Oh January! This is the start of a new year. The start of a decade. For most of us human beings, it is just a continuation from the past X days of our lives. However, we view it with a new outlook, a new hope. We make resolutions and goals which we could have done in any of the 365 days of the year but we did not/we could not. Why? It is because the month of January has the beacon of beginnings. As for me, January is the month where I resume my normal life after I pressed the pause button two weeks before December ended. Work returns to its typical stressful form. Your wallet is back to its empty form. Traffic – well, traffic is always the same for the rest of the year. And for entertainment, it returns to its normal schedule. TV series are back again – these are continuations of episodes from last year but in some way or the other, we view these differently. Like these are pilot episodes but are not. We just know that the show - no matter how good or bad it stopped from the previous year - would pick up on a new direction this January.
Despite my download and movie/TV viewing bonanza in December, I excitedly downloaded the latest TV episodes these past few weeks. When I wrote about the best months of the year, I noted that January is generally a great month because you have TV shows in full swing while we enjoy sports. You have the American Idol auditions where you watch awful singers take stage. Fall TV shows return with a great storyline as they prepare for the February sweeps. NBA games get interesting as the prohibitive favorites usually clash with each other. NFL enters playoffs. UAAP Women’s Volleyball starts to reach its climax with the 2nd round of elims. If you love tennis, you have the Australian Open majors. The weather is also good since you must have adjusted from the coldness in December (although I still get asthmatic when I wake up very early). Thus, January is an entertaining month even for those who hate beginnings (oh, if you were hoping on me discussing about sucky beginnings, I am sorry but I only blog about sports and entertainment – there is no room for stressful things here).
January Sports Updates and Opinions
Before I go to the main topics of discussion in this journal entry, I shall be having my random ramblings on the world of sports.
National Football League pretty much takes the center stage this month. I am no NFL expert nor was I a huge fan. It was just recently when I understood how the game goes. But I do have an understanding on team sports and I know how to observe so here are my random opinions before we head to the Super Bowl:
• With the way they are currently playing, I think it is highly possible that the Colts win the Super Bowl. They have the best quarterback and they have a good defense as well. They also know how to protect leads as shown when they beaten the Baltimore Ravens. They did not look to score more points prior to the fourth quarter but they also prevented the opposition from even having a chance to score. However, I am not rooting for them.
• Even if I want the Jets to beat the Colts, I think it would be cool if we have a Vikings-Colts finals. Brett Favre versus Peyton Manning. Two of the greatest quarterbacks. I do not care if both teams are rival teams of those that I root for (FYI, I root for the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots). Such a finale would be an awesome showdown especially if Favre decides to quit one of these days (or years! This guy does not want to retire at all). But whatever, if this matchup happens can you guys make it legend – wait for it – fuckingdary?
As for the Australian Open, the hotties are already eliminated (Ivanovic, Sharapova and Dementieva) so I do not care that much anymore. OK, just kidding. But I am rooting for anyone except the Williams sisters.
It was just last year when I began watching a few matches on the UAAP women’s volleyball. Yup, I watch volleyball (only women’s though). I am not a fickle-minded fanboy who goes crazy on them hot girls though – I actually enjoy watching volleyball as a sport. To be honest, it is the sport where I first experienced the fun of cheering. We did not have a basketball court when I was in grade school so we had to settle for volleyball as the only sport in intramurals. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts:
• As much as I am rooting hardly for my Alma Mater, I think the Ateneo Lady Spikers do not have a chance of winning the championship. Maybe next year but not this year. Why? We may have a talented attacking core that could plant us a spot in the Final Four but the ladies in blue are too short to block the attacks of their taller counterparts. It would be fine if we can defend/receive when we fail to block but unfortunately, we suffer on that regard. And this is why I think…
• La Salle will repeat as champions. They are a complete team but the best of all is they could defend excellently. I can still remember Internet self-proclaimed pundits complaining that DLSU’s Liss Gohing getting the rookie of the year last year when I was lurking in forums, but I think she has proven them wrong. That gal is very superb as a libero. We knows that liberos do not get the points at all but since they are defensive specialists, they give you the reassurance that the ball will be alive when their opponents go for the kill. She is small but she receives very well. I think Gohing saves DLSU from losing at least 3-5 points per set. In a team of power spikers and tall blockers, you need an excellent defensive role player to complement the overwhelming offense. Translation: Ateneo needs a very good libero next year.
