David Letterman is preparing to take his final bow as host of the Late Show on CBS. His leaving means that we will be losing him, Craig Ferguson, and Jon Stewart in a short amount of time. Letterman has been hosting late night shows for 33 years. That means he started doing this back in 1982. Probably before most of you reading this were even born.
For those who need some context. He started hosting late night talk shows
When a former actor was president.
Before an African-American became president.
Before going online meant anything.
Before iphones.
Before cell phones.
Before gaming systems.
When people had to go to a video arcade to play videos games.
Before digital technology went mainstream.
When people used words like "rad" to describe things.
Before Madonna became a superstar.
Before the Berlin Wall came down.
When Russia was our enemy before becoming an ally and now returning to an enemy.
Before 9/11.
Before Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, and the others who are doing it now.
Before we discovered a hole in the Ozone layer.
Before digital cable.
Before Fox and Lifetime and Nickelodeon.
He was there before all these things and so many more.
I think about all these things, all these that have changed while he stayed on late night TV. All these things that changed while he kept working. We all know nothing lasts forever but this feels different, like the one thing that has always been there throughout it all, like we are closing the door on a chapter of American TV history. I did not watch every episode. It depended on the guest but I remember some of the big events like Bill Murray spray painting his desk, Jack Hanna and the animals, Drew Barrymore giving him a show...Even after 33 years, it is still too soon to end.
I already miss him.
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
Person of Interest and Big Bang Theory season finales 2015
I enjoy both of these shows. I watch all the new episodes when they air. The interaction between the characters is what gets me to come back every week. Having said that, the season finales of these two shows did not impress me.
A finale should be used to wrap up a storyline (or arc if you want) or to get the viewer excited about what is going to happen next season. This did not happen.There are spoilers about both show's finales so if you have not watched them, go do so and come back.
Person of Interest.
My favorite character on the show is Root (Amy Acker). She takes such pleasure from communicating with the machine but she seems to have lost part of that glee when Shaw was taken. I get that but this current storyline with Samaritan has gone on too long. Yes, it is a difficult situation but that has always been the case and now, especially with the finale, the writers and producers are making it worse and harder to solve the problem.
First, killing off all the allies the team could have. That seems over the top. Especially the crime bosses. What, is Samaritan now going to run the underworld? And why not shoot Fusco at the same time? Not that I want Fusco to be eliminated (I like his grouchiness) but he is always getting involved in cases he shouldn't and Samaritan would know that (since he is not one of the people blocked by Root's code).
Which leads to my next question. Why hasn't someone removed the code Root put in there to block her, Reese, Finch, and Shaw from being identified?
Why would the director just stand there and talk to the old man. She knows what a danger he is and now she is not a threat anymore (why didn't he kill her?). This made no sense but to eliminate the director's allies and get her taken away. Why wouldn't the old man kill the director? She no longer served a purpose for him.
The story has gotten bleak and shows no signs of improving. I think the writers have written themselves into a corner. I will watch the opening of season 5 but if this is not fixed very early on, I am going to change my viewing habits.
The Big Bang Theory.
This was one of the most manipulative episodes of TV I have seen and not in a good way. There are 4 different stories and every one of them was a mistake of some sorts.
1) Bernadette and Howard want Stuart to move out of the house. Fine. But Stuart gets a phone call right before they tell him he has to leave that reveals it is his birthday? That is too much since the gang has known him for years so how do they not know when his birthday is and that the call happened right then. Sorry, no. I say no one knew because nothing was done to celebrate it before that call.
2) Raj and Emily. Okay, Emily may be dark and Raj may not like it but that whole conversation is leading up to his breaking up with her but, at the last second, takes a turn. Again, sorry, no. Even Emily knew this was a break up speech, not a I love you speech (which she asked if he was breaking up with her). Again, pure manipulation.
3) Penny and Leonard. Now he says this to her? Seriously, he has been sitting on this all this time. No. He is not the guy to propose and then wait a year to reveal this secret and it wasn't even much. Sure, Penny and Leonard are still not married and probably won't be when the show returns. Manipulation.
