Sunday Night Rundown

Last night was the season premiere of what I affectionately call the “Black Block” of sitcoms airing on the new CW Network.

Everybody Hates Chris was solid, though I fear that the show may be getting a bit too big for its britches. The main nuclear family is being marginalized in favor of a host of new characters, including new neighbor, Lousie, played by Whoopi Goldberg. We hardly saw Julius and little sis Tanya was also barely in the episode. Even Chris’ boss at the corner store had more lines and on-air presence that his dad. And, while girls are a big deal for boys at Chris’ age, it’s getting old. Last season he was chasing girls, and he’s still hung up on them again this season. I suppose that juxtaposed with the similarly aged boys on The Wire (more on that below), Chris’ problems with the ladies seems so minor and insignificant. I’d just like to see some growth in his personal development and dealing with some issues other than girls standing him up for movie dates to see Footloose.

All of Us was boring. It had never been one of my favorite shows on the old UPN – and I would have preferred that the CW picked up Half & Half instead. But, I was willing to hang in there because I like LisaRaye and Duane Martin, just not together. I don’t even see any chemistry between them to understand why they were married in the first place. Bobby is annoying and he still seems to be the same age as when the show started. Whereas we’ve noticed some physical transformation on Everybody Hates Chris, Bobby seems stuck in a time warp. Finding his first pubic hair seems like a relic from The Cosby Show – remember the hilarious episode when Rudy got her first period – but this coming-of-age fell flat. Why don’t Neesy and Robert just hurry up, jump in the sack, and get back together already? The one bright spot on the show used to be Dirk, played by Chris Rock’s funny younger brother Tony Rock. But, with the cancellation of One on One, it’s like the producers are incorporating that show into All of Us. Now, Dirk has a smart-mouthed teenaged daughter who’s blocking his love life. Sound familiar?

I had been eagerly anticipating and dreading the season premiere of Girlfriends. Without Toni, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to the cast of characters I’ve grown to love over the years. It’s unfortunate that Jill Marie Jones refused to return to wrap up her story line, but the show must go on. I appreciate the fact that rather than pretend that Toni never existed, the rest of the girls are dealing with her absence. I was confused, however, by the final scene when Maya and Lynn left for Toni’s going-away tea and Joan stripped down to her party dress. Had she been planning to crash the party? It was a sentimental touch for Joan to journey to New Orleans to help with the Hurricane Katrina recovery, but it was too obvious in trying to liken her crumbling life and relationships with the destruction of the beloved city. But, I didn’t like the “It Girl” character Joan turned into last season, so perhaps she’s coming back and finding herself again. What’s up with the guy waiting until the last day to make his move, though? If he’d been working on the roof, where he says you can see everything, why’d it take him so long to approach Joan? Given her bad luck with men last year, I’d like to see Joan take a break from the men and refocus on herself. I can tell that Maya will be moving to the forefront this season and I hope she gets good material to work with. I hear that there may or may not be a baby in her future. Lynn, on the other hand, needs to get some brand-new material. Her mooching off of everyone is tired and stale. Lynn should be moving to NYC to launch her music career, but her character is definitely stuck in a rut. I don’t think William and Monica’s engagement will last very long. And I pray that Joan doesn’t get jealous and realize she wants William back. In my opinion, that was the worst moment in Girlfriend’s history, putting those two together. This could very possibly be the last season of Girlfriends, so we should enjoy it while it lasts (or be forced to watch the ubiquitous repeats on BET).

