If I Were A TV Showrunner, Part 2

I played this game once and I'm happy to do it again!

If I were a TV showrunner and the network is asking I do a women's show --- because, you know, there aren't a lot of it to fill the void that Sex and The City left on TV [/irony] --- I would make sure to get these women to star in it:

Dakota Johnson would be the character closest to a Carrie Bradshaw persona, only ten times more adorable:

Dakota Johnson

Lucy Punch would play the strong Miranda Hobbes personality, but she would be less tightly-wounded and also goofier.

Lucy Punch

Krysten Ritter would be this group's Samantha Jones. Only younger, sexier, prettier and kinkier.

Krysten Ritter

Dreama Walker would be perfect in the role of someone like Charlotte York. She would be naive, but she won't be a push-over.

Dreama Walker

And finally, I would get Mindy Kaling as writer to give this show the spin that would work for the ladies of this decade.

Mindy Kaling

• Dakota Johnson & Lucy Punch star as best friends in the series Ben & Kate.
• Krysten Ritter is the bitch in Don't Trust The Bitch on Apartment 23, while Dreama Walker is her unfortunate roommate.
• Mindy Kaling writes and stars in The Mindy Project.

And I think these are some of the most talented and laudable women we have on TV right now.

I don't have a title for the show yet. What would you suggest?

Site Hiccups

A few months back, I signed up for NuffnangX's Social Blog Stalking app without any clue as to how it works. Turns out, it messed up my commenting system, which is why I kinda missed publishing and acknowledging some of these comments:

Nachobing was responding to this post: TV Style: 2 Blondes and a Red Dress on REVENGE and 666 PARK AVENUE  and it relieves me to know that I'm not the only one confused about these two horror shows we're watching. I get the feeling, Bing has already stopped watching these like I have. (Am I right?)

Kay replied to this post on Sara Rue's Transformation in MALIBU COUNTRY, which has gotten a lot of us curious. I admit, I'm tempted to have another peek, as much as I dislike the show. And only because I wanna see Sara again. Maybe I'll do just that this weekend!

Finally, Sheila posted this reply in an earlier post on only the coolest show ever. Sheila and I watched the whole 6 seasons of Lost. Reading her comment made me really giggle.

The comment system is back to normal and I would not dare use that other system again. It's confusing to navigate around it and the whole flow is all messed up. I hope someone from Nuffnang is taking notes. :P

The Coolest Video 80's Kids Will Dig from THE WEDDING BAND

I have not heard this song in a while! What made it pretty special was because the guys from this TBS comedy, The Wedding Band, gave this song a new spin. It was absolutely the coolest, no matter how short this presentation was!

Here, listen to it:



And if you're not familiar with the song, this is the original from the Pet Shop Boys. It's also pretty cool!



 I look forward to weekend viewings now that there's a show like The Wedding Band on air. The series is lead by Brian Austin Green, who I admit I'm not a fan of, but I've decidedly found new respect for him because of this show.

He's just, well...cool.

The music and their song choices have the right amount of nostalgia and --- alright, coolness --- to it. (I keep saying this word "cool" because there really is no best way to describe it but that!!!)

Here's the song they performed in the pilot episode:



The Wedding Band has, so far, shown three episodes and will run through the rest of the holiday season with fresh episodes every weekend. It's not a ratings puller, given that it comes on a weekend (Saturday) and it's on cable (TBS, 10pm). Or that it's also not heavily promoted and there is no hype going around it even if Megan Fox was on the 2nd episode.

But the storylines are solid and the characters gel together nicely. You cannot watch and not like anyone. You would be surprised at how good and funny this show actually is!

From the official press release:

TBS is turning up the volume on comedies with its newest original series, Wedding Band, starring Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90120, Desperate Housewives), Harold Perrineau (Lost, Oz), Peter Cambor (NCIS: Los Angeles, Notes from the Underbelly) and Derek Miller (Secret Girlfriend). The series follows four friends - three single, one married, all with day jobs - who escape their daily stress and responsibilities by playing "weekend rock gods" in Seattle's premier wedding and events band, Mother of the Bride. This hour-long comedy series also stars Melora Hardin (The Office), Jenny Wade (The Good Guys) and Kathryn Fiore (MADtv). 