4) And the worse case is Amy and Sheldon. He scoffed at her when she said she has been patient but she is correct. She has been waiting for intimacy all this time and he has failed to provide it. Sure, he may have trouble with it but if he is as smart as he thinks he is, he should know that his behavior is off-putting. The last thing he says is pure manipulation, trying to get the audience to feel sorry for him. I don't. Not in the least.
This whole episode is centered around bringing things out of nowhere. Raj leading up to one action but doing another, Leonard's revelation to Penny, and Sheldon with the ring. This was the wrong thing to do. Last season's ending with the proposal was good. Previous seasons endings with someone in the cast going to a remote location is good. Trying to elicit sympathy for Sheldon was the wrong thing to do. Amy has put up with a lot from a man who doesn't even consider her before TV shows so, no, I don't feel sorry for him. This is his own fault.
A finale should be used to wrap up a storyline (or arc if you want) or to get the viewer excited about what is going to happen next season. This did not happen.There are spoilers about both show's finales so if you have not watched them, go do so and come back.
Person of Interest.
My favorite character on the show is Root (Amy Acker). She takes such pleasure from communicating with the machine but she seems to have lost part of that glee when Shaw was taken. I get that but this current storyline with Samaritan has gone on too long. Yes, it is a difficult situation but that has always been the case and now, especially with the finale, the writers and producers are making it worse and harder to solve the problem.
First, killing off all the allies the team could have. That seems over the top. Especially the crime bosses. What, is Samaritan now going to run the underworld? And why not shoot Fusco at the same time? Not that I want Fusco to be eliminated (I like his grouchiness) but he is always getting involved in cases he shouldn't and Samaritan would know that (since he is not one of the people blocked by Root's code).
Which leads to my next question. Why hasn't someone removed the code Root put in there to block her, Reese, Finch, and Shaw from being identified?
Why would the director just stand there and talk to the old man. She knows what a danger he is and now she is not a threat anymore (why didn't he kill her?). This made no sense but to eliminate the director's allies and get her taken away. Why wouldn't the old man kill the director? She no longer served a purpose for him.
The story has gotten bleak and shows no signs of improving. I think the writers have written themselves into a corner. I will watch the opening of season 5 but if this is not fixed very early on, I am going to change my viewing habits.
The Big Bang Theory.
This was one of the most manipulative episodes of TV I have seen and not in a good way. There are 4 different stories and every one of them was a mistake of some sorts.
1) Bernadette and Howard want Stuart to move out of the house. Fine. But Stuart gets a phone call right before they tell him he has to leave that reveals it is his birthday? That is too much since the gang has known him for years so how do they not know when his birthday is and that the call happened right then. Sorry, no. I say no one knew because nothing was done to celebrate it before that call.
2) Raj and Emily. Okay, Emily may be dark and Raj may not like it but that whole conversation is leading up to his breaking up with her but, at the last second, takes a turn. Again, sorry, no. Even Emily knew this was a break up speech, not a I love you speech (which she asked if he was breaking up with her). Again, pure manipulation.
3) Penny and Leonard. Now he says this to her? Seriously, he has been sitting on this all this time. No. He is not the guy to propose and then wait a year to reveal this secret and it wasn't even much. Sure, Penny and Leonard are still not married and probably won't be when the show returns. Manipulation.
4) And the worse case is Amy and Sheldon. He scoffed at her when she said she has been patient but she is correct. She has been waiting for intimacy all this time and he has failed to provide it. Sure, he may have trouble with it but if he is as smart as he thinks he is, he should know that his behavior is off-putting. The last thing he says is pure manipulation, trying to get the audience to feel sorry for him. I don't. Not in the least.
This whole episode is centered around bringing things out of nowhere. Raj leading up to one action but doing another, Leonard's revelation to Penny, and Sheldon with the ring. This was the wrong thing to do. Last season's ending with the proposal was good. Previous seasons endings with someone in the cast going to a remote location is good. Trying to elicit sympathy for Sheldon was the wrong thing to do. Amy has put up with a lot from a man who doesn't even consider her before TV shows so, no, I don't feel sorry for him. This is his own fault.
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