Surprisingly enough, the Veep has had a couple of victories lately. Granted, for each one of them, there's a "yoghurt"-type incident to trip her back up, but she got her man on the Clean Jobs Bill, thanks to a rather smart ploy by Dan. And right now, her focus is still on getting a piece of legislation passed in her name, in order to gain positive press, impress the President, and pave the way for future projects. Oh, and help people, too, but that's...not exactly high up on the list.

Coming up on Veep, though, Selina will see that the Clean Jobs Bill might not have been the legislation to back as strongly as she has, especially considering the possible Congressional hearing it inspires.

Below are the initial air dates, episode names, episode descriptions, and repeat dates for the episodes seven and eight of Veep.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3 (10:10-10:40 p.m. ET/PT)
“Full Disclosure”
With the Veep (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her staff taking flack over a pregnancy rumor and the firing of a Secret Service agent, Selina orders a “partial” full disclosure of all office correspondence. Later, she dispatches Dan (Reid Scott) to make sure the Macauley Amendment (i.e., the toxic Clean Jobs Bill) cannot be traced back to her. And with the perception growing that her office is nonfunctioning, Selina threatens to fire a key staffer.
Other HBO playdates: June 3 (12:20 a.m.), 5 (10:30 p.m.), 6 (9:00 p.m.) and 8 (9:30 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 4 (8:00 p.m.), 5 (11:30 p.m.), 7 (11:00 p.m.), 8 (9:00 p.m.) and 9 (3:30 p.m. ET only, 5:15 p.m. PT only, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT)

SUNDAY, JUNE 10 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
“Tears” (season finale)
Selina finds herself in Ohio to support Rep. Roger Furlong (Dan Bakkedahl) for governor, but given the Veep’s low approval rating, he no longer wants the endorsement. Meanwhile, the Clean Jobs Bill comes back to haunt Dan – in the form of a possible Congressional hearing. After Selina tears up in her meeting with Furlong, Mike (Matt Walsh) and Amy (Anna Chlumsky) decide to play up Selina’s tears even more, but have no idea how big a floodgate it will open.
Other HBO playdates: June 10 (midnight), 12 (10:30 p.m.) and 13 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 11 (8:00 p.m.), 12 (11:30 p.m.), 14 (11:00 p.m.) and 16 (3:15 p.m., 9:30 p.m.)

Veep airs Sundays at 10:00 on HBO. You can check out spoilers for the next two episodes here.

What can the Veep do to improve her approval rating? Did she make the right decision in backing the Clean Jobs Bill? How do you think all this will impact season 2 of Veep?

Veep: Spoilers for June Episodes

HBO has announced that its recent comedy premieres, Lena Dunham's Girls and Armando Iannucci's Veep, have each earned a second season consisting of 10 episodes. HBO tends to be quick on the trigger for a renewal, giving Luck and Treme the go-ahead after one episode in their debut seasons, but they waited until a couple of airings had passed for both Girls and Veep to make it official. They join Game of Thrones in the pile of recent renewals for the pay-cable net, as the acclaimed fantasy series was awarded a third season earlier this month.

There's no word yet on where Veep or Girls will be airing come season two. If they become strong enough in the ratings, HBO may decide to launch another pair of new shows behind Thrones, but I'd lean toward this same line-up coming back circa April 2013. They currently have different episode orders for their first seasons (Veep with 8, Girls with 10), so adding the extra episodes to Veep seems like a move to have them airing together, at the same time, next season.

It's been a strong time for female-led comedy on HBO recently. Enlightened, starring Laura Dern, was one of the only comedies that survived a bloodbath of comedy cancellations, thanks to the positive word-of-mouth and awards attention it received. Now, with Girls and Veep, the network has three well-regarded comedies that center on the journey of a woman, either toward self-discovery (Enlightened), personal fulfillment (Girls), or professional success (Veep).

Veep airs Sundays at 10:00 on HBO, followed by Girls at 10:30. If you want some spoilers for the former, including information about Selina's daughter and supposed rivalry with the First Lady, you can check them out here.

Are you ready for more of Selina and her team trying to navigate D.C.? Which of the four main Girls is your favorite? Do you like having the two comedies follow Game of Thrones?

HBO Renews Girls and Veep for Season 2

Vice President Selina Meyer may be in a little over her head. Once a major contender for the presidency, only to be brought down by a poor hat choice, Meyer has been left with a whole lot of grunt work. Instead of enacting real change and being the leader of the free world, she's trying to get her (relatively minor) pet projects through the D.C. wringer and onto the Senate floor for debate. And for some reason, the President still hasn't called her, despite using her as a fill-in speaker at a recent fundraiser. It's enough to overwhelm even the toughest of politicos, but judging by the descriptions of the next batch of episodes, her lack of political pull may be the least of her troubles.

Below are the initial air dates, episode names, episode descriptions, and repeat dates for the episodes three through six of Veep.

SUNDAY, MAY 6 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
"Catherine"
Faced with a trumped-up story of a rift between the Veep and the First Lady, Selina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) quells accusations that everything is about her – even though it is. The Veep’s office goes into spin control about the appointment of an “oil guy” to the Clean Jobs taskforce. Gary (Tony Hale) selects candidates for the VP dog, though Selina’s daughter Catherine (Sarah Sutherland), who is visiting from college, gets final say.
Other HBO playdates: May 6 (midnight), 8 (10:30 p.m.) and 9 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 7 (8:00 p.m.), 8 (11:30 p.m.), 10 (11:00 p.m.), 12 (3:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m.) and 18 (8:30 p.m.)

SUNDAY, MAY 13 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
"Chung"
Dan (Reid Scott) and Amy (Anna Chlumsky) attend a book launch for Gov. Danny Chung (Randall Park), a charismatic Asian-American war hero, who Selina worries could be a political threat. Meanwhile, Selina preps with Mike (Matt Walsh) for a “Meet the Press” interview, landing on football as her “regular-people” talking point. Later, Gary and Amy discover that Selina has a lover.
Other HBO playdates: May 13 (midnight), 15 (10:30 p.m.) and 16 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 14 (8:00 p.m.), 15 (11:30 p.m.), 17 (11:15 p.m.), 18 (9:00 p.m.) and 19 (6:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m.)

SUNDAY, MAY 20 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
“Nicknames”
Selina becomes obsessed with the many unflattering nicknames given to her by bloggers, and after being snubbed from a Senate briefing by the POTUS, assigns Dan to get White House intel from Jonah (Timothy C. Simons). Later, Dan’s political maneuvering puts the fate of the Clean Jobs Bill on the line.
Other HBO playdates: May 20 (midnight), 22 (9:00 p.m.) and 23 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 21 (8:00 p.m.), 22 (11:30 p.m.), 24 (11:15 p.m.) and 26 (4:30 p.m., 9:30 pm)

SUNDAY, MAY 27 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
“Baseball”
Selina attends a healthy eating event at Camden Yards with some very grumpy fast-food executives, where she also confides a secret to Amy. Mike holds a press briefing for some local news pals, save for the inquisitive Leon West (Brian Huskey). Later, with the Veep delayed, Amy and Dan are forced to entertain elementary school children.
Other HBO playdates: May 27 (midnight), 29 (10:30 p.m.) and 30 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: May 28 (8:00 p.m.), 29 (11:30 p.m.) and 31 (11:00 p.m.)

