Guest Review: The Office Wedding Episode

Dear friend of the R&R Review and fellow blogger Trip Reed has offered us his review of last night's episode of The Office...

I would like to preface my review of "the wedding episode" with my thoughts on The Office so far. I have actually been watching The Office since its debut in America, though to be honest, I don't exactly remember what my initial thoughts were of the show. The short first season was pretty rocky as the writers didn't really hit their stride until the second season, but I was in from the beginning.

I think that I really came to appreciate the show when a co-worker let me borrow her copy of the British version of The Office back in the beginning of 2006. Being able to watch that helped me get a better grasp on the origins of the show and its model characters, and to better appreciate the uniquely American perspective. It was also good to be able to contrast Tim and Dawn with Jim and Pam because for me, and for a lot of other people, that relationship is really what got me hooked on the show. I had a bit of an unrequited love situation happening at the time, and I enjoyed being able to commiserate with Tim and Jim.

While I sometimes wish that the British version had been longer because it was just so good, as the American version of The Officehas pushed far past the 12 episodes of the original, I appreciate more and more how smart Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant were to end their show when they did. It had a happy ending, but was able to wrap it up with dignity. As the American version drags into its sixth season, there are sharks being jumped left and right. Pam going to graphic design school; Pam becoming a sales person; Michael and Holly; Charles Miner; the Michael Scott Paper Company; the engagement; the pregnancy; and now the wedding. The "less is more" aesthetic of the British Office is what continues to make it excellent while the far-out nature of the American version continues to wear on viewers. Most importantly for me, while watching the British version, I can really imagine it as a documentary. For the American version, this concept seems to have been pretty much thrown out the window (except for when it is convenient for the writers) even though this was the central premise of the entire seri

In spite of my griping, I do continue to watch The Office weekly, though along with (or perhaps, because of) the endless parade of plot twists, its level of funniness (is that a word?) has continued to drop since, oh, probably the end of season three. I will be quick to admit, though, that season six has proven to be surprisingly funny so far. And it is with that, that we finally come to my review of "the wedding episode."

Being an hour long, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, though after seeing all of those sappy-looking commercials, I didn't have high hopes. However, as I watched, I did get quite a few laughs. Michael has a classic cringe-inducing moment during the rehearsal dinner speech, and his lodging situation (or lack thereof) was pretty funny as well. Suffice it to say, I was rather enjoying the episode until about the last 10 or 15 minutes. **Spoiler alert** Once the wedding dance scene kicked in, I was completely turned off. This was one of the most asinine things I have seen on a comedy in a long time. Again, keeping in mind that the point of the show is to be a documentary about real people working at a paper company, this was completely unrealistic and utterly absurd. And then to mix in mawkish scenes and Jim and Pam getting married on the Maid of the Mist--completely stupid (besides, how did they get dry so fast?). I think I saw the Fonz jumping over their boat on a motorcycle at one point.

On top of all of the nonsense that was going on there at the end, did anyone actually have an emotional reaction to them getting married? The whole Jim and Pam thing long ago ran out of excitement for me. I think the last time I actually had any interest in that relationship was in the season finale of season three when Jim interrupts Pam's interview to ask her out. While it is probably impossible to drag out an unrequited love story for 6+ seasons, I think that this again highlights the wisdom in ending a show after a specific number of episodes. When writers know their time line, they can create an actual story arc instead of an endlessly wagging story wet noodle.

So in conclusion, was the wedding episode as bad as some might have feared? No, it wasn't; it was actually pretty funny, though for me, the entire wedding sequence was irrelevant. However, I am giving this episode 2-1/2 sporks. It would have been 4 sporks, but the last ten minutes really blew it and cost the show 1-1/2 sporks.

Thanks to Chris Robinson and Mr. Roof for letting me post here.