On Philippine cable, the show is carried by beTV and airs a week after fresh US episodes.

To those who've seen The Wedding Band, what's your best performance so far?

First TV Trailer of DA VINCI's DEMONS (Viewable Internationally)

Cable network Starz released the very first trailer of their next highly anticipated TV hit, Da Vinci's Demons early today. Unfortunately, many news outlets that carried it had the trailer viewable in some countries only.

I've been eager to see what this show looks like, ever since the first photos of the lead star came out in September. So, I searched online for the video, sans restrictions, and was fortunate to find one (Hooray, internet!) :



Da Vinci's Demon is a collaboration between Starz and the BBC Worldwide. BBC tapped David S. Goyer to write the show and run it.

From Da Vinci's Demons

In the Goyer's official blog for the show, he writes that there were other historical figures the BBC had in mind to do a series about.  But they settled on the story of a certain Leonardo from Vinci, Italy because his life was indeed fascinating.

Da Vinci's Demons focuses on Leonardo Da Vinci's "hidden years" where many of the actual accounts are still being discovered by historians to this day.

Goyer calls this TV show a "historical indulgence", with some of the facts altered for dramatic license. But the characters appearing on the series did really exist back in those days.

Da Vinci De-Gayed?

While Goyer calls him "the greatest genius that ever lived" and as Leonardo Da Vinci isn't known as the Renaissance Man for nothing, over centuries, his life and significance to the world has been marked by a lot of controversies.

From Da Vinci's Demons

With the release of the first teaser came questions and insinuations that this TV show Da Vinci is going to be a lot different from the Da Vinci many history books have written about.

After Elton writes (and later retracts) that there were hints the character will be portrayed as a ladykiller, even while there history has alleged that this genius is a homosexual.

Retraction:

Goyer Departs?

Then there is also that story about Goyer actually leaving the series in the middle of production, citing creative differences with the network.

This I highly doubt, though, mainly because 1) no such news has been officially cited and 2) cable shows have more allowances when it comes to what can and cannot be done in a TVshow. With Starz's track record (it is after all the network where the controversial Spartacus airs), I don't believe the showrunner's hands were tied and controlled, creatively.

Airing in Spring

All these buzz surrounding Da Vinci's Demons this early is drumming up its debut slated sometime Spring 2013. (I'm guessing late March?). Starz has been sparse with releasing more information about the series. But I imagine we will be learning more about the show as soon as the new year comes in.

Da Vinci's Demons stars Tom Riley as Leonardo Da Vinci while showrunner David S. Goyer's credits include writing the movie The Dark Knight Trilogy and the upcoming movie Man of Steel.

Below is the official description from its very first press release back in January:

Starz Entertainment and BBC Worldwide Productions announced today that British actor Tom Riley will play a young Leonardo da Vinci in the upcoming Starz original series "Da Vinci's Demons." Riley's casting is the first announced for the series. "Da Vinci's Demons," written by David S. Goyer, is a historical fantasy, following the 'untold' story of the world's greatest genius during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence. Brilliant and passionate, the twenty five-year old da Vinci is an artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist. As a free thinker, with intellect and talents that are almost superhuman, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time. He begins to not only see the future, but invent it.

TV Style: 2 Blondes and a Red Dress on REVENGE and 666 PARK AVENUE

This Alexander McQueen gown makes its appearance on two different TV shows on ABC.

I thought that Rachael Taylor look absolutely stunning wearing it on the pilot episode of 666 Park Avenue, which aired some six weeks ago.

Rachael Taylor and David Annabel on 666 Park Avenue pilot episode.

I thought the dress fitted so well with Rachael's skin tone and hair color.

But then, I watched Emily Van Camp wearing the same dress last night on Revenge and she filled it up better;  she was ravishing.

Raaawwwr. Emily Van Camp as Emily Clarke on Revenge

Yowza. Emily's red McQueen gown on Revenge.

Was it Oprah who said that the color red registers better, so people on TV like wearing it? (Was it red or was it green?) Coz this isn't the first red dress that has seen more than one appearance TV. Here's that other red dress worn by two different characters in two different shows recently.

