Grid Effect

The Office went back to its roots a little last night. Nice rebound from the previous episode. But, ummm, does anyone think Michael Scott is that idiotic? I mean, I am all for accentuating the absurd for the sake of comedy, but usually Michael’s antics have been cringe worthy, not life threatening. I may be bias, since I was hoping for more Andy related hijinks, but it seemed to ask too much of us to suspend this much disbelief.

It is good to know everyone’s pecadillos are well understood by everyone in the office, so at least we know the perspective the jokes are being delivered from. Like Creeds palate being shattered from drug abuse or Kelly’s inane obsession with pop-culture. One would think the fact that since seemingly every character short of Andy/Drew is aware of these things, Kelly and Creed would be a little more self-concsious, particularly Kelly.

As implausibile as I found the Michael non-suicide plot to be, the buld up to it was hysterical, especially Michael’s ultimate rationale for deciding to jump: “We can’t keep doing these tests they’re going horribly…This isn’t a demonstartion about thinking this is a demonstration about acting.” That was his case when applied to residential Yes-Man Dwight, whom enables Michael to act absurdly with his constant approval.

Also pivotal in that non-suicide scene, Darryl dissuading Michael from jumping (just the fact alone that they had to talk him out of jumping because it was a death fall, even if he didn’t realize it). Again, I rwealize Michael is dimwitted, but when someone is being so blatantly backhanded (So much so that it’s essentially a kick in the balls) and he didn’t even rea;ize he was trying to kill himself, and he is the guys boss, doesn’t it seem a little over done? I mean, what Darryl said was true, but doesn’t that make it all the more offensive? I guess it actually worked, as Michael proclaimed himself a hero afterwards. (His requisite “I want my present, Pam” was preictable, but hilarious in its predictability).

Other notes:

-Lonny verbally derailing Kelly after she called him a sea monster. Kelly is probably the worst kind of girlfriend. That is, the kind that is socially obnoxious and expects her boyfriend to defend her obnoxiousness when people confront her about it. I liked Ryan’s refusal to do so.

-Loved the watermelon splattering the car; just the visual effects of it reminded me of the vegan episode of The Simpsons where Lisa stole the dead pig set to be roasted and it was eventually shot into the air.

-Oscar calling out Kevin’s paltry jelly bean estimate was astute, “10? You’re a professional accountant and you’re gues is ten?”

-Is Toby ever going to retaliate and berate Michael in front of everyone in the same manner he does to him? I think it is more pity complacence than anything else, but if not Toby, can’t someone run interference?

A stellar episode, all things considered. Back with a Sopranos recap later today.

Pre-credits scene, everyone is waking up, still unflinched about voting off Rocky. Alex pontificates about his self-satisfaction and Edgardo explains the clues Lisi gave them about the Idol. Mookie, Edgardo and Alex dig right next to Dreamz and Lisi as the two are sleeping and stumble onto it, to give you an idea of what an idiot Lisi is, they did this virtually at random from her ambiguous description of what the clues said. So, there are now two live hidden idols, both are being kept by multiple contestants on two separate teams. It’s worth noting that the Ravu members weren’t fortuitous enough to place a fraudulent idol in the real ones place.

The three guys who found the idol rejoice off in the woods. Alex says they found it while “everyone else was asleep”, that is, the other two people (a la the minority) on their team. They have opted not to tell either of them about the idol. Dreamz because he is tight with Cassandra should they both make it to the merge. Lisi, because she’s a lunatic. And really, what’s the point of the idol if immediately after it has surfaced, everyone on the team knows about it.

Oh, and this idol partnership is already a little shaky, as Mookie claimed, “they might think it’s ours, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s mine.” He actually attempts to cover up the spot where they were digging immediately next to Lisi while she is still sleeping, she rouses and inquires Mookie about what he is doing, she suggests that they’re going to have to get up earlier to fool her. Yeah, and I am going to be tossing and turning tonight, trying to fathom your idiocy.

For Reward Challenge, the two tribes are learning Fijian dances. Yau-Man has volunteered to sit out for his tribe and they seem to be enjoying the task at large. Ravu, on the other hand is somewhat frustrated by the challenge detail. Alex even says, “It’s kind of frustrating that we have lost to a bunch of girls and an old guy”. I am not sure why the guys this season think that by virtue of testicles they are better contestants. Haven’t, like, two-thirds of all Survivor winners been women?

Of course, there is always Lisi, who almost single-handedly justifies their misogyny. Apparently she is unconcerned with “challenges”. I think she means to say, “Reward Challenges”, but her cognitive abilities are not up to par. Additionally, she is still mocking Dreamz like they were back on Moto. He is displeased. Understandably.

It looks like at the challenge, several Fijians are judging the dance competition. And just let me say, that based on my disapproval of Dancing With The Stars, you can probably discern my feelings for this challenge. Anyhow, they are playing for a bevy of food and such, typical reward items. Moto dances, it looks good but my knowledge of such matters is pedestrian. Probsts commends them, but what the fuck does he know?

Now its Ravu’s turn. It looks, ummm, how do I say?… Less spirited; though Dreamz does a back flip at the end, that may have put them over the edge. Their is clearly a bit of a language barrier in the judges summary. I’ll just sum it up myself by saying he gives Moto the better review for rhythmic cohesion. They send Lisi to exile so no one else gets any clues. That’s the flavor of this season, apparently.

Ends up this is the “lets get to know the locals and gush over how captivating it all is” reward. They do so accordingly.

Lisi, the same “I don’t care about challenges” Lisi, is now whimpering like a little puppy about being Exiled. And as we often come to find, the irony is lost on her. At some point should I start feeling sorry for the banshee?… I don’t think so. She berates the formerly homeless for not understanding the intricacies of a French Coffee Press. Fuck her and all her bizarre elitism.

Michelle and Earl arise early every morning to discuss strategy. They are contemplating the value of both Stacy and Boo, they believe the can coerce Boo into joining them, at least more so than Stacy. So they are looking to give her the boot. Michelle explains that her and Stacy’s work detail is a little too similar, and she wants her out. Wow, that’s a shade of cattiness that had yet to reap its ugly head, but since its directed at a shrew like Stacy, I’m enjoying it. As a side note, for whatever reason Michelle is giving her camera interviews sitting next to a crocodile. Not really, but she is chest deep in water and right next to a tree in what looks like a marshy surrounding. So she might as well be.