Corky St. Clair is Real

The networks are now pushing their new fall lineups down our throats, but I must say that this year’s freshman programs have been a lot better than the last couple of years. While I have enjoyed the new comedies Glee and Modern Family (though still not replacing Arrested Development) and am hopeful that FlashForward will be more like Lost than Fringe (sorry, when things get super Sci Fi and not a shred of it based on any science or reality, I tend to tune out…and yes, an island moving through time is plausible). But I think the real winner is not on any of the networks, but on TLC. You got it, the cable channel that has brought us the Jon and Kate saga has a true gem in its midst. They have found the real Corky St. Clair.

TLC’s new show, King of the Crown, follows Cy Franks (the real Corky) "the" pageant coach in South Carolina. This is reality show gold. No one, not even Christopher Guest, could quasi script a better show. For all you Waiting for Guffman fans, your prayers have been answered and dreams have come true…Corky does exist and he lives on Wednesday nights on TLC. If Cy doesn’t win you over...I don't know what would.

King of the Crown on TLC, 9pm Wednesdays

The New Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

Editor’s Note: Due to press time (or the fact that I feel asleep at around midnight), this review will only be discussing the opening monologue portion of the show.

So, last night was the FIRST night of the new Conan era at NBC’s The Tonight Show and I was happy with the results. Many critics, talk show hosts, pseudo-news reporters have been questioning whether Conan would dumb down (I mean, soften) his humor for the boring 11:30pm crowd. I’m not even sure what that means since most elderly people were fast asleep by 8pm and anyone with kids probably passed out around 10pm, but I guess the viewing numbers don’t lie. While the show wasn't Late Night, I think the new set and the opening bit proved that Conan fans have nothing to worry about. First shows are always going to be a little more subdued and vanilla, but I think enough of the old Late Night was retained to give us a glimpse of what future shows will hold once Conan gets more comfortable with the new show and some of the pressure is off.

The set design was vastly different from Jay Leno’s bright colorful set, as this one had evening colors and looked a lot more like Conan’s New York City show, yet bigger and a bit more polished. I read a comment posted regarding another Tonight Show story (I always get up by 4am and read all newspapers for stories I want to plagiarize) where the person said that Conan’s old sidekick, Andy Richter (who is back) now resembles the late Chris Farley. I have to say, that was a spot on observation and every shot of Andy kind of freaked me at the time, but I couldn’t understand why. Now, I know it was because my eyes thought they were seeing a ghost. Not sure why he looks or acts more like Farley now, but let’s hope that changes. It’s creepy. Right now, Andy is an awkward fit with the show's flow, but I'm sure in time it will evolve. I also kind of miss Conan’s old announcer Joel Godard and I’m wondering what the suits at NBC did with him.

Overall, the show had some very funny skits and showcased Conan’s oddball humor. Yes, it wasn't Late Night...but again, we couldn't expect Conan to be that way in the first week...probably not in the first few weeks. But, it wasn't Jay, which is great news. Unfortunately for Conan, there will probably be less viewers, because greedy Leno will siphon some off at the 10pm spot and let’s face it, people have more channels to watch and the networks will continue their large loss of viewers at all hours. Let’s just hope NBC doesn’t freak out, kill Conan in some bizarre Universal back lot accident, and rehire Jay when his 10pm show fails. NBC needs to know they made the right long-term move by keeping Conan. As his younger viewers age, they will stick with him and he will introduce more youth to NBC’s extremely long running show. While Jay was okay, Conan is much more original and better suited for the late night gig. I give the new Tonight Show a Spork Rating of:

The Tonight Show

NBC, 11:30pm, Monday - Friday

The Amazing Race: Changing Terminals at LAX

My wife has been telling me for the past few weeks that we should apply to be on the next Amazing Race. I’m not sure if you have ever watched the show, but people who have some sort of relationship team up in pairs and go across the world in this race to win one million dollars. Along the way, the players on each team must work together on tasks to gain the next clue and to see where they are going. If you are the last team to get to the checkpoint for the clue, you are sent packing.