Justin & Rebecca

It's also amusing to note that aside from the dress Rachael and Emily wore, they also share something else in common --- in that both had screen time with David Annabel, who is now currently starring with Racheal Taylor on 666 Park Avenue.

But he and Emily Van Camp used to be an item back when they were both doing Brothers and Sisters, as Justin and Rebecca.

What Is Happening on Revenge?

I've been criticizing how Revenge has been this season. It doesn't seem as though Emily knows what she's doing. I know I'm not the only one complaining about it. Other viewers lament that she used to be one step ahead of her enemies. But that doesn't seem to be happening for a while now, when there are several distractions and hitches to carrying out her plans.

But last night was a defining moment.  Coz it looks like Emily's gotten her bearings back, which also means that the show must be moving right on track. I really like the show better when they reveal how cunning and calculated her moves are. Seeing that last night gave me hope this show isn't suffering from a creative discourse. I'd hate for that to happen when Revenge showed extreme promise the first time it aired.

As with ratings, Revenge is doing fine in its new Sunday timeslot on ABC. But it was performing way, way better when it was on Wednesday nights last season. Revenge has to compete with other high profile TV shows on Sundays. This day is the toughest block to be scheduled under. Writers have to constantly bring their A-game to make the story development interesting.

What Is Happening on 666 Park Avenue?

I've lost track of 666 Park Avenue after the 3rd episode so I have little idea if it's getting better or worse. In fact, I expressed plans of giving it up already because, while there are creepy moments and I scare easy, the rest of the story isn't holding my interest. But I'm reconsidering and will probably catch up during hiatus season.

666 Park Avenue's ratings, however, isn't helping generate interest, as the show drops viewers every week. The cancel bear is eager to gobble this up.

Are you watching any of these shows regularly? What's your take on the current turn of events? And which one wore the red McQeen dress better? :D

TV Style: Juliette's Crochet Top on GRIMM and other GRIMMey stuff

First, I need to address something I'm sure you've noticed on this blog...

Lately, I've been doing a lot of TV Style entries instead of actually talking about the episodes at length. The blog isn't changing its "format" and it's not an attempt to crossover and try my hand at fashion blogging. Only, I'm more comfortable writing these types of entries NOW. Which is to say that maybe in a year or two, I may or may not be doing TV Style anymore...who knows?

But it also doesn't mean I'm going to be doing *just* this type of entry.

Let's face it, this blog has been through so many phases than I can count. It used to be my personal space and I used to discuss stuff other than television here. (The 3 people who've been reading this blog since day one would attest to it!)

I still do talk about what I watch every week on my Twitter account, short of giving those who follow me a blow-by-blow account of it. I can be annoying over there, though. Because talking about an episode in 140 characters is speedy, easy and direct. But it's also limiting. I flood timelines, although I'm not sorry for that one bit (heh!) so follow with caution.

Anyway, on with the show...

Juliette's Crochet Top

I wish I paid more attention to crochet projects in Home Economics back in school because I covet this top and would make one for myself if I could! (Too cheap to buy, blaaah! :P)

Elaborate crochet top worn by Juliette on Grimm

Details, details, details!

Juliette is wearing something from Urban Outfitters, which is currently on sale at their online store:

Staring at Stars Long-Sleeved Crochet Mix Top $24.99 • was $49.00  

It also comes in black and red. But the red one's really slutty....so, no. :P

This is my second time to feature what Juliette is wearing. Obviously, the show isn't in the same league as Gossip Girl, or Pretty Little Liars, or Sex and The City, as far as this department is concerned. So, I do appreciate that there is a style team working on a show like this. And according to IMBb, it's these people who should get the credit for it:

They are doing a great job not alienating women viewers on Grimm!

SPOILER ALERT 

if you haven't seen Grimm S2 E10!

Who is getting frustrated over what is happening between Nick and Juliette on Grimm?  Or how the storyline involving the Royals is on a slow pace? I would really like to see the connection, if there is any. (There is, right?)