• Nevertheless, I am still glad of the Lady Eagles’ progress. They have sexier uniforms and they have beaten a Top 4 team (OK, it’s only UST but still…)
As for NBA, all I can say is: WTF LeBron?! Be a man of your word! Join the All-Star Dunk Competition.
Most Valuable TV Series Characters
In my recent blog, I wrote about my favorite TV series characters. They are the best in my books but I just remembered that part of the criteria on deciding the best is its actual value to the cast – if you put him/her out of it, will it survive? Thus, I came up with an analysis on each show’s best character and the answer to the question: will it falter without the character for one or two episodes? By falter, I mean it will not be as smooth as it is – it feels awkward and loses more than 50% of its awesomeness.
How I Met Your Mother. Most Valuable Character (MVC): Barney Stinson. Answer: No. The show can survive without Barney. He is extremely funny but so are Ted, Robin, Marshall and Lily.
• Even if I want the Jets to beat the Colts, I think it would be cool if we have a Vikings-Colts finals. Brett Favre versus Peyton Manning. Two of the greatest quarterbacks. I do not care if both teams are rival teams of those that I root for (FYI, I root for the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots). Such a finale would be an awesome showdown especially if Favre decides to quit one of these days (or years! This guy does not want to retire at all). But whatever, if this matchup happens can you guys make it legend – wait for it – fuckingdary?As for the Australian Open, the hotties are already eliminated (Ivanovic, Sharapova and Dementieva) so I do not care that much anymore. OK, just kidding. But I am rooting for anyone except the Williams sisters.
It was just last year when I began watching a few matches on the UAAP women’s volleyball. Yup, I watch volleyball (only women’s though). I am not a fickle-minded fanboy who goes crazy on them hot girls though – I actually enjoy watching volleyball as a sport. To be honest, it is the sport where I first experienced the fun of cheering. We did not have a basketball court when I was in grade school so we had to settle for volleyball as the only sport in intramurals. Nevertheless, here are my thoughts:
• As much as I am rooting hardly for my Alma Mater, I think the Ateneo Lady Spikers do not have a chance of winning the championship. Maybe next year but not this year. Why? We may have a talented attacking core that could plant us a spot in the Final Four but the ladies in blue are too short to block the attacks of their taller counterparts. It would be fine if we can defend/receive when we fail to block but unfortunately, we suffer on that regard. And this is why I think…
• La Salle will repeat as champions. They are a complete team but the best of all is they could defend excellently. I can still remember Internet self-proclaimed pundits complaining that DLSU’s Liss Gohing getting the rookie of the year last year when I was lurking in forums, but I think she has proven them wrong. That gal is very superb as a libero. We knows that liberos do not get the points at all but since they are defensive specialists, they give you the reassurance that the ball will be alive when their opponents go for the kill. She is small but she receives very well. I think Gohing saves DLSU from losing at least 3-5 points per set. In a team of power spikers and tall blockers, you need an excellent defensive role player to complement the overwhelming offense. Translation: Ateneo needs a very good libero next year.
• Nevertheless, I am still glad of the Lady Eagles’ progress. They have sexier uniforms and they have beaten a Top 4 team (OK, it’s only UST but still…)
As for NBA, all I can say is: WTF LeBron?! Be a man of your word! Join the All-Star Dunk Competition.
Most Valuable TV Series Characters
In my recent blog, I wrote about my favorite TV series characters. They are the best in my books but I just remembered that part of the criteria on deciding the best is its actual value to the cast – if you put him/her out of it, will it survive? Thus, I came up with an analysis on each show’s best character and the answer to the question: will it falter without the character for one or two episodes? By falter, I mean it will not be as smooth as it is – it feels awkward and loses more than 50% of its awesomeness.
How I Met Your Mother. Most Valuable Character (MVC): Barney Stinson. Answer: No. The show can survive without Barney. He is extremely funny but so are Ted, Robin, Marshall and Lily.
