in the core trio has sharp comic timing.

It was completely insane, and yet it made complete sense. That's what I love about this show -- love, logic, vengeance and mercy combine in ways that seem chaotic and nuts, but everything makes sense on an intellectual and emotional level.

As a longtime fan of "Project Runway," I was so happy when NBC finally decided to launch their own clothing design competition series, "Fashion Star" ...

Can this show convey the books' themes about the perils of loyalty and love in a changing world and take us deep inside the characters' emotional dilemmas without quite literally losing the plot? There may not be a taller order in all of TV at the moment.

I luxuriated in the season premiere, which, more than anything else, felt like a big, shiny present to fans. Don's surprise birthday bash was brightly colored and amusing and, like the best "Mad Men" moments, full of lots of intersecting layers.

The season premiere allows fans to marinate in the world of the characters for two hours, serving as an appetizer, if you will. They're a nicely calibrated prelude to the main courses to come. I'll drink to that!

I can't quite figure out why NBC is showing two "Bent" episodes each week. Is the network burning this comedy off and betting on its failure? But I absolutely don't believe NBC will come up with any comedies that are better than this in the fall.

"Fairly Legal" just doesn't deliver on a character level, and allegedly that is something that matters to the "Characters Welcome" network.

How do you weave the idea of redemption into a soap about God-fearing folks who are all flawed? There's a reasonable amount of comedic and dramatic potential contained in that premise, but "GCB" spurns almost every part of that setup.

All four episodes that NBC sent for review were quite competently made: They were well-paced, well-directed, well-acted, and a few featured well-earned twists I didn't see coming.