Veep airs Sundays at 10:00 on HBO. Details for next week's episode, titled “Frozen Yoghurt”, can be found here, while the pilot can be viewed for free (for a limited time) on Youtube and HBO.com.

If you've already watched the Veep pilot, what did you think about it? Are you excited to see Selina try to learn how to be an effective Vice President? Do you think either of her projects will see any progress?

Veep: Spoilers for May Episodes

Don't look now, but the return of summer TV is upon us.

How do I know that? Well, aside from my convenient access to a calendar, it has a lot to do with HBO announcing the premiere date for the next season of True Blood. On June 10th at 9:00, we'll be thrown back into the wild world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, free of the witches from season four but still not out of the woods yet. The return of both Russell Edgington and (newly fanged) Steve Newlin is bound to cause problems for the vamps, with Tara's fate, Terry's past demons, and the new direction of the AVL to be delved into once the season kicks off. True Blood will air in front of the season finale of Veep (June 10th) and Girls (June 17th), respectively.

Set to recur this season on True Blood are Camilla Luddington (Californication), Peter Mensah (Spartacus), and Christopher Heyerdahl (Hell on Wheels), with Lucy Griffiths (Robin Hood), Scott Foley (Felicity), and Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: SVU) joining the cast as regulars.

Debuting on June 24th at 10:00 is The Newsroom, the latest walk-and-talk drama from Aaron Sorkin. This time, the West Wing creator veers back into the political field, specifically the field of political news. Taking place backstage at Action Cable News, the show will showcase the moral and creative battles the anchor, producers, and staff fight in order to produce credible news programming. The Newsroom stars Jeff Daniels (Good Night, and Good Luck), Emily Mortimer (Shutter Island), Alison Pill (Milk), Olivia Munn (Perfect Couples), and Sam Waterston (Law & Order), among others in the deep supporting cast. Jane Fonda signed on for a recurring role in the series this past December.

Will you be checking out the premiere of The Newsroom? What did you think about the last season of True Blood? Are you excited for the summer TV season to kick off?

HBO Announces Premiere Dates For True Blood, The Newsroom

In a matter of three weeks, we'll have a new Vice President of the United States of America.

HBO's Veep brings together Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus with Oscar nominee Armando Iannucci and follows the promotion of promising senator Selina Meyer to the second highest office in the land. Over the course of the first season of the show, we'll be tagging along with Selina as she finds out what the VP actually does (and doesn't) do and tries to keep her head above water in the increasingly hostile field of politics.

Below are the initial air dates, episode names, episode descriptions, and repeat dates for the first two episodes of Veep. The series is slated to have eight episodes in its first season.

SUNDAY, APRIL 22 (10:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT)
"Fundraiser"
Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her staff – chief of staff Amy (Anna Chlumsky), spokesperson Mike (Matt Walsh), right-hand man Gary (Tony Hale), and executive assistant Sue (Sufe Bradshaw) – are still finding their footing in Washington D.C. Selina decides to make the Clean Jobs Commission a pet project, but a series of missteps requires her staff to work damage control.
Teleplay by Simon Blackwell & Armando Iannucci; story by Armando Iannucci; directed by Armando Iannucci
Other HBO playdates: April 22 (midnight), 23 (9:00 p.m.), 24 (10:30 p.m.) and 25 (9:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: April 23 (9:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10:00 p.m.), 24 (11:30 p.m.), 26 (11:40 p.m.) and 28 (3:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m.), and May 4 (8:00 p.m.) and 5 (9:00 p.m.)

SUNDAY, APRIL 29 (10:00-10:30 p.m.)
“Frozen Yoghurt”
The veep’s office is revived by good news that her task force is likely to be green-lit. With the president (conveniently) out of the country, Selina looks to make headway on filibuster reform and meet some “normal” people.
Teleplay by Simon Blackwell & Armando Iannucci; story by Simon Blackwell; directed by Armando Iannucci.
Other HBO playdates: April 29 (midnight) and May 1 (10:30 p.m.), 2 (9:00 p.m.) and 5 (6:15 p.m. PT only)
HBO2 playdates: April 30 (8:00 p.m.) and May 1 (11:30 p.m.), 3 (11:00 p.m.), 4 (6:30 p.m.), 5 (1:15 p.m. ET, 5:15 p.m. PT, 9:30 p.m.), 6 (3:00 p.m.) and 18 (8:00 p.m.)

Veep premieres Sunday, April 22nd at 10:00 following a new episode of Game of Thrones. You can check out the first trailer here, as well as a recently released clip below.

How do you think the first two episodes of Veep sound? Will you be tuning in to the premiere? What kind of match do you think Louis-Dreyfus and Iannucci will be?

Veep: Spoilers for April Episodes

TVLine is reporting that while Enlightened's Amy Jellicoe may be laser-focused on taking down Abaddonn Industries, something (or rather, someone) else will be catching her interest quite soon.

Dermot Mulroney will be appearing in the second season of Enlightened as a reporter that teams with Amy to help her expose the company's environmental infractions. Mulroney's character gets to know Amy not just professionally, though, as he'll be a love interest for the altruistic corporate rebel. It's a stark change from season one, where Amy was sexually assaulted, rejected Tyler, and was otherwise invisible to the male species. If there's any way to Amy's heart, though, it's through standing up for what's right and letting "the man" have it, so Mulroney's character may be less distraction and more reinforcement for Amy's cause.

Aside from his recent, well-received turn on New Girl, Mulroney has only one live-action TV series credit to his name, as the veteran actor appeared in three episodes of Friends in 2003. He's best known for appearing in such films as My Best Friend's Wedding, About Schmidt, and Zodiac, with his next role coming in Brian Dannelly's Struck by Lightning.

Having also added Molly Shannon in its off-season, Enlightened returns for its second season this fall on HBO.

Are you looking forward to the second season of Enlightened? How do you feel about Amy having a love interest? Do you think that a man in her life will keep Amy from "burning down" Abaddonn?

Enlightened Adds Dermot Mulroney for Season 2

As season 5 of True Blood looms closer, HBO has new video teasers to whet your appetite. Instead of the usual season recap, the marketing geniuses behind the hit series give us three teasers called “Echoes of the Past.”

In each teaser, we get a tour of a location from the show -- Sookie’s house, Fangtasia and Bill’s house. As we travel through the empty rooms, we overhear echoes of voices from scenes throughout the series, which returns this summer.

The confusion caused by the voices are spot-on with the last season of the show, which caused many, myself included, to scratch their heads and re-watch episodes to understand where things were headed.

Check out the videos below and tell us what you think. If you aren't caught up on season 4, HBO is re-airing it starting April 5 at 9PM. Check your local listings.

True Blood: “Echoes of the Past” Season 5 Teasers

A lot had been said and written about the abrupt cancellation of HBO’s Luck this past Wednesday.

The cable network, along with executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann, announced the immediate cease of production of the Dustin Hoffman-starring drama, following news that three horses had died during production.

Last year during the filming of the first season of Luck, two horses died but a third death last Tuesday, while shooting episode two of season two, forced HBO to quickly suspend all use of horses indefinitely.