When my wife told me she wanted us to apply to be on the show, I figured she must be angling for a divorce. I asked her if she was unhappy with our marriage, or if I did something wrong to upset her. She said no, just that she thought it would be “good” for us and it would be “fun”. Now, I suffer from a disorder that has been labeled by my doctor, who is renowned for repairing horizontal butt crack birth defects on children, as “Travel Daze”. Basically on travel days, I come down with a condition that overtakes my body and brain, where I become irrational, irritable, feverish, stressed, flushed and paranoid that all my travel related activities are going to go terribly wrong. Packing a car? Pure stress. Overstuffed suitcases, two dogs (one 100 lbs), dog supplies, people supplies and my wife’s general lack of interest in planning for a trip. Flying on a plane? Do we take mass transportation, fight traffic, do we park at the airport lot or a satellite lot, what time do we leave, how much time in advance do we need to get there, did we check in, are all our liquids in appropriate bags, did I accidentally forget my gun stuffed in the back of my belt loop? Pure irritation and paranoia.

Basically, I told my wife, no way in hell are we ever going on The Amazing Race, because there are only three likely outcomes: 1. We will divorce, 2. I will die of a heart attack, or 3. America will think I’m the biggest jackass and send me death threats for outrageous meltdowns. Actually all three are probable.

So imagine my surprise when my wife and Delta must have colluded to change our connection time, for a secret trip we are taking that must connect at the Los Angeles International Airport, from 3 hours to 45 minutes. Do you know how hard it is to change planes located at different terminals at LAX? I didn’t, because I’ve never had a connecting flight there, but in order to switch terminals, you must exit security and the entire terminal building, take a bus or walk outside to the other terminal, and then go through security all over again. Websites recommend three hours to have plenty of time for this daunting task, especially if you are traveling with large suitcases, kids, are older or eat too much. We had 45 minutes. We are young, generally in good shape, no kids and we pack lighter than most…but 45 minutes? I dropped a few F bombs and started to break out in a cold sweat and hives as I scoured my itinerary and the websites regarding LAX’s terminals. I figured it was all going to be filmed for The Amazing Race or some hidden camera show. Could I change planes in 45 minutes without killing anyone or being tazed by the police? Impossible.

Lucky for me, my wife put me on oxygen, before I passed out and I called Delta to switch my connection times. They were very nice, fixed the problem (actually before I even said it, they knew the problem quickly fixed it) and we now have a little over two hours (still one hour short of the recommended time) to change planes. I’ve decided I’m still going to time it and possibly react as if we only had 45 minutes, just to see if we can do it. I’ll tell my wife it’s a test run to see if we could be on The Amazing Race. I know she will go for it. But, for the terminal design, I give LAX a Spork Rating of:

Come on a chimp could have designed a better airport. They still get One Spork, because planes can successfully land and take off from there. As for Delta handling the situation (but still remembering that they put me there in the first place) I give them a Spork Rating of:

Los Angeles International Airport

Built in 1929

Opened in 1930

Sixth busiest airport in the world

Review: Southland (NBC)

I had no set plans to watch Southland when the pilot came on last Thursday night. I guess that's why I recorded it rather than viewing it when it aired. NBC has been having problems as of late getting anyone to watch their shows, so they have a lot riding on this new cop drama. With the recent complete failure of Kings (a great show, but sent to the graveyard of Saturday night to die a quiet death) and ER now long gone, NBC desperately needs a hit. Taking ER’s Thursday night time slot (well keeping it warm until Jay Leno returns in the fall at 10p.m. Monday through Friday), Southland debuted to a strong audience, winning the 18-49 year old audience for that time slot.