Dreamz is screaming about how desperately he wants to reach merge to reunite with Cassandra, they must be experiencing some famine over there at Ravu again, because this is beyond retarded.

Immunity Challenge is blow darts, archery and spear chucking, closest to the bullseye scores points. Cassandra volunteers to sit out this time. They all approve on each other except for Michelle, who’s shot doesn’t even reach the target. Moto ends up winning the first point.

Now they are throwing spears, Lisi, Stacy, Mookie, Michelle all miss the target completely. Dreamz gets his shot barely hanging to the edge of it. Yau-Man damn near puts this thing on the bullseye by getting a running start. Alex steps up the the plate, and sends this thing whirling. Moto is up 3-0 with the bow-n-Arrow challenge being worth exactly three points. The first four people miss the target, Michelle barely hits this thing, Mookie counters with a better shot. Yau-Man, this guy is relentless, rummages through the arrows and finds the straightest one, kneels down and gets this thing, again, right near the bullseye (or at least closer than anyone else). Moto wins 6-0 after Edgardo misses his shot horrendously. And we are down to Lisi and Dreamz as the two most likely candidates to be sent home.

Lisi camera interviews that she is, “done with the losers”. And says things like, “There was really no reason for you guys to lose today”, like she wasn’t participating. She begins to cry about the possibility of going back to exile and she is essentially throwing in the towel. As far as I can tell, she doesn’t have any legitimate reason to quit. But, to each their own. Dreamz is confident that he is staying, Lisi overhears them talking about her departure, and informs Edgardo and Alex know she might want to stay. She claims that she has rethought her position, the two guys look agitated and worn out, but in terms of the numbers game she makes a decent case to vote out Dreamz. And I am really hoping she wasn’t effectively persuasive.

At TC, Dreamz says he believes Lisi wants to go home on her own volition. She even admits she has been waffling and her and Dreamz get into it a little. They simply go back and forth about each others enthusiasm. Lisi pleads for a chance, if there is any justice in this game at all she won’t get it. They go to the vote, Lisi and Dreamz both vote for each other. They are read as such:
Lisi
Dreamz
Lisi
Lisi

Fantastic! So long, sweetie. I’m sure there is someone who finds that annoying chuckle endearing, should be a time consuming search so maybe the early departure is for the best.

In her parting words, she calls her former teammates losers once again. And finishes with, “Hopefully you can hold onto yourselves, because together you are nothing.” Classy, perceptive and graceful; Lisi epitomizes all of these qualities. Oh, wait, “epitomize” isn’t a synonym for antonym? Well never mind, I recant what I just said.

Tonight: suspense music, exile island, jaws dropped, dejected looks, bitterness.

Shut The F%ck Up!

I thought I would greet you this morning with the same exact intonations Ms. Garrison greets her class with after her boyfriend discovers she “used” to be male. Of course, the circumstances are a little different, she is having a difficult time landing heterosexual post-op dates and I simply need more sleep than I have been getting lately. So please, maybe I was a tad abrasive, but please try to keep a lid on it, Imus and Imus infatuated media.

I don’t think a South Park episode has ever been so misleading in its pacing. Initially, like 90% of all South Park episodes, we thought it was going to revolve around the four protagonists trying to appease their disgruntled teacher in one fashion or another. But ten minutes in, the focus shifts from the kids paying some Latin Americans to do their book report on Old Man and The Sea to Ms. Garrison’s ongoing gender identity disorder. In case you’re wondering, this episode converted her, she is now a lesbian.

(For those keeping tabs on her sexual orientation: Mr. Garrison was first a closeted homosexual masquerading as a run of the mill playboy, then he came out, then he got a sex change (making him Ms.) and she still dated men making her heterosexual once again, and now she is back where she started and is now either a full blown lesbian or bi-sexual, it’s too early to tell).

Out of nowhere, at about the ten minute mark after Garrison has converted and is in the middle of a bar fight at “Les Bos” (pronounced “Le-Bo”), some woman comes bursting through the door with news that they local Persian community has bought out their bar and is looking to make drastic altercations, leading to a hysterical 300 parody as the lesbians square off against the Persians (There are two communities Parker and Stone had yet to villify, way to broaden your horizons, guys) for the rights to the property.

It seems evident that the only South Park episodes I enjoy now are parody’s of pop culture sensations that I do not fully comprehend (I am waiting for one directed at American Idol), see the episode two weeks ago chastising 24. The last 15-20 minutes of the episode are spent with this capricious narrator detailing the actions of the two parties, and while I had tears streaming from my eyes from laughing so hard; I have never seen 300, but if it has narration like this throughout the movie, there is no way I am going to be able to take it seriously, especially after watching the the lesbians stonewall the Persians.

After reading back through this post, I would hate to see what kind of Google searches draw up this article.

Also, a good conclusion to the first season of FNL last night. In case you haven’t heard, the network ordered six new scripts of the series, so while we might not get an entire twenty-two episode second season, we will at least get an extension to the first.

Survivor recap coming up later this afternoon.

Well, I am not entirely sure where to begin with this one. This episodes content wasn’t specifically overloaded compared to episodes, but it was certainly more emotionally visceral. Which is saying something for this series. Lets just start with the pre-credits scene. This weeks honors focus on a surreal, crisp Texas morning (really the only kind of morning that exists in Dillon) in which Eric is awoken frantically by his persistently concerned wife, Tami. In a sudden change of heart at a very inappropriate time, Tami doesn’t think her husband should take a head coaching position at TMU, a mid-major college in Austin. She forces him to promise that he won’t accept the position on his visit. The alarm clock goes off immediately after she is done henpecking him and he attempts to fall back asleep. I think he is only semi-facetious when he threatens to kill her.

On the other side of the tracks, so to speak, Riggins is arising in the bed of his victimizer, Jackie (formerly known as MAMTSWND, but since they gave her a name so we bid farewell to the acronym, dems the rulez). They both seem open to the concept of some morning until Bo comes banging on her door, demanding french toast. Where the hell does this kid get the energy? Regardless of the circumstances, there was no way my parents would have catered to such demands. She throws Riggins out the window only for him to come through the front door and be greeted by Bo and all his youthful enthusiasm.

