CMI on TV

How ‘Twisted’ – Lacy’s Dad Digs Dudes
by: Ashley Ciandella | Thursday, August 8, 2013 - 10:45am

Agatha Christie writes: “A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law ...” Except in this week’s episode of “Twisted,” a mother’s love instead twists the law when she confesses to being a killer to deter investigators from suspecting her son Danny of a second murder.

As Chief Masterson tries to piece together the clues and also convince Karen to retract her confession, his daughter and her friends deal with drama of their own. Danny deals with the potential situation of having to move to Arizona if his mother goes to jail, and Lacey finds out a secret about her dad’s life in Seattle.

Hollywood’s obsession with force-feeding audiences...

Suits: Conflict of Interest
by: Evan Mantel | Wednesday, August 7, 2013 - 10:40am

The title of this episode is Conflict of Interest. It should have been called Conflict AND Interest. Or better yet, Conflict and Love Interest. This episode hinged on these two factors: the conflict of insubordination and the affair between Donna and her British boy toy, Steven. 

I'd like to say I’m appalled by the double entendre and salacious banter surrounding the latter, but it would be little more than manufactured outrage. Moral indecencies in a high-powered New York law office? I just can't get outraged over something that I've come to expect. At least the banter was somewhat clever. Silver linings, eh?

Fortunately, Donna's steamy affair was not the main focus of the episode. Instead, it was Harvey’s insubordination in refusing Jessica's command to have the oil executive on trial for murder step down as CEO. Harvey used Darby...

Civil War ‘Under the Dome?’
by: Ashley Ciandella | Tuesday, August 6, 2013 - 10:36am

Anarchy has claimed Chester’s Mill in the seventh episode of ‘Under the Dome.’ Linda and Junior attempt to keep the peace with Barbie’s help, but three people just cannot handle the magnitude of the crises that pop up. Viewers still will not be able to figure Big Jim out as he sinisterly wheels and deals to provide a water supply for the town.

The writers of the show (along with author Stephen King, who wrote the novel off of which the mini-series is based), keep the viewers in total suspense as there seems to be an odd symmetry to The Dome, both literally and metaphysically.

Can Chester’s Mill last much longer in this condition? Some serious life situations are happening that are going to require outside resources soon. Pair that with the ensuing chaos, and it seems like the town is about to enter a civil war.

...

Burn Notice Goes Cold on Two Plotlines
by: Evan Mantel | Friday, August 2, 2013 - 3:08pm

There must be some basic rules must for running two plot lines through a single episode. If there aren’t, there should be. That way we could prevent episodes like this week’s “Burn Notice” episode.

It's not that Burn Notice was a train wreck this week – that probably would have been better. At least a train wreck keeps your attention and provides some post-wreck fodder for the dissection table.

This episode of “Burn Notice” didn't give either. Instead, it merely jerked attention back and forth from one story line to the other. Watching this episode made me feel like Sisyphus, just when I started to get a hold of one plot line, all that effort rolls back down the hill as I'm jerked back to the other plot line.

The new character in Mississippi came out of the blue. I will assume that I just missed James’s financial...

‘Dome’ Keeps Viewers – and Characters – Guessing
by: Ashley Ciandella | Friday, August 2, 2013 - 1:40pm

“What happens when the resources run out?” is the question on every citizen’s mind in Episode Six of the CBS hit summer series “Under the Dome.” As an accident debilitates the town’s water supply, suddenly everyone realizes just how quickly everyday life can turn into a nightmare.

Just as the town thought everything felt stable after the dome sheltered them from a military bomb, panic strikes. Angie manages to escape from Junior after the bomb, but how long does it last? Norrie suddenly has a mission when her mom’s insulin runs out and the clinic has none because the creepy reverend went nuts and burned all the medicine in Episode Five.

Speaking of Norrie, she apparently is a key to the dome, along with Joe. We haven’t figured out what that means yet, but Julia and Dodee are hot on the trail. Linda and Barbie are trying to keep...