The show is set in current day crime-filled Los Angeles while it follows several LAPD officers, specifically Officer Ben Sherman, played by The O.C.’s Benjamin McKenze. Southland begins about 3/4ths of the way through the episode, showing the end of a bloody shootout in one of L.A.’s, let’s just say I’m not moving there, “rougher” neighborhoods. Ben is standing over a bullet-hole-filled-tattoo-covered body in complete shock as we learn it’s Ben’s first day on the job. Quickly the story jumps back to the beginning of the day when Ben is getting into the police cruiser for the first time as a cop with an extremely blunt and crude Officer John Cooper, played by Michael Cudlitz (Band of Brothers). While Cudlitz plays a stereotypical rough and tough officer, it doesn’t seem too forced or unbelievable. His portrayal of John Cooper is someone I would expect, someone I would want to be patrolling the not so yellow brick roads of L.A.

The story also revolves around several detectives played by Shawn Hatosy (Alpha Dog, Public Enemies) and Kevin Alejandro (Shark, Ugly Betty) who investigate a random drive-by shooting of a black teenager. Additionally Regina King (24, Jerry Maguire), playing Detective Lydia Adams and Tom Everett Scott (Race to Witch Mountain, Saved), playing Detective Russell Clark, try to determine what happened to a young girl who went missing from a local neighborhood. Southland follows these characters throughout their day, similar to an omnipresent documentary crew, with gritty and choppy camera work, which gives the viewer the feeling of being there with them. The writing touches race, drugs, violent crimes and socioeconomics all in one episode providing a feel similar to the movie Crash. The writing was also very colorful in parts, enough to make the censors bleep out some language. I’m not sure why they put the bad language in the show knowing it would get censored, whether they want an even grittier DVD, desire to give the network viewer a flavor for the characters without lodging an FCC fine or if NBC just really wants to be like its cable channel cousins, but its overprotective parent at GE said no. Who knows and I haven’t even determined whether I liked it or if it was distracting.

What I did like was that that Southland seemed more original and fresh, not being a typical Law and Order or CSI franchise where there is a crime and then we follow the cops and lawyers until someone is neatly put behind bars. Southland doesn’t package things up quite as nicely and focuses less on the clues to discovering who done it and more on the surrounding circumstances, characters and just every day life. The viewer is left not even sure whether the cops solving the crimes are good, but it provides some great, if not gruesome, scenes. I really enjoy television shows that are more like mini movies every week, rather than ones that are completely predictable (first two minutes there will be a crime, then the detectives comb through the clues, then a plot twist, then the arrest). I’m interested to see the direction of this show and how the characters and stories will develop and evolve over time, which is a good thing for NBC, since I will tune in again this week. I give Soutland a Spork Rating of:

NBC, Thursdays at 10p.m.

24 Season 7, Episode 14

*Spoiler Alert*

BA Roof: Watching last night’s 24, I thought to myself that Jack is either the unluckiest man alive or extremely lucky. I thought at first he’s unlucky, because his wife has been killed, almost every friend of his has died, his daughter doesn’t speak to him and he is the one who always has to save the country while no one believes him. Then I thought, well, maybe he is lucky after all, since he never seems to die when everyone else bites the dust. You just know “luck” will catch up with him in the series finale. Whenever the writers and producers end the show, you won’t have Jack sailing off and enjoying the rest of his life on some island. Unless a movie is planned, of course.

I actually enjoyed last night’s episode much more than most of the others up to this point. It definitely didn’t have as much action (no blowing up the Capital) or jaw dropping plot twists like many of the others (a good thing). However, I just found the plot a little more believable (if you can imagine that). It’s not a new idea that people involved in the “defense” industry have too much to gain by war and too much to lose in peace. So, I’ve always believed it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that certain individuals involved in the military business would go to extreme measures for new weaponry technology, for war and for wanting to take over a country. I mean, it seems like every year a military guy overthrows the government in some Latin American or African country. But, you don’t often see the White House invaded in movies (I will make an exception for Mars Attacks!, because that was just funny and of course aliens can overtake anything), and never in real life, but how many times throughout human history has there been someone corrupt in the military or military industry that ruins things for a country’s leaders?

