Showing posts with label Lily Tomlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lily Tomlin. Show all posts

Thursday, July 6, 2017

ROWAN & MARTIN'S LAUGH-IN: THE COMPLETE SERIES

Article first published as DVD Review: 'Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In: The Complete Series' on Blogcritics.

Before there was Saturday Night Live, there was Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Hilarious, topical, sometimes controversial, the comedy program began as a one-time special, and eventually racked up a six season run. Starring an eclectic group of individuals, some of whom built memorable careers, and featuring a bevy of terrific guest stars, recurring sketches and one-liners filled the 140 episodes, some of which did not air until well after cancellation. Now, the entire Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning series is available on DVD from Time Life, and most of the episodes getting their first-ever home release.

Launching as a series in January 1968, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In was over long before I was born, fifteen years later. But the reputation and jokes lived on, permeating pop culture. Of course I’d seen the clips of Richard Nixon calling out “Sock it to me,” Goldie Hawn go-go dancing, and Lily Tomlin’s Ernestine, the annoying telephone operator. Having long been a fan of late-night comedy, this was a series I was very curious about, but never sure where to get a hold of it until this set came along.

The number of talented people the series attracted is amazing. Besides Hawn (The First Wives Club) and Tomlin (Grace & Frankie), regulars included Larry Hovis (Hogan’s Heroes), Eileen Brennan (Clue), Richard Dawson (Hogan’s Heroes), Henry Gibson (Boston Legal), Dave Madden (The Partridge Family), and Johnny Brown (Good Times). Perhaps more impressive were the guests stars, with Flip Wilson, John Wayne, Debbie Reynolds, Johnny Carson, Jack Benny, Peter Lawford, Cher, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Carol Channing, Sammy Davis Jr., Rock Hudson, Dinah Shore, Tim Conway, James Garner, Vincent Price, Buddy Hackett, Michael Caine, Charles Nelson Reilly, Don Rickles, Phyllis Diller, Bob Hope, Rod Serling, Liberace, and Lena Horne being just some of the folks who returned multiple times for guest spots.

As much as it’s fun to watch a bunch of familiar, famous faces parade through the series, Laugh In‘s  real staying power is in the writing. Dan Rowan’s straight man to Dick Martin goofy comic inhabit first segment, leading to mod dance parties, “Laugh-In Looks at the News” (a predecessor of Weekend Update), and though to applause at the end that extends long into the closing credits.

The series has a very specific, signature style with regular inserts and asides. Some strong, some less so, they impart a unique comic tone to the series. Characters like Wolfgang the German Soldier, Gladys Ormphby, Edith Ann, the sock-it-to-me girl, Uncle Al, and more, are memorable to anyone who has seen them. Yes, it is absolutely a product of its era, and the hippie, zany sensibilities are ever-present. But it’s also genuinely funny something that can still make us laugh many decades later. Whether you were a fan back then, or just have an interest in classic television, this is a good DVD set.

The just-released box contains thirty-eight discs, including the pilot special and all the regular episodes, complete and uncut. The show has been remastered, and while it shows its age, it looks pretty good, much better than any clip I’ve seen from it. It’s certainly not high-def ready, but what do you expect from a show so old? The point is, there isn’t the graininess that distracts, and it’s OK if Laugh-In shows its age a little. It’s earned it.

Six hours of bonus features round out the set. The most sizable are a 25th anniversary cast reunion (filmed way back in 2001) and a booklet full of some of the best quotes from the show. There are interviews, bloopers (which aren’t always as funny as the written jokes, but still good to include), a tribute to producer George Schlatter (the late clapper), Schlatter’s Emmy speech, and more. About 100 minutes of it are on a special bonus DVD, while the rest (mainly cast interviews) are scattered among the various season sets, each packaged separately in the larger box.

Personally, I find this DVD set right up my alley, and I enjoyed it immensely. I know it’s not for everyone, but if you like classic or late night comedy, it’s a must-see. And I suspect a great many other people, who aren’t particularly into those things, would find it entertaining, too. Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, available now from Time Life, comes with my highest recommendation.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

GRACE AND FRANKIE a Frank and Graceful Tale

Article originally written for Seat42F.