At TMU, Taylor is quite taken with the aesthetics of tour. And, I guess I am willing to overlook the hypocrisy of him between this episode and last, even though its embarrassingly obvious. After the tour, whom I presume to be the TMU Athletic Director and several other Board of Director members are grilling him about where he stands in terms of accepting the position. Essentially they talk him into a corner and force him to either accept or reject the position on the spot. He accepts, basically because these things are never set in stone until contracts are signed. He can always opt out of it even though he verbally agreed, and while that would be in poor taste, he is not legally viable for anything. Whereas if he had turned down the position, not only would the TMU position be nothing more than a missed opportunity, but word circulates fast in the college football world. He would probably be shunned from the rest of the collegiate landscape because of the way he left TMU sitting on their hands. So not only is this the right move because he wnts the job, but also because it leaves him with more options.

That is a lot of writing for pre-credits. This recap could break some sort of record here at Grid Effect.

Landry approaches Tyra’s house which is in West Texas’s outback to see how she is coping with her near rape. And while she puts on a facade of indifference, it is clear she is mentally damaged by what happened when her voice tapers off and begins to crack. Landry really has no idea how to handle the situation and cannot comprehend someone having a mother like Lindsay Bluth Funke. He is just as confused as she is and this episode evolves into the Jesse Plemmons showcase hour. Tyra all but tells him to fuck off as he walks away and she watches him through her window.

Smash and several of his cronies follow him through the hallway and wallow in the mire of having to perform at a roast. One non football player continues to insist that is why it’s funny, because they are not; before Smash gets into one of those dormant roid rages and dares the kid to look him in the face and undermine his comedic stylings. Waverly pulls Smash aside to level that she isn’t going to the roast because she needs “structure”, I do not have any first hand experience with bipolar disorder/disease(?), so I am not going to comment on how overly cautious that sounds.

Street comes rolling out of the Municipal building after filling out some paperwork for QB coaching position with Dillon High, and who comes strolling in but Suzy. You remember Suzy, right? The blond temptress who’s inadvertently attracted to a high school kid in a wheel chair. Despite any obvious oversights, they agree to go on a non-date to a movie/dinner.

Saceran, in a deep afternoon nap is awoken by Landry pounding at his door. They sit down and Matt immediately begins to smugly but definitively inquire curiously about his study “date” with Tyra (I think the best way to sum up Saceran’s reaction is he was hopeful that iut went well for him but was skeptical). Which puts Landry on the defensive and brings out some insecurity as much of this episode will do. In this scene he replies with, “This is all some big joke to you…I’m just the comic relief for the star quarterback”, and gets Matt to level with him about his sincere curiosity. Landry, much like Tyra did to him earlier in the episode, swears Matt to secrecy. He levels with him about Tyra narrowly escaping an attempted rape and that she never went to the cops. Both are completely vexed, but since Matt is further removed from the situation, he advises Landry to tell someone, anyone.

Coach arrives home to inform his wife and daughter he took the TMU job without his wifes consent. Julie subsequently goes to Matt’s house to tell him she is moving. He is visibly distraught, betrayed and agitated. This kids house turning into a Poe story.

Street and coach grill Matt about his additive responsibility before the championship game and Matt, believing his coach is skipping town shortly, simply looks annoyed. Street plans to be relentless in preparing him for the championship game (In a deleted scene on the website, Saceran is feeling inadequate around Street and his knowledge of the position. Anytime one high school kid in a wheelchair can make another fully functioning high school kid feel inadequate, you know its a powerful scene, not sure why they cut it out).

Landry confines to Tami about Tyra’s attack while fending off some tears. She initially believes it was him who was attacked when he keeps referring to said person as “his friend”, but that he is to embarrassed to admit it. This causes him to snap at her, and eventually name names. The two of them go to Tyra’s and drag her to a police station where is interviewed and photographed for records.

The whole thing feels invasive and I am watching fictional characters on a television show. Tyra lashes out at Landry calling him a “pathetic, smelly geek”. And, I don’t know, I guess I could see where Landry would be devastated by this; but given what she is going through she is susceptible to lashing out, particularly after you technically betrayed her confidence. It reminds me of the fight Dr. Melfi has with her ex-husband when she is raped in season three.

Julie is admitting to her mother her uncertainty about moving away when Coach comes storming through the door wanting to go celebrate at Julies place of choice. She walks to her room without even a verbal response. Then Tami drops the nuke about her and her daughter potentially staying in Dillon while he goes to Austin, it leads to a beautifully acted argument where they talk simultaneously, but respond to each others complaints/objections.

Waverly gives Smash a hiatus while he is in the middle of championship season. Meaning, presumably, that he can enjoy the company of other women, alcohol and everything else that comes with playing for a state title in Texas. It would be nice and understanding if it wasn’t so conniving.

Jackie cuts Riggins out of her life, at least intimately for the sake of her son; forcing Riggins to do to Bo what his father had constantly done to him. Wow. Well done, lady. You’re bringing a whole new angle to the manipulative woman approach. Waverly could use some pointers from you.

The Garritty’s are having a family meeting and apparently they are officially getting a divorce. Buddy is really contrite and apologetic with his family as he tries to put spin on the whole situation, his voice starts cracking when his wife corrects him that he’ll be seeing his kids every other weekend as opposed to every weekend, nothing like taking your spousal contempt out on your children. I never understood these types of rulings, either. If he is such an unsuitable parent, then why is he even allowed to see his children at all? It seems like forcing the kids to go cold turkey would be difficult for them at first, but much healthier in the long term. Or on the contrary, at least give him joint custody for a week or two of every month if he is deemed suitable enough for a every other weekend. Won’t this simply be confusing for the kids in question?

Jason and Suz meet up for there date and are initially uncomfortable. No idea why. Maybe because its their first official non-date. We skip the date itself and are taken to them sitting outside his house while she acts very suggestive and Street sits there non-responsive. They begin making out and Lyla pulls up behind them while they are in the process. She confronts him and he helplessly asks her to wait inside for him (so Suz can help get him in his chair and she isn’t watching). She chucks her engagement ring at him and lets out a “screw you!” that reminds us why the common consensus is Minka Kelly is the worst actor on the show.

Landry breaks the news to Bo, Tim seems more effected by it than he does.

Tyra sits on her doorstep, probably relieved that she told someone about her attack when Tim comes strolling up in his rig and proposes a friendship. She is defiant at first, but he charms her into coming to the roast as his platonic date. One thing with Tyra, she is either really hot or really cold in terms of acceptance. In some places we call that crazy, on FNL we call that troubled behavior that stems from a neglected childhood. And that’s why I enjoy this show, they provide a lot of back story and explain everyones reasoning, regardless of how irrational it may seem.

