Chris and Andy play armchair critics

Andy Yang and I have been wasting far too much time e-mailing back and forth today about what we like and don’t like on TV. Andy made the comment that we should be conducting this conversation here, so all the world could see how unproductive we’re being! ;-) So here is our conversation:



-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Yang
Sent: Monday, August 30, 2004 11:20 PM
To: Chris Rooney
Subject: Re: Gmail

Dude... did not know that you are a fellow "24" fan. My Mac was chalk full of "24' soundbites for error messages until my co-workers threaten to assassinate me...

Anyway, your news on the show is eye opening... I guess it gives me more time to catch up with "Alias." And if you haven't started watching it already, check out "MI-5" from the BBC (it airs on A&E). Great British drama about the internal security force for the UK (Ministry of Intelligence 5). Sister branch of MI-6, otherwise known as James Bond's employer... you can get MI-5 season 1 on DVD.

Cheers,
A

On Tuesday, August 31, 2004, at 10:50AM, Chris Rooney wrote:

I’ve seen MI-5 once or twice. It is a good show, although I haven’t been able to get hooked on it yet.

Have you heard that Brent Spiner will be guest starring in three episodes of “Star Trek: Enterprise” this season? He will play the great, great grandfather of Data’s creator – and may just turn out to be the story’s villain. The episodes are scheduled to air in November.

Chris Rooney

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Yang
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 11:00 AM
To: Chris Rooney
Subject: Re: Gmail

MI-5 takes a while to grow on ya, I agree.

I got Kim hooked on Alias last year, when I purchased season 1 & 2. We never did catch up with Season 3, but now that I have ReplayTV, we'll be sure to watch Season 4 (after Season 3 comes out on DVD).

I get my current fix of TV by watching "Nip/Tuck" on FX. What a great show.

Enterprise is also good--I missed the episode with Dean Stockwell... was it any good? I am getting all confused with the "expanse" and the whole deal with the Xindi... whatever happend to just duking it out with the Klingons? Will wait to see Brent Spiner... I still can't get over his performance in "Independence Day."

That's all for now.

Cheers,
A

On Tuesday, August 31, 2004, at 11:11AM, Chris Rooney wrote:

I got into “Alias” toward the end of season 1 and watched it for all of season 2. But the show lost me in season 3. I watch it occasionally now, but it isn’t one of my regulars anymore.

You’re not missing much on “Enterprise.” The Dean Stockwell episode was a waste of a great guest star. And despite a fairly decent season finale (except for the lame cliffhanger) I did not care for the Expanse storyline. I’m with you – let’s just stick to duking it out with Klingons and playing mind games with the Vulcans and Andorians.

Chris Rooney

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Yang
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 2:29 PM
To: Chris Rooney
Subject: Alias and the Xindi

Yeah, I hear you on the plot of Alias... chasing some Italian artifact around the globe is more Indy/Laura Croft than Bond for for me... I liked how she worked for SD6 and had to keep things a secret... that was cool.

JJ Abrams has another new show "Lost." Supposedly it's another conspiracy theory show about a jet-liner crashing... and the plot will twist and turn as to why they crashed...

I started watching "Rescue Me" because I like Dennis Leary, but just too much to watch these days.

You watch "Nip/Tuck" at all? Or "Family Guy?"

A

On Tuesday, August 31, 2004, at 02:46PM, Chris Rooney wrote:

I like the SD6 angle on “Alias” too. It was a pretty bold move changing the show’s direction in the middle of season 2, and the rest of the season was good. But I missed the first few episodes of season 3 where Sydney suddenly wakes up two years later. When I did try to get back into it, I was hopelessly lost. I tried to read recaps online, but I just couldn’t get back into the show.

I’ve heard of “Lost” and I will check that out. It’s getting great buzz, but J.J. Abrams can be hit and miss. He also wrote “Armageddon,” which was not one of my favorite movies, and if you read about any of the details of his first draft for the new “Superman” script you would cringe.

I watched the first episode of “Rescue Me,” but I haven’t seen much more since. It didn’t really win me over. I haven’t gotten into “Nip/Tuck” yet and I’ve never really cared for “Family Guy” (give me “The Simpsons” any day of the week).

I think “24” is starting to lose steam. At the low point last year – when Chase’s lovechild showed up – I declared that I would see it through season 3, but then I was done. Who am I kidding? I’ll still watch it in January.

I’m looking forward to the premiere of “Scrubs” tonight and I’m curious about “Father of the Pride.”

Chris Rooney


-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew Yang
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 2:29 PM
To: Chris Rooney
Subject: RE: Alias and the Xindi

Dude,

we need to start making these comments on your blog page!

Totally agree with you on all your points. I was not overly impressed with "24" season 3, considering the phenomenal close of Season 2... the handshake of death! Why did they not explain that??? Or bring back the assassin?

I wrote back to the fan page that they should have a dramatic death scene (exploding toilet), killing off Kim Bauer, the IT geek, and the annoying chick Chloe. I got lots of hate mail from 15 year old boys that week. Partnering Jack with another male character was a bad idea. Maybe some hot, exotic "Bond girl" would have made more sense... oh well.

And Palmer... he became Mike Dukakis overnight. What happened? Wimp or Shrimp? Thought we were going to see him in a tank commercial soon...

I say, bring back Nina and Mason... and some real evil bastards. Maybe they could get Sean Bean to play another terrorist role. He's faced off with some of the best heros in Spy Cinema: James Bond and Jack Ryan. Hell, he's even tried to kill Hobbits.

And that's my take...

A