I cannot remember the last time my opinion of a show changed so drastically from the start to the finish of a pilot as it did for Netflix’s GRACE AND FRANKIE. The show, which launched all thirteen episodes of its freshman run yesterday, is the story of two women whose husbands come out as gay after forty years of marriage. The women hate one another, but they each may just be the only other person in the world who understands what the other is going through.

The first episode of GRACE AND FRANKIE, funnily enough entitled “The End,” begins with a corny theme song and a big, splashy announcement of the breakup at a double dinner date. While watching this scene, the situation seems incredibly cheesy and almost cliché, though the circumstances aren’t yet cliché at this point, and the characters feel flat and unrealistic. I was very tempted to turn it off.

As soon as you get past the opening of “The End,” though, the series immediately begins to deepen and improve. By the end of the half hour, viewers will not just understand how all of this happened the way it did, but feel like they’ve seen very raw performances from four actors at the very top of their craft. It’s not that the opening is bad, it is just not easy to understand until you get more from the characters. I cannot wait to go watch the other twelve installments.

GRACE AND FRANKIE stars Lily Tomlin (9 to 5, The West Wing) as Frankie, who is married to Sol (Sam Waterston, Law & Order, The Newsroom) at the start. They are a couple of spiritual hippies who are one another’s best friends. They have raised two sensitive sons (Brotherhood’s Ethan Embry and Fairly Legal’s Baron Vaughn), at least one of whom is adopted, and even after hearing the news, Frankie is the type who can’t bring herself to sleep in a different bed than Sol, at least not the first night.

GRACE AND FRANKIE also stars Jane Fonda (9 to 5, The Newsroom) as Grace, who is married to Robert (Martin Sheen, The Departed, The West Wing) at the start. They are an uptight, well-off couple who can’t stand one another very much. The poison in their relationship has led to a pair of judgmental daughters (Burning Love’s June Diane Raphael and Friends With Better Lives’ Brooklyn Decker) who are there for their mother, but also share her coldness a bit. She let herself be blinded to Robert’s tendencies because, even though their marriage wasn’t good, she thought this was normal.

Sol and Robert are in love and trying to spend their waning years happy. This is inherently selfish, as at least one of the wives points out, not leaving their spouses with a choice or much time to seek their own fulfillment. If the boys were going to do this, they should have done it twenty years ago, before life is almost over. Their last snatch at being who they want to be, finally something socially acceptable and their impending marriage legal, robs two other people of their own comfortable twilights.

Being able to see both sides of the guys’ decision, the one where they are finally doing what is right for themselves and the one where they are destroying a family, makes for quite a complex story. GRACE AND FRANKIE is easy to explain on the surface, but I was surprised and impressed by how deep it goes.

Where opposites attract for the men, they repel for the women, who know one another because their husbands are too close not to involve them, but have no desire to spend any time together. That the couples invested in a beach house together, the natural retreat for both females, provides a convenient way to force continued exposure. The show does manage not to fall into familiar tropes in which they
quickly become pals. As much as I want them to stay in scenes together, it must be authentic. “The End” gives me hope that it will be.

This series is also funny. Conflict breeds humor, and GRACE AND FRANKIE has conflict in spades. From a semi-inappropriate chair to the effects of a bitter tea, there is plenty of opportunity to be amused, too, even if it’s with a sad kind of laugh.

The acting in this program is excellent, as one would expect from this cast, many of whom have worked together in the past. It tickles me that both women have played major roles in shows that the other’s TV spouse starred in. These four are all people who have had a heyday some time ago, and yet prove their careers are not over by any stretch of the word. I’m glad their talents are not being wasted in their later years, as they are clearly still young and vibrant enough to put them to good use for an appreciative audience.

GRACE AND FRANKIE is on Netflix now.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Malibu Country might catch the Romney/Ryan crowd

Reba McEntire, these days known as just Reba, is a great singer and a capable actress. Who can forget her role in the classic (a term used only slightly tongue in cheek) sci-fi film, Tremors? And after a successful six year run of her previous sitcom, Reba, a new vehicle for the former country star seems like a no-brainer. Paired with another comedy comeback, Tim Allen's Last Man Standing, the time slot should work for it, serving as ABC's attempt to reach out to a demographic different from their norm.