Mad Men. MVC: Don Draper. Answer: Yes. As much as the show is character-oriented, I think it is not the same without Don. He just brings too much in the central plot.
Lost. MVC: Benjamin Linus. Answer: No. It already happened very many times.
Grey’s Anatomy. MVC: Meredith Grey/Izzie Stevens. No. Ditto to Lost.
American Idol. MVC: Simon Cowell. Yes. D’uh!
Heroes. MVC: Noah Bennet/Claire Bennet/Peter Petrelli. No. Too many characters.
30 Rock. MVC: Liz Lemon/Jack Donaghy. Yes. Story pretty much circulates around them.
Gossip Girl. MVC: Blair Waldorf. Could be yes, could be no. If you think Serena is the MVC, then no.
The Family Guy. MVC: Peter Griffin. Yes.
Californication. MVC: Hank Moody. Yes.
Glee. MVC: William Schuester/Rachel Berry. No. They can have an episode missing these pivotal characters and they can use it like a motivational type ‘this one’s for you’ episode and succeeding with it.
True Blood. MVC: Sookie Stackhouse. Yes.
That ‘70s Show. MVC: Eric Forman. No.
Flash Forward. MVC: Mark Benford. Could go either way.
Prison Break. MVC: Michael Scofield. No.
Lie To Me. MVC: Dr. Cal Lightman. Yes. You will miss his smart method of detecting lies.
House M.D. MVC: Dr. Gregory House. Yes. D’uh!
Scrubs. MVC: Dr. Christopher Turk/Dr. John Dorian. Yes. I almost said no but I realized that the other characters were not that interesting and the plot was too fixated on these two guys.
Lost. MVC: Benjamin Linus. Answer: No. It already happened very many times.
Grey’s Anatomy. MVC: Meredith Grey/Izzie Stevens. No. Ditto to Lost.
American Idol. MVC: Simon Cowell. Yes. D’uh!
Heroes. MVC: Noah Bennet/Claire Bennet/Peter Petrelli. No. Too many characters.
30 Rock. MVC: Liz Lemon/Jack Donaghy. Yes. Story pretty much circulates around them.
Gossip Girl. MVC: Blair Waldorf. Could be yes, could be no. If you think Serena is the MVC, then no.
The Family Guy. MVC: Peter Griffin. Yes.
Californication. MVC: Hank Moody. Yes.
Glee. MVC: William Schuester/Rachel Berry. No. They can have an episode missing these pivotal characters and they can use it like a motivational type ‘this one’s for you’ episode and succeeding with it.
True Blood. MVC: Sookie Stackhouse. Yes.
That ‘70s Show. MVC: Eric Forman. No.
Flash Forward. MVC: Mark Benford. Could go either way.
Prison Break. MVC: Michael Scofield. No.
Lie To Me. MVC: Dr. Cal Lightman. Yes. You will miss his smart method of detecting lies.
House M.D. MVC: Dr. Gregory House. Yes. D’uh!
Scrubs. MVC: Dr. Christopher Turk/Dr. John Dorian. Yes. I almost said no but I realized that the other characters were not that interesting and the plot was too fixated on these two guys.
Entourage. MVC: Ari Gold. Yes. He is just the agent but the show will suffer badly if he disappears in one episode. You have to love Ari’s occasional cussing. When Vince fired him, Ari was still part of the next episodes. He just adds too much flavor to this awesome show that I think they risk of having a flat episode if they do not have him. He did not win the best supporting actor three Emmy’s for nothing.Best TV Show Seasons (Spoiler Alert)
If we have the best characters, we should also mention the most important TV show seasons. These are the seasons where you would like to have on your laptop if you get stuck in an island (oh wait, you won’t have electricity there anyway so it’s still nonsense).
I feel the need to write about this because I usually thought that the first season is the best for almost all TV shows I have watched. But, is it true? Let us find out!
Lost. Best Season: Season 1. No matter how revealing and amazing the new seasons are, nothing beats the first season. I guess it is because the concept was still virgin at that time (yeah, it got too fucked up now that it can’t top the first season). I also loved Season 1 because it was character-oriented.
