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Monday, December 6, 2010

Last Week In TV #12

The Walking Dead: Vatos


Reviews of this episode have been fairly critical of it, especially the whole "gangsters turn out to be nice social workers" plot. While it certainly got ham-fisted at times, it didn't derail the entire episode, as there was plenty of other good stuff going on.

Such as the opening scene between Andrea and her sister in the boat. Or the discussion Jim's crazy/prophetic/weird grave digging led to about the role of personal liberty and communal responsibility. Or Dale's paraphrasing of Faulkner's Sound and the Fury in relation to time (and I didn't mention it in the last column, but I also liked Dale's comments about the meagerness of words in the last episode). Dale is in danger of becoming the "sage old man" cliche, and a little goes a long way, but so far, the show's been doling it out in little doses.

And of course, there was the great zombie attack at episode's end. What I liked about it was how unexpected it was. Obviously, the scene around the campfire just before the attack was ominous as hell, and as soon as Amy got up you knew something was about to go down, but thanks to the previous comment about Merle taking the truck in Atlanta, I was expecting a crazed Merle attack, not a full on zombie massacre. And I was genuinely surprised to see Amy go so soon (having not read the comics, some of the pre-show articles I'd read had made it seem like she was more of a main character).

Other thoughts:
After the last episode I wondered why Merle hadn't cut the handcuff chain with the saw instead of his hand; this episode provided an answer.

Guess that puts an end to the sticky moral questions surrounding Ed the Wife Beater.


The Simpsons: The Fight Before Christmas


Surprisingly, this is only the second time The Simpsons has applied their successful "Treehouse of Horror" anthology style to a Christmas episode, especially considering they've applied the style to everything from Easter to tall tales to women in history. Like the best Treehouse episodes, all of the stories had the feel of the holiday about them (and the framing sequence helped that along even if everything in the individual segments didn't) and like the worst Treehouse episodes, the episode as a whole was a mixed bag, but, the more I think about it, largely successful.

Bart's Polar Express-inspired dream was pretty good, with some nice gags about the current corporate climate, and the strongest segment overall. Lisa's wartime story was sweet but not terribly funny, and then devolved into a relatively random Inglorious Basterds parody, though I always appreciate Walt Disney/Hitler jokes, and Lisa waking up and saying that's the last time she goes to bed with a Dumbo toy and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich almost saved it. The Martha Stewart segment is probably the one I laughed at the most, and the one that came closest to the darker, more macabre sensibilities of a Treehouse episode, but I'll readily admit most of the jokes in that one were easy and/or far from timely.

There wasn't much to the final, much-ballyhooed segment, beyond the novelty of the Simpson Muppets and the awesomely-cleavaged Katy Perry mocking the whole Sesame Street debacle, but that was probably enough. It was fun to see the Simpsons as Muppets, and the brief segment did a good job of capturing the kind of zany chaos the Muppet Show often displayed (I especially appreciated the cutaway to Grampa and Jasper as Statler and Waldorf in the balcony). And frankly, I can't complain too much about any episode that ends with Muppet Moe going down on Katy Perry on network TV.

Marge: I could use some help!
Homer: Marge, I'm watching a rerun of an important bowl game.
Announcer: And that last touchdown makes it 67 to 13.

Bart: I may have been naughty this year, but by today's standards, naught's nothing. I didn't get anybody pregnant. I didn't Facebook a kid to death. Make with my dirt bike!
Santa: Kid, this company's bust. For years I've been giving away free toys and getting cookies in return. It's not a sustainable business model!

Marge: This tree reminds me of your father. Round in the middle, thinning up top and your hands get sticky when you touch him.

Homer: Someday, TV will be invented. And it will be free! Then it will cost money.

Marge: Martha Stewart! How did you get in here?

Martha: A picket fence, stood on its end, makes a sturdy and attractive ladder.


Glee: Special Education


While Will's Emma-spurred revelation about the varied strengths of the glee club made sense, it seems odd that he'd be able to switch things up so close to Sectionals (ditto to bringing in a new member on such short notice, though at least lip service was paid to that idea). I mean, isn't the Sectionals set list something they should have been practicing for weeks? Can he really just say "here's a song, Quinn and Sam, sing it" and expect them to be good enough to win in less than a week's time (also, coming up with choreography; doesn't it usually takes weeks to come up with a perfect that kind of stuff, at least if you want it to be good)? But I suppose this is another example of how our reality and the reality of Glee aren't the same.  