But within the next 24 hours, after an investigation into further safety precautions had taken place, the network canceled the show, saying that they couldn't prevent further fatalities.

California Horse Racing Board Equine Medical Director Dr. Rick Arthur, who worked with the production when it filmed at the Santa Anita race track, told TVGuide.com that “horse fatalities are not uncommon at the race track because accidents do happen.”

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), however, has long been opposed to the series and after its cancelation the organization sent out a release, claiming Luck used “old, unfit and drugged horses.”

HBO immediately sent the following response to PETA’s accusations: “The drugs that have been referenced by PETA were administered post-injury to calm the horse and to allow the attending veterinarian to properly examine the injury.”

HBO, which worked closely with the American Humane Association and the CHRB, also insisted that no drugs were administered prior to filming of racing sequences for any purposes, but PETA's Vice President of Laboratory Investigation Kathy Guillermo told TVGuide.com that the necropsy report cited additional drugs in the horses' systems that shouldn't have been there, and has called upon law enforcement to investigate the deaths.

After Luck premiered to 3.3 million viewers in January (including the early December preview and replays) HBO announced its renewal for a second season two days later.  But after a month on the air, the show suffered a 50 percent loss of its audience.

Some industry watchers have said that Luck's lukewarm ratings may have also been a factor to its quick demise.

The Story Behind HBO's Cancellation of Luck

HBO has shut down production on its freshman drama, Luck, starring Dustin Hoffman, after a third horse died.  A statement from HBO says:

It is with heartbreak that executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann together with HBO have decided to cease all future production on the series LUCK.

Safety is always of paramount concern.  We maintained the highest safety standards throughout production, higher in fact than any protocols existing in horseracing anywhere with many fewer incidents than occur in racing or than befall horses normally in barns at night or pastures.  While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future.  Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision.

We are immensely proud of this series, the writing, the acting, the filmmaking, the celebration of the culture of horses, and everyone involved in its creation.

Michael Mann and David Milch said  “The two of us loved this series, loved the cast, crew and writers.  This has been a tremendous collaboration and one that we plan to continue in the future.”

Luck: HBO Ceases All Future Production

HBO has released information about the first three episodes of Girls, its upcoming comedy from Lena Dunham and Judd Apatow. The first original comedy on HBO in 2012, following the return of Eastbound & Down and the American broadcasts of Life's Too Short and Angry Boys, Girls tells the story of two sets of roommates living in New York City. Each of the ladies in question are in that awkward time between college and adulthood, having to figure out their direction in life and how to navigate an increasingly difficult dating world in 2012.

Below are the initial air dates, episode names, episode descriptions, and repeat dates for the first three episodes of Girls. The series is slated to have 10 episodes in its first season.

SUNDAY, APRIL 15 (10:30-11:05 p.m. ET/PT)
"Pilot"
Hannah (Lena Dunham), a 24-year-old aspiring writer living in New York City, is blindsided when her parents (Becky Ann Baker, Peter Scolari) cut her off financially. Subsequently fired from her unpaid internship, she seeks comfort in Adam (Adam Driver), the eccentric actor she sometimes sleeps with when she can get him to respond to her texts. Meanwhile, Hannah's best friend and Type-A roommate, Marnie (Allison Williams), hosts a dinner party for their bohemian British friend Jessa (Jemima Kirke), who's returned from god-knows-where to move in with Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet), Jessa's younger, "Sex and the City"-obsessed cousin. Written and directed by Lena Dunham.
Other HBO playdates: April 15 (12:35 a.m.), 16 (9:00 p.m.), 18 (9:30 p.m.) and 19 (midnight)
HBO2 playdates: April 16 (9:00 p.m., 9:35 p.m., 10:10 p.m.), 17 (11:00 p.m.) and 21 (9:00 p.m., 1:05 a.m.)

SUNDAY, APRIL 22 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
"Vagina Panic"
Hannah reveals her "Forest Gump"-induced AIDS phobia when she realizes Adam might not be practicing monogamy. Marnie lives in denial of her growing boredom with (and sexual repulsion by) her long-term boyfriend, Charlie (Chris Abbott); Jessa avoids Marnie's meticulously planned day at a women's health clinic, where Shoshanna confesses a humiliating secret. Written and directed by Lena Dunham.
Other HBO playdates: April 22 (12:30 a.m.), 25 (9:30 p.m.) and 26 (midnight)
HBO2 playdates: April 23 (10:30 p.m.), 24 (11:00 p.m.) and 28 (9:00 p.m., 1:00 a.m.)

SUNDAY, APRIL 29 (10:30-11:00 p.m.)
"All Adventurous Women Do"
Hannah meets up with her erstwhile college flame to find out how she contracted HPV, uncovering much more in the process. Marnie's art-gallery boss introduces her to a cocky artist who piques her interest, while Jessa gets a babysitting gig. Written and directed by Lena Dunham.
Other HBO playdates: April 29 (12:30 a.m.) and May 2 (9:30 p.m.) and 3 (midnight)
HBO2 playdate: April 30 (8:30 p.m.)

Girls debuts Sunday, April 15th at 10:30. You can check out the first trailer, released in February, here.

How do you think the first three episodes of Girls sound? Will you be tuning in when it debuts next month? Does the show sound like a good match with Veep?

Girls: Spoilers for April Episodes

It looks like Amy Jellicoe has gained an ally in her bid to bring down Abaddon.

According to Deadline, Molly Shannon has joined HBO's Enlightened for its second season. She's set to play an executive assistant at the corporation that inadvertently fuels Amy's investigation into Abaddon's shady practices. Shannon's character is said to also be a love interest for Tyler (creator Mike White).

At the end of Enlightened's first season, Amy (Golden Globe winner Laura Dern) finally grew tired of the endless corporate bureaucracy and discouraging apathy she had encountered since her return to the working world. Her newfound sunny disposition, honed during her retreat, gave way a little bit to Amy's desire for change and feeling of connection to the world at large, with Abaddon's disregard for anything other than its profit margin pushing her to burn it down. Her personal life may be on the up now that her words to Levi about change and rehab have finally sunken in, but Amy's professional turbulence looks to take center stage in season 2.

Best known for her tenure on Saturday Night Live in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Shannon has since been busy guest starring all over television, having had roles in the likes of Glee, The Middle, Up All Night, Web Therapy, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. She's had three regular series roles since her time on SNL, including a remake of Australia's Kath & Kim, Cracking Up, and animated comedy Neighbors From Hell. She can next be seen in the animated film Hotel Transylvania, set to premiere September 21st.

Enlightened returns for its second season this fall on HBO.

Do you think Amy can bring down Abaddon? Are you happy that Tyler will have a little positivity in his life once Shannon's character debuts? Are you rooting for Amy and Levi to get back together?

Enlightened Adds SNL Alum Molly Shannon for Season 2

After having premiered the trailer to the highly anticipated Lena Dunham comedy Girls earlier this month, HBO has given us a look at another new female-led comedy in Veep.