Heroes. Best Season: Season 1. It was a blast at the beginning then the show faltered into the deep abyss in the following seasons. Even signing Kristen Bell did not save it. Of course, killing her made it worse.
That ‘70s Show. Best Season: Season 1. Concept was new and it tackled various 70s topics.
Mad Men. Best Season: Season 1. This is actually tough to judge because I started to appreciate Season 2 when I re-watched it and realized how it vastly improved the characters in that season. However, I liked the subtlety of Season 1 and the fact that there is more exposure to actual advertising in there. I still need to watch Season 3 though.
Grey’s Anatomy. Best Season: Season 2. The first season was the weakest for me. I almost quit watching it during the first season. Season 2 however made it interesting as it further developed and reinforced the characters. Also, it had one of the most memorable season enders ever.
Gossip Girl. Best Season: Season 1. I am still in the middle of Season 2 but I have lost all the interest that the last ten episodes of Gossip Girl in its pilot season brought. I know that I have no business watching Gossip Girl but I could not help but get addicted when it reached the final stages of the first season.
Heroes. Best Season: Season 1. It was a blast at the beginning then the show faltered into the deep abyss in the following seasons. Even signing Kristen Bell did not save it. Of course, killing her made it worse.
That ‘70s Show. Best Season: Season 1. Concept was new and it tackled various 70s topics.
Mad Men. Best Season: Season 1. This is actually tough to judge because I started to appreciate Season 2 when I re-watched it and realized how it vastly improved the characters in that season. However, I liked the subtlety of Season 1 and the fact that there is more exposure to actual advertising in there. I still need to watch Season 3 though.
Grey’s Anatomy. Best Season: Season 2. The first season was the weakest for me. I almost quit watching it during the first season. Season 2 however made it interesting as it further developed and reinforced the characters. Also, it had one of the most memorable season enders ever.
Gossip Girl. Best Season: Season 1. I am still in the middle of Season 2 but I have lost all the interest that the last ten episodes of Gossip Girl in its pilot season brought. I know that I have no business watching Gossip Girl but I could not help but get addicted when it reached the final stages of the first season.
Entourage. Best Season: Season 3 / Season 5. It was too hard to pick that I decided to not choose any. Season 3 escalated things when Warner Bros.’ Allen screws Vince; E fires Ari and Vince gets obsessed with Medellin. Season 5 was awesome because it reinforced the past seasons and might have shown the central climax of the show. I have yet to watch Season 6 though.
Prison Break. Best Season: Season 1.
Prison Break. Best Season: Season 1.
How I Met Your Mother. Best Season: Season 4. Last season was the best despite the lackluster ending (I did not rant much about this because Heroes’ ending last year was far worse). Why was last year’s season the best? 1) It featured several interesting AND MEMORABLE themes (i.e., woo girls, the bar fight, Robin’s resume, the wedding episode). HIMYM succeeds a lot when it shows random themes. 2) It had noteworthy storylines: Ted being left at the altar; Robin being jobless and sucking bad on her new job; Ted being jobless; and Barney falling in love with Robin. 3) Ted is single again. Admit it: Ted’s storyline (the central storyline) gets ten times better when he is single. It’s more interesting to be single than to have a couple in that TV series because there is pretty much no limits due to the countless possible topics on dating. If they want to focus on couple topics, they can easily use Marshall and Lily anyway. And besides, we know that Ted will not marry his current girlfriend if ever there is, right? And for those who are wishing to find out who Ted’s wife is, PLEASE, it’s either you want the show to end now or you want it to go downhill. It is like getting spoiled of the ending. The writers can still weave a good story of Ted and his future wife but there is no more thrill once you know who she is because you know whichever way, they will end up with each other. Let the show milk on its awesomeness for at least two more seasons before wishing to find out the mother.
Conclusion: Normally, the best seasons are the first ones. But if a TV series has its best season in the succeeding ones, it is most likely a great TV series because it can still beat the excitement you had for it when it was still a fresh concept for you.
Conclusion: Normally, the best seasons are the first ones. But if a TV series has its best season in the succeeding ones, it is most likely a great TV series because it can still beat the excitement you had for it when it was still a fresh concept for you.
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