At said roast, everyone in the room is fed up with at least one other person in attendance. Landry with Tyra, Tyra with Riggins, Julie with her dad, Lyla with her dad, Buddy with coach, Tami with Eric, Matt with coach, etc. Coach gets up and makes some generic jokes about Smash’s self-inolvement, Buddy steals Smashs email joke, Smash has a decent line about what elates Riggins. Tim simply says, “So what about Matt sleeping with coaches daughter?” and it falls deftly quiet. Like pin drop quiet.

Tami steals the show with a moving speech that gradually shifts from Texas small town humor to sincere. She gets a standing ovation and a prolonged hug from Tyra (In yet another deleted scene, we actually see Tami counseling Tyra trough her trauma. It has a very Good Will Hunting “It’s not your fault” vibe to it. Which makes this hug much more explainable).

Smash is invited out to a party by the same girl he was flirting with earlier, he turns her down and goes to Waverly’s house with some leftovers. She is somewhat spacey.

Landry confronts Tyra when she apologizes and delves into a great speil about what a future with someone like Riggins is likely to entail. It’s all very Revenge of The Nerds and is actually perfectly acted by Plemmons as the frusturated academic who can’t get a woman to look his way in a small Texas football obsessed town. As Landry is on the verge of declaring himself for her like he pined to do last week until that scumbag attempted rapist interfered with his plans, Riggins comes up from behind, very fratboy-ish in tone and invites him out to a party by calling him “Lando”. Priceless.

Street attempts to reconcile with Lyla, she isn’t hearing it and is fairly callous about the situation, especially considering she had been fucking his best friend less than two months ago. Lyla of all people should know that everyone strays at some point. At this point she is loathing any and all men, but she’s really in know position to.

Coach and Tami stare at each other in a mirror and quietly and lovingly contemplate their future, he says, “Austin wil be great for this family”, and she replies, “You’re right, but I’m not going to Austin”. Twat, isn’t this a seemingly unfair ultimatum? The job or me and your daughter.

Many a plots carrying us into what is the season and potentially the series finale. Enjoy.

Sorry for no morning post, I have a slight touch of strep throat. To help compensate for my negligence, here are some links:

Will Lloyd from Entourage get his own spinoff? I have no idea and I do not really understand the point of this article. But saying he does, I think it’s safe to assume they will target a deifferent demographic.

Well written, succinct synopsis of The Sopranos this past Sunday.

A strong case to bring back Friday Night Lights. It is somewhat unnerving they have renewed 30 Rock, but have yet to do the same for FNL.

In case you were unaware, Television Without Pity is now recapping The Wire, starting with the series premiere. Here is the first recap. Fittingly enough it opens with he or she (whoever the hell Wing Chun is, I cannot think of an alias more gender neutral than that) complaining about the detail required to appropriately summarize an episode. I have to tell you, those people over there do not get paid enough.

And finally, Will Ferrell is desperate to get on Extras. What is it about Ricky gervais that he has these film stars so willing to pander to his every demand? So much so that they plead their cases publicly. He’s funny and all, but you do not here this type of eagerness with Larry David and Curb Your Enthusiasm, he must be supplying film stars with ample amounts of Bangers and Mash.

FNL recap coming tomorrow morning.

Essentially all of Easter Sunday for me was cannon fodder until The Sopranos started at nine. And I might be in the minority on this but it did not disappoint. Not only did we have Tony dealing with the concept/reailty of aging and his assumed fate, but we had the most tragic Monopoly game in the history of Monopoly, Janice coming within ten seconds of confessing her murder of Richie Aprile to Carmela, Bobby “popping his cherry”, Janice and Tony both illustrating the traits they inherited from their mother and an appearance from Chris.

But I will delve into more detail about this on Friday (This is when Sopranos recaps will be posted, not only to give you the duration of the weekend to read them before the subsequent episode airs, but also to keep me from doing this on the weekends), right now I am here to discuss the second half of season three premiere of Entourage, which was better than expected.

Like I have stated numerous times before, if it were not for Ari Gold I probably wouldn’t watch this show, at least not regularly. And last night was no exception. When it comes to matters of the four “Entourage” members, they seldom have anything funny or interesting to say. They are always presented with extenuating circumstances, but rarely are unique in their approach to them. It’s the stangest case of writes block I have ever seen. How can they consistently set up intriguing storylines only to drop the ball with them so regularly?

If last night was any indication, they are going to stretch out the Ari and Amanda (Carla Cugino) vying for Vince’s attention/business for as long as humanly possible. And to be honest, Amanda and Cugino are simply out matched in this rivalry. For all of her bravado and dismissive remarks at Ari, she doesn’t have the clout to keep up with him. We are led to get the impression that “Medellin” is available and Amanda’s connections are unequipped to get significant insider knowledge. Hopefully, rather sooner than later, she is sent her walking papers to get Piven more screentime.

Meanwhile, the episode revolved around Vince’s 29th birthday party (or that is at least what I am assuming his age is, hence the episode title), which Eric, Drama and Turtle all agreed to foot the bill for without any financial aid from Vince. Eventually Turtle, who’s quite possibly more resourceful if not smarter than Eric, ended up making money on the event by having the party sponsored by varying advertisers and hosted on the deck of the Queen Mary.

It would be interesting to see a role reversal with the two of them, but for whatever reason, the writers are insistent in getting us to believe that Eric, by virtue of being responsible, is also more innovative. Maybe Kevin Connolly is the reason I don’t by this for a second, and the writers are not to blame.

But the party itself only accounted for the last five minutes of the twenty-five minute episode, the rest of it featured any combination of the four guys walking around their house and debating the Ari situation as if he were an ex-girlfriend, and Drama filtering every discussion with innuendo that could easily be interpreted the wrong way.

Outside of that, there were a few intermittent exchanges about Drama’s new series and the effectiveness of its advertising campaign (most notably his billboard), they took us back to courtside at The Great Western Forum (this time Amanda was their escort) with stock footage of the exact same game they showed us last time they did this in the sophomore episode of season two, “My Maserati Does 185″ and a number of references to Edith Wharton that I would have never expected to hear on this show.

All in all, it was good to have the series back (or maybe I was still elated from the brilliance of The Sopranos episode that preceded it), there were some decent lines and the setup for what could be an entertaining, if not competitive Agency war. In the previews, next week looked promising, I am optimistic Drama will sleep with Amanda then Vince will cease and desist his partnership with her (Not really, but wouldn’t it be a welcomed result?).