Speaking of Will, his portrayal in this episode is what makes it easier to tolerate his skeeviness in other episodes. I liked that he took Emma's advice, admitted to being somewhat hypocritical when it came to practicing what he preached, and telling Rachel to shut it when she started going off. I'd much rather see more of this Will, the confidant, caring teacher and less of the Will who seems unwilling to grow up.

Glee is no Lost, but sometimes I wonder how much of the season long plot, such as it is, the producers have mapped out in the long terms. Once Kurt transferred to Dalton, a tie at Sectionals was more or less a foregone conclusions. But I wonder if they already have a plan as to who will win at Regionals, and how, and whether or not the team will go on to Nationals, and what will happen there, or if they're truly just making it up as they go. I'd think they kinda have to have SOME idea of where things are going, but if Lost taught me anything, it's TV writers rarely think the same way I do about this stuff.

Rachel and Finn breaking up? Eh. It's not like I loved them as a couple, but the whole break-up/make-up routine gets tiresome, especially when it seems artifically constructed just because TV producers hate to have couples together and happy for very long. Yes, I know, drama comes from conflict, but perpetually conflict gets boring too (I did really like that Puck said no to Rachel, not wanting to hurt Finn in the same way twice).

Loved it when Joe Mauer signaled Kurt to cool it with the theatrics during his tryout.

Puck's random pride in being Jewish is one of the things that's great about his character.

Also, I enjoy Glee's quiet recurring gag of having mid-level government functionaries as judges at all these choral events. 

Emma: Aren’t there some great songs about betrayal or something? I’m pretty sure there are some Eagles songs.

Favorite Brittany Line: I thought it meant being stupid, like being a dolt. 

Favorite Song: "Dog Days" was pretty good, but I enjoy Dirty Dancing way more than any straight man should, so I'll go with "I've Had the Time of My Life". Sam's kinda goony, but it was nice to see Quinn get the spotlight.


Running Wilde: Mental Flaws
Well, this has been officially canceled, and Fox will runoff the remaining episodes (there's...six more, I think) in the next month or so, apparently.

Frankly, it's not much a loss, as while the show definitely had it's moments (basically anything involving Fa'ad) and some potential, it never, even seven episodes in, quite found its groove. The main problems from the pilot (Steve is too aloof and bizarre to be likeable, Emmy is too shrewish and serious) were never adequately dealt with and too often, the funniest material existed in spite of the episode's given plot, not because of it.

Still, I'll miss Fa'ad and his hawk and his surprisingly good acting skills, and I'll miss the kind of show Running Wilde wanted to be and almost was.

Steve (on Fa'ad): How does he even get in here?

Steve: Robin Williams is at our table, and that guy won't stop until everyone's pretending to laugh. (I'm a sucker for jokes poking fun at Robin Williams).
  

Top Chef All Stars: History Never Repeats (Season Premiere) 


Seriously you guys? This season is going to kick ass.

By bringing back past contestants, the show manages to neatly sidestep the two issues that make the early episodes of each season kind of a drag: we don't know anyone, so it's harder to root for or against anyone, and the show has to go through the motions of culling the weaker chefs.

With the all star format, we already know (or vaguely recall) the contestants, the ones we liked and didn't like, and, theoretically, the contestants all range from above average to awesome, so the early culling episodes are more intriguing (though I definitely feel like the Season 1 and 2 contestants, as well as the contestants who were cut before the finals, are a step behind everyone else).

Because most of the fun of this episode was seeing these characters again and being reminded of what we liked and didn't like about them, let's just run down the list of contestants with my thoughts on each of them:

Stephen: Seriously, I love Stephen. His unjustified arrogance, his suits, the fact that he showed up this season with an umberella tucked into his briefcase like he was on his way to interview Mary Poppins for a nanny job, I love him. I don't expect him to win (I thought he was a goner in this episode) but I hope he sticks around for awhile. At least long enough to toss out some random Sommelier knowledge.

Tiffany: Top Chef's first Bitch, I vaguely remember hating her when she was battling it out with Harold, but time has softened my impressions of her. I'm sure she'll do something bitchy in no time and bring it all rushing back. Henceforth to be known as Original Tiffany.

Elia: Never liked her. Glad she's gone.

