Review of “Lie To Me” and notes on a couple of other Fox shows

“Lie To Me” starts its second season on Fox, June 7, 8pm – 9pm. This episode is called “Beat the Devil” and concerns a brilliant young scientist Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) thinks could be a serial killer. It also guest-stars Howard Hesseman as a teacher who thinks he’s seen a UFO. The team must figure out just what’s what with all this by studying body language and facial characteristics of these people which is what the Lightman team does. They accomplish that.

The second episode on June 14, 8pm – 9pm is called “Sweet Sixteen.” Dr. Lightman’s past is the subject of this episode as a fugitive IRA terrorist is looking for revenge and comes after Dr. Lightman. It’s complicated, but it’s all explained throughout the show which is very good. It also reveals, in flashbacks, how Lightman and Dr. Gillian Foster (Kelli Williams) met each other and are now working together. I’ve written about this show before, and still like it. Tim Roth jumps around and never seems to be still. He’s on the move all the time, giving directions to his staff as he passes by. I would like to see him take Dr. Foster out on a date for dinner and a glass of wine and just sit quietly and talk, and then . . . who knows what? His staff is very good so this should continue to be a very interesting program.

The other night I watched a show on Fox I’d never before seen and didn’t really get caught up in it. It was supposed to be 2 hours according to the paper, but after an hour, “The Good Guys” came on. I was thrilled! I have already seen that episode two times, but I watched it again. There are so many lines in that show that are really funny – laugh out loud (should that be LOL?) funny. Maybe I’m just a simple person, but I really don’t think that’s it. I just like what makes me laugh, and that does. There are other times to be serious and introspective. One scene cracked me up for the third time when Colin Hanks who plays the young cop and wants to get away from Bradley Whitford who plays the older, boozy, lazy cop and stop being assigned as his partner, asked the lieutenant if he could be a detective and move up. She just rolled her eyes, laughed and reeled off a list of reasons he couldn’t. One of the reasons was that he had once corrected the commander’s grammar to his face! That was a definite No-No and amused me immensely! I see on Google they are running it again on the 31st. Maybe I’ll watch! If enough people tune in, maybe it will make the cut and be on for a while.

Yesterday I was at my hair guy’s and read an article on GLEE in “Entertainment Weekly” where they quoted Tim Stack. He was talking about the plans for the next season and said they were going to limit the number of guest players and focus on core players! I felt like jumping out of my chair, but Steve had the scissors to my hair so I controlled myself. I was so happy to hear that as I know that everyone and his dog, and possibly cat, has been begging to go on GLEE. It’s such a tremendous success that why wouldn’t someone want to be on it? But I don’t like that – I like them working with the cast they have which is tremendous and, after all, they are what made it so popular in the first place. Now and then a guest star is not bad, but not too often.

Mourning . . . what you do when something you love is gone

Last night I watched the finale of Law&Order, so today I’m in mourning. I’ve watched that show for twenty years, so things won’t be the same without it. I don’t think it was meant to be the last show ever, but the network decided it would be. It was a good show. S. Epatha Merkerson had several shifts with an MRI for her cancer, but in the end it turned out just fine as apparently she had good news. She’d been planning on leaving the show before they decided to cancel it anyway. She’d been battling cancer all year, but show-biz cancer, not the real thing. She had a neat boyfriend who helped her through it. I had cancer but it was the real kind, and I didn’t have a neat boyfriend to help me through mine – not even a douche bag boyfriend. Epatha was a Broadway and television star before and during all this. She came during the 4th episode and stayed til the end. Last night’s show ended at a bar where all of her crew were holding a fundraiser to help with her doctor bills. All the stars of the show were there, and it was really neat. But it made me wonder if NYPD personnel have no health insurance or really crappy insurance. Shouldn’t something be done about that?

Jerry Orbach was one of the first detectives on the show, joining in l992 and staying until 2004. He left during the 14th season as he had prostate cancer which he’d had for 10 years but never made public. He had starred on Broadway, movies, television and worked steadily all his life. He was loved by everyone, and his role as the world-weary detective on L&O was perfect. When he died, they dimmed the lights on Broadway which isn’t done that often. He was known for his sarcastic quips right before the actual show begins, after the prelude. I remember the one, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” I loved that . . . but I just realized he didn’t say it; Patrick Swayze did in “Dirty Dancing.” But Jerry was in that movie and in that scene, so I gave him credit for it. I seem to get mixed up sometimes!