Last night that very plot twist was revealed. You also had Senator Mayer that hates Jack actually believing him (Why can’t Larry Moss believe him?). Of course, once the Senator believed Jack, he had to die. My only worry now is the show will go too fast with the plot. The writers seem to have done this the last few seasons, they get all excited about some sort of plot idea and tell it all in two or three shows. It’s premature plotjaculation. First, you have 24 episodes to lay out the plot. Second, the plot idea happens all in 24 hours. Calm down. Throw in some believable twists and strong character development. Why in the next episode is Jack already at the port stopping the shipment? Shouldn’t there be more obstacles along the way? Shouldn’t it have taken him more than an hour or two to get this information and more than 20 or 30 minutes to get to the port with the FBI hot on his trail? Besides unbelievable plotlines, my second biggest gripe with the writers is that they rush story ideas too quickly and have to come up with more garbage to fill the leftover time. Lets’ hope I’m wrong about next weeks episode. I give this week’s episode a Sporks Rating of:

Chaos at Next Top Model

What I would have given to be on the second floor watching the mayhem on Saturday afternoon at the Next Top Model auditions. Picture the scene…thousands of dimwitted model wannabes waiting for their audition when panic ensued. Someone yelled “CHEESEBURGER!” and they all screamed and ran for their lives. Okay, so no one yelled cheeseburger, but someone did yell "fire". Now, if they were inside waiting in a room with only one exit that was shut, and the room filled with smoke, I could see there being fear and panic when someone yelled “fire”. But, the models were outside. There was plenty of room to escape. And the smoke? It came from a nearby car with a little engine trouble.

I mean, unless the car was on fire itself, it couldn’t have been producing so much smoke as for anyone to believe the building was burning down. The best part was someone later yelled “gun”, in the throes of the chaos. I feel sorry for the three smart models out in the world that will forever be stereotyped by this incident. How some smoke equals a gun and everyone freaks out, I will never know. I really shouldn’t be so mean though, since there were several injured and as one victim said “Do you know how many people lost their purses…tonight?” That was the real tragedy of it all. For their crowd control abilities, I give the CW and Tyra Banks:

For the comedy of it all, I give the model dreamers:

24 Season 7, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

***SPOILER ALERT!***

BA Roof:

To enjoy 24, I have to realize it’s just fantasy. I can easily do this with Lost, a show built around the supernatural, time travel and faith. But, 24 is supposed to be grounded in current day reality. In the first few seasons of 24, all the events seemed plausible. Then with every subsequent season, the writers felt they had to one-up the previous one in the disaster department. I’m not sure what else they can do after last night. In last night’s episode a small group of soldiers from a fictional African country overtook the White House. Let’s pause. The White House is probably the most heavily guarded building in the world. The only chance you have of overtaking it is probably completely destroying it in a covert coordinated effort. There is no “overtaking” it.

How did the writers of 24 get around this? They created an inside person, of course. A mystery person (John Voight) that appears to have access to all the security codes and White House information aiding the soldiers (Note: the soldiers wore camo military gear, not stealthy black clothing that one might wear at night when not in the jungle). I assume we will learn more about this man in the second half of the season. If you were not going to destroy the building, but simply take it over, I guess an underground attack would be the most vulnerable method. But, since it is the most vulnerable, don’t you think there are some pretty strong safeguards in that department? Not in the world of 24.

I could go off on a tangent about how the FBI could have prevented the underwater/underground attack by finding the boat from the location Agent Walker gave them. It was only going about 5 mph. But, it is the government we are talking about. Now, we have the proposition that only 10 to 15 soldiers are going to overtake the White House. God knows how many Secret Service, NSA agents, troops, etc. are guarding the White House (no idea what happened to them all). Plus you have Jack Bauer. Why did he seem so helpless? Why did everyone seem so helpless? Mr. Robinson makes some excellent points in his post about how the lock down room was supplied. But, why did the Secret Service agents look like they couldn’t even shoot a gun? There was probably a reason…the entire government mole issue that consumed the first half of the season and rendered every agency untrustworthy. But, the writers forgot to explain this fact.

