Jane's Top Ten TV List 2010

With just a couple of days left before 2011, it's a great time to think about our favorite television gems from the past year. There were a TON of phenomenal programs this year in fact, this could have been a top 20 list. Good TV has become so prolific, watching it all could easily become a full time job. I'm sure I've missed something...but these are the shows that kept me glued to the couch in 2010!

Mad Men (AMC): The Madison Ave men and women grace so many top ten lists, it's almost redundant to add them to mine. But it would be criminal to not include this amazing period piece which is more mini-feature film than any TV drama I can recall. From the intricacies and in-fighting of the ad biz (which I adore) to the character study of smoking hot Don Draper and 60's career woman Peggy...it's the one show that never got recorded in my house. I had to watch it in real time.

Louie (fX): We wrote about it many times on the Nose, in fact it became somewhat of an obsession. Hilarious, profane, heartbreaking, insane and sometimes so creepy it was almost unwatchable. This show within a show about stand up comedian Louie CK, his divorce, his adorable daughters and his NY friends was the most original effort on television this year. I am soooo getting the boxed set when it comes out, because each episode is infinitely re-watchable.

Breaking Bad (AMC): The bleak, cold high plateau of New Mexico...the double life of Walter White and his Meth cooking lab....the evolution of Jessie from drug addict loser to moral compass. Woven between it all the relentless terrorism, and mesmerizing violence of the Mexican drug cartels. Which happens to be more relevant this year than ever before. Where will this series go now that Walter has lost his brain cancer motivation for crime? Who cares, I'm coming along with them.

Nurse Jackie (Showtime): You haven't lived until you belatedly get Showtime and then dive into an entire season of Nurse Jackie over a period of 3 days. Thank you, On Demand. Yes, I had a total immersion NJ marathon and I LOVED it. Edie Falco rules the roost as Jackie, but the entire cast is absolute gold. I'm particularly fond of Zoey, the youngster who brings comic relief to the grim hospital setting. Also love Jackie's BFF Dr. O'Hara, who had an interesting twist with a lesbian turn this season. Nurse Jackie, along with Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Dexter, has character duplicity as a core plot device. Who are these people? Why are they doing such terrible things? And why does nobody notice except for us?

Modern Family (ABC): As an ABC alumni worker, I can't say how much I adore seeing the alphabet network with a top comedy hit. Every character in this series is hilarious, even the teenage girls. And teenage girls usually suck the laughs out of every scene they're in. My personal favorites are Mitchell and Cameron, the gay couple raising Lilly, the world's most stoic adopted baby. Catch Mitchell's song about "not biting" on the ABC website, it will give you an ear worm.

Dexter (Showtime): Sweaty Miami, Cuban Mojitos, swamps with dead bodies in barrels....and amidst it all, our Dexter of the enigmatic smile. He found true love this season with Lumen (Julie Stiles) but lost it in real life with Jennifer Carpenter, who plays his sister Deb on the series. Yes, it is fraught with peril to date your co-workers and even more hazardous to marry them. Let's hope all the dust settles before the next season so we can root for America's favorite serial killer once again.

Glee (Fox): Now that American Idol has jumped the shark, Fox should thank its lucky stars for "Glee". AI is toast. Would I watch it without Simon Cowell? Not in this lifetime. There is no musical show on TV as strong as Glee. We love the characters (especially breakout girl Britney, who is the funniest dumb blond on TV), and the music is fantastic. Some episodes don't quite make the mark (Rocky Horror was a horror), but most are award winning. If "Grilled Cheesus" doesn't get an Emmy I will be shocked.

Great Migrations (National Geographic): Even though I have not been able to watch the entire series because Comcast prices Nat Geo out of my reach (hateful!), I've seen enough episodes On Demand to know that this is one of the most beautifully filmed nature programs to ever grace the small screen. To watch the Monarch Butterfly migration (followed because they were able to attach a tiny, almost microscopic camera to a butterfly wing) was beyond amazing. On an HDTV it was sublime. Truly the most beautiful documentary series ever. It's the Rose Parade of wild life programs. I'm afraid I'm going to have to pony up for the DVD when it comes out.