Sam Waterston came to the show early. As the others, he was an actor who had established himself many years before. He played the ADA for years, just recently moving up to the District Attorney position. Chris Noth, “Mr. Big” played a detective early on, but didn’t stay. I could go on and on, but if you don’t know the people I’m talking about, it won’t interest you. To me, Law & Order was like comfort food – sort of like macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookies and wine. I’ll certainly miss it.

But GLEE is on tonight, so that will help a lot!!

Some news I found interesting

I was just reading the newspaper about all the CBS shows being cut and added for the new season coming up. They don’t usually make many changes, but this year it seems like they’re even moving the ones that are staying to different days. Maybe they had some extra time on their hands. There was a quote by CBS chief Leslie Moonves who was talking about dropping “Old Christine” as she wasn’t making high enough numbers. He stated, “That was not a good place for the No. 1 network in television to be at. . . .This is about improving time periods.” To be at?? Doesn’t Leslie know correct grammar? And who says CBS is the No. 1 network? Fox is certainly no slouch in the ratings department. I watched “The Good Guys” the other night on Fox and loved it when the detective who had just puked all over a crime scene (but he had a purpose in doing it), asked his naïve partner if he had never heard of “Good cop, sick cop.” But I digress. I hope Leslie is more careful speaking when he knows he’ll be quoted.

Another piece of news that cracked me up was the terrorist who gave his dying confession and with his picture just before blowing himself up. He was tearing up his passport in the picture! When I heard that, I thought, “What a novel idea – why can’t I do that?” Not kill myself or others . . . just cut up my passport. I hate my picture and never use it anyway. But I couldn’t find it and the moment passed.

I’m very upset about all the funny business going on in Arizona. I think they’re not drinking enough water and never getting out of the house because of the heat. It’s probably making them crazy. Just think of all the immigrants who make their way there. They don’t have any water to drink and can’t even go inside to get out of the sun as they have no inside (house). They just trudge along, hoping they won’t get shot by the border patrol. But the Arizona governor is going to take care of everything. She’s passing a law that makes it legal for the police to stop anyone who looks suspicious – I think the translation for suspicious is Mexican. Crazy Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, is all for the new law. He’s a really mean son-of-a-bitch who brutalizes his prisoners. I think he’s about done as the FBI is looking into him, but nothing’s for sure. What I think is funny about this is the fact that the US is discouraging people from vacationing in Mexico as they might get their heads cut off, and the Mexican government is discouraging their people from coming up here as they’ll probably be thrown in jail. What a wonderful world!

Ending on a more humorous note, police raided a home near here and arrested a man and his mother. They were making moonshine and also had many different drugs and guns. They were an all-purpose sort of 7-ll and were a family-owned business. They were real entrepreneurs and should be commended for finding work these days. Or may not . . .

“24” Finale

I’ve got to admit I didn’t watch “24” the past couple of years as I just couldn’t take all the torturing. But I just watched the preview of the final two episodes which will be aired Monday, May 24 at 8pm – 10pm on Fox. This show has run for 9 years and was quite unique in the way it was made. I’ve never seen a show like it and probably never will again. It’s already been done and done very well.

I just sat for two hours and watched the entire two final episodes – I didn’t even take a bathroom break! It was exciting every minute, and you had to keep watching and couldn’t slack off and close your eyes or you’d miss something. It moves at such a frenetic pace that I can’t imagine anyone falling asleep during it. If they do, they must be brain dead! I’m sure all the regular viewers will be watching Monday night. But to all of the people like me who haven’t seen all 9 years of the show, they should tune in and watch the finale. I can assure them, they won’t be disappointed. It’s a real experience!

Larry and Ryder

The other day I put a picture on my blog of the turtle that Teri bought me when she last visited me. I knew I had to have a name for it and but couldn’t come up with anything. And then it struck me! You know the story of a woman who had to drive herself to the hospital when she was in labor because her husband was golfing and late getting home? We all know about golfers and how they have things on their minds other than golfing which may make them several hours . . . or even days . . . late getting home. So the woman pulls over to the side of the road to use her cell phone as she can’t use it while driving as she might get arrested. And also, she’s in Arizona and is a Latino, and she’s worried that a cop might arrest her because she looks illegal, but she actually isn’t. So while she’s calling 911, a guy stops by to see if he can help. While he’s there, he delivers her baby for her and doesn’t even ask to see her passport or birth certificate. So everything turned out quite well for her. She was so pleased with the stranger that she named her baby boy after him – Alejandro. That is actually much better than her husband’s name which is Horace. So after thinking about that story, I decided to name my turtle Ryder after the nice guy I dragged onto my deck to hang the turtle. I gave the real Ryder some cookies I had just baked and haven’t seen him since! Of course, he didn’t deliver my baby, but he did something that I couldn’t have done myself which is just as good.