S’more Sex at ‘Camp’
by: Ashley Ciandella | Thursday, August 1, 2013 - 2:47pm

Well, just when it seemed that “Camp” was on the track to a decent plot line, it fell back into the sex rut.

This week, we start out by Mack walking in on her son Buzz masturbating to a swimsuit magazine. This is shortly followed by Roger using the word “bone” as much as possible to annoy Mack while on a tour of the camp. Social outcast Marina finds out that a nude sexting photo has been posted all over the camp in order to embarrass her. Sarah has to decide between her boyfriend Robbie and the hot writer she met at Camp Ridgefield. Cole and Roger have a brawl in the back alley of the bar where all of the parents and counselors are socializing one night (who is watching the kids?).

All of this is followed by the coup de gras of Buzz walking in on his mom having sex with Roger (with a mom like...

Suits: New Character Alert!

by: Evan Mantel | Thursday, August 1, 2013 - 9:34am

Welcome to the show, Steven Hundley, Darby's number two man,. And may I vociferously express my disappointment at your level of involvement in this week's episode. 

Let me explain. I watch a few other TV shows throughout the week whose commercials occasionally run previews for episodes of other shows. Every “Suits” promo that I saw featured clips of this new character shaking things up at the New York office of Pearson & Darby.

In short, I was led to believe that his introduction and the conflict that causes would be the main source of drama in this episode. It wasn't. Not even close. 

Rather, much of the drama focused on the oil executive from last week's episode getting dragged into a murder investigation – a fine story line providing plenty of entertainment. But I feel gypped that this character who was so hyped...

‘Twisted’ is, well, Twisted
by: Ashley Ciandella | Wednesday, July 31, 2013 - 11:03am

While the town of Green Grove, New York, is trying to solve the homicide of classmate Regina Crane, sixteen-year-old Danny Desai is trying to adjust back to normal life as a teenager, which usually centers on love.

Of course, as any good ABC Family teenage drama would have it, there is a love triangle between the popular girl, the outcast girl, and the hero/bad boy. Lacey insists on keeping her relationship with Danny secret, as it would ruin her socially. Meanwhile, Jo decides to bare her love to Danny after a study session turned prep talk with Rico, who obviously is crushing on her. Jo’s father, the sheriff, is investigating the murder of Regina, which immediately leads back to the Desai family. Danny’s mother knows something about a key piece of evidence that points to Danny’s involvement, but what?

When a party at Danny’s...

‘Mistresses’: Surprising Food for Thought
by: Evan Mantel | Wednesday, July 31, 2013 - 8:56am

Starting any show midseason is difficult, and as a heterosexual, twenty-something, male blogger, coming late to the prime time soap opera “Mistresses” is a real challenge. Between the numerous characters, the myriad of twisting subplots, and the deception inherent in a show titled, “Mistresses,” I found myself struggling to get hooked by this show.

Still, “Mistresses” provides some interesting food for thought. At one point, April is faced with the task of admitting to her new boyfriend that she has a long and tangled history with her dead-but-not-really-dead husband Paul. (Did I mention that this show is a just a prime time soap opera yet?) When April's friend, Karen, councils omission rather than truth, this scenario, however improbable, (#primetimesoapopera) still confronts the viewer with the...

Getting Acclimated to ‘Camp’
by: Ashley Ciandella | Friday, July 26, 2013 - 3:28pm

Little Otter Family Camp is in full swing in Episode 3 of the NBC dramedy ‘Camp.’ Camp Director Mackenzie Granger is feeling the pressure of dealing with hoity-toity rival Camp Ridgefield (run by her arch-nemesis/hook-up Roger) across the lake, while dealing with her own problems when the Little Otter power grid gets blown. Knowing that the summer mixer between the two camps is coming up, Mack tries to get Little Otter in prime condition to host to the visiting families who expect a high class affair, with a little help from her trusty maintenance man (who is possibly crushing on her) Cole. 

A love triangle forms as Kip realizes that Chloe is stalking him while he tries to deepen his friendship into a relationship with Marina. He has to tread softly though, because Chloe is willing to broadcast his secret to the camp. Sarah and Robbie also are trying...