I'm not being impatient. Yet, I'm thinking maybe it would not be so bad to have Capt. Renard and Juliette actually end up together, spell or no spell. Who else is with me on this?? Because that final scene in this week's episode was...something! And I used to not like the captain before. But now? I'm seeing that he's not the ultimate bad guy after all. He's someone's subordinate; a minion, like many of them. Which means, he can turn his ways and change. For her. (Uyyyyy! :P)

Slow-burning plot aside though, Grimm remains in top form. I like this week's episode most especially because of Bud's presence:

While Monroe constantly provides the comic relief for this show, I really enjoyed how the writers made use of Bud more in this week's episode and hope they would have him on regular status. Him and Monroe together would be a riot!

Alright. Sound off in the comments below, if you have something to say about Grimm!

Sara Rue's Transformation in MALIBU COUNTRY

I enjoyed watching Sara Rue back when she starred in Less Than Perfect with Zachary Levi. And although the series was short-lived and unimpressive, Sara's presence lingered on me. At that time, she was still heavy, but it was evident that she has a pretty face (and a talent to boot!)

Over the years, I would watch Sara guest star on shows like The Big Bang Theory and Eastwick, and would notice her gradual weight loss. I don't know her story or how she's able to lose the pounds. There was even a time where she really was so much thinner. But I imagine that being light weight would be an ultimate goal for her since she's working in unforgiving Hollywood, where fat is the enemy.

Anyway, I just wrapped up watching her new series, Malibu Country, and was totally surprised to see Sara Rue looking like a cross between Sonia Vergara and Leighton Meester!

  SEE?!!!

Sara Rue in Malibu Country

Sara Rue in Malibu Country

Sara Rue in Malibu Country

I honestly don't know which Sara I like better. Either way, she looks gorgeous to me. But I also don't like that her character on her new show has to be this rich but ditzy blonde, a Malibu stereotype. I thought she can do so much better. She's a capable, funny actress.

I have no plans of watching the show further than the pilot episode, by the way.  It doesn't seem like it will last longer than six episodes and I really only wanted to see what Sara's up to. Now I did and that's that.

Did you check out Malibu Country like I did? No? Good for you. That's fewer than 30 minutes of time I'm never getting back.

TV Style: Bell Pepper Dress and Scary Spice's Style on THE X FACTOR AUSTRALIA

Scary Spice, Mel B, is looking really better on The X Factor Australia. Not a fan of how she dresses up in general. But on the show, I think she's hired a smarter stylist this year. Most of what she's wearing aren't screaming, "Take notice!" as it is in the past. And yet, I *do* take notice of her now because what she wears highlight all of her best features.

Scary Spice does have a pretty face and her clothes on the showw serve to bring that out.   Gone are the bold, wild colors and prints she used to wear, which clashes with everything else. Instead, she wears dresses with classy fit and happy colors.

On the show this week, she wore this simple yellow dress and matched it with purple lipstick. Purple! The shade she had on is the kind that only a few people can pull off, but look at how amazing it is on her:

Also on The X Factor Australia this week, one of the finalists wore this bell-pepper printed dress. Not too keen on the actual style of the dress, but I'm so digging the print! Never would imagine something like this would be great to wear. You usually find it in curtains, to be honest. But this worked for her (Bella). It's uncommon and original and it complements the artist (she's the quirky type).

Anyway, I'm really enjoying the show this year. Pfft...I think I say that all the time when it comes to Australian talent shows. But they are just so good down under!

TV Style: Tamsin Greig's Piano-Printed Blouse on FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER

Seen on Tamsin Greig's character, Jackie, in the British comedy, Friday Night Dinner. This blouse (shirt? top?) even made it to the script. They wrote a joke about it, as the neighbor, who's been stalking Jackie, tells her he actually knows how to play the piano and then attempted to grope her chest. :D

No idea where this top is sold in the UK or if it's anywhere online. But I just really like how whimsical it is. For someone in her mid-40's probably (I'm talking about the character, Jackie), this top suits her. It's cute, right?

Show Status: How are these new shows doing?

I have to say that many of these new shows have been underwhelming to me, so far. Although I'm enjoying the season, none have really hooked me so well as....maybe Revenge from last year?  I have my issues with Revenge now. But on its first 13-episode run (and before it had been picked up for a full season) the series was, in fact, flawless. There hasn't been anything like that for me with these latest freshmen shows. 