Entourage (HBO): I never tire of the escapades of the "boys" as they zoom around So. Cal. in their inappropriate sport utility vehicles adding more smog to Hollywood-land. When is Vinnie going to get a Tesla? He could afford it. Although when last seen, our star was exploding like a supernova, with his porn g.f. dumping him and a bad coke habit wrecking his career. We love Hollywood, and we love cliff hangers. Can't wait until next season to see Ari, Drama, Lloyd and all the young Turks as they pull it out of the fire.

30 Rock (NBC): Liz Lemon, you are our Queen. You are the girl we always wanted to be...a Mary Tyler Moore for the 21st Century. Your glasses...your ham obsession...your fearless and proud braininess. You deserve happiness with a cute pilot or astronaut. But you will probably end up (some season faaaarrrr in the future) with our beloved favorite TV mogul Jack Donaghy. Kenneth can be the best man and Jenna the Maid of Honor. Oh please, at least let it happen as a dream sequence! Actually, the dream is that NBC has managed to create a comedy about television that works on a million levels. Bravo to the Peacock!

And before we close...a special word for our sponsors. I have to give mention to two favorite commercial characters; Isaiah Mustafa, the "I'm on a horse" hottie who made Old Spice cool again and Stephanie Courtney who plays "Flo" on the Progressive insurance ad. Both are originals and immensely appealing.

Happy New Year everybody!

Love is in the Air on Dexter

Only one more episode left for Dexter's 5th season and I'm feeling a little sad about that because he's finally found the girl of his dreams. Everything about Lumen (guest star Julia Stiles) is perfect: she's a victim (like him) and now a vigilante serial killer (the family that plays together stays together). Also, I can't help but notice that they LOOK like identical twins. The same dirty blond hair, wide cheek bones and penetrating brown eyes. They were separated at birth. It was a narcissist's delight the first time Dexter and Lumen had a roll in the hay. I wanted them to leave their matching black leather gloves on.

This season has been intriguing on many other levels too. I happen to think that Peter Weller's bad cop was one of the most menacing and terrifying characters that "Dexter" has introduced yet. He looked like he could snap at any moment and boil a bunny or blow Miami sky high. He's evil with a bit of joie de vive, sort of like Stephen King's Walking Dude devil in The Stand. I must confess I've had a crush on Peter Weller since Buckaroo Bonzai back in the 80's. "No matter where you go, there you are". Well his character has gone to a quick demise, dispatched Dexter style in the back of van. I believe I will miss him and his coiled-like-a-snake energy.

The other romance that has become fascinating and almost sweet (if that adjective could ever be applied to the best female potty mouth on TV) is the on again off again flirtation between Deb and Quinn. Poor Quinn was outed for conducting his own investigation of Dexter and Deb dropped him like a hot potato. But she still has feelings for the NY Irish cop (who wouldn't?) and seems determined to get her heart drop kicked and stomped on once again. Oh how I wish for a season end surprise where Deb actually gets to find some semblance of normal love. Hope springs eternal.

I think this may not have been one of the very best Dexter seasons, but even a lesser Dexter is still a delight. His evolution as a father, brother, and now (new) boyfriend to Lumen has been measured and riveting. There will be an empty hole on Sunday nights for me when this show is done. Catch the season finale this Sunday on Showtime at 9pm.

A Few More Demented Dives about Dexter

It's dark...it's cold...and more than one Flaming Nose blogger's thoughts have turned to Dexter. I have been following it closely this season, now that I finally have Showtime again, and it is as riveting as ever. At this time, I would like to piggy back onto Lisa's Dexter post to point out a few additional items that I've been obsessing over lately.

1) What's Up with all the Bad Luck for Women? The last time a series was more fraught with peril for female characters was when a pioneer lady married Ben Cartwright on Bonanza. All of his wives ended up six feet under, and the women of Dexter are (mostly) cannon fodder for serial killers or very, very unlucky in love. I don't mind the new guest character Lumen (Julia Stiles) but my favorite is, and has always been, Dexter's intrepid cop sister Debbie Morgan. She is one of the most refreshing and honest (and salty tongued) characters on TV. This season has her poised for yet another horrible heartbreak with fellow detective Joey Quinn. I always thought the two of them would make an interesting couple, but let's just say that so far...it doesn't bode well. Lt. LaGuerta is also having problems with her hot headed new hubby Angel Batista. This season is making a really good case for avoiding romance in the work place.