Marcel: Oh, Marcel. Yes, he's a dick. He's arrogant. Immature. He doesn't know when to leave well enough alone. But he didn't deserve to be treated the way he did (both up to and including the infamous hazing incident). I love him. He's like a basement-dwelling nerd that just doesn't know how to function in the real world. Also, I hate douchebag Ilan with the passion of a thousand suns, so I end up liking Marcel by default.

Tre: His early elimination still stands as one of Top Chef's greatest injustices. It'll be interesting to see if he can stick around longer this time, or if he'll end up justifying his previous removal.

Dale: Henceforth to be known as Puffy Dale, it always seemed like he made it to the finals by being one better than the worst contestant in any given episode. But unlike other contestant's who do the same thing but manage to be infuriating in the process (like Season 4's Lisa), Dale was always a nice enough guy that I never minded him sticking around. Still, I don't think he'll last too long. 

Casey: She remains the hottest contestant this show has ever had. I hope she hangs in there again. 

Dale: Like Tre, Dale's elimination (in favor of stupid Lisa, the one contestant that managed to piss me off to near Ilan-like levels) was a great injustice. I'm glad he's back. 

Spike: One of those guys who bugged me during his season, now I'm like "oh, Spike, I missed you and your hats". More than anyone (except maybe Fabio) he seemed to pop up in later seasons more than any other eliminated contestant (and even moreso than some winners (except Ilan, who apparently has nothing better to do); when was the last time anyone saw Stephanie?). Despite his relatively early dismissal in Season 4, I have a feeling he might be a surprising force this season.

Antonia: Kinda like Puffy Dale in that she was nice enough and I didn't object to her making the finals, but it's also hard to get too worked up about her (for good or bad).

Richard: Like all those American Idol runner ups who now are more successful and well known than the people who beat them, EVERYONE who follows Top Chef more or less considers him the real winner of Season 4. And while I always liked Stephanie and didn't mind her win, I also always liked Richard, who did a pretty good job of walking the fine line between confidence and arrogance, usually backing it up when he talked smack. Most people have him pegged as the guy to beat this season. Also, he seems to have lost a ton of weight. Maybe Puffy Dale took it.

Jamie: She was always a cutie, but had an annoying habit of talking smack and then failing to deliver (which still holds true, judging by this episode). As a result, I alternately found myself rooting for and against her, and that still seems to be holding true as well.

Fabio: You know, I really liked Fabio back in Season 5, but his schtick is quickly wearing thin. Still, it'll be fun to see him fight it out with Bourdain and come up with more Top Chef-isms for as long as he lasts.

Carla: She kinda bugged me early in her season, but then I started to like her just as much as everyone else. Honestly, I don't think they could have done an all star show without her because everyone would have been like "where's Carla?" I'm glad she came back and I hope she hangs in there like last time.

Mike Isabella: Another guy I started out hating but then grew to like just as he was eliminated. There's just something oddly charming about how unabashedly douchebag-y he is that makes it hard for me to hate on him. He stuck around longer than anyone expected in Season 6 (a strong season) but I doubt he'll last too long in this, another strong season. I think he stole some of Richard's weight too.  

Jen: Overshadowed by Kevin's Beard and The Brothers Voltaggio, I'd also forgotten how much I liked Jen. She manages to be frank and confident without being too bitchy or arrogant (a line Original Tiffany has never managed to walk).

Tiffany: My favorite contestant from a weak season. It'll be curious to see how she fares (both in terms of cooking and personality-wise) against some of the stronger contestants this time around.   

Angelo: Man, I couldn't stand Angelo last season, and was exceedingly happy he lost, but like Original Tiffany and Spike, time (even the relatively short amount between the end of his season and this episode) has warmed me up to Angelo. Now I'm just remembering all his goofy quirks (like mumbling to the ingredients or his Tony Robbins daily affirmations) fondly. When he won his $10,000 this episode, Mrs. Teebore said, "now you can bring your weird Russian mail order wife over." Clearly the most talented chef in a weak pool during Season 7, it'll be interesting to see if he can stay on top amongst this group. 

Other thoughts:
Seasons 3,4 and 6 are generally considered by the Internets to be the strongest seasons in terms of the talent involved, and so far, Season 4 at least as lived up to that reputation.

The elimination challenge was a great one (hopefully, future challenges will similarly play off the "all star" angle) though definitely unfair. Those contestants who made it to the finals had an edge over those who didn't: there's a difference between a dish that sent you home and a dish that just wasn't good enough to win.