Among the new drama shoqa, even Revolution's popularity hasn't lived up to my viewing pleasure. And I love Nashville and Last Resort, but with their low ratings in total viewership, I'm not sure investing in it would be okay, so I watch these with caution. Elementary has disappointed me so much, I've decided to quit it.

I made a comment about Vegas on my Twitter account, and said that it hasn't been talked about much but look at where it stands. I like that show. There are more rooms for development, but given that it is a procedural, I know the show won't be able to do much with story development.

Under new comedies, I am really, really happy for Go On's mild success and I am hoping the show picks up steam and have me rolling on the floor soon. I find The Mindy Project and The Neighbors quite entertaining, with a few hits and misses. Partners, which has been panned by critics, is a pleasant surprise for me. 

Here is a ranking of where these new shows are:

Top 1: Revolution is leading the crop of new shows and has announced on its Facebook page that it is up for a 2nd season renewal. However, none of that seems to have hit the press and the announcement has been deleted on their page. Despite that, the show surges at 4.3 in the demo and it really is a hit for a struggling network like NBC.

The rest of the rankings are as follows, as posted on Deadline.

2. Elementary  CBS   9-episode order (22)   3.5/9
3. Go On   NBC   9-episode order (22)   2.9/8
4. Vegas   CBS   9-episode order (22)   2.7/8
5. The Mindy Project   Fox  11-episode order (24)  2.6/7
6. The New Normal   NBC  9-episode order (22)   2.5/7
7. Nashville  ABC  TBD  2.4/7
8. Last Resort ABC   2 Scripts   2.3/7
8. Partners   CBS   TBD   2.3/6
8. 666 Park Ave  ABC   2 Scripts   2.3/6
11. The Neighbors  ABC   3 Scripts   2.1/6
12. Ben & Kate   Fox   6-episode order (19)   1.8/5
13. Chicago Fire   NBC   TBD   1.7/5
13. Guys With Kids   NBC   5 scripts  1.7/5
15. Animal Practice  NBC   Cancelled  1.4/5
16. Mob Doctor  Fox   Unofficially cancelled 1.3/3
16. Arrow   The CW   9 Episodes (22)   1.3/4
17. Made In Jersey   CBS   Cancelled   1.1/4
18. Beauty And The Beast   The CW   3 Scripts   0.9/3
19. Emily Owens, MD   The CW   3 Scripts   0.5/1

Noticed that the fate of Nashville and Partners are still undertermined  (I hope these will be kept for another season, please!); while Mob Doctor, which will still air all its 13 episode orders, is basically considered dead.

I'm now eager to see the mid-season offerings from the networks with shows like The Following and Hannibal airing soon. Maybe these shows will totally wow me then.

What about you? Which of these have you seen and how much are you liking it?

Top 28 TV Shows for 2012 Fall Season - 1st Week DVR

As per Nielsen ratings record, these shows topped viewership in DVR (Digital Video Recording) usage during the first week of season/series premieres:

1. Revolution (NBC) 
2. Modern Family (ABC)
3. The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
4. Elementary (CBS)
5. NCIS (CBS)
6. Person of Interest (CBS)
7. Castle (ABC)
8. Hawaii Five-O (CBS)
9. Vegas (CBS)
10. Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
11. The Mentalist (CBS)
12. Criminal Minds (CBS)
13. Glee (Fox)
14. Once Upon a Time (ABC)
15. Grimm (NBC)
16. Blue Bloods (CBS)
17. Revenge (ABC)
18. CSI (CBS)
19. Last Resort (ABC)
20. 666 Park Avenue (ABC)
21. NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
22. Scandal (ABC)
23. Bones (Fox)
24. Private Practice (ABC)
25. New Girl (Fox)
26. 2 Broke Girls (CBS)
27. Two and a Half Men (CBS)
28. The Good Wife (CBS)

DVR usage allows viewers to record shows for watching at a later time. Viewers can fast forward in between commercials or pause the show when they watch. A popular DVR device is TiVo.

That Revolution would top the list is amusing to me because.... the show runs under the premise that sometime in the future, the world's electric power has ceased to exist and it's all back to basics. No one would actually be able to DVR their favorite TV series in a world were Revolution exists. Hee!