From the mind of Oscar nominee Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It), Veep follows former U.S. Senator turned Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Seinfeld) as she tries to get a hang of one of the most prestigious and pressure-filled jobs in the country. As the trailer, titled "Core", shows, she may not have been as prepared as she thought it would be, whether it be botched speeches or the possibility that at any moment she could be running the country. Joining Meyer in her quest to navigate DC are her chief of staff (Anna Chlumsky, My Girl), press spokesman (Matt Walsh, The Hangover), right hand man (Tony Hale, Arrested Development), and secretary (Sufe Bradshaw, Star Trek), with Reid Scott (My Boys) and Timothy Simons (Days Together) portraying Meyer's primary opposition.

This will be the return of Julia Louis-Dreyfus to series television following the cancellation of The New Adventures of Old Christine, a role that earned her a second career Emmy. Most known for her role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, she was last seen in the live episode of 30 Rock.

Veep premieres Sunday, April 22nd at 10:00 on HBO following a new episode of Game of Thrones. Dunham's Girls ends the night at 10:30.

Will you be checking out Veep when it debuts this spring? Does the trailer make you more excited to see Louis-Dreyfus return to television? If you're a fan of Iannucci's work, do you think he can recapture what made The Thick of It and In the Loop so good?

Veep Season 1 Trailer Released

Following the purging of several male-leaning comedies, it looks like HBO wants to build a female-heavy slate of comedies to join the recently renewed awards magnet Enlightened. First up on the docket is Girls, a quirky girl-in-the-city comedy with a brand new trailer to boot. There have been multiple teasers to hint at the potential behind the concept, but the 1:32 trailer plays like an indie movie trailer, all driving uptempo music and action centered on a heroine whose journey toward self-discovery we'll be following for 10 episodes.

Instead of the going for the glamour and decadence of that other HBO New York girl comedy, Girls looks to examine female sexuality and the search for one's place in the world on a simpler yet still effective scale. There'll likely be some inherent similarities between the two shows, but one look at the trailer shows that Girls seems more comfortable in the awkward and more unwilling to bat an eye at situations that would horrify four of our favorite single girls.

Created by Lena Dunham (Tiny Furniture) and executive produced by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up), Girls follows 20-something city girl Hannah (Dunham) as she tries to learn about dating and make a life for herself post-college. Joining Hannah are her friends Jessa (Jemima Kirke), very artistic and hippie-ish, and Marnie (Allison Williams), aspiring to become an environmental lawyer, as well as her carpenter boyfriend Adam (Adam Driver).

Girls premieres Sunday, April 15th at 10:30 on HBO. It'll be joined the following week by Armando Iannucci's Veep, which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, at 10:00.

Does the trailer make you more likely to check out Girls when it debuts this spring? Do you think that making more female-led comedies is a good move for HBO? Judging by the trailer, do you think that Girls will accurately portray that post-college period of finding yourself?

Girls: First Official Trailer Released

Tonight on HBO is the premiere of the British sitcom Life's Too Short. The series, which stars Warwick Davis, was created by two comedic titans: Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. While each have their own solo careers (Gervais a stand-up comic and Golden Globes host, Merchant an actor in films like Hall Pass and a voice actor in Portal 2), the two undoubtedly function best when working in tandem. Together, they've created some of the funniest TV shows in recent memory. They have quite an impressive track record: Life's Too Short will be their third sitcom, and their fifth show overall. To prepare ourselves for the show's U.S. premiere, let's take a look back at their past exploits.

The Best of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant

And the culling of Boardwalk Empire's cast continues.

Following three major deaths in its second season, Boardwalk Empire has cut another character in the infamous Lucy Danziger, according to TVLine. When we last saw Nucky's former mistress, she had given birth to Agent Van Alden's child after a one night stand, an event that found the young woman lonely, confused, and increasingly claustrophobic in her tiny apartment. Toward the middle of the season, Lucy went on a formula run and never came back, leaving her child (later named Abigail) with Van Alden (joined later by a young nanny).

Model/actress Paz de la Huerta has made a name for herself with her erratic off-screen behavior, including having a drunken night immortalized in a Lana del Rey video. She's previously appeared in the likes of A Walk to Remember, Choke, and episodes of The Practice, X Femmes, and Law & Order.

Boardwalk Empire may not have picked up de la Huerta's contract option for a third season, but they've already been adding new characters to the scenic Atlantic City landscape. Notably, Tony nominee Bobby Canavale will be joining season three as a new rival to Nucky, but I wouldn't be surprised if at least one or two more additions are made between now and fall.

The show recently picked up two SAG Awards, repeating its wins last year for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for leading man Steve Buscemi.

Boardwalk Empire returns for its third season this fall. Season one recently came out on DVD, with season two currently available for pre-order.

Are you sad to see Lucy get written out? Do you think Boardwalk Empire should get rid of any more characters? Did the end of season 2 make you more excited for season 3?

Boardwalk Empire: Paz de la Huerta Not Returning

Luck races out its series premiere on HBO tonight, from Deadwood creator David Milch and acclaimed director /executive producer Michael Mann, starring Dustin Hoffman as the newly-released from prison Chester "Aces" Bernstein.  With its incredible acclaim, Luck has all the potential to be HBO's next great drama so long as audiences can get through its difficult pilot.

I’ve been through a lot of other reviews of HBO’s new horse-racing drama Luck, trying to organize my thoughts and put together something coherent to say.  Most of the critical consensus seems to be that Luck presents an incredibly rich, and dense character drama for creator David Milch and executive producer/ director Michael Mann, albeit one that might be difficult to grasp.  HBO had the foresight of sending out at least nine episodes, perhaps the entire season, though I’ve only yet watched the first.  Most reviews are quick to point out that the series picks up spectacularly around its fourth hour, But I’m a firm believer that any series has exactly one episode to get its point across.

During its second season I also handled the reviews for HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, though I confess to feeling somewhat underqualified for the task.  Before 2011 I never watched much HBO, and wasn’t used to the incredible artistic acclaim they’ve racked up over the years with series like The Sopranos and Deadwood (Milch’s previous effort).  Then along came Boardwalk Empire, which I only caught up with before the start of the second season.  When a series carries with it such incredible prestige and royalty, the kind of TV award shows endlessly hurl statues at, I’m almost at a loss to think what I could have to say about a show that carries the names Dustin Hoffman, Michael Mann, or David Milch.  I’ve never seen Deadwood, nor would I consider myself intimately familiar with the works of Michael Mann.

Luck is also something of a unique show for HBO in that it lacks the more fantastic conceptual identity  we’ve come to associate with the network, which makes millions of showing people gangsters, vampires, cowboys, or even ironclad games of a throne-like variety.  I couldn’t look at Luck’s striking posters all around my city, and cultivate any impression beyond “so it has Dustin Hoffman, and horses.”  And now, having seen the pilot…that’s more or less still the case.

As I mentioned, most reports indicate that Luck takes a few episodes in establishing its sandbox before delving into any real play, and its pilot basically throws the audience into this world of competitive horse-racing with very little to grasp.  And don’t be deceived, you’ll barely even see Dustin Hoffman over the course of the hour, whose Chester “Ace” Bernstein gets out of prison, shares a few meetings driven around by his driver Gus (Dennis Farina) and retires to his hotel.  At this point, I should also mention that HBO sent out a glossary of horse-racing terms along with the DVDs, so the casual viewer might have some difficulty in keeping up with the lingo.