What might be over looked by some viewers, though, is just how bad Malibu Country is. Possibly worse than Last Man Standing.

The plot is this: Reba's husband, Bobby (Jeffrey Nordling, Body of Proof, 24) cheats on her. She tries to stand by her man, but then he demands that she actually speak in public, and she loses it, in the nicest way possible while still expressing hate. This event prompts her to pack up her two teenage children, Cash (Justin Prentice, Winx Club) and June (Juliette Angelo, New Year's Eve), and with her alcoholic mother, Lillie Mae (Lily Tomlin, Web Therapy, The West Wing) in tow, move from Nashville, Tennessee to Malibu, California.

So why does Reba, a strong, intelligent woman, stand next to Bobby in the first place, before coming to her senses? There should have been a more dramatic scene that explored these opposing elements of her personality, but that sort of pathos will never be explored in a comedy this broad. What's more, we learn that Reba gave up a promising singing career to raise Bobby's kids in the first place, an action that seems at odds with a woman strong enough to leave him and set out on her own. I'm not saying a woman cannot be complex in this manner, I'm only complaining that the characters presented in Malibu Country do not come across as complex, and in fact, complexity would feel out of place.

Oh, and Reba right away writes a song sure to be a hit, quickly and single-handedly sure to re-launch her long-abandoned career as a singer. Talk about fantasy! Where is the struggle? Audiences root for a mountain overcome, not fame handed out on a silver platter, which might not happen, but based on the "Pilot," probably will.

Worse than the characters is the way that Malibu is portrayed. It is a land full of drugs and homosexual boys who still kiss girls, awash in their heathen, immoral ways. It is surprising that the character of Reba is only a little judgmental, when the writers of this drivel clearly get their current events from FOX "News." Reba is not a hate-filled person, but whoever made up these characters and situations is. Sure, California is more liberal than Nashville, but there would not be a switch flicked that puts Reba quite so out of her element.

Interestingly, Tomlin, who for some reason must change the spelling of her first name when in character and wear a terrible wig, is a lesbian herself. So was the "Pilot" created by small-minded people, and then the actual production handed over to those less concerned with such things, but too lazy to fix them? Or ordered not to? After all, ABC already has their bases on the other side covered with Modern Family.

It's the way everything in Malibu Country seems at odds with itself that kills the show. That, and it's just not funny. Most of those involved deserve better, and hopefully audiences won't tune in and find a populist point to rally around anti-West coast culture. The last thing we need this election season is more divisiveness, pitting the middle of the country against the coastal regions. But, considering the other series it's paired with, which shares a similar, though far less obvious, sensibility, this is exactly what might happen.

Malibu Country airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Web Therapy has no trouble getting it up

Showtime's Web Therapy, which mysteriously moved to Sundays a couple of weeks ago, ended its sophomore run last night with a delightful installment entitled "Electile Dysfunction." Robin (Julie Claire), to get even with a rude Fiona (Lisa Kudrow), released the sneakily recorded sex tapes featuring Kip (Victor Garber) and Ben (Michael McDonald). The result is that Kip is forced to drop out of the race. This is fine with Fiona, who is ready to be done with politics and her gay husband so that she can fly away with Austen (Alan Cumming). Unfortunately, there is a snag in that plan, too.

I want to say poor Fiona, as she is the protagonist of the show, and her luck seems to be bad, but I can't. Kudrow makes the character so detestable that, every time there might be an inkling of sympathy for her, it's quickly quelled. This isn't a complaint, but rather an observation about the way the lead is built. Her husband is gay. That sucks. No wonder she is uptight and repressed. But then Fiona sends her possibly dangerous stalker (David Schwimmer, Friends) after her own sister (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Does she have zero moral compass?

Many great modern television series are built on the antihero, but almost none of those are comedies. That makes what Web Therapy is doing so original and genius. If one if watching a dark drama and the main character is a baddie, that's one thing. When one is laughing at the antics of the principal person, who then takes things way too far, it's hard to keep laughing. Somehow, this show manages to make the cruel funny, and therein lies its brilliance.

