"Wanna" Watch THE GOOD WIFE

Article originally written for Seat42F.

The title of THE GOOD WIFE’s season finale, “Wanna Partner?,” seems to refer to Alicia (Julianna Margulies) asking Finn (Matthew Goode) to start a law firm with her. But in the delightfully twisty hour, that doesn’t end up being what the quote is lifted from at all, and as much as this installment doesn’t feel like a season ender, it does indeed push a number of things forward.

First of all, as most people have known since last fall, “Wanna Partner?” serves as Kalinda’s (Archie Panjabi) final episode on the show, at least for now, most probably forever. Charles Lester (Wallace Shawn) comes looking for her, threatening Alicia, Cary (Matt Czuchry), and Diane (Christine Baranski) in the process. Still, it’s a surprise when Kalinda shows up to confront him in the frozen pizza aisle, and even more of one when Alicia burns Kalinda’s confession right in front of Lester. Kalinda is off to who-knows-where, her friends are decently protected, and the Lemond saga is over. For now, anyway.

Before Kalinda leaves for good though, THE GOOD WIFE decides to finally give fans what they’ve been longing for: a Kalinda / Alicia drink. For three years, these former best friends have barely been on speaking terms, and have not been sharing scenes together like they constantly did in the early days. The behind-the-scenes conflict between the actresses does dampen the moment slightly, but for the characters, apologizing and declaring their feelings for one another (sort of) feels right and the perfect way to say goodbye to the badass investigator. She will be missed.

Kalinda is far from the only thing on Alicia’s mind. Peter (Chris Noth) tells her that he wants to run for President of the United States. Well, technically he’s angling for VP. At first, Alicia is happy for him. But after realizing this means she gives up any chance for happiness and fulfillment on a personal level, Grace (Makenzie Vega) reminding Alicia that she will have to continue pretending to be married to him, she turns on the idea. Eli (Alan Cumming) pushing for it and “massaging” Alicia’s memoir doesn’t help, either, the campaign manager finally going too far.

Let’s be honest: Peter has no realistic shot at the White House. He’s spent time in prison, he cheated on his wife, who is herself implicated in voter fraud, and the two live apart. No matter what Eli does, Peter could not succeed in the real world. But THE GOOD WIFE, as grounded as it usually is, does make leaps from time to time, and this may just be its biggest yet. How far will they take it?

Alicia also has work to worry about. Finn does initially accept her partnership offer, and two go on a crusade to free Jacob Rickter (Seth Gilliam, The Walking Dead) – a client last seen on the show four years ago. They attack a bad cop (Danny Mastrogiorgio, Gotham), manipulate a good one (Kevin Bigley, Sirens), and finally prevail, only to have Finn back out of the arrangement.

It makes sense for Finn to do so. The reason he wants to work with Alicia is the same reason he can’t. She threatens his tenuous relationship with his ex-wife, whom he is trying to get back together with. The electricity between the lawyers is too intense and cannot be ignored. Finn doesn’t trust himself around Alicia, and as regrettable as it is for him to step away, not doing so would definitely have led to some bedroom scenes next season that might not have been a good idea for either one of them, especially if Peter runs.

“Wanna Partner?” ends much the same way THE GOOD WIFE concluded season four, with a knock on Alicia’s door from a potential new partner. This time it’s Louis Canning (Michael J. Fox) instead of Cary, sadly, but might Alicia take him up on the offer? She doesn’t want to work alone, and she’s always had a strange kind of friendship with the slime ball. Is that enough to tempt her?

There’s a very real chance Louis is coming for Alicia because he sees her as a way to get even with Diane, Cary, and David Lee (Zach Grenier), whom he feels wronged his wife, Simone (Susan Misner), by firing her. Whether Simone was a corporate spy or not (she probably was not, but Louis may have tried to trick her into being one), her tears are genuine, and Louis wants revenge. Alicia is on good enough terms with Diane and Cary I don’t see her willingly participating in their downfall, but Louis is a master manipulator. How far can his scheme go before Alicia is clued in to the truth and ends their sure-to-be-temporary partnership?

While “Wanna Partner?” may not feel conclusive enough to close the sixth year on, it is a very good episode with a lot of interesting stories and some threads that are just getting started. The hour is yet another brilliant example of how the writers on this show juggle a lot of balls at once, letting them pass right through one another, and keeping them in the air for a very long time. CBS had better bring the show back.