There’s certainly a lot happening within the pilot as well, drifting from Nick Nolte’s horse-whispering type Walter Smith, trainer Turo Escalante (John Ortiz) and his manic agent Joey Rathburn (Richard Kind), to quartet of gamblers Marcus (Kevin Dunn), Lonnie (Ian Hart), Jerry (Jason Gedrick), and Renzo (Ritchie Coster working on a big score from the race.  Beyond that, I couldn’t really tell you what works, or doesn’t work about the pilot.  There are no big character moments, or truly dramatic action outside the actual races, instead feeling like a well-stylized mish-mash of plotlines.

Luck is beautifully shot and directed by Michael Mann however, who effortlessly captures the intensity of races before during and after, so even if you’re left feeling rather lost by the pilot, it’ll still look pretty.  I have no doubt that the next few episodes of Luck will offer a lot more to sink my teeth into, but for now I’m mostly indifferent to the series.

And Another Thing…

• Luck is actually the first HBO series I’ve been with from the beginning, so I can’t help wondering if I might have felt this way about other major series as well.

• …did they really kill that horse right there on the track for breaking its leg?  Is that a real thing?

What did YOU think?

Luck 1.01 "Pilot" Series Premiere Review

Finally, we have a date for our return to Westeros. Game of Thrones season 2 will premiere on April 1, 2012, according to HBO. The second season of HBO's popular fantasy series has been in production since July, though this is the first time we've gotten to mark our calendars for its highly-anticipated debut.

The most interesting aspect of what we know about season 2 so far (and we know a lot) is the fact that quite a few new major characters are being introduced. Stephen Dillane will portray Stannis Baratheon, brother of the late King Robert, with Carice van Houten playing his dangerous advisor, the sorceress Melisandre. Liam Cunningham will portray his right-hand man Davos Seaworth. Newcomer Gwendoline Christie will play Renly Baratheon's bodyguard Brienne. Theon Greyjoy's father, Balon, will be portrayed by Patrick Malahide, and his sister Yara by Gemma Whelan... And that's only a fraction of the show's newcomers.

Several trailers for the second season have been released. "The Night Is Dark and Full of Terrors" was the first, while "The Cold Winds Are Rising" was the much longer second trailer. Behind-the-scenes looks at season 2 can be found here and here. Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season will be released on DVD and Blu-ray March 20.

Are you excited for the return to the Game of Thrones? We certainly are! We'll keep you posted on any more Westeros-related news as it occurs.

Game of Thrones season 2 will premiere April 1, 2012, on HBO.

Game of Thrones Season 2 Premiere Set for April 1

It may not be spring yet, but HBO has apparently decided to clean house in their comedy department, as three shows have been given the ax. The network has gotten rid of cult comedy triumvirate Hung, Bored to Death, and How to Make It in America, all three recently having wrapped up their respective seasons.

However, it's not all doom and gloom, as the Laura Dern-Mike White critical favorite Enlightened has been granted a second 10 episode season following two Golden Globe nominations. Enlightened has also been making several appearances on TV critic top 10 lists, something none of the other three had been able to do. Though it's been the lowest rated of the four comedies in first airing ratings, the show made up for it through other means of watching (HBO Go, On Demand, etc.) and the buzz around it put it over the top.

Enlightened tells the story of Amy Jellicoe (Dern, Rambling Rose), an executive in corporate America that has a breakdown and is suddenly admitted to a rehabilitation center in Hawaii. Once she returns with clear eyes and amplified ambition, she has to come to terms with her past and try to steer herself into an ideal future. The show features White (School of Rock) as Amy's co-worker/friend Tyler, Luke Wilson (Old School) as Amy's ex Levi, and Diane Ladd (Wild at Heart) as Amy's mother Helen.

Enlightened joins Curb Your Enthusiasm as the only live-action comedies currently on HBO, but don't fret fans of pay-cable comedy. The network will be premiering several new shows in the coming months, including the latest from Summer Heights High's Chris Lilley (Angry Boys), another Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant collaboration (Life's Too Short), and projects led by Julia-Louis Dreyfus (Veep) and Judd Apatow (Girls).

Do you think HBO made the right decision in their renewals and cancellations? Which new comedy are you most looking forward to? Will you miss any of the three canceled shows?

HBO Renews Enlightened But Cancels 3 Other Comedies

HBO has secured the rights to the Leonardo DiCaprio drama Beat the Reaper. The series, based on the Josh Bazell book of the same name, was acquired by the network in a "competitive situation," according to Deadline.

The series, if it follows the novel, will follow, as Deadline puts it, "a young ER doctor whose life is upended when a patient comes through his ward that recognizes the internist from his old life — when he used to work for a notorious crime family. As his past comes crashing back and his enemies from his old life try to destroy him, he tries to hold his new life together while discovering that everything he knew about his past may have been wrong."

It's not clear whether or not it will be a miniseries or expand beyond the book and become a longer-running series.

DiCaprio will serve as executive producer for the series, which has no stars attached. Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Ocean’s Thirteen) will serve as head writers. Four networks had shown interest in the series prior to HBO making the highest bid.

I first read Beat the Reaper about two years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book certainly would have had a difficult time fitting in at any other network than HBO; the most memorable scene of the book features a grisly improvised weapon concocted by a man trapped in a walk-in freezer. It's nasty, lurid, pulse-pounding fun, and I can't wait to see it adapted onto the small screen.

No premiere date has been set for Beat the Reaper.

HBO Grabs Leonardo DiCaprio Drama 'Beat the Reaper'

TV Line is reporting that Aaron Sorkin's upcoming HBO drama Newsroom may have just landed its biggest get yet. After expressing a desire to head to cable thanks to its edgy writing, Jane Fonda (Coming Home) will be joining the backstage look at cable news program "News Night" as Leona Lansing, ruthless CEO of the show's parent company. We'll learn more about her character the closer it gets to Newsroom's debut, which is currently to be determined.

It'll be two-time Oscar winner Fonda's first TV appearance since 1984's The Dollmaker (a TV movie) and first series appearance since 1982's Nine to Five. Fonda retired from the cinema in 1991 after a highly successful 30 year career before returning to acting in 2005. She eventually earned a Tony nomination in 2009 while penning a second memoir and releasing another exercise video since that time. Fonda most recently appeared in this year's Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding with Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) and Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene).

Fonda joins a pretty remarkable cast for fellow Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin's return to TV, as Newsroom includes the likes of Jeff Daniels (The Squid and the Whale), Alison Pill (Milk), Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Emily Mortimer (Lars and the Real Girl), and Sam Waterston (Law & Order). However, her status is currently as "recurring", so she may not appear in every installment of the show's 10 episode first season. Finally, and perhaps more importantly, she adds another prestigious name to the list of post-40 actresses currently enjoying plum roles on TV, including fellow Oscar winner (and 2012 SAG nominee) Jessica Lange, Laura Dern, Laura Linney, Dana Delany, Mary-Louise Parker, Kathy Bates, and Glenn Close, among others.

How do you think Fonda will do on A) TV and B) a cable show? Does her casting make you look forward to Newsroom more? When do you think the show should make its debut?

Jane Fonda Joins Aaron Sorkin's Newsroom as...