Besides all of the actors mentioned above, the cast is stuffed with familiar faces like Victor Garber, Lily Tomlin, Rashida Jones, Molly Shannon, Minnie Driver, Selma Blair, Rosie O'Donnell, Conan O'Brien (as a douche-y version of himself), and even Meryl Streep. What would attract such an elite group of performers to the small screen? When is the last time Streep guest starred in any television show, other than an award-winning miniseries (Angels in America) or a couple of quick voice cameos (The Simpsons, King of the Hill) in the '90s?

But it's not just those the audience already knows that sell the work. Web Therapy boasts a wonderful supporting cast which includes Dan Bucatinsky, Jennifer Elise Cox, and Tim Bagley. They may not may as instantly recognizable, but they're every bit as good as the more famous people, which is necessary to make the show gel together the way it does.

Season one of Web Therapy ended with Fiona being selfish (unlike the actress playing her, who allows everyone a chance to shine), giving up the chance at love with Austen to stand by Kip, hoping that would bring her status and political acumen. Is Austen's betrayal with Gina (Cox) payback? Would it have happened anyway? It's hard to say, but given the way that Fiona treats Austen, it's hard to believe their union would have been a happy one.

As much as Fiona stops in a dark place, the rest of the characters are looking pretty good. Gina has a great new job and is being pampered, Kip and Ben are happily off cavorting somewhere, and Fiona's mother, Putsy (Tomlin), has launched the competing Net Therapy, stealing Fiona's formerly loyal assistant, Jerome (Bucatinsky), away, paying him a more fair salary. So it's not a bad ending, since these are all better human beings who deserve good things more than Fiona. Let's see how Fiona can wreck their happiness next.

Web Therapy has not yet been renewed for a third season, but if there is justice for good TV, it will be. And if not, season two provides some nice closure.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Friday, September 2, 2011

Web Therapy is "Exposed!"

An Old Flame     Things on Showtime's Web Therapy may be progressing a little slower than expected. In last week's episode, Fiona (Lisa Kudrow) discovers that her husband Kip (Victor Garber) is gay. But in the latest installment, "Exposed!," she does not actually expose him, as one might assume she might. Instead, she tries to get her mother Putsy (Lily Tomlin) to see that the son she thinks she's found after many years is an imposter. So the "exposed" of the episode title refers to the "son" and not to Kip. It's still Fiona doing the exposing, just not who viewers might expect.

     Too bad Putsy isn't willing to listen to reason (or even DNA test results). What's more conclusive than DNA testing? Perhaps whatever Putsy is smoking has something to do with her delusion, considering that she seems higher and higher in each subsequent scene.

     Thank goodness Tomlin is a comedy queen, or this silly plot might fall flat. Instead, not only does it work, but it's very easy to see where Fiona gets many of her less endearing characteristics. Hopefully Putsy will begin to see reason before Tic removes everything of value out of her house. On the other hand, if she doesn't, maybe she might move in with Fiona! That would be hilarious!

     But back to the original point: why isn't Fiona pressing Kip's secret more? True, discovering something as startling as discovering a partner's hidden homosexuality after many years of marriage is a trauma. Fiona may still be in shock.

     So why doesn't she confront Kip? The strange nature of Web Therapy, showing only scenes that take place at computers, may mean that Fiona already has already spoken with Kip before or during "Exposed!" If so, though, doesn't Kudrow owe it to the audience to discuss the effects of that conversation?

     Or maybe Fiona hasn't even brought the subject up to Kip because she's afraid that it will drive him away and ruin the one caring relationship she has in her life.

     Of course, Fiona isn't holding back because of scruples. She has few of those. Convincing Jerome (Dan Bucatinsky) to do illegal things as part of his "therapy," just so she can investigate her husband, proves that Fiona has little regard for most of those around her. While it is Jerome that takes things too far and gets not only fired, but escorted out by security, Fiona should know how fragile his psyche is, and what she is doing by manipulating him. Her behavior is unethical, at best.

     Now Jerome is actually worse off, working for Fiona. With Kamal (Maulik Pancholy) refusing to do any more of Fiona's dirty work without compensation, Fiona turns to the desperate Jerome and gives him a job. While not expressly stated, it is hinted that Fiona sabotages other interview opportunities to drive a frustrated Jerome close enough to the edge to accept such an arrangement. That she even charges him a supply fee for toiletries shows how little regard she has for him.