Anthony Bourdain used to bug the piss out of me, but he's grown on me. And after such lackluster 4th judges as Bourdain-wannabe Toby Young and the bland Eric Ripert, I'm glad he's sticking around. Yes, his incessant mugging for the camera and "aren't I clever?" bon mots get tiresome, but unlike Toby (who did the same stuff) at least Bourdain also throws in some intelligent, constructive criticism along the way.  And is also, usually, funny.

17 comments:

  1. I pretty much suck because the only thing I've seen on this list is the Simpsons but it is the most important.

    Marge: This tree reminds me of your father. Round in the middle, thinning up top and your hands get sticky when you touch him.


    That had me rolling. And it was perfect as I was decorating my apartment during this episode. Yay!!

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  2. walking dead drove me a little crazy, once again, because of the character's clear idiocy regarding the state of their lives in a zombpoc. Why the fuck don't they have someone on watch 24/7?! There are zombies everywhere and they just decided to have a fun sit around the campfire while 2 dozen zombies made their slow way up the mountain. Fail.

    OMG i am SO EXCITED about Top Chef!!!

    First, why the hell don't you like Elia? I loved Elia and was super bummed she got out first. I thought she'd make it far.
    Also, Anthony Bourdain was a total fucktard to Fabio and now he's on my shit list. Because even though i don't think Fabio is one of the better chefs, i LURVE him.

    I was super excited for the return of Marcel because i remembered liking him a lot. But after this episode i realized i only liked him because, like you and every other sane person in the world, i hate Ilan with an all consuming passion. Now that there's no Ilan, i'm reminded that Marcel can be an asshat.
    I think the only thing that could make this season better would be if Kevin from season 6 had returned as well

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  3. @Hannah: the only thing I've seen on this list is the Simpsons but it is the most important.

    One is better than none!

    And it was perfect as I was decorating my apartment during this episode.

    All other things aside, it was a pretty good Christmas episode.

    @Falen: Why the fuck don't they have someone on watch 24/7?! There are zombies everywhere and they just decided to have a fun sit around the campfire while 2 dozen zombies made their slow way up the mountain. Fail.

    Agreed. And in a previous episode, we saw they had primitive alarms (tin cans strung on a line, which aren't a whole lot better than nothing), so apparently the zombies were smart enough to get around those alarms, or no one was paying close enough attention to hear them.

    Those cans were one of the reasons I thought it might be Merle coming to attack them and not zombies since he'd know to disable them.

    First, why the hell don't you like Elia?

    Part of it is that she's one of those people who talks better than she can cook (the only reason she made it to the finals was because someone else asked to be sent home when it was down to her and Elia being eliminated earlier in the season, and then because Cliff got kicked off due to the whole hazing incident) and part of it is because, aside from Stupid Ilan, she seemed the most unrepentant of the Marcel Bully Crew, like, just because he's an asshat he deserves to be treated like shit (which is also why I don't lurve Hot Diabetic Sam like a lot of people do. Basically, all the non-Marcel season two finalists piss me off to varying degrees because they're all bullies).

    Also, Anthony Bourdain was a total fucktard to Fabio and now he's on my shit list.

    See, and him being a fucktard to Fabio got him off my shit list. Fabio can be hilarious but his schitck was wearing thin for me even before he was eliminated the first time.

    i'm reminded that Marcel can be an asshat.

    Oh definitely, and it drives me nuts cuz it's like, Marcel, you got a bum deal and if you could just act human for a stretch of time, you'd get a lot more people on your side because of it.

    I think the only thing that could make this season better would be if Kevin from season 6 had returned as well

    Agreed. I'd have loved Kevin's Beard to come back.

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  4. i agree with most of your assessments of the Top Chef contestents (Sarah loves Elia- i like her ok, but was shocked to see her go). I liked fat Dale when he was originally on, but he was kind of a douche when talking shit about everyone's food, so he's in line for my shit list if he keeps it up.
    Anthony Bourdain was a jerk- his issue was that Fabio's dish was served in paper? give me a freaking break- i've seen plenty of fine dining places serve certain meals like that

    what sarah said about walking dead. also, i also 100% thought Merle was going to show up and cause problems. now i'm like 'where the heck is he?'

    I have the same problems with Glee and it sticks in my craw- they'd be practicing their sectionals set for WEEKS beforehand!
    also, suprisingly, i didn't see the tie coming. I guess i didn't know they could tie and both go on to regionals...