Before I get into previewing the season (series?) finale of HBO's Enlightened, can I just say that last week's episode, "Consider Helen", was one of the best episodes of TV I've seen this year? It was fascinating, transcendent, and utterly heartbreaking, and I loved every second of it.

But we're not here to preview last week's penultimate episode; it's time for the 10th and last episode of Enlightened, an episode that looks to combine both Amy's personal and professional lives for the first time in a little while. Typically, Enlightened takes an either/or approach to telling the story of Amy Jellicoe, but in "Burn It Down", we get to check out her progress in both fields one final time this season.

On the personal front, Levi's not happy and judging by his body language in the preview below, he may have reached his breaking point with the drugs and alcohol. As much as he complains about Amy and how she won't ever truly leave him alone, despite their understanding in "The Weekend", he needs that empathetic side of Amy now more than ever and since we know she's not fully over Levi yet, I'd say she'll be happy to take care of him. Professionally, Amy finally scores an appointment with Damon and the top brass at work to present the research she's been doing all season. Of all the variant reactions to Amy, I'm most surprised at Damon, as he went from threatening her in the pilot to coming through for her in the finale. We've not seen much of him this season, but it's ironic that Amy has spent her time railing against corporations and executives, yet an executive at her own company may be the one to give her her big opportunity to shine.

Of course, Dougie won't make that easy, as there are still sore feelings from their night at Bank and the subsequent reprimanding he took from Judy over his actions. However, as much as she can shoot herself in the foot sometimes, I have a feeling that Amy Jellicoe may finally get to be the agent of change she's so desperately wanted to be all season, Dougie or no Dougie.

Enlightened airs tonight at 9:30 on HBO.

Tonight on Enlightened: Burn It Down

Boardwalk Empire season 2 pours its last drink with Sunday’s “To the Lost,” which sees Jimmy Darmody trying to make amends with Nucky for his past transgressions, while Nucky faces the first trial of his indictment, and Margaret faces a difficult decision about her testimony.  "To the Lost" doesn't move quite as quickly as last week's "Under God's Power She Flourishes," but offers up one hell of a game-changing finale that will undoubtedly go down in TV history for its shocking character death.

Well…shit.

I must have sat in disbelief for a solid twenty minutes at the end of Boardwalk Empire’s “To the Lost,” wondering just why on Earth showrunner Terence Winter would dare kill off the show’s second leading character, and likely most empathized with, after only two seasons.

How can you kill off your young lead, your best tool for storytelling, and expect to have a show to come back to next fall?  It’d be like Breaking Bad killing off Jesse Pinkman (a likely outcome, depending on who you talk to) and asking us to re-focus all our investment in Walter White’s journey.  Sure there’s shock value, and storytelling challenges created by Jimmy Darmody’s death, but when the strength and discourse of a show lie in the relationship between two characters, how can we simply throw that away?

It certainly helps to be able to hear the words of showrunner Terence Winter himself, who assures us that the decision to kill Jimmy didn’t come about lightly or without attempt at reprieve.  Sometimes we forget how much of TV writing relies on introducing challenges within a maintainable status quo, that change means effort, money, and creativity.  The boldest of TV series follow through on their arcs, and wouldn’t have felt a need to give Jimmy a last-second reprieve, or create a quick and easy solution to get Michael Shannon back to his post-office law enforcement, and for that we should be grateful.  Some TV fans would be content to pop Ned Stark (Game of Thrones)’s head right back on his shoulders, and pretend like nothing happened.

Jimmy made his bed with his season-long betrayal of Nucky, and an episode’s worth of “I’m sorrys” and repentance weren’t going to undo the damage caused by the Nucky-Jimmy rift.  The writers know it,  Nucky knows it, Jimmy knows it, and there was no other way for it to end than for Nucky to have to eliminate his unstable, if repentant surrogate son.  With time, and a little reflection, we’ll come to see that as clearly as Jimmy did, even with the sky crashing down around him.

Of course, acceptance doesn’t answer the millions of questions Boardwalk Empire’s writers now have to answer before next season, not only how to write without Jimmy, but also what becomes of the characters tied to him.  We may revile Gillian Darmody for all the psychological trauma she inflicted upon Jimmy, but she’s not going to take his murder lightly, particularly with Jimmy’s son, or all the resources of the late Commodore now at her disposal.

And what of Richard , who lost both his strongest tethers to life in both Angela and Jimmy?  Will he transfer his loyalty to Gillian, strike out on his own, or rather opt out altogether, in spite of his last words to Jimmy?  I can’t imagine Ceander Whitlock (Dominic Chianese) and his council of elderly white rich folk reacting to the news all-that-well either.  Winter mentions in the interview that it’s these kind of storytelling challenges that envigorate TV writing staffs despite the difficulty they pose, and even dead I imagine Jimmy’s shadow to loom over Boardwalk Empire for quite some time

And that’s not even taking into account all the other stories to be mined from the next season of Boardwalk Empire, like Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky opting to cut Rothstein in on the heroin trade rather than usurp him, Van Alden’s re-location to Cicero*  as “Mr. Mueller,” or Margaret deciding to transfer Nucky’s land ownership to the church.  We’re only given the briefest tastes of these season 3 storylines, instead devoting much of “To the Lost” to Jimmy’s heartbreaking final days.  Not to mention Chalky!  We could always use more Chalky.

(*) As Winter mentions in the interview, the significance of Van Alden and his Swedish nurse (now mistress?) relocating to Cicero, Illinois will be lost on 90% of the viewers (myself included), Cicero having been a hub for Al Capone’s mob activity in the 1920s. 

Likely the biggest theme running through Boardwalk Empire’s “To the Lost” is that of honesty, and how the concept can be stretched and re-appropriated for one’s own use.  Honesty is what saves Nucky from prison by winning over Margaret enough to marry him, and yet damns him, as his immediate return to lying finally incenses Margaret to take direct actions against her new husband, signing away his land.  Honesty is what Jimmy uses to repair his relationship with Nucky, even if it means resigning himself to his death.  And honesty is something that Eli and Nucky will likely never share, and equally likely lead to the former’s undoing.

Some of the complaints lobbied at Boardwalk Empire insist that with a cast of characters as broad as the series maintains, there isn’t time to give everyone their just due every season.  We’ve barely seen Chalky White at all this season, Lucy has retreated to who knows where, Van Alden finds a quieter life out of state, and we didn’t even see Al Capone through any of “To the Lost."  Winter assures us they’ll all be back however, as we navigate the waters of heroin, Esther Randolph’s second attempt to take Nucky to trial, and the fallout of Jimmy’s death  Perhaps with the death toll this season, it won’t be quite as hard to make room for everyone.

Directed by longtime Boardwalk and Sopranos staple Tim Van Patten, there’s a lot to be said for the direction of “To the Lost,” as well.  Most will clamor the virtue of the Godfather-esque montage cutting between Esther’s rehearsal  of her arguments and Nucky’s wedding to Margaret, but there are some very interesting choices in other direction and sound design as well.  I particularly like the way sounds like ringing phones, boiling kettles, or Eddie’s footsteps intrude into the scenes, as if to say that the pressures of the outside world continually bear down on these characters, leading them to their inevitable ends.  Those with an eye for directing will also appreciate some gorgeous shots like Jimmy and Richard’s ride into the KKK camp, or Jimmy’s pensive gaze out the portal as Nucky arrives at his home.