After a four week hiatus, The Office returned last night with a bang, I guess. It maintains a high level of comedy, which is what the series was initially created for; but if you scour the TWoP message boards, Jim’s attitude towards Pam after Roy attacked him dominates the discussion. (Apparently, him being less than cordial towards the woman who’s ex-fiance tried to kill him as a result of her “confession” is unacceptable on these here internets).

Ultimately, I am going to either get over it or stop watching the series altogether (which isn’t an option), but I just cannot believe the writers actually went the Friends route, at least for the time being. I mentioned the TWoP message boards, if you look at the tone to the Friends discussion and compare it to that of The Office discussion, they’re pretty much the identical. But the series has such potential and already established a laudatory reputation as the best sitcom on network television, it is still appointment television.

I just think season three has taken a plunge from season two. It is too late now, but a better alternative would have been to stretch out Jim’s crush on Pam He never levels with her, she marries Roy and is miserable, then they have the “Casino Night” episode in the finale for the penultimate season, and leave the final season to work everything out. Obviously, if this were the case, Jim and Pam wouldn’t dominate every other episode like they currently do, and I would be perfectly fine with that. It would simply be another running joke like Kelly annoying Ryan, Creed’s kleptomania and Bob Vance.

This all isn’t to say that last nights episode didn’t have its finer points. Michael wearing a womens suit was priceless. The way he described acquiring it made him sound like he was at a Salvation Army, “There was a box of clothes and everyone was just grabbing for them”, followed by the revelation of his diminutive salary was an apt loose connection. I also enjoyed Stanley’s reaction to the news, “He’s still overpaid”. (Speaking of which, when the branches merged and Darryl being head of the warehouse and Michael being the Branch manager, wouldn’t both of them had received raises as a result? I have no idea what the corporate structure is in scenarios like this.)

Angela and Dwight received a lot of camera time last night as well. Dwight, entirely too proud to have “saved” Jim from Roy in not accepting any compensation for his efforts and Angela firghteningly aroused by her boyfriend unsuspectingly macing another guy was a welcomed angle to all the Jim/Pam/Roy melodrama.

Noteworthy highlights:

-Jim now has visual evidence of Dwight and Angela, I guess I was wrong here, but I was under the impression everyone was conciously aware they might have had a relationship but was either indifferent or replused so didn’t broach it; and Pam knew definitively.

-”I accidentally cross-dressed” -Michael

-Kelly’s ongoing inane celebrity worship

-Dwight modeling his weapons while Jim narrates

-Toby’s description of Michael’s negotiation with Jan for a salary increase

Again, not the worst and not the best episode; simply more of the same in terms of dramatic plot points and some desperately needed comic relief.

I was ging to do a full post on last night’s South Park, but then I realized it wasn’t that entertaining so I decided to lump it in with this. I just really do not have anything to comment on. Look, Parker and Stone are mocking religion yet again. Its funny, probably more interesting just to see how they actually connect the Easter Bunny and other Easter traditions to actual Catholicism. But otherwise I wasn’t really interested, my roommate who is a diehard fan of the show received a call from his girlfriend and usually demands I pause the show while he takes the phone call and rushes her off, simply walked upstairs at the twenty minute mark.

There was nothing offensive about it, I guess it was controversial in a way (though calling South Park controversial is a bit redundant) so someone is bound to be upset with its content, which almost seems to take precedent over actual comedy. I mean, Kyle (who’s Jewish) murdered Jesus Christ at his insistence, only under the promise that Cartman would never catch wind of it. Which is funny, but the same joke has been made hundreds of other times on this series, just with varying delivery.

I think there is two more new episodes left in this opening to the elventh season, hopefully they resemble the premiere, the sophomore episode and even “The Snuke” more so than what we saw on Wednesday.

South Park review is coming shortly, but I just caught wind of something directly related to the content of this website…

Remember when I said I may eventually reach my wits end with The Black Donnelly’s and eventually discontinue recapping the psuedo-crime drama? Yeah, turns out that will not be a decision I am forced to make. NBC has cancelled the series indefinitely. So, no sense in recapping an episode of a series that literally has no future (though I am certain a DVD release is an inevitability).

I will say that while I hadn’t began to write anything for it yet, the episode on Monday was pretty much a rehashed version of the past three episodes. Meaning, the entire plot revolved around Tommy and Jimmy independently running around New York trying to get money for varying reasons. Honestly, the writing felt stagnant and we were only five or six episodes into the first season, so its probably better NBC cut its losses, and cut mine as well. I was beginning to feel embarassed by my even remote affiliation with the series, I gave it too many chances and eventually found myself compromising any sort of critical standards for a show with a great premise and lackluster execution, and that typically does not warrant a weekly recapping here at Grid Effect.

So long, Black Donnelly’s. You are the first show to be regularly discussed here that was cut either prematurely or appropriately. Don’t worry, I am positive The Real Wedding Crashers will make your ratings look like those of American Idol.

We’ll have a review of a somewhat bland South Park episode later today, for the time being, here is a recap of last weeks Survivor episode to prepare you for tonight…

Pre-credits scene, Lisi is going to the all male tribe, so it will remain an all male tribe. Just dumber, more abrasive and obnoxious. What I find humorous about her backstory, is she is a customer sales rep. It all makes so much sense. She thinks everyone on Ravu is actually concerned about “getting her out of the way”. Dreamz smells blood and I am hoping he throws the challenge just to see her grovel to stay in the game.

Whoever is staying at the Moto camp typically has nothing interesting to say. But today is an exception, Yau and Earl are going after the idol, and let me just say I like this concept of a community Hidden Immunity Idol. Earl drags everyone out to get the boat and on the resort island they actually have proper digging utencils. He finds it and has and astoundingly positive reaction to it, he even pulls an MJ and wags his tongue. When Yau shows the idol, he narrates “I never thought a big strong black man could be my closest ally”. Nothing like incorporating race into your unlikey friend description. But this doesn’t seem hostile in anyway and the two of them seem to have a genuine partnership and there is really no one else likable enough to root for.

At RC, they are launching fireballs at three targets, the first team to hit all three wins reward. They are playing for an afternoon at an arcade with hot dogs and beer. Earl and Dreamz are first to go. Dreamz drills it and Earl falls just short. Michelle and Lisi both miss horrendously, Edgardo follows it up with an even worse shot, and who but Yau-Man would evens the score at 1-1.