Finally, the highlight of my Fall 2006 TV season…The Game. I have to say that I liked what I saw very much. I’ve been a fan of Tia Mowry (and her twin sister Tamera) for a very long time, so I’m happy to see her working with adult material. The Game is realistic and unrealistic in many ways. I’ll start with the realism. I’m glad Melanie is not trying to pretend that she’s not jealous of Dionne. It takes a strong woman to admit her insecurities, and I don’t see that as a sign of weakness on her part. I think Derwin appreciates her honesty. The conversation between Melanie and Kelly was a bit too real actually. We all talk with our friends about our men and how diligent we have to be to keep tabs on them (i.e. snooping) but like Melanie asked, what would you do if you found something, like evidence of cheating. Kelly responded with a very real answer, “I don’t know.” I’ve never dated a professional athlete, but from the women I know who do, there were a lot of unbelievable aspects to last night’s show. For example, there is no way in hell Dionne would be able to walk up and through the locker room to talk to Derwin. No visitors allowed! Also, wives and girlfriends are not allowed on the hotel floor, let alone in the rooms, of the players during a road game. Plus, as much of a bad wrap athletes get for their philandering, most players have to adhere to such a strict schedule when on the road, it leaves very little time, space, or opportunity for any extracurricular activities. But, I know that this would take away from the dramatics and comedy of the show, so I’m willing to suspend reality. Kelly running through the hall in her cheerleading uniform was LOL funny. There’s a lot of potential here. I can’t wait for Melanie and Dionne to have a face-to-face confrontation. Will Tasha really support her son’s dream of becoming a rapper? While Derwin seems so supportive of Melanie now pursuing her own career, will he have any issues when she won’t have time to run behind him anymore? Is Melanie going to make any friends beyond the circle of Sunbeams and how will they deal with her dating an athlete? I’d love to see Melanie’s parents come by for a visit – I wonder if Jackee Harry and Tim Reid could guest-star as her parents? I have high hopes for The Game, I just hope the audience and ratings are there to keep it going.

Desperate Housewives was definitely back on track last night. It was an entertaining hour well spent. My only question is, what’s going to happen to the Black baby the Chinese surrogate delivered? Since Gabby was pretty much non-existent in last week’s episode, I was happy to see more of her this time around. Her antics at the wedding were priceless, and always seem to backfire. After giving the gay waiter $100 to pretend to hit on her, she goes postal in the middle of the reception with Doug’s baby mama hits on Carlos. Susan has turned a new leaf in my book – I actually like her. She cracked me up trying to pretend to be a “brain specialist.” Of course, that couldn’t be further from the truth, but she carried it with panache. Lynnette’s attempt to hook up her husband’s baby mama with a man to distract her was so on point. Bree definitely has her hands full with Orson. I think that he not only killed his wife, but perhaps other women as well. The nosy bank-teller/ex-neighbor better watch out because she could be next. So, I’m assuming that Julie and Austin are going to hook up at some point – that could only mean more fights between Susan and Edie. I can’t wait!

Last night’s episode of The Wire was very eye-opening. The schools system requires that students attend only one day every month of guarantee full-funding. I agree with Cutty: “Naw, man. School is school.” Watching Michael take of his younger brother literally brought back home what the problem is. We shouldn’t blame the police and the schools for doing too much damage in our communities, when the parents are the ones who should be held responsible. While to Snoop and Chris, Michael’s family looks like “The Cosby Show,” little do they know what’s going on inside those walls. Also, I wonder if the debt Michael was working to pay off had anything to do with this parents obvious drug habit. I question why Michael quickly jumped out of Cutty’s car –and I don’t think it’s because he was ashamed for Cutty to see where he lives. I hope he maybe turns to Cutty as an ally to help him. As much as I like Marlo, I need subtitles when he talks. I had to keep turning up the volume during his scenes. Does he mumble on purpose or is it because of the scar on his face? Kima’s hazing was cute, especially calling the zoo to ask to speak to a Mr. Lion, and provided a bit of humor on this otherwise heavy-hearted show. I too was calling out for “Jimmy!” like Bunk. I want to see more McNulty and learn more about this change of heart. Freamon is getting closer to figuring out what’s happening to Marlo’s bodies. My heart hurt when Sydnor and Massey shut down the wire. It felt like a beloved character died since “the wire” has always been such an integral part of the show (heck, it’s the title of the show). The most fascinating scenes are with Snoop and Chris. When Snoop asks what the rent-a-cop from the grocery store did to cause his impending death at their hands, Chris replies: “Talked back.” Then, in another funny moment, when Bodie agrees to join Marlo’s team, Chris starts asking about Michael. "Why you asking?" Bodie inquires. "Never mind why," says Chris. "Why ain't in your repetoire no more." I’m slightly confused about this whole witness protection case, as well as Prop Joe’s insistence that Marlo stop being an independent market, but you always have to file away these bits and pieces of information because you know they’ll come in hand later. The Wire is a masterpiece that slowly unveils itself, keeping you on the edge of your seat anxiously waiting for another corner or snippet to be revealed. It’s certainly got me hooked.