THE GOOD WIFE has not yet been renewed, but a decision from CBS is expected no later than Wednesday morning. Chances currently look slightly better than even.

TOY STORY OF TERROR Scary For Its Weakness

 Article first published as TOY STORY OF TERROR Scary For Its Weakness on TheTVKing.

Toy Story is a classic, beloved film, which spawned two sequels, one decent, and one amazing. It's this high standard that any future spin-off or extension must love up to. (Yes, I'm ignoring early expansions, such as the Buzz-centric project, which I haven't seen, and seems already forgotten from the public consciousness.) Unfortunately, this week's ABC special, Toy Story of TERROR, falls very short.

Disney has a history of weak sequels and specials, but for some reason, I thought Toy Story would be immune. For one, it has the Pixar connection, and Pixar stuff generally rocks. For another, even though they have made a series of TS films, the third one was absolutely every bit as good as the first, providing serious emotional heft and development for the characters. Thus, I hoped the reputation would not be tarnished.

Right away, Toy Story of TERROR fails because it only follows a small group of characters from the movies, which seem put together randomly. Buzz (Tim Allen), Woody (Tom Hanks), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), and Rex (Wallace Shawn) are present, but absent are classic characters like Slinky Dog, Hamm, and Bullseye. And tossed in are two recent additions, Mr. Pricklepants (Timothy Dalton) and Trixie (Kristen Schaal).

Now, from a story standpoint, I can see why little Bonnie (Emily Hahn) would take a couple of her old favorite playthings with her, as well as some newbies, but it just seems so random in the episode, as if the producers locked down their main players, and then just kind of picked a few supporting ones based on actor availability or whose star is currently rising. And granted, in twenty minutes, there is not time to include everyone, with many of those who are present getting little to do. I just wish there had been more of a sense that this was planned out and each particular personality is included for a reason, as several seem to serve no purpose.


The main plot involves the group going to a motel. Mr. Potato Head is not content to sit in the luggage, and explores the room, looking for free amenities. The other toys venture forth to rescue him, are quickly separated, and fall into the hands of an evil desk clerk (Stephen Tobolowsky, Californication), who sells them on eBay. Jesse must overcome her fear of being in boxes to rescue them all before Bonnie leaves them behind.

The desk clerk arc definitely feels like a retread of Toy Story 2's toy man, and not in a good way, that being the worst of the three films. It's nice that this villain gets his comeuppance when one expects he won't. However the story would work with just an animal stealing toys, not needing this unnecessary man. Given the short running time, I wish he would have been cut.

The story involving Jesse's fear is OK, but a much lighter version of the drama present in the movies. And rather than being inspired by her friends to overcome her fears, she meets Combat Carl (Carl Weathers, Arrested Development), which feels unnecessary, especially when Carl and the other new toys introduced don't end up with Bonnie, doomed to be a forgotten footnote, even if the series continues past this. Given the very small role most of the main characters have in this installment, one of them should have stood in for Carl's part. Buzz seems a good choice.

Another main element of Toy Story of TERROR is that Mr. Pricklepants seems an expert on horror films, and in this spooky, Halloween-themed plot, he tells them what to look out for, sort of like a certain character in Scream. I guess this is in place for the kids watching, who wouldn't know many of the elements of a scary movie yet. But it does kind of drag down the proceedings.

There are some nice elements. I really liked the desk clerk's pet iguana, which hilariously acts like a dog. The shower curtain rip and Mr. Potato Head's arm hopping around on its own are a good play on the horror genre. It's not truly frightening, which is good for the little kids who will invariably watch. The original voice cast returns; I didn't pick up on any recastings, which always detract from the overall enjoyment.

Toy Story of TERROR is a misstep, though, and hopefully, if the Toy Story saga is going to continue, more thought and effort are put into the next installment. These toys deserve better.

Family Guy back for another bout with Volume Ten

Volume Ten of FOX's Family Guy has now been released on DVD. The three-disc set picks up from where Volume 9 left off. The 14 installments begin with the fourth episode of season nine, which aired during the 2010-2011 season, and end just before the season nine finale, which happens to be the show's third Star Wars parody, already available on a separate DVD release.