Mookie gives Ravu a 2-1 lead, Alex and Cassandra both miss horribly. Stacy and Rocky both come up short and we have gone through everyone once. Dreamz and Earl step up once again. Earl falls short after going for the distant target and Dreamz comes through yet again, to give Ravu the win. So as a tribe, Dreamz hit two of two shots, the rest of his tribe went one of six… he is standing out as the best all around contestant at challenges, could be a problem come the merge. Ravu sends Earl to Exile to keep anyone else from getting clues. I understand the strategy, but did the concept ever dawn on them that if they give only one person all of the clues it might have an adverse effect?

They jump right into the reward even though it takes place the following day. Ravu is on a plane going to a vintage American/Modern Fijian arcade. Rocky actually comes through with a good line, especially considering he’s been food deprvied the entire time, “The question of the day is, ‘how much food can we shove in our piehole?… They were eating hot dogs three or four at a time”. Hot dogs cannot be really beneficial in this situation. Do you know how many carcinogens are in a hot dog? Topped off with beer? I like to indulge as much as the next guy but this was Koybayashi-esque, plus beer. They all camera interview about how Lisi is like, “One of the guys”, including Lisi. Someone’s trying a little too hard.

Earl is bored senseless at Exile but is embracing it. He even made a little sand sign, naming the island after himself because he has been there so many damn times.

Naturally, everyone on Ravu got sick, and instead of participating in some good natured “I told ya so” ribbing, Rocky gets a little incredulous and starts berating everyone about their poor eating habits. I don’t even think he realizes it, but his demeanor has lost whatever charm it had, and ironically enough, Rocky was lambasting Anthony last week for poor social skills, I get the impression this isn’t an isolated incident with Rocky.

Boo thinks Yau-Man is going home should they lose, and he is sorely mistaken. Why does everyone think brute strength is so essential in this game? It’s beneficial, but not necessary; really the challenges dictate the importance of strength and since the tribe switch we have had none that rely solely on force. Yau, just to cover all his bases, places a fake Hidden Immunity Idol in a shallow hole. Nice strategy, Yau. He even painted the letters “I.I.” on it, just in case the finder didn’t know what it was. Of course, the thing is so artificial looking it might as well have the the word “Gotcha” painted on it, because no one is going to believe this thing makes them immune from food gathering, much less elimination.

The IC consists of one person screaming directions to a blindfolded teammate walking through a gated off area with a “war club” and bashing a skull that has some letters in it, first team to solve the word puzzle with the letters wins. Moto is out to a slight lead, Ravu replaced Lisi as the communicating end, Moto stuck with Michelle, who absolutely relishes in this role so much that she plummets of the platform she is screaming from. Boo, shortly thereafter replaces her. Moto gets to the puzzle long before Ravu, and end up getting it right with “Cannibal Isles”. So are they going to stick with the all male theme or give Rocky the boot? My guess is the latter.

Back at Ravu, morale is a little low. Edgardo has figured out that loyalty might hold more weight than physical strength and they claim that since Lisi doesn’t have any other options, they have to side with her. Which is essentially true about Rocky, they just don’t want to admit they are voting him off for personal reasons.

Lisi attempts to give Alex some information on the whereabouts of the idol as a sign of solidarity, but claims that the clues are too vague, which is bullshit, they all but point directly to the thing. Nice reading comprehension there, Lisi.

Rocky and Mookie both would prefer to not vote for Rocky, and instead want to vote out Lisi. Dreamz, because she was an utter bitch towards him with the old Moto; Mookie, because he promised Rocky he wouldn’t vote for him. In the midst of these two determining whether or not to vote of Rocky, he establishes his ranking as the most irritable person I have seen on Survivor. In one scene, Edgardo sort of, but not really, sidles him. I say not really because they are sitting on a fucking log. But None the less, Rocky lashes out after Edgrado asks him what he thinks, “I think you should push over a little bit unless you want to make out with me for Christ sake”, then scowls outward towards the fire. We’re at a point with him that his obnoxiousness has crossed the threshhold from hatred into utter hilarity, because you can’t take someone like this seriously.

At TC, nothing of interest is really said, just explanations of why Lisi may or may not be valuable and other such bullshit. She was certain she would find a friend regardless of which tribe she landed on. You know, because she’s so fucking affable. They go to the vote, obviously Lisi and Rocky vote for each other, the rest go as such:
Lisi
Lisi
Rocky
Rocky
Rocky
Rocky

So there it is. And Jeff announces him as the first person of the jury, which is remarkably early. Its amazing how nonchalant Ravu is about him leaving, especially when you reminisce about all of Rocky’s boisterous proclomations of his formidable manliness.

In his parting words, Rocky screams at the top of his lungs and is thankful to be on the jury though bitter because apparently he was the victim of the most obvious blindsiding in the long, long history of this game.

In conclusion, this was a very bland episode. Some fans of the show will enjoy and feel vindicated because Rocky was voted off, but there was hardly anything to mock even. Hopefully we have a more eventful episode tonight.

In case you didn’t pick up on the lack of creativity with this post’s heading, since I have decided to push recaps back a week, I am going to begin simply posting the series and the episode title in order to limit confusion. Sorry for the uninspired title, but really, it’s for the best.

We open up “Mud Bowl” (the title leaves little to the imagination, but I guess that’s not the point) with Tim waking in MAMTSWND’s (This is the acronym for “Mildly Attractive Mid-Thirties Single Woman Next Door”, it is applied because we do not yet have a name) bedroom. This story, for the most part, goes nowhere. They grew closer because he visits her at work, continues to pick up her kid at school and generally make her life easier. I am really not sure what they are doing with this, they must be trying to encompass every minute detail of contemporary small town/suburban American life, and that includes the ever growing trend of women sleeping with what would be jail bait high school aged boys if they were men sleeping with women of a similar age. Anyhow, Billy Riggins disapproves of Tim’s hijinks and informs him as such and MAMTSWND’s kid isn’t quite as oblivious as originally thought and asks Tim if he is going to “spend the night” again.

