Short Attention Span Review: Fringe "4/28"

Hey, Astrid got to figure out the key clue to the big mystery!

GO, ASTRID!

Meanwhile, the professor gets a fellow mad scientist to hang out with while Olivia and Pacey go hunting for Spine Muncher.

I thought it was a nice touch, mixing the agent's sister's personal drama (divorce in the making) with the X-Files antics.

Short Attention Span Review: "LOST" 4/29

On one hand, this was a Daniel Faraday-focused episode with nice little fiddly-bits calling back to previous episodes, which was cool.

On the other hand, this was a Daniel Faraday-focused episode without a whole lot that was new except for The Gang hanging out in Sawyer's crib talking about what to do now that they've got Phil stuck in a closet. And, I have to admit - maybe I was just tired from a long work day - I fell asleep during most of those parts and the parts with Desmond and Penny in the hospital. Karen says I was snoring. I can't deny it.

I was awake for the last three minutes, though.

Damn. Faraday's Mom really is a cold-hearted wench.

Short Attention Span Review: "House" 4/27

I must admit that as much as I'm tired of the recent trend of TV characters seeing other characters that aren't there, I was okay with the return of Wilson's dead girlfriend as manifestation of House's evil side.

All in all, an okay episode, although I didn't care so much about the Patient of the Week. Mostly interested in the bachelor party, which took an interesting turn for Chase.

Short Attention Span Review: "Heroes" 4/27

Well, this episode had a lot to like in it. Deftly, it wrapped up A LOT in one hour - and left us hanging with the promise of some fun in Season 4.

But...

...I don't know that I'll watch, for one simple reason. If you haven't seen the show yet and don't want to be spoiled, stop reading back at the But...

Okay? Ready? It's just the people who saw it or don't mind being spoiled now, right? Good!

Nathan's not-death. Just one too many not-deaths for me, especially since they were bringing back Ali Larter in the end too.

My mouth actually dropped open in surprise when Sylar slit Nathan's throat and left him for dead. Out loud, I told Karen: "He SHOULD have died in that explosion at the end of Season 1." When Angela found him and raged...that was a VERY powerful moment.

Now, I know having the Sylar-Nathan body/mind switch was a nifty trick so that Parkman had something epic to do in this episode. But the justification for it - that it would all be blamed on people with powers if they DIDN'T cover it up by turning Sylar into Nathan - was, frankly, horseshit. The new and improved Company could have blamed it on ANYTHING they wanted.

Bringing him back cheapened the effect of his death and Angela's reaction to it. Further, it couldn't have been MORE obvious that it was going to lead to some scary repercussions, like Nathan's sudden affinity for clocks.

Meh. Too much, too late.

Short Attention Span Review: "24" 4/27

Tony continues to be a bad, bad man.

I enjoyed the shoutoff between Jack and Hodges. I thought the verbal beatdown of Analyst Janeane was just a little too anvilicious for its own good - what with her being an avatar of liberalism and Jack being, well, y'know, all about the ends justifying the means.

And then even the coldest heart has to twinge a little when Jack starts ranting about David Palmer recommissioning the CTU servers. He's losing it!

Short Attention Span Review: "Fringe" 4/21

I'm not entirely sure I know exactly what's going on in the wake of the latest episode of Fringe. All I can say with a certainty is: Damn, that was good television. I haven't seen The Happening. I've only heard horror stories about grass and trees turning evil and M. Night Shamalamadingdong. But this episode of Fringe felt to me like The Happening SHOULD have been.

The whole reverse empath thing was great. I thought for sure it would turn into some twisted rendition of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" video, with all the people following Michael Stipe to the top of a building and jumping off.

The dialogue and character development were great. I continue to think of Walter Bishop as one of the best-written (and portrayed) characters on TV these days.

Short Attention Span Review: "Heroes" 4/20

Okay, this episode wasn't nearly as mind-numbing or pointless as last week's, so YAY!

Sylar really knows how to go Norman Bates, doesn't he?

And Nathan, I'm sorry, but you're obviously a lever short of a voting machine: Mr. I Have to Do This On My Own got ALMOST exactly what was coming to him. (I was actually rooting for him to get the Clint Howard head shave, but we don't always get what we want.)

The whole Superman/Batman thing with Ando and Hiro was amusing for the first couple of minutes. Then it got tired. And then they made Hiro spurt blood from his nose, which was great, because he's been getting on my nerves.

Let's see. What else? OH, the Parkmans are back together! Such a nice family. Who's stopping by with housewarming gifts? Maybe a new crib for Junior? It's the feds!