Family Guy's quality has been going down for a couple of years now, so fans might find Volume Ten a bit inferior to other sets. Overall, it just doesn't feel as fresh or original anymore, and other series have taken the edgy humor, a hallmark of early Family Guy, further than this show can on a network station. But it still is pretty entertaining, and this DVD contains a number of enjoyable episodes. Among the highlights:

• "Halloween on Spooner Street" Peter (Seth MacFarlane) and Joe (Patrick Warburton) plays trick on the neighbors. Needless to say, it does not go well.
• "Brian Writes a Bestseller" Brian (also MacFarlane) writes a book that winds up on the bestseller list. This goes to his head, until Bill Maher (himself) lies the smack down. Back in Quahog, Lois (Alex Borstein) banishes Peter to a separate bed. Unable to sleep alone, Peter looks for a new buddy to cuddle with at night.
• "Road to the North Pole" The latest of the periodic Bing Crosby-Bob Hope tribute episodes, Brian and Stewie (also MacFarlane) travel to the North Pole so that Stewie can teach the infamous fat man a lesson.
• "Friends of Peter G." Peter and Brian are sentenced to join Alcoholics Anonymous, which they manages to turn into a big, drunken party. After Joe busts the celebration, Peter turns against booze in a big, long musical number.
• "The Hand that Rocks the Wheelchair" Meg (Mila Kunis) falls for Joe when taking care of him while his wife, Bonnie (Jennifer Tilly), is out of town. Stewie creates a clone that escapes and wrecks havoc.
• "Brothers & Sisters" Lois's sister, Carol (Julie Hagerty, Airplane!), comes to town and falls for Mayor West (Adam West).
• "The Big Bang Theory" Betram (Wallace Shawn) returns and leads Stewie and Brian on a chase through time, as Betram plans on murdering Leonardo da Vinci. The cover art for Volume Ten comes from this episode.

Now, those are all pretty decent episodes, but none of them stand out as making a Top Episodes of Family Guy list. Rather than breaking new ground, they parody familiar sitcom concepts and revisit already established Family Guy formulas. Are they worth a half hour of your time? Sure. But would you cancel your plans to make a viewing appointment? Nope.

The nice part about Volume Ten is that it contains enough extras to satisfy fans, making up somewhat for the lackluster installments. Many of the episodes are extended and uncensored, providing a bit more than what airs on television. Six of the fourteen episodes have audio commentary. There are deleted scenes, and the "German Guy" fight sequence gets a featurette. Three scene animatics break down interesting sequences in the show. The music of "Road to the North Pole" is singled out. Finally, footage from Adam West's star ceremony is included.

Would I recommend this DVD set? Well, for fans of Family Guy who can't get enough, or those who are completionists in collecting all of the DVDs in the set, absolutely. But if you're looking for a handful of episodes to play at parties or while hanging out with your friends, I'd recommend selecting an earlier volume.

Family Guy Volume Ten is available now on DVD.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as DVD Review: Family Guy Volume Ten on Blogcritics.

Just who is the Gossip Girl?

The CW's Gossip Girl reached its milestone 100th episode last night with "G.G." To mark this occasion, a number of big events happen. Blair (Leighton Meester) decides to go through with her wedding to Louis (Hugo Becker), despite her reservations. Her mother, Eleanor (Margaret Colin) stages an intervention of sorts by bringing Chuck (Ed Westwick), who has no intention of disrupting the ceremony on his own, to the church. Then Gossip Girl (voiced by Kristen Bell) makes things worse, exposing Blair's deep feelings for Chuck during the vows. But the wedding still happens, only to leave Blair learning she is now with a cold, heartless man who will only be nice to her in public. So she flees with the help of Dan (Penn Badgley).

The Louie plot arc has been long simmering, and doubtless few expect Blair to actually go through with marrying the prince in "G.G." Yet, she does, and in a delicious and sad twist, is deeply hurt by the decision. B just wants to do the right thing, and fall in love with a man who will make her happy. She knows that things with Chuck have always been tumultuous, so she chooses Louis, in spite of her feelings, assuming that she can grow to love him. After all, Louis is an honorable man who will take care of her, right? B's motivations aren't fame and fortune, though she will get those as princess, but rather, making a wise decision.

Imagine her surprise, and the fans', then, when her ill-advised union turns out to be terrible before the reception is over! Louis isn't who he pretends to be, and is instead manipulative and evil like some of the best Gossip Girl characters. "G.G." works because of the unexpectedness of this turn, though in retrospect, it makes sense. Why else does Louis put up with everything Blair puts him through? He is going to use her for a public image, and she is stuck. It's an impossible situation, and one wonders how Blair will break free of it.