Lyla and Waverly have decided to hang out by virtue of standing next to each other during a school evacuation (more on this later). And like most people who have met for the first time, they go shoot bottles with shotguns. Lyla, who is unaware that Waverly is bi-polar finds out from Smash only after the Thelma and Louise moment. Apparently, Waverly isn’t taking her medication. Which, with her being a minor and all, someone should be overseeing her regular consumption of the medicine that could potentially prevent her from killing herself. As far as most things go, this seems kind of pivotal.

Anyhow, Smash telling Lyla about Waverly’s condition culminates in an argument/leveling between Smash and Waverly. In which Gaius Charles (the guy who plays Smash) puts on a two minute acting clinic that should be shown as inspiration in theater classes around the country. Good God is he overlooked at times. Smash suggests she talk to his mother, who’s a nurse.

Jason Street, though we ended the previous episode with him basking in the glory of tutoring young Matt Saracen (Taylor happens to catch this in passing) he is only finding so much contentment out of the arrangement. So, as I imagine recent paraplegics tend to be, he is somewhat depressed and it leads to a fairly heated exchange between him and Lyla, which would normally be a petty boyfriend-girlfriend disagreement, but given the circumstances the stakes are a little higher. Instead of the typical “What do you want to do?”, “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” verbal spout, they are having the, “my life is a worthless, hollow void and you don’t seem to understand the gravity of that”, “Its a real pain in the ass playing nurse maid to you” brand of differences. She storms out on him and their relationship is left in its pending collapse just like every episode.

After a little tough love from Lyla and the constant cloud of negativity looming over his head, at the deposition to with his lawsuit, Street breaks down and writes down a settlement that he consults with his mother about and hands it to the defense lawyers representing Coach Taylor and the school district. Both parties agree (though Streets lawyer never sees the settlement amount) and when Taylor gets up to leave gives Street a point and nod of approval.

Lanry, who is by far and away the funniest character on the series, has finally discovered a nitch in how to get in Tyra’s good graces. That is, do her favors without asking for anything in return. Shocking, I know. In this case he becomes her math tutor, presumably for free. He persuades her from her former math tutor with the line, “Did your math tutor teach Tim Riggins to read in a day and a half?”. She has no choice but to concede to that. They later meet at one of the local burger joint hang outs (I cannot keep them staight at this point) and he is, as predicted, unbelievably charming with her.

Hopefully scenes like this continue

I am not a girl nor do I have any idea what women consider an endearing personality, but this is the type of kid with numerous pre-set notions about him in high school so he cannot get any tail, then goes to college and is practically swimming in it. Tyra proposes that they meet up to study on Friday night (same time as the semi-final game). Before she can even finish the proposition he agrees enthusiastically. She could have been asking him to jump off a cliff for her in some sort of ritualistic sacrifice and he probably would have been okay with it.

At a barber shop where Landry is getting his hair cut, Saracen informs him that he might not be getting what he’s expecting out of his partnership with Tyra. Landry, however remains defiant. You have to love the perseverance of this kid. Saracen ribs him with the line, “But its a date, like the colloquial … yeah, you guys might even solve a quadratic formula”. Landry in instructing the barber, suggests, “Not too much, I don’t want to be looking all frayed up when I go see my lady”. Essentially, there was a plethora of good lines in this scene.

In the main storyline this week (the episode was overloaded with Coach Taylor, and that’s a good thing) there is a train crash and some potentially hazardous chemical leak, preventing Dillon from using their home field. Taylor, who was already feeling immersed with the brandning and sponsorship of the upcoming semi-final game, now has discovered that someone is slipping his players envelopes full of money in their lockers thanks to Saracen. Naturally, when he asks the rest of the team about this, they are all tight lipped and silent. Taylor ends the inquisition with, “That must piss you off Smash”.

After visiting a stadium suggested by the opposition and subsequently rejecting it based on closer proximity to the away team, Taylor, while driving around the flat lands of west Texas with Buddy Garrity, sees a cow field with a giant “For Lease” sign on it when they stop for Buddy to urinate.

Coach runs the option of playing the game on a modified cow pasture by his wife before presenting it to the other head coach. While standing in said cow field, Tami is skeptical at first, then Taylor asks her to “Close her eyes, and hark back to the beautiful simplicity of the game, without the likes of Buddy Garrity’s overwhelming advertisments, or retailers or paid players and this eventually wins her over.

It’s a delicately nuanced scene, but if he is considering skipping town for a college position, does he realize how much more corporitization there is of the game in college relative to high school. In towns like Dillon, the local car dealer and a few women setting up tee shirt stands is nothing compared to the million dollar shoe deals with uiniversities, the continuous pressure from boosters, alumni and local and national media and the additive corruption that can occasionally follow all that.

Either way, they set up the field and both coaches agree to the terms, I am not sure if this is legitimate or not. Do the coaches have this much control over where the game would be played? Isn’t there some governing body that would have to approve or disapprove of the the circumstances?

When game day rolls around, there is a montage that captures the scene vividly while The Killers,”Read My Mind” plays on the soundtrack. Good choice. When the game kicks off, Dillon’s opponent pulls an onside kick that they run back for a touchdown then convert a fake extra point for a two point conversion. And the writers know they can always make the defense look on its heels because we do not know any of them. And that is the last we see of dry weather because at that moment it starts to pour.

One thing that they are consistent with in Friday Night Lights is how they illustrate the symbolic importance football has on a community like Dillon. It provides escapism, entertainment, unity and town pride, but the manner in which they juxtaposed an often unforgiving reality with the occasional manufactured exuberance of football glory was quite possibly the non-HBO highlight of the TV season.

Landry heads out for his study date (this seems platonic enough yet leaves open the possibility for intimacy, doesn’t it?) and is having car problems. At that very moment it starts to rain. Tyra runs into the restaurant where she is meeting Landry and is greeted by some random patron who asks her why she isn’t at the game. We discover why he isn’t soon enough.

The next five minutes are horrifying, inspiring, celebratory and depressing. As the scenes intersect between Tyra waiting for Landry in teh restaurant to a beautifully shot sloppy football game. Initially we see Tyra heading out to her car when she determines Landry isn’t showing where random guy follows her, we cut too more engaging football scenes then back to the random guy screaming at Tyra that she forgot her notebook and him slugging her in the face and dragging her into the front seat of his pickup truck (this is why I do not own a pickup truck, aesthetically, they can be appealing, but I do not want this stigma attached to me) to Dillon scoring a first half ending touchdown.