2) The Most Important Meal of the Day. The other point I'd like to make, and I've wanted to do this for years, is that the opening credit sequence for Dexter is about as good as it gets. I'm sure the close up of Dexter shaving... the drops of blood... the fleshy pork chop filleted with a sharp knife, are all supposed to repel and fascinate. For me, the open (and I never get tired of it) only means one thing. Time to eat! Does anyone else get ravenous when they see what Dexter is going to have for breakfast? When he grinds that coffee (I'm sure it's a premium French Roast) and fries those eggs, I want to pick up a fork and dig right in along with him. And the blood oranges! Not an easy fruit to find, but boy are they yummy if they're available!

I love the carnival calliope music behind the breakfast open, and tried all week to write some appropriate lyrics to go along with it. Very hard to rhyme bloody hot sauce, eggs and thin white t-shirts, so I passed on that effort. Instead, I would like to offer two heartfelt Haiku poems, as homage to the Dexter series open, which I am putting below in case anyone needs to be reminded of its glory.

Haiku #1
Sizzling pork chop shot
Add the drops of Tabasco
Blood orange looks sweet.

Haiku #2
Tasty Dexter food
Crunchy meat and bright fried eggs
Don't forget to floss!

Happy Birthday to Michael C. Hall!

The Flaming Nose wishes a very Happy 39th Birthday today to one of our favorite performers, the talented Michael C. Hall. We send our greatest hopes for continued health and happiness to Mr. Hall, the star of two of our favorites series, Showtime's Dexter and his previous success HBO's incredible Six Feet Under.

Mr. Hall is seen in the above photo with his Dexter co-star and wife, the equally gifted Jennifer Carpenter. If you're as much of a MCH fan as we are, you'll want to check out the Michael C. Hall Online webpage, and this article about his recent win at the Golden Globes, including some info on his ongoing successful battle against cancer.

Happy Birthday, Michael C. Hall! You make television worth watching!

Why Do We Love the Bad Boys of TV?

It occurred to me the other day that many of the most popular male characters on television today are so relentlessly unlikeable, they never would have had a chance in a prime time show 20 or 30 years ago. They are bad to the bone, and yet we love them; just look at all the Emmy awards, critical acclaim and sky high ratings these guys deliver.

In fact, our love affair with the bad guys is so prevalent on TV today, it's difficult to find a central character in a series who isn't terrible, or at the very least hopelessly flawed and unforgiven.

Ground zero for popular evil-doers is Tony Soprano, loving mafia patriarch and homicidal maniac. Poor Tony is now floating around a diner in New Jersey forever, but we have many naughty spawns to keep us entertained. The Nose bloggers have made no secret of their love for Showtime's Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a serial killer who carves up his victims with no more thought than what you would give to buttering a slice of toast for breakfast. Then we have AMC's Walter White (Bryan Cranston) on Breaking Bad. Every one's favorite high school chemistry teacher is secretly cooking crank in a Winnebago, and urging one of his former students to murder the drug thugs who get in his way.

Less murderous, but just as mean in his own anhedonic way is Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) on Fox. This pill popping Vicodin addict never met a patient or co-worker that he liked, but we tolerate his inhumane behavior because of his brilliant diagnostic talents. He has the bedside manner of Godzilla. I just hate him. I'd rather see Dr. Mengele if I woke up in the emergency room, but I'll never miss an episode.

Now we also have the very troubled Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) on fX, returning for a fifth season of Rescue Me. He's usually drunk or high, he cheats on wives and girl friends and he hates his dead father with a passion. He is the embodiment of anger (I think that's why we love him, everybody is so angry these days) and when he isn't boiling over with existential rage, he's jumping into flaming buildings to save complete strangers.

Is there any main male character out there who isn't bad? Don Draper on Mad Men (adulterer), Homer Simpson (donut glutton and screw-up), Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock (selfish TV Titan without a soul).

I remember hearing once that the original pilot for All in the Family had one of the lowest research testing scores in the history of television. People just couldn't believe that Archie Bunker could say such awful things. But good old Archie was really a marshmallow, underneath his bigoted barbs. Today's bad boys would eat him alive!

Dexter and Deb Got Married!!!

We are not usually given to gossip on the Nose. Passionate commentary and salamanders are much more our cup of tea. However this story is so delicious, I just had to give it a quick mention. Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter who play brother and sister on one of our favorite shows, "Dexter", have actually tied the knot in real life. Yes, the affection we saw between siblings within the program actually had some significant sizzle in real life. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were married in Big Sur, California on New Year's Eve.