I’ve written about Larry, my little sparrow, several times, and here’s a picture of him up a little closer. He’s still around and there’s another one sort of like him that I call Larry also. I call them all Larry. There are also a couple that I call the husband and wife that come every day several times and jump all over the place. They are house finches – the male has a lot of red on him and the female is just plain drab – no color at all. She could use a good makeover. I think they bring their child with them sometimes or maybe it’s a second female. I don’t know what they’re into, but they jump around all over the place. My sparrows are quieter, and in the late afternoon, Larry will just sit and stare into space. He doesn’t eat; he just sort of scrunches down and stares. I think that’s what I do a lot in the late afternoon when I sit down.

I finally decided to name my flamingo. Maybe I did it a long time ago, but I can’t remember. Anyway, from now on I’ll call her Frances. Why Frances? I really don’t know!

Mother’s Day!!

I didn’t have any plans for Mother’s Day as both my daughters live elsewhere, and I’m getting to the stage where I don’t like holidays that much – people do too much, spend too much, get exhausted with all the arrangements and breathe a sigh of relief when it’s all over. Or maybe that’s just me. Anyway, as it turns out, I did go out on Mother’s Day with my brother, Jim, and his wife, my cousin Joyce and her husband and my nephew, Carl, and his wife. I’m not naming everyone as it takes too many commas and too much time. We ate at Porcelli’s which is in the neighborhood and has very good food. I walked up and met everyone there. The waiter recognized me and asked where I’d been, and I just mumbled something. I didn’t tell him I couldn’t afford to eat out that much. Who does he think I am anyway? It was really fun seeing everyone and I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief when it was all over. Maybe that’s because I didn’t have to make any arrangements or prepare anything.

And what happened Saturday was really exciting. A lady called and said she had some flowers for me and wasn’t sure which unit was mine. So I went outside and she carried this great big pot full of beautiful hydrangeas up to my yard and put them where there was a space next to the house. She could hardly carry them and I kept worrying about her back. I have never seen anything that beautiful! There are other little flowers planted underneath them which sort of trail out. I took several pictures, and I hear they’re the talk of the condo people – they like them! My son-in-law, Mark, ordered them from a place he thought was in Sellwood as that is close to me. The lady used to have a store there, but now she works out of a warehouse as people don’t go to floral shops to order – they use the internet or phone. What a sorry state of affairs. So anyway, she thought Mark was very nice and he thought she was very nice. I thought they were both very nice. I called her and asked her about her back which she said was fine. I don’t believe that for one minute. I also asked if I could put her on a blog and she said I could, so here’s her phone number: Rose City Floral 503-239-8005. I highly recommend her, and she has beautiful flowers which she arranges herself. The hydrangeas aren’t in a good place as there is full sun all afternoon, so today I asked the guys who mow our lawn and that kind of stuff if they would put them on the other side of my deck. I said to be careful as the pot was so heavy, but they just laughed and did it with no trouble at all. So I gave them some chocolate chip cookies I had made for the guy who put up my turtle. They were frozen and I hope I made that clear to the guys before they broke a tooth. Would they sue me?

All in all, the weekend turned out great, and I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief when it was over. Thank you Mark, Teri and Harry. You made my day very special and I love you all very much.

“THE GOOD GUYS" – A new Fox show

“The Good Guys” will show a preview episode on Fox, May 19, 8pm to 9pm, entitled “Pilot” which makes sense to me. The series premiere starts Monday, June 7, 9pm. As soon as I heard who was going to be in this show, I knew I’d like it. It stars Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks as two cops in Dallas. Bradley said he usually has roles playing a guy in a suit arguing over the deficit or some such thing, but this is a complete change and he’s hilarious in it! He has a mustache that plays a big part in his role. He even combed it carefully in one of the scenes. He is the old cop in the show – not really old, just lazy, lethargic, drinks too much and doesn’t exert himself. He did something years ago that brought him fame which he mentions frequently. Colin is the young detective who is supposed to keep an eye on Bradley which doesn’t always work out. He’s also very funny and has a hard time keeping Bradley in control.