Tyra pushes in the car lighter while her attacker fumbles around with her clothes and eventually fends him off when she jams the thing in his eye and runs out the drivers side door. When he attempts to follow her she slams his arm with the car door multiple times before he runs out the passengers side door into the night. Just at this moment Landry shows up and realizes its a little peculiar for her to be standing in the pouring rain and she just collapses into him, devastated. The only thing that makes this more depressing is the fact that the car lighter would have been useless because the car itself wasn’t turned on.

Dillon ends up winning the game on a TD scramble by Saceran and it manages to feel insignificant. Tyra and Landry sit in the resturaunt and he is probably more frightened than she is, as he comforts her as much as he could possibly understand how. At the post-game on field celebration:

Julie tackles Matt and what she says is so unbelievably generic I refuse to even quote on this website (she does that frequently).

Taylor compliments Street on the noticeable improvement in Saceran’s play and suggests, “Have you ever considered coaching?”.

Waverly and Smash’s mother talk casually (i.e. not about bi-polar disorder) and Smash celebrates with both of them.

Riggins’ lady friend and her kid approach him and the kids asks, “Are you spending the night again?” and he replies somewhat surprised by his candor, “Umm, I know were going to state”. Great recovery, Tim.

And one of the bigger editing lapses in this series, virtually all of the players jerseys were spotless in this scene. They just finish a football game in the first hurricane west Texas has ever witnessed, and these things look like they had been hanging in a locker for the past two hours.

Minus a couple meticulous criticisms, you can probably tell by how much I wrote that this was one of the more emotionally invested episodes of the season. I have tremendous expectations for tonight and am adamantly looking forward to it.

Last night revolved around The NCAA Title game and watching my alma mater lose probably the most frusturating basketball game I have ever seen as a fan (We played three teams in the tourney that shot well over 50% from three point land! Fifty! If Purdue shoots that well Florida doesn’t make it out of the second round). But anyways, since I didn’t watch any television that I am permitted to delve into great detail about, I am going to my fail safe, here are some links:

John Travolta is scheduled to appear in the series finale of Extras… clearly we are getting some scientology jokes out of this partnership.

Two kids were shot at the Kids Choice Awards. Thankfully no one sustained life threatening injuries but good lord; can’t one attend even a kids award show nowadays without the threat of violence? Police said they expect gang members and if this is true, said gang needs to take it up a notch, shooting up a Kids Choice Awards just seems petty. I mean, whatever happened to making a statement? And Oathes and credos and all that treehouse club stuff that our anti-social citizens applied to adulthood? If you ask me, this is a step back for violent street gangs everywhere. That Justin Timberlake just attracts violent behavior.

Here’s for The Sopranos fanboys. I thought it was only appropriate to link to a YouTube video of every murder on the series after mocking the hell out of misguided gangsters who shoot up an awards show that airs on Nickelodeon.

Of course all southern males ages 16-30 adopt this hairstyle. Isn’t that how women distinguish them from us northerners? How else could they tell besides their rich accents and chivalrous good manners?

One of two writers I read on ESPN, Bill Simmons (though everyone outside of the editor on the site I link to despises), received an extension from the World Wide Leader that includes a hand in TV development. As it stands now ESPN original programming cannot get much worse, so I am willing to give this new deal about a 10% chance for improvement. Never the less, his NBA analysis, though sometimes short-sided, is always interesting.

That’s it for the links. I have yet to watch The Black Donnelly’s, though its going to take a non-cliched rittled episode for me to continue recapping this as the (half) season premiere date looms for both The Sopranos and Entourage. Something I think the writers for TBD are incapable of.

Another slow TV weekend. In terms of scripted series, the most riveting TV I saw was a Sopranos trailer. And that actually came immediately before an HBO special, wher Jerry Seinfeld was presented with the first annual Comedian Award. Normally I would never watch something like this, but since it was on HBO and I had been playing football all day, my energy was at a cautionary low and couldn’t afford to do much else.

This wasn’t a typical award presentation, nor was it what I initially believed it would be: a roast; HBO had Robert Klein (older generation), Chris Rock (younger generation) and Gary Shandling (Seinfeld’s peer) join Seinfeld on stage with moderator Anderson Cooper (what?) to talk shop for about forty minutes before some figurehead at HBO did the actual presenting of this manufactured Comedian Award (Ironically enough, Seinfeld had laid into the cluelessness of hollywood executives only twenty minutes beforehand).

At first I was surprised all three of the guests agreed to participate in this. Honestly, why would the three of them want to come on national television and figuratively tickle Seinfelds balls for an hour? But stand-up comedians are the probably the closest knit fraternity in show business. There seems to be a profound sense of respect and admiration these four had for each other. And I am sure the nature of their profession is directly related to whatever bond they may have formed over the years, as it unique to almost any other profession, entertainment industry or otherwise.

And, as one would expect, anytime you can get multiple comedians in a televised conversation/interview, it is always worth watching. Ricky Gervais interviewed Larry David for his show in London and it was probably the funniest thing I have seen all year (Note: this interview is on Youtube and is divided into five parts, the links for the other four are in the right hand column). Professional comedians have a certain ebb and flow when they get together that is astonishing to witness, their minds are somewhat twisted so rarely can they see eye-to-eye with an entertainment journalist or someone of that nature and the interview is always comprised of nervous, non-responsive laughter by the interviewer.

But anyhow, the event turned out to be a successful telecast. All four comedians had their moments (with Gary Shandling probably having more than his fair share) and Cooper did a decent job conducting the interview. I personally have never been the biggest fan of Seinfeld’s stand up routine. But Seinfeld? That’s an entirely different story. His and Larry David’s series has been just as influential for sitcoms as The Sopranos has been for dramatic series’.

The only problem being, instead of inspiring innovative comedy, Seinfeld has precipitated several desperate replications, looking to capitalize on the same premise with slight modifications. Where as The Sopranos, as discussed before on this sight, has resulted in something of a small screen revolution, wherein networks are more susceptible to taking risks with creative storytelling and introspective character development as opposed to the hodge podge slew of criminal investigation shows we are accustom too (I’m looking at you, CBS).

Maybe last nights special will invoke some young, thoughtful writer/producer to piece together a series that doesn’t revolve around thirty something’s hanging out and making insipid conversation about their jobs/boyfriends and/or girlfriends. But let’s just say I am not holding my breath. If nothing else, last night made me nostalgic for a day when the number one sitcom on television was not Two and A Half Men, and a series like Arrested Development wasn’t taken off the air in its prime.