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  5. baroness van bitzenhoferDecember 6, 2010 at 9:19 PM

    Um, people, I believe it's now TONY Bourdain... :-P It's so weird because it's like, he's been known as Anthony Bourdain for so long but now more shows are calling him Tony. Isn't it a little late in the game for that?

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  6. yeah- too late Tony

    oh, also, why didn't Merle just cut off his pinky or thumb instead of his entire freaking hand?

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  7. Ah, but one of the things you forget about Elia is that she and Marcel were friends before their season of Top Chef and had worked professionally before. Not that it excuses her drunken participation in the head shaving incident, but i remember her not actually being all that present in the actual attempt to assault marcel. Also, the fact that they were clearly still friends in this episode suggests that she either apologized or he doesn't have an issue with her.

    Listen, i'm not in love with Elia or anything, she was just one of my favorite women chefs on the show and was excited to see how she would do. But we can all agree that cooking the same dish you got kicked off for, and deciding not to change anything about it because you felt you shouldn't have gotten kicked off was a dumbass move.

    And Fabio doesn't have a schtick. That's just how awesome he is. He had me at "i'll chop off my finger, sear it on the flat top, and keep cooking"
    Also he's italian and that's more or less how they are.

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  8. @Anne: Anthony Bourdain was a jerk- his issue was that Fabio's dish was served in paper?

    No, I think his issue was that Fabio's dish looked unappetizing and didn't taste good. And to top it off, was served on paper, which didn't do the presentation any favors.

    I'm fairly certain if it had looked and tasted great, the paper thing would have been little more than an afterthought.

    i also 100% thought Merle was going to show up and cause problems. now i'm like 'where the heck is he?'

    From what I've read in Entertainment Weekly, he'll be back, but not for awhile.

    oh, also, why didn't Merle just cut off his pinky or thumb instead of his entire freaking hand?

    I've seen that brought up online in a few places as well. Dr. Bitz suggested he simply wasn't thinking clearly (though he knew well enough to cauterize the stump). And I'm no biologist, but maybe it's just easier/more efficient to slap a tourniquet on your wrist and take the whole thing than try to managed the blood flow from one missing digit, at least in an emergency situation like that? I dunno.

    also, suprisingly, i didn't see the tie coming. I guess i didn't know they could tie and both go on to regionals...

    Well, that's simply because, as we've been discussing, the rules of our reality aren't always the same as the rule of the Glee reality.

    In our world, a tie seems unlikely, but in the world of Glee anything can happen (that serves the story...)!

    I just figured with Kurt off at school with Joe Mauer, the show would need to find a way to keep them relevant (although really, I shouldn't have put it past the show to just bounce Kurt back to his old school in an episode or two, so maybe I should have been more surprised by the tie...).

    @Baroness It's so weird because it's like, he's been known as Anthony Bourdain for so long but now more shows are calling him Tony. Isn't it a little late in the game for that?

    Yeah, it's weird, especially since he's a celebrity with name recognition. It's one thing if a certain in-law of yours wants to change his name a billion times, but Bourdain has a marketable and recognizable name.

    I mean, I don't know or care how he goes amongst colleagues and friends, but to be professionally billed as "Tony" after all these years just seems odd.

    Changing it up like that doesn't usually work (unless you're a rapper).

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  9. @Falen: but i remember her not actually being all that present in the actual attempt to assault marcel. Also, the fact that they were clearly still friends in this episode suggests that she either apologized or he doesn't have an issue with her.

    Actually, what I think bugged me more with her than the head shaving debacle was all the petty harassment they were doing leading up to that (remember when they had to create a dish based on an emotion and Marcel drew lust or something like that, and everyone spent the entire episode belittling Marcel's inexperience in romance?) and the way she went along with it and participated in it even though she'd professed to be his friend and former professional colleague.

    Yeah, Marcel can be an asshat, but don't call yourself his friend and then join in when the cooler kids start picking on him.

    But yes, Marcel clearly isn't carrying a grudge (at least with her) so I should get over it, but, well, here we are...

    But we can all agree that cooking the same dish you got kicked off for, and deciding not to change anything about it because you felt you shouldn't have gotten kicked off was a dumbass move.

    Definitely. And from the sound of it, she even did it worse this time around.

    And Fabio doesn't have a schtick. That's just how awesome he is.

    I dunno. There's definitely some truth to it, but I feel sometimes like he's hamming it up for the camera.