Bradley plays Dan Stark and Colin plays Jack Bailey. They are given little, stupid cases so they won’t screw up. The first one is a stolen humidifier which I would say is a stupid, little case. However, it turns into hired assassins, drug smugglers and a stolen golf bag. Dan doesn’t trust computers and wants to do everything on foot rather than just check the computer. He tells Jack he thinks the computer is looking at him or something just as crazy! He’s so old-school it’s not even in style anymore. He’s not above sleeping with the victim in a case which doesn’t go over too well with Jack. But the ladies seem to like his mustache which he seems to love also.

There are many similarities to “Burn Notice” which is no surprise as both shows are created by Matt Nix. I’m a big “Burn Notice” fan as is my grandson. I think that type of show appeals to all ages. They’re cop shows but not overly violent – you don’t see blood all over the place and there’s plenty of humor. I think this show will be a big hit as it’s about cops – that’s a hit right there – and it’s very funny which is another point in its favor. So be sure and watch the preview on Wednesday, May 19 at 8pm.

Teri was here for a couple of days and I took only one picture of her, and where I had it developed cut off the top of her head. I must go elsewhere from now on. But I still like the picture. The other picture is on my back deck and shows where Larry eats on the ledge with the green garlic lid water bowl, my flamingo and my new turtle that Teri bought me when we went shopping. I asked a man off the street to hang it up for me and he was very nice. I didn’t know him – he’s working on the condos across from me. I’ve dragged in many men walking by for help and they’re usually very accommodating.

It was so good to see Teri as I rarely see her. I don’t see Cindy often either. Maybe we should all live in the same house like they did in the old days. And then again, maybe not. Teri and I spent one day in Sellwood going through all the little shops that had so many interesting things. There was one shop, “Love Art Gallery,” that had sculptures made out of old car parts! There are 65 artists that show there. There were a couple of herons, a huge seahorse, and other items. Teri saw some turtles and she knows I love turtles – we used to have two box turtles. So Teri decided to buy me one of the turtles! It’s pretty big -- not light weight -- and it’s all out of car parts. I love it!

One little store had some nice antiquey things and also two little dogs. One of the dogs excitedly began humping my leg! So the owner lady came over and put him on her lap and talked baby-talk to him. We didn’t buy anything there.

We had lunch at the “Jade Teahouse & Patisserie” where I had eaten before and which is excellent. Teri ate with chopsticks and I used a spoon. I never taught her to use chopsticks because I never ate with them. I don’t think I travel in the same circles as she. I actually don’t travel at all! I’m going to google “patisserie” as soon as I finish this. My dictionary doesn’t have it. Can you imagine? Of course, there have been new words added since I got it back in grade school or whenever.

After lunch we came home and took a walk. During our walk she wanted me to try on her tennis shoes that everyone wears now. I don’t know what they’re called but the heels are higher and they push you forward – at least they did me. I guess they’re good for walking and good for your feet. So I finally got them on during the middle of our walk, and when I started walking, I felt like I couldn’t stop! Teri said I looked like a wind-up toy! I headed down the street and kept going faster and faster! She finally grabbed me and then I managed to go a little slower. We were hysterical at my antics and I kept getting away from her. I finally just clutched her arm until we got home and I got those crazy things off my feet. Teri said she had been thinking of letting me have them but decided against it as she thought I’d probably kill myself!

After I took the picture of Teri, she left with friends to go out to dinner. I came in and ate mine, and then sat down on my couch to floss my teeth. I usually do it elsewhere, but that night I was watching something on TV. When I finished I lay the floss across my stomach while I watched my program. The phone rang, I jumped up and the floss flew off! So then I had to get my huge, yellow flashlight – the kind that takes a 20 lb. battery – and scour the living room rug. But I never found it. I did find it the next day which was a good thing. I would just hate to have company and have someone else find it. I must quit doing it in the living room or else quit having company.

I thought that was the end of my exciting day until a friend called and told me about Times Square being shut down! So I watched that for a while. Teri came home and had heard about it on her blackberry. We watched the news for a while and then went to bed. She left at 5am the next morning. I just hope she stays safe in New York City, but I guess no one is safe anymore. But she must stay safe – I love her too much to have some creep blow her up. And the same goes for Cindy.