     Which is why Fiona doesn't really deserve a happy ending. Unlikeable main characters, who are still interesting enough to watch, are a relatively new thing on television. Kudrow seems to take things a little further than most other attempts, as Fiona is completely self-involved and has an annoying tenor to her voice, making her almost impossible to sympathize with. Yet, the actors in Web Therapy, pros, all of them, are plenty talented enough to hold a viewer's attention. It's what makes the web series version of Web Therapy so popular, and it's what will keep this television series running.

     Watch Web Therapy Tuesdays at 11 p.m. ET on Showtime.

     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     Click here to purchase Web Therapy.

Article first published as TV Review: Web Therapy - "Exposed!" on Blogcritics.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Login to Web Therapy

     Now on Showtime is Web Therapy. Web Therapy began life as a series of short webisodes available online. Now Showtime has ordered it to series, so what is airing on television is a compilation of the shorter bits, edited together with connecting scenes. In the first two episodes, we meet Fiona Wallace (Lisa Kudrow, Friends), who is starting a new "modality" for therapy - offering three minute sessions via web cam. This works for her, as she is lazy, and would rather avoid the human contact that comes with fifty minute meetings in person. To begin, Fiona calls upon some people she already knows in the "real world," hoping to establish a brand, then franchise it and become rich. Ideally, this will happen within a couple of months. The series is made up completely of web cam shots.

     Two episodes in, Kudrow has banished Phoebe from the minds of viewers. A different voice and mannerisms assure virtually no connection between the character Kudrow is most famous for, and the one she now inhabits. Fiona herself is odd, with an annoyingly lilting tone, and her own, distinct pattern of dialogue. One episode in, she is easy to despise. Two half hours, and suddenly she is incredibly enjoyable, even though it is still apparent she is a horrible human being. For instance, she tries to exploit a patient named Jerome (executive producer Dan Bucatinsky), who thinks he was unknowingly sleeping with his half sister (Rashida Jones, Parks and Recreation). Fiona takes the role of victim when it turns out the woman is not related to him. After all, she intends to use his story to get investors! How dare he be boring!

     Part of the reason Fiona may be the way she is could be the lack of affection she gets from her husband, Kip (the great Victor Garber, Eli Stone, Alias). Kips is, to keep with the show's format, only seen via web cam, too, whether he is on Fiona's computer, sitting next to her, or being called while in the bedroom on his own laptop. It makes for an odd communication style between the two, and most moments of their lives are missed by the viewers. However, there is enough insinuation to figure out that Kip wants to stay in the marriage, cares about Fiona, but avoids her sexual advances. Could he be gay?

     To compensate, Fiona acts inappropriately towards other men, but can't bring herself to go through with anything. One in particular, Richard (Tim Bagley, Monk, Will & Grace), she now counsels, and tries to interfere in his new relationship. You see, her departure from her previous job came after she made many advances, but she rejected Richard when he tried to act on them. Now she doesn't want him to be with anyone else, and he is confused. Wholly unethical, it's still a pretty funny situation, and actually exposes a vulnerable side of Fiona. Which is when she begins to be a character fans can get behind, if only slightly. What is shown most of the time is a persona, and this situation peels down into a deeper layer.

     High quality guest stars abound in the first season, including Jane Lynch (Glee), Lily Tomlin (Damages, The West Wing), Alan Cumming (The Good Wife), Courteney Cox (Cougar Town), Jennifer Elise Cox (The Brady Bunch Movie), Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock, Weeds), Julie Claire (24, Dirt), and more. It should be an exciting bunch of whackos, perfectly complimenting Fiona's insanity.

     Web Therapy is nowhere close to realistic, but it is pretty funny. Check it out Tuesdays at 11 p.m. EST on Showtime.


     If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter!

     Click here to purchase Web Therapy.

Article first published as TV Review: Web Therapy on Blogcritics.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Damages drowns in blood

    It began three years ago.  Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne) stumbled down a dark street, blood on her hands and clothes.  It was quickly renewed for not one, but two more installments.  Now, after a trio of breathtaking seasons, the series may be at an end.  Currently, FX is in talks with DirecTV to split the cost of continuing Damages, but whether that will happen is still up in the air.  Why does such a critically acclaimed, award winning show have to struggle so hard in the ratings?  Perhaps it is the serial nature of it.  But it's well worth the time.