    The vibe I get off him (and from some stuff I've read) is that he'd very much like to be a full time TV Chef personality, so he basically cranks the "Fabio charm" up to eleven whenever he's on the show to try to sell himself to an audience and the producers, and for me, it gets tiresome.

    But I could very well be reading too much into it.

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  10. Wow...Teebore...you're WAY too into Top Chef.

    Seasons 3,4 and 6 are generally considered by the Internets to be the strongest seasons in terms of the talent involved

    I hadn't realized so many people have tasted their cuisine...and the other contestants too for comparison purposes.

    Dr. Bitz suggested he simply wasn't thinking clearly

    I just know that if I'm handcuffed to something and my life depends on getting away my first instinct would have been to cut my hand off. And, frankly, after losing my hand the last thing I'd want is to hear from some know-it-alls rub salt in the wound by telling me I should have just cut off my finger. How about a little sympathy!

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  11. @Dr. Bitz I hadn't realized so many people have tasted their cuisine...and the other contestants too for comparison purposes.

    Pfft, I have no idea if those people are right, or are in any position to be right; I'm just repeating what I've heard.

    From what I've read, in some cases those opinions come from people who actually have eaten various contestants' food (not what they presented on the show, but in their "real" jobs outside the show) or know the reputations of the chefs as well as from conversations with the judges (who, of course, have eaten all the contestants' food (well, except for Padma who wasn't in Season 1) through the years) outside the context of the show and the lights of the cameras, so that when they say "Season X was really strong" it meant something more than the "this is our best season ever!" platitudes they say on the air.

    And some of those opinions come from people who base them off how the judges react to the food on the air from season to season, and what they say about it on the show, which, of course, is secondhand or thirdhand by the time I'm reading it and is subject to the authors' interpretations as well as the way the show is presented via editing.

    All of which is highly dubious, because obviously the only people truly qualified to say "Season X was better than Season Y" are the judges, and even then, such declarations are highly subjective.

    I'm just repeating what I've come to understand is the general consensus, whether that consensus is, or could possibly even be, correct.

    after losing my hand the last thing I'd want is to hear from some know-it-alls rub salt in the wound by telling me I should have just cut off my finger.

    How awesome would it be if the first thing someone says to Merle after they inevitably meet him again is, "why'd you cut off your whole hand instead of just the thumb or pinkie?"

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  12. I always think of cutting off a finger first because of that movie with Ewan Mcgreggor (sp?) where his friend is handcuffed to a pipe and then cuts off his thumb to escape. I'll assume Merle hasn't seen that movie, but it's what comes to mind for me when i think about handcuffed situations

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  13. @Falen: I always think of cutting off a finger first because of that movie with Ewan Mcgreggor (sp?) where his friend is handcuffed to a pipe and then cuts off his thumb to escape.

    I do not know this movie.

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  14. What I can't figure out is how Dale is part, as you say, the "sage old man" cliché and part Rob Riggle — they have the same crazy eyes and flared nostrils.

    After the last episode I wondered why Merle hadn't cut the handcuff chain with the saw instead of his hand; this episode provided an answer.

    I was glad for that. Have you seen the straight-to-video Matt Salinger Captain America movie?

    VW: imeduca™ — The smartphone app that turns you to stone.

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  15. @Blam: Have you seen the straight-to-video Matt Salinger Captain America movie?

    I have, but many, many years years ago (in fact, I was young enough to be at that point where I had little to no critical capabilities at all, and I STILL knew how crappy it was) so I don't remember much of specifics, including any severed limbs, apparently.

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  16. Me: Have you seen the straight-to-video Matt Salinger Captain America movie?

    Teebore: I have, but many, many years years ago (in fact, I was young enough to be at that point where I had little to no critical capabilities at all, and I STILL knew how crappy it was) so I don't remember much of specifics, including any severed limbs, apparently.


    Among its infamous aspects (the rubber ears on the mask; generally sucking) is the scene where The Red Skull, his hand gripped by Cap's, hacks off his hand to get free instead of hacking off Cap's.

    VW: prove ... Kind-of on the nose with that one, weren't they?

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  17. @Blam: The Red Skull, his hand gripped by Cap's, hacks off his hand to get free instead of hacking off Cap's.

    Okay, that's just awesome. I'd totally forgotten about it. I'm half curious to go back and watch that atrocity again, but something tells there's not enough "so bad they're funny" moments like that to balance out the "they're just bad" moments.

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