As I mentioned before, I’m unaccustomed to TV so game-changing as what happened to Jimmy tonihght, perhaps owing to the fact that I’ve never completely gone through The Sopranos.  In it’s heyday I would always overhear the shocked outcry of its various character deaths, never appreciating how drastic and pivotal these events Terence Winter created were to the series at large.  We (and likely Winter as well) have no way of knowing how Boardwalk Empire will bounce back from such an incredible turn as Jimmy's death, but at the very least I more than appreciate the bravado it took to go there.

Poor one out for Boardwalk Empire’s second season and  Jimmy Darmody, y’all, and drink up.  To the lost.

And Another Thing…

• I’m very much looking forward to more of Mickey Doyle next season, whom Paul Sparks is already playing with a much stronger backbone in recent episodes.
• With Margaret, Sleater, and Katy’s mutual secrets still going unaddressed, surely we can look forward to that next season as well.
• Interesting that they brought up The Commodore’s former maid as the recipient of his estate in the will, only quickly tear it up and forgo clarifying her, or Nucky’s involvement in the arsenic plot.
• Good gravy, I thought the man giving pony rides had to be wearing a mask, he looked so rubbery.  Yeesh.
• Lots of great quotes tonight, but I especially like Arnold Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg)’s advice to Nucky, “Flip a coin.  When it’s in the air, you’ll know which side you’re hoping for.”

What did YOU think?

Boardwalk Empire 2.12 "To The Lost" Review

TVNewser is reporting that HBO's upcoming cable news drama from Aaron Sorkin has been given a new name. Formerly titled More as The Story Develops, the show will now be known as Newsroom when it debuts sometime next year. In September, the show was picked up for a 10 episode first season.

Newsroom follows the production of "News Night", a show on the fictional UBS Network anchored by popular talking head Will McAllister (Jeff Daniels). Newsroom will also be featuring the team that makes "News Night" what it is, including producers (Emily Mortimer) and staff (Allison Pill, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, etc.). Additional members of the cast include John Gallagher, Jr. and Thomas Sadoski as two members of the staff and Sam Waterston as the boss.

Aaron Sorkin is best known to TV fans as the man behind another political drama, NBC's The West Wing, though he's also responsible for cult favorite Sports Night and one-season disappointment Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The latter took a look at the behind-the-scenes drama of a sketch comedy show before being canceled in 2007. Sorkin recently wrote the Brad Pitt movie Moneyball, a year after winning an Oscar for penning The Social Network, and will next be penning the big screen adaptation of Sondheim's Follies.

If you're excited for the prospect of cable-style walk-and-talk, TVNewser had a look at the pilot script and points out a few ripped-from-the-headlines aspects that will be familiar to any news follower. Newsroom will be the second big drama debut of the new year for HBO, as the network will be unveiling the latest creation from David Milch (Deadwood), horse racing drama Luck, this January.

How do you think the return of Aaron Sorkin to television will go? Does the impressive cast make you more excited to see the show? Will you be watching Newsroom when it premieres next year?

Aaron Sorkin Returns to TV in Newly Titled Newsroom

Boardwalk Empire season 2 pours its penultimate drink with Sunday’s “Under God's Power, She Flourishes,” which sees Jimmy Darmody struggling to cope with the loss of Angela by drowning himself in memories and heroin, Van Alden's sins come back to haunt him, and Margaret faces a difficult decision about Nucky's impending trial.  "Under God's Power, She Flourishes" brings just about every skeleton under the closet, an intense and conflict packed hour that more than primes for the second season finale.

As I did a marathon catch-up of the first season of Boardwalk Empire to prepare myself for the second season premiere, I remember feeling that there hadn’t been much of a climax.  Sure Jimmy drunkenly laid it all on the line for Nucky, the Commodore revealed his plans against the Atlantic City treasurer, and Van Alden’s indiscretion came back to haunt him, but there wasn’t much in the way of fireworks, leading many to level a lack of action against the series.  To its credit, Boardwalk Empire carries the clout of Martin Scorcese, Steve Buscemi and The Sopranos’ Terrence Winter behind it, making it near impervious to critiques of lacking excitement, but truthfully I felt underwhelmed.

“Under God’s Power, She Flourishes” will likely annihilate any viewer’s fears of the series lacking payoff, one of Boardwalk Empire’s most intense hours to date.  I can hardly keep track of all the historic moments in Boardwalk Empire significance, be they Jimmy’s history at Princeton, his (brief) affair with his own mother, the death of the Commodore at a heroin-soaked Jimmy’s hands, Van Alden’s murder of Agent Sebso coming to light, making him a fugitive from the law, or even Margaret nearly spilling to Nucky her affair with Owen Sleater, which thanks to Katy may come out sooner rather than later anyway.  One always expects secrets to come out and conflicts boling over toward the end of the season, but “Under God’s Grace" packs a great deal into a lone hour, even if its delivery method feels somewhat hampered.

Perhaps series like LOST have spoiled viewers on the flashback as a narrative device, usually employing some kind of alert or non-diegetic shift to separate present from past sequences.  Boardwalk Empire takes a different approach to intercutting scenes of Jimmy’s Princeton days with present-day Atlantic City, cutting back and forth between them unannounced.  I can appreciate Boardwalk Empire’s boldness in forgoing such a device, and even the message sent that the Princeton scenes pose such significance to modern day that they needn’t be separate at all, but will admit to the initial confusion somewhat hampering the episode’s effectiveness, if only at first.

The scenes provide an incredible window into who Jimmy has been since that one night with his mother, and subsequent enlistment in the war, and for that the story is well-worth a bit of confusion.  The entire series we’ve seen Jimmy Darmody struggle to become someone he isn’t, and here we see that his self-loathing and disgust goes all the way back to his school days, wherein he tries to literally become someone else by stealing family stories in lieu of his own.

Few stones go unturned by the end of “Under God’s Power, She Flourishes," and I’d expect that Angela Darmody and The Commodore won’t be the only casualties by season’s end.  One must wonder what fate could befall Michael Shannon, with Van Alden’s authority all but destroyed over the course of the season.  Shannon has been in increased demand in Hollywood over the past few years, with no signs of slowing down, so it’s very possible we won’t see Van Alden as a fugitive from justice next season, promising an idea as it sounds.  Thematically it might be interesting to see Van Alden reduced to his same standings as childhood, forced to give up everything, and hiding out in a tent somewhere until a figurative “second coming.”

Religion, as it always has been with Boardwalk Empire, offers up one of the more prevalent themes of the night, specifically that of divine retribution and inevitability.  Much as Peg remains convinced that Emily’s affliction arrived as a form of punishment for her own moral bankruptcy with Nucky, so too do Van Alden’s missteps with faith come back to haunt him, and even Jimmy plays his inevitable Oedipal part by finally taking his father’s life, many years after having lain with his mother.  We all have our parts to play, it seems, in this deep-seated tale of woe.

Truthfully, I had never expected an episode as dense or revelatory as “Under God’s Power She Flourishes,” and I can understand HBO’s move in not releasing the final two Boardwalk Empire episodes to critics.  What then, could we be in store for in next week’s “To the Lost?”  We might all need a drink if these conflicts keep boiling over the way they do.