Anyway, based on this list, CBS has at least 14 shows, followed by ABC, Fox & NBC. The CW didn't premiere their shows until the 3rd and 4th week of the new season.

This is for the very first week of Fall TV 2012 only. 

TV Style: One Valentino Dress, Two Gorgeous Women from HOMELAND and REVENGE

Tonight, while watching Homeland and Revenge, I've learned that this is the dress to wear when you need to reveal something shocking to the public, by way of a speech:

Next time you have to get on stage, take the floor and speak on the mic, remember this dress. It's a cocktail number from Valentino. The Valentino Techno Couture Rose Shoulder Dress, to be exact.

On Victoria Greyson (Revenge)

On Jessica Brody (Homeland)

So, who do you think wore it better? Jessica or Victoria?

If TV Shows Were Relationships, Mine Would Be...

College Humor has come up with this hilarious post called "If TV Shows Were Relationships" and I could relate to it oh so well.  In the archives of this blog, I think I've discussed about it in passing at one point.

I liked College Humor's take on Lost. That show really took a lot from me. By the time it ended, I was too exhausted to protest and question everything, I took what it gave. I'm not alone in this knowing several viewers of Lost were sore about the show, too. Lost made a sucker out of me. Wiser a few years after it ended, I now see that this show fucked me up big time. I can't easily appreciate complicated stories now. I practice caution, for fear of being sucked into it.

I feel the same way about The Office, but I'm watching its current and final season with renewed interest. I'm learning to love the show all over again. Since I am aware it's going to end this season, I should really be thankful I'm getting a well-deserved closure.

While I'm not geek-crazy about Firefly like many of its hardcore fans, I do get what this is about. It ended too soon, and rather tragically, yes.

##########

We all have this certain emotional attachment to what we watch. If your life basically revolves around watching TV like mine is, the attachment goes deeper. I sometimes do regard these shows like they're "people".

I love a lot of TV, although not every show I watch is a potential "romantic relationship". But following what the original post says --- if TV shows were relationships, these would be the ones I've had serious history with...

• FRIENDS would be my true love. No one can ever measure up to it. It's the one I would marry in 100 churches and re-marry in the after-life.
• HAPPY ENDINGS would be the new relationship after FRIENDS' death, leaving me a young widow. It's a lot like my true love and it does make me happy. But it isn't FRIENDS.
• BAND OF BROTHERS would be my May-December affair. I've learned so, so much from this relationship because this TV show "boyfriend" has so much experience and wisdom.
• FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS would be my ideal marriage, if I ended up marrying it.
• HOMELAND would be my abusive relationship. I mean, this show is so good, it's orgasmic. (Seriously!) But I am always so tensed around it, I know it would be the death of me. 
• GREY'S ANATOMY would be the ex that left me very bitter.  My emotional scars for this run deep.
• FELICITY would be the college relationship I'd remember with fondness. Although I still can't figure out why it didn't work, almost a decade after we've broken up. I can't even remember how we broke up.
• SUITS right now, would be my Summer fling.
• HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER would be the relationship I feel so trapped under. Eight long years and I should've quit it, especially after last year's events. For one reason or another, I'm still holding on. And unlike The Office, I can't find new ways to love this new season. 
• BEVERLY HILLS 90210 would be the first TV relationship; the first love I would eventually grow apart from.

How about you? Which TV show are you so crazy about, it hits you like a love relationship?

ARROW: A Desert-Island Face-Off

I'm not familiar with the Green Arrow mythology, so everything I'm watching from this freshman series, Arrow, is new to me. I can't say a lot about the show's merits (or the lack of it), knowing someone out there could be analyzing the pilot episode to pieces, comparing it with the comic book series.  I did read somewhere that Arrow is a decent translation of the comic book. But I wouldn't know that.

I've never been stuck in a desert island, which was what happened to Oliver/Arrow in the story. But I've seen the movie Castaway dozens of times, and that is, perhaps, the closest I can relate Arrow with.

So allow me to veer off the show for awhile, and pit these two characters in my own... desert-island face-off!

Which character handled being a castoff better? And what can I learn from their experiences?

