Casting Couch: Reunite the men of SPORTS NIGHT

Now that Josh Charles is free to work on another TV show (because, if you didn't know --- he friggin' died on The Good Wife last night!), could Parenthood at least have him visit an old friend?

Josh Charles sat next to Peter Krause on Sports Night.
They played anchors Casey McCall (Krause) and Dan Rydell (Charles).
Krause is now on Parenthood.
CLICK THIS PHOTO TO ENLARGE. THEY BOTH LOOK SO GOOD!!!

And perhaps bring along this guy, as he may also be close to death on Scandal, anyway. (I mean, I would guess. That show also loves its surprises!)

Joshua Malina played Jeremy, an executive producer on Sports Night.
He worked with Dan and Casey.
Malina is a State's Attorney on Scandal now.

If this guy ^ doesn't die on Scandal yet, then could Josh Charles suit up and play Will Gardner on his show? Can he team up or go against Malina's David Rosen?

So, Parenthood & Scandal, I'm posing this as a challenge --- who is going to make this reunion happen?

 I need something to help me get over Josh Charles' departure on The Good Wife!!!

[Scandal] Papa Pope is a scary motherfucker

Whenever this man starts delivering his lines on Scandal, I forget to breathe for air until he is done.

When Eli Pope goes off (and he's had several scenes like this, yeah?), I start getting confused about whether I should gasp for air, cower down in shame, call my parents and apologize for something, or just sit there and watch him until I'm so stunned, I turn blue in the face.

I know I'm not alone. You're probably also getting your fill from watching scenes with him unfold. Scandal is by no means great TV for me. But it's scenes like this that makes it so addicting to watch. The writers really know how to hook us, no?

From this week's episode... (Okay, the following is really much better heard than read, but since I can't splice the video into a smaller clip, this transcript should do.)

"You have no idea what happened. You have no idea what is currently happening. You're skipping around in a field full of bombs, and mistaking them for daisies. This...dear...sweet..child is what happened: The married man you can't seem to stay away from had me abducted and locked me up in chains, and spoke to me about the way you taste, while he allowed that terrorist to snake her way into my marriage bed to clear US airspace."

"What happened was.... the man you screw framed me by freeing the woman who gave birth to you as a bargaining chip. What happened was the man who defiled you also defiled an organization I gave my SOUL to build. THAT is what happened."

"What is currently happening is that President Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the Third has made an enemy, the WORST kind of enemy because I know ALL his secrets. I know where EVERY body is buried."

"And the greatest weapon I can use against him calls me DAD."

"Uncommon valor was a common virtue. The thing about that quote, Olivia is that it was from the good old days. It no longer applies today. Everyone is afraid. Everyone SHOULD be afraid. The President should be VERY afraid. And if I were you, Olivia, I would be terrified. I would pick up whatever chips you had left and I would RUN. As far away as possible from that burning building known as the White House. Run, Olivia, run. Because mark my words, Fitgerald Grant is not going to make the end of his term. Watch me."

Scurrry, no?

SCANDAL: WTF?!!! (Why The Face?!!)

Hello. New blog post!

I've been mentally drained the past months coz of work, which is why anything TV-related I want to blog about seems to be enough for this 140-character limit. (Follow me!)

But, as a TV viewer, Shondaland must've really broken me. Because I felt the need to blog and pour my thoughts about her new show Scandal. I guess that this only shows how strong my feelings are about this. (Haters gonna hate, yes?)

Ever since the Danny Duquette brouhaha on Grey's Anatomy, I've been predisposed to dislike anything she does. (It's your work, hon. And it is personal!)

I know I'm being unfair. I acknowledge I have issues I need to work out. But since therapy is expensive, blogging about it would help. Right?

So, let me turn to her show now...

Scandal... A political thriller based on Judy Smith, who used to work under Pres. George W. Bush. The premise seems new to me because I'm not aware of any other crisis-management team like it on TV, so it's supposed to be different from any other cop or law series.

But as the episode unfolds, everything about it is pretty basic and cliche'.

A new girl is welcomed to Olivia Pope's team. She's naive and nervous and she cries on her first day at work because she discovers that Pope, her idol, the best crisis-manager  in the world without the superhero costume, is sort of a monster in high heels.  How long can she stomach working for her? And what's the deal with Pope? Why is there a broom stuck up her ass?

Olivia Pope screams "type A personality". I'm supposed to be scared of her. I'm supposed to believe she's so bad-ass, she can boldly deal with a gun-totting Ukranian kidnapper and he would fold, or even talk back to the President of the United States and he would listen.

But the problem is, I hate her face. Dear gad, how she frowns a lot!  She struts with this scowl tattooed on her. And I'm supposed to be convinced she's fierce?

There's a side to Pope that's also vulnerable, by the way. Her heart was broken at one point. (See? Cliche'!) And it was the kind of heartbreak that reached powerful heights, she must've been really devastated. (I don't wanna give anything away, in case you want to watch.)

I'm not liking this co-worker either:

Her enthusiasm, just like Pope's fierce look, is so unconvincing. There's also a side to this character I'm sure the show will delve into later because as it turns out, Overly-Enthusiastic Lady here is pinning for someone she can't have. And she works closely with this guy.

Something else about Scandal I don't get it is how fast these characters talk. And it's not in the way only the best Aaron Sorkin series would have executed it.

I got the sense that the fast-talk was needed to reel audience in. Since this team is supposed to be working under pressure all the time (hello, crisis-management!), talking fast should give viewers a feel of just how critical the situation is.

The problem was, I was more annoyed, rather than convinced, by it.

Whining aside, I'm gonna stick till three more episodes to see where this goes for three reasons:

1. Scandal had a promising debut and there were feedback from other viewers about liking the show, I must be missing something. And I intend to find out what that is. 
2. Henry Ian Cusick 
3. Joshua Malina

For those of you who've seen the pilot and liked it, please convince me in the comments section below.

For those of you who haven't, give it a try... and perhaps you and I can whine together and resolve our issues. :D