What do you think?  Any guesses on who’s for the chopping block?

And Another Thing…

• An altogether sweet, if cruel way to reuse Angela’s reading of “I have to go, Jimmy” at both episode’s beginning and end.
• “Why couldn’t they just hold the spoons higher on the handle?”
• Great, great understated work from Jack Huston as Richard Harrow this week, in his reactions to Angela’s death.
• Does Gillian really have the right to describe another woman as “underfed?”
• So, I’ve seen differing opinions on the subject, but do we know exactly how far Jimmy went with his mother?  Should we assume all the way, or only what we were shown?
• I still maintain the flashback device served to confuse a bit, but I did like the stream of consciousness fading in and out of scenes from a strung-out Jimmy’s perspective.

What did YOU think?

Boardwalk Empire 2.11 "Under God's Power, She Flourishes" Review

On last week's episode of Enlightened, Amy Jellicoe scored arguably her first break of the series by managing to keep her job after being confronted by HR. While she managed to keep her job (and stick it to Dougie for his abhorrent behavior at Bank), Amy has seemingly lost two personal connections in Tyler and Krista, the first of which being her only real friend at the time. Now that we're back to square one going into the second to last episode of the season, where does Enlightened go from here?

By the looks of the preview below, Enlightened will be giving the spotlight to Helen, a character that hasn't gotten a chance to do that much so far. Specifically, we'll be getting to see Amy's mother become a little more introspective about her own life, including her deceased husband and what happened to her daughter. All of this is spurred on by one of those awkward, random run-ins with an old friend that seems to shine a light on everything wrong in your life as opposed to bringing a little joy. Most importantly, though, is that Helen gets into it with Levi over who failed Amy in terms of giving love and the role that Helen played in the divorce.

It's an exciting proposition for an episode of Enlightened because of how much we could learn without even talking to Amy that much. The show has been so heavily focused on working toward the future and Amy learning to live more in the present that past exploits have been little more than footnotes; granted, they've been extremely important whenever they've been revealed, which "Consider Helen" seems to be following up on. In "The Weekend", the end of Amy's marriage was (painfully) explored, with knowledge of her miscarriage (and subsequent partying, loneliness, and breakdown) being introduced for the first time. Some five episodes later, that'll be likely expanded on and we can continue to piece together the complex puzzle that is Amy Jellicoe.

Enlightened airs tonight at 9:30 on HBO.

Tonight on Enlightened: Consider Helen

Bored to Death season 3 comes to a close with its latest "Nothing I Can't Handle By Running Away,” the second half of a guest-star packed close that sees Jonathan (Jason Schwartzman) coming to terms with the truth of his biological father, while George (Ted Danson) offers to host his daughter's wedding and Ray (Zach Galifianakis) finds comfort in a legion of fans obsessed with his comic books.  The momentum from last week mostly fizzles, but is this the last we'll see of Bored to Death?

There’s talk going around of this being Bored to Death’s last season, thereby making “Nothing I Can’t Handle By Running Away” its last episode, owing largely to meager ratings and the increasingly pressed career of its three leads.  That being the case, “Nothing I Can’t Handle By Running Away" certainly leaves us with a rather bizarre note of selfish behavior to never see properly addressed.

Last week we learned the rather surprising twist of Jonathan’s new lady-friend Rose being his (presumably) half-sister, owing to their mutual father Harrison Bergeron (Stacey Keach) providing all the sperm samples at the clinic himself.  That being said, Jonathan wouldn’t be Jonathan if he didn’t wrestle a bit with keeping the relationship even after learning this news, but “Nothing I Can’t Handle By Running Away” can’t help coming off a little creepily by having Jonathan ultimately choose to keep the secret to himself, dancing with his blissfully ignorant sister and George’s daughter Emily’s wedding.

Surely the Bored to Death writers knew of the possibility of this being the last season, would they really want to risk Bored to Death’s legacy becoming that of a ne’er-do-well detective knowingly carrying on a relationship with his own sister?  I wouldn’t have expected a tidy, perfectly packaged wrap-up, but that’s a bizarre thread to leave dangling between seasons, let alone a potential series ending.

Otherwise, “Nothing I Can’t Handle By Running Away” felt like something of a trite and clichéd tale, most of its narrative momentum spent by last week’s “Forget the Herring.”  With Jonathan shocked to be finally reunited with his father, must we really introduce three forgettable bookie thugs to threaten Harrison, and ultimately toy with the man’s character by highlighting the delay in which he (possibly) retrieves the money to save his son from dying in his place?  Harrison had already been very much an absentee father, what did it add to show him immediately sacrificing his son, only to show up later as an afterthought?

Overall, not much seemed to really happen during “Nothing I Can’t Handle By Running Away,” not that Bored to Death overflows with action on regularity.  Ray grew predictably despondent over his final split with Lea, and sought comfort in both his infant son and a new “League of Rays” made up of his doting fans (including The Office's resident creep Zach Woods), George stumbled but ultimately saved his daughter’s wedding to Bernard, and Jonathan managed to escape his captors with a little help from his friends.  Perhaps the climax of the story might have scored more of a home run in its dash around the bases were there to be a real sense of danger present.

I don’t know if Bored to Death might ever be so bold as to actually kill, or even shoot characters on screen, but stakes would certainly have risen if the bookie group actually shot at the League of Rays, or even Jonathan, rather than firing into the air to scare them.  They were certainly willing to kill Jonathan, why risk being foiled by one of the lunatics in yellow costumes charging them?  Even Jonathan manages to score perfect disarming shots thanks to his firing range training, never once spilling even a drop of blood.

In the end it’s all as cute and funny as Bored to Death tends to be, its three leads focused mainly on their own selfish neuroses, with a hint of emotional growth in between, but not enough really happens to be looked at as a season finale, a criticism I’ve admittedly noted about last season as well.  Of the relationships created and forged, we’re left really only rooting for George, who manages to deliver a heartfelt toast to his daughter, and keep his relationship to Josephine (Mary Steenburgen) through direct honesty.

I certainly hope this won’t be the last we see of the consistently charming Bored to Death, on the whole they’ve had a strong season by maintaining real plot threads that grow and develop over the course of the season.  The series could have plenty more to mine as well, provided it doesn’t get bogged in guest stars, and keeps a driving goal in mind.  Naturally this wouldn’t’ be the last we see of Isla Fisher’s Rose either, who doesn’t really have any material to play this time out.

An amusing, if not terribly enthralling season-ender.

And Another Thing…

• I might be looking too deeply, but I’m still not sold on the fact that either Harrison is indeed Jonathan’s father, or Rose his sister.  I keep looking for a deeper significance behind the use of the word “herring,” last week’s episode title telling us to “forget the herring,” while this week Jonathan protects his sister from the truth by describing his meeting with Harrison as “a red herring.”  Could I be looking too deeply in to the word’s prevalence, and Isla Fisher’s fiery red hair?
• Continued usage of jokes that go hilariously unspoken, Jonathan’s zigzag attempt to chase the golfcart while still hiding for brief instances.
• Playing a eukele, we can confirm that yes, Mary Steenburgen is still hot.

What did YOU think?

Bored to Death 3.08 "Nothing I Can't Handle By Running Away" Review