     This year's major case centered around the Tobin family.  True to form, twists kept coming left and right in the final hour and a half finale.  After the suicide of Louis (Len Cariou) in an earlier episode, it was a bit of a surprise to watch his wife, Marilyn (Lily Tomlin) jump to her death.  Beautifully filmed, I didn't even see it happening until she hit the water with a splash.  But will Carol (Ana Reeder) get away with murder?  It appears so.  For now anyway.

     Speaking of getting away with murder, it was wonderful to see Frobisher (Ted Danson) finally get arrested for paying someone to murder Ellen's fiance two years ago.  I'm sad that Wes (Timothy Olyphant, who now his own FX series, Justified) had to go down, too, but it proved the kind of man he is, and that he loved Ellen.  It would be fantastic if they could get back together at some point in the future.  Despite their dark deeds, the bad guys on Damages are frequently shades of gray, and I almost felt sorry for Frobisher, since he turned his new leaf and all.  Almost.

     Turns out, Joe Tobin (Campbell Scott) was really the villain, and the man who murdered beloved character Tom Shayes (Tate Donovan).  Because of that bastard, if the show gets a fourth season, long time third-star Donovan will not be able to return.  Or maybe he will.  Dead characters frequently prop up on Damages, among them, Zeljko Ivanek's Ray Fisk, for which he won an Emmy.  Ray popped up as recently as this week to haunt the people left behind.  But not in a cheesy way.

     I would be remiss if I did not praise Martin Short for the brilliant way he handled the serious drama, as opposed to the comedy that I am used to from him.  Also, Glenn Close is a true star, and proved once again how she can handle entire ranges of emotions in just her eyes, without speaking a word.  Her character may be one who deserves to be taken down more than any other, but you still root for her and care for her.  This season's plot concerning her son, Michael (Zachary Booth) allowed her to show yet more layers to Patty Hewes.

     Please, FX.  Find the money.  Give Damages another season.  To do otherwise would be criminal. 

Monday, February 1, 2010

More Damages have arrived

     One of the best dramas on television, Damages, has just returned for a third season on FX.  There was much to like about the season premiere last Monday, including a new, lighter tone with welcome brighter colors.  That's not to say there isn't plenty of twisted stuff still going on.  In fact, one of my favorite characters, and one of only three principal actors in all three seasons, is shown dead in a body bag at the end of the episode.  Of course, much of Damages takes place in flashback, so the character will still be around for at least this year, if the person is actually dead, which I have my doubts about.  Either way, killer way to end the special no-commercial episode!

     As this season begins, ten months after the last, Ellen Parsons, (Rose Byrne) though she has forgiven her former boss, has moved on with her life and now works for the DA's office.  Meanwhile, the former boss, Patty Hewes (Glenn Close, who has deservedly won multiple awards for this role) is just getting around to allowing Ellen's office to be cleaned out, though she is certainly in a better mood than when we last left her.  She is even allowing longtime employee Tom Shayes (Tate Donovan, The OC) to add his name to the door of her firm.  Meanwhile, Tom has remained friendly with Ellen, and when Ellen suspects Patty secretly helped her with a client, the three are entwined further together.  If it wasn't Patty, who was it then?  One of these season's many mysteries, surely.

     The big case of season three deals with a Ponzi scheme of Madoff proportions.  The head criminal here is Louis Tobin (Len Cariou, Into the Storm), and both Patty and the DA are trying to bring him down.  Tobin's family is brilliantly cast, including Lily Tomlin (The West Wing, The Magic School Bus) as his wife and Reiko Aylesworth (24) as his daughter in law.  Joining the cast full time are Tobin's son Joe (Campbell Scott, Royal Pains) and family friend slash lawyer, Leonard Winstone (Martin Short, Primetime Glick, Father of the Bridge, Three Amigos).  Short, usually a comedian, plays this ore dramatic role well, and despite limited screen time in the first episode, he has managed to impress already.  Add to that the promised return of Frobisher, (Ted Danson, Bored to Death, Becker, Cheers) there will surely be no lack of star power.  Yet, unlike other shows, it never feels like stunt casting on Damages.

     This season's mystery will continue tonight and every Monday at 10pm on FX.