Oliver Queen
# of years stuck in an island: 5

Chuck Noland
# of years stuck in an island: 4

LANGUAGE

• Learned to speak Russian: Oliver Queen
• Learned to speak to a Volleyball: Chuck Noland

Winner: OLIVER QUEEN

Oliver made use of his time in the island really well and learned another language. He couldn't have learned it before getting stuck in the island. His own mother was surprised he knew Russian. Who knows what other language Oliver learned in those five years? For his sake, I hope it's Chinese. Because that's the language of the future. (Have you seen Firefly??)

The question I have though is...how did he learn Russian in the island? Did he happen to unearth an library there? 

HEALTH & FITNESS

• Pounds lost Chuck Noland: 55 lbs
• Pounds lost Oliver Queen: Unknown 

Chuck Noland

Oliver Queen

Winner: OLIVER QUEEN

Even as he is covered in tattered clothes, it's obvious Queen remained buff all those years. He lost weight in a healthy way. But I've got to ask --- was he able to build his own gym in that island?



Here's a bonus shot with the six-pack, taken immediately after his rescue:

Weeeeheeee. :D

WILDERNESS SKILLS

• Learned to build fire: Chuck Noland
• Learned to build bow and arrow: Oliver Queen

Winner: DRAW

Here is where I am conflicted.

It's no joke to build fire from scraps, everyone knows that. I mean, I've seen Survivor and one of the million things it taught me was that, "Fire is life." --- profound words from Jeff Probst. Heh.

On the other hand,  archery is pretty cool. :D

Since I confess don't know anything about Oliver Queen, I'm not sure if he learned to use the bow and arrow on the island, or it's something he has mastered since childhood, being of privileged upbringing.

In any case, the skill does come handy when foraging for food or fighting wild animals in the forest. So, it's still a winner.

AFTER-ISLAND

Wounded and suffering from post-traumatic syndrome, Oliver/Arrow plots his revenge as soon as returns home. Acting like a vigilante, he keeps a hitlist that includes associates of his father and people who knew him as a child.  He is angry and he seeks justice. Oliver also harbors guilt and shame for the death of one woman, while trying to assure another woman how sorry he is that all these happened.

"She says the island changed me. She has no idea how much. There are many more names on the list. Those who rule my city through intimidation and fear. Every last one of them will wish i died on that island."

Chuck Noland, on the other hand, returned home a broken man with a broken heart. The woman he was to marry ended up marrying someone else, believing that Chuck was already dead. Did he suffer from post-traumatic stress? Yes, he did as I recall. He couldn't sleep in his own bed for days.

But the wonderful thing about him is that he had no vendetta and learned to let go.

We both had done the math. Kelly added it all up and... knew she had to let me go. I added it up, and knew that I had... lost her. 'Coz I was never gonna get off that island. I was gonna die there, totally alone. I was gonna get sick, or get injured or something. The only choice I had, the only thing I could control was when, and how, and where it was going to happen. So... I made a rope and I went up to the summit, to hang myself. I had to test it, you know? Of course. You know me. And the weight of the log, snapped the limb of the tree, so I-I - , I couldn't even kill myself the way I wanted to. I had power over *nothing*. And that's when this feeling came over me like a warm blanket. I knew, somehow, that I had to stay alive. Somehow. I had to keep breathing. Even though there was no reason to hope. And all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that's what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing. And one day my logic was proven all wrong because the tide came in, and gave me a sail. And now, here I am. I'm back. In Memphis, talking to you. I have ice in my glass... And I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly. But I'm so grateful that she was with me on that island. And I know what I have to do now. I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring? 

It's  probably not a great idea to compare their circumstances, because Arrow is kinda dark and dangerous. But they both suffered in the island, that's the one significant thing they have in common. And I like Chuck Noland's outlook better, so this round's winner is...Chuck.

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Oliver Queen wins my face-off, 3 out 4 and I don't really know what that means because --- yeah, let's face it ---  this face-off is a bit stupid. But I do have lots of questions about what has happened to Oliver all those years. And while I know Chuck's story by heart, I can't wait to learn more about Oliver's story.

Were you able to watch the first episode of Arrow this week?

Arrow is developed by Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, Political Animals, Eli Stone) and  Marc Guggenheim (Eli Stone, No Ordinary Family). It airs Wednesdays on The CW (USA).