Finally, in the conclusion of the show, you have a Vice President unwilling to go in and save the President, because he isn’t sure whether they have captured her. Um, I’m guessing the White House is bugged, wired, videotaped, more than you would want to know, so there is no way to monitor what is happening? Somehow an FBI desk agent can intercept cell phone calls and decode computer files in a matter of seconds from her desk, but no one can determine what happened to the President in the White House?

Now, while all these things bothered me last night, I did enjoy watching the show. I just pretended it was pure fantasy. After that, I was entertained and want to know what happens next week. So did I stop watching the show? No. Have I lost a lot of respect for it? Yes. But I can’t stop watching this train wreck, like I can’t stop watching the stock market drop on a daily basis. I give the two hour episode a Spork Rating of:







Christopher J. Robinson:

Once again, it’s the little things that bother me. As BA Roof has pointed out, the first step is recognizing that ‘24’ has become completely fantastical. At this point, I would not be surprised if Jon Voight’s character turned out to be a magic wizard or a shape shifter. Although a magic wizard would have been able to throw a bull’s-eye after exclaiming “Now, let’s throw some darts!”

So here are few of the little things that bothered me about last night’s episode of 24:

-General Juma’s knife was so dull that it didn’t even slice the cheek of the President’s daughter as he ran it across her face. Rather pathetic, Juma.
-Jack was quickly able tor recognize that Juma’s end game was killing the President and making a mockery of the United States, and that he was very willing to die to achieve this. Yet, not a single FBI or Secret Service Agent outside of the White House was able to come to this conclusion and storm the rebels.
-The only security system that Juma’s men had to get around was a short drainage tunnel that was protected by some lasers. I saw on Myth Busters once that no one even uses these anymore because they are so easy to get around. So why does the White House still use them? They weren’t even invisible.
-The “lock down room” in the White House has not been set up with a way to contact anyone outside of it? There wasn’t even anything cool in there. Only a small tool box. No guns, no explosives, no tear gas and gas masks, no teleportation devices.
-What happened to all of the US soldiers dressed in camo that were already inside the White House when they took down Jack?
-Why don’t characters in 24 feel pain when grabbed by the arm that has a bullet lodged in it?

There were countless other instances of very minor things that could have very easily been made to seem realistic. I can’t wait to see what happens in Season 8. Jack will probably have to diffuse a nuclear bomb that is in orbit around the Earth, or battle aliens that have infiltrated the CIA. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Season 8 was handed over to Disney’s Pixar studios.

However, in light of the fact that 24 in no longer grounded in reality, Monday's two hour block was rather entertaining, and as the other R points out, we will continue to watch. But that doesn't mean I am going to love it. The lazy writing will still frustrate me. 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm gets...

Mid-Season Review of 24: Season 7

By BA Roof with an afterward by Christopher J. Robinson about episode 10.

***SPOILER ALERT***

BA Roof:

Editors Note: I watched 24 Redemption right before Episode 1 of Season 7, so I got confused with some inauguration content from an earlier post. My comments have been revised. I'm stupid.

I’m skipping my review of the Oscars to discuss a much more important topic: this season’s 24. I got into 24 by watching Season 5. I had enough friends pleading with me to watch the show. Ok, so I have no friends and was just bored and decided why not give it a try? I liked it so much, I went and bought the previous four seasons, but have only watched Season 1, so far. Hey, I’m a very busy and totally important guy. Tragically, the writers were abducted and replaced with glue sniffing drones for Season 6 and the franchise nearly died. For this year’s Season 7, there was supposed to be an overhaul.

So, is this season any better for 24? Yes and no. They finally scrapped CTU, which I couldn’t believe was still around for Season 6. I mean, how many terrorist attacks really happen in Los Angeles? They also shook up the cast a bit, which was long overdue, since I got tired of seeing the same people winning the Presidency like it was a deal made in some backroom bar. Maybe it is a deal made in some backroom bar in real life, but at least it’s not obvious.