Chuck is left hurt. He does his very best to be compassionate to Blair and not spoil her big day, staying home from the wedding. Eleanor is only thinking of her daughter's best interests when she goes to Chuck, knowing who Blair is really in love with. And Serena (Blake Lively) also has good intentions when she takes it a step further and tells Chuck about Blair's pact with god, the reason Blair is resisting being with Chuck. But all of that doesn't matter because, in the end, Blair chooses someone else. Poor Chuck. His heart break is undeserved, as he has grown into a man worthy of Blair.

Of course, all of that doesn't mean Chuck and Blair have an easy union ahead. Because there's another factor. It's Dan who writes the lovely vows for Louis that make Blair think her prince understands and loves her. It's also Dan who Blair calls to help her escape from the dreadful situation. So suddenly Lonely Boy is on her radar in a serious way. Maybe she just sees him as a friend; maybe he will get some rebound action. Blair and Chuck still seem like the two who will end up together, but given Gossip Girl's penchant for twists, who knows?

There is another casualty in all of this, and that is Serena's heart. Exposed by Dan as keeping their fake relationship going longer than necessary, Serena grows a pair and confesses her love her him. Viewers are left wondering what Dan's reaction will be, since Serena quickly leaves him before he can respond. But the implications of the end of "G.G." are clear: Dan cares more for Blair right now than he does for Serena. This may not be the best choice for Dan, because like Chuck and Blair, Serena seems to be Dan's destiny. But by leaving with Blair, there will be a lot of hurt feelings Dan will have to repair before he can get back together with his first love.

Dan's feelings for Blair are no surprise to Serena, as indicated with the opening of "G.G." Pulling out all the stops in Gossip Girl's 100th, Serena dances to "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" with a swooning chorus featuring the boys in the cast. But at the end of the dream sequence, she is distracted by diamonds enough that Blair can come in and sweep Dan away from her. The production value and look of this dream sequence are outstanding. The implications of what Serena sees, though, are obvious. She has allowed herself to be distracted, and thus, lost Dan. It's sad that sometimes one doesn't realize what one has until it's too late. For now at least, it might be too late for Serena to get Dan back.

The most heart warming scene in "G.G." comes right before Blair is to walk down the aisle. Perhaps overshadowed by some of the flashier things in the episode, it's an important moment, and one that should be taken note of. Blair has her father (John Shea) go get Cyrus (Wallace Shawn) and both walk her down the aisle together. Daddy doesn't seem jealous, and Cyrus is truly surprised and honored. He has stepped aside to let Blair's real dad get all the privilege on this special day. But Cyrus has been there for Blair, loved and supported her. He deserves some credit, too. It's a fantastic decision, and it's really nice Gossip Girl squeezes it in among the other, more important stories.

Also cool is Cyrus calling Blair a "princess bride." This is neat because Shawn was in the movie The Princess Bride. Perhaps a little obscure for the teen set that Gossip Girl targets, but a wonderful reference to include.

Of course, Gossip Girl's 100th would not be complete without a visit from super villain Georgina Sparks (Michelle Trachtenberg), who wants to ruin Blair's big day as revenge for the things Blair has done to her. The initial attempt ends in failure, as Rufus (Matthew Settle) and Lily (Kelly Rutherford) catch Georgina posing as the minister and getting ready to try to seduce Louis. But Georgina does not give up easily, and records Blair's confession of feelings for Chuck, the source of the Gossip Girl blast that almost ruins the wedding ceremony.

It's nice to see that Georgina hasn't lost her edge, and a baby doesn't slow her down; her new guy is simply a tool that she uses like everything else. Thus, she causes just as much trouble as ever. But it's also good that she doesn't ruin things as completely as she'd like to. It's a testament to how mature the main characters have grown that she can't destroy their lives by herself, or turn them against each other as easily as she once could.

The big shocker at the of "G.G." is that Georgina is Gossip Girl. But is she really? Georgina's name does start with G, but she wasn't present for the early events of the series. Gossip Girl has been shut down for a few months, so it's quite possible that Georgina is just stepping into the gap, picking up where the real gossiper left off. If so, it is likely that Gossip Girl will not take kindly to this incursion, and will soon act to stop Georgina, probably with the help of the cast. If Georgina has been Gossip Girl all along, a less likely possibility, steps need to be taken to tie her back in with what happens before her character shows up on the show. Perhaps a final season full of flashbacks, culminating in an ultimate showdown?

The verdict on "G.G." is clear: it is a great 100th episode, with lots to surprise, ponder, and talk about. XOXO.


Gossip Girl airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.

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