I am, however, still very disappointed with the show. For some reason the writers keep coming up with plot twists that seem virtually impossible. Let me list the problems: (1) I know this is minor, but all the trees have leaves and the grass is green and some characters wear light jackets while others wear heavy ones. It’s the same day. Is it June or is it February? I have no clue, but it doesn't add up. (2) No one trusts or believes Jack. Give me a break. This guy has saved us how many times and we still don’t trust him? (3) How does a small African nation have the ability to corrupt so many high up people in the government and get this magical device that can cripple the country? Why haven't the Russians done this already? (4) Why on earth would there be a single device that can cripple the entire country so easily? (5) How can a low level FBI agent have so much access to the computers and why does his superior always trust what he says, knowing there is a mole in his department?

I know 24 can sometimes stretch the truth for entertainment, but at least make it seem plausible. That's what was so great about earlier episodes. This week’s episode didn’t have too much overt crazy writing. Most of it was plausible. Ok, maybe not the simple way one could erase the FBI computer files, or everything Chris discusses below. But, there have been plenty of moles in the FBI over the years. However, stay tuned. The trailer for next week’s show demonstrates how an African leader can have his loyalist storm the White House and hold the President hostage. Yeah, right. The most heavily guarded building in the world. I’m guessing next week’s episode will finally do me in and I will never be able to watch 24 again. See if I’m right. Spork Rating for Season 7 so far:

Christopher J. Robinson:

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Wow. Where to begin? I have never been more frustrated with poor writing than I was last night. Even though I love Rhys Coiro as Billy Walsh on Entourage, his character in 24, FBI Agent/cube monkey Sean Hillinger, has really bothered me. Apparently, computer nerds at the FBI are trained in all aspects of intelligence field work and issued Glocks. If you get angry at your computer, just pull out your Glock and cap your PC.

So last night, Sean and Erika are walking around the office and openly discussing Dubaku and how they have committed high treason within an ear shot of maybe 6-10 coworkers. Completely absurd. I think there was a moment when Sean even bumped into someone while talking about Jack and Renee, who is supposedly dead. Now, let’s not even get into the technical aspects of wiping out the FBI’s entire network in 30 seconds; it hurts too much to think about. This brings us to Sean shooting Erika in the stomach, her bleeding out immediately, then turning the gun on himself and shooting his arm point blank. Again, why is an IT guy at the FBI (not a field agent) issued a gun? If he was not issued the gun, how did he get it into the building? Surely they must have some sort of security protocol put in place, medal dectors at the door, something. After he shoots himself, he slides the gun over to Erika’s lifeless body but fails to get her prints on the gun. Doesn’t Sean think that a shooting inside the FBI will be investigated? Doesn’t he watch CSI?

After the doctors bandage up his arm, Sean casually and effortlessly puts on his jacket, runs down the hallway, is grabbed BY THAT ARM without flinching, then when he is placed in the interrogation room, is shown leaning on the table with both arms. Not once does he flinch or show any pain. How hard is it to add the line “God dammit! That hurts! Come on, man. I was just shot right where your grabbed me! Aghhhhh. F*** that hurts!” And I love how he had an extra button down shirt at the office, in case he ever gets shot at the office and needs to clean up and look presentable again.

Finally, we have the uncomfortable crowbar scene with Jack and Tony on the steps. It’s as if the writers sat down, went to work, and when they finished they had 10 hours of story line. “Oh, crap. How can we awkwardly continue the plot?” As BA Roof and I have discussed countless times, it is not that hard to keep the plot in tact while at the same time making certain aspects of the show more believable. I just do not understand the laziness and how they get away with it.

I do, however, love the obvious sexual tension between Jack Bauer and Agent Renee Walkers breasts. That was the silver lining to last night’s episode.

I'm with BA Roof on his spork rating for the Season thus far, but last night's episode gets...