Now THAT's going to make the next season of Dexter really interesting!

Dexter Goes a Little Crazy -- A Great Moment from Last Week's "Dexter" Episode

About Last Night -- Wherein Dexter discovers that Miguel has been playing him, but good.



With HBO's TrueBlood finished until new episodes appear next summer, we can now concentrate fully on the last three episodes of Showtime's Dexter. This season has a been a good one for our serial killer, with a bravura and chilling performance by Jimmy Smits as Dex's confidante and co-conspirator. We've learned that Smits' Miguel Prado has gone rogue, throwing off Dexter's Code to murder his professional enemy, defense lawyer Ellen Wolfe, played with great verve by Anne Ramsay. Seeing her dead at the bottom of the open grave was a grim moment, and especially so for Lt. LaGuerta who had become Ellen's close friend (and though I think they were both supposed to be straight, I felt they might have tumbled into bed at some point, or was I just reading too much into their girl talk?). LaGuerta also took it on the chin last season when her good friend and ex-partner/lover Doakes was murdered by the evil Lila. Lauren Velez as LaGuerta has been especially superb in these last few episodes.

As we've said before, we're not so wild about the whiny wedding planning obsession of Dexter's girlfriend Rita, but we were on the edge of our seat as Deborah and Quinn (Desmond Harrington) raced to save her new boyfriend/informant Anton (David Ramsey) from more torture at the hands of The Skinner. We love that Angel finally has a girlfriend, too, the tough but appealing Lt. Gianna played by Kristin Dattilo. Is she going to be too street-wise for Angel? I don't think he was too thrilled to discover that she hit it off with Masuka, sharing bizarre sex practice information with the enthusiastically pervy forensic investigator.

Considering that we're only three episodes away from the conclusion of this season, it doesn't feel like Dexter's been quite as viscerally involving or richly-plotted as the first and second years of the show, but there have been other pleasures. This season has been more domestic, more emotional, very different but still very compelling and getting more so, thanks so much to Smits' excellent work and his excellent chemistry with Michael C. Hall. Were Smits not so much fun to watch as he sinks further into his mania, with Dexter desperately trying to keep him in check, this season might have been a bit of a let-down. But it's not, not even close.

Don't miss tomorrow night's Dexter episode on Showtime!

News about "Dexter" Season Three Casting!

Let's just give it to you from the horse's mouth, the Showtime announcements page, dated 6/6/08:

"EMMY® AND GOLDEN GLOBE®-WINNER JIMMY SMITS JOINS THE CAST OF SHOWTIME'S PEABODY AWARD WINNING SERIES DEXTER

Emmy® and Golden Globe® award-winner Jimmy Smits will wade into the murky world of Miami’s most notorious serial killer as he joins the cast of SHOWTIME's top-rated drama series DEXTER. Smits will be featured in ten of the third season's 12 episodes which are scheduled to premiere this fall on SHOWTIME.

Smits will portray Miguel Prado, an ambitious, charismatic assistant district attorney who comes from one of Miami's most politically powerful and beloved families. Dexter will join forces with Prado – who's risen in the ranks due to his aggressive stance against crime – in the pursuit of a murderer who affects both of their lives directly.

Best known for his many prominent television roles from L.A. Law, N.Y.P.D. Blue and The West Wing, Smits has enjoyed a diverse career in television and film. He earned eleven Emmy® nominations, including a win for Best Supporting Actor in Drama Series for his work on L.A. Law. Additionally, he has been nominated four times for a Golden Globe®, winning once for Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series - Drama for N.Y.P.D. Blue. Other recent TV credits include CANE, on which he also served as Executive Producer, and the award-winning movie Lackawanna Blues. His film credits include Mi Familia, Price of Glory, Star Wars: Episode II and III, The Jane Austen Book Club and is currently filming the independent Mexican film "Backyard" from director Carlos Carrera.

One of the most acclaimed series on television, DEXTER stars Michael C. Hall (two-time Golden Globe®-nominee) as a complicated and conflicted blood-spatter expert for the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer. The show will receive a prestigious Peabody Award later this month and was twice named one of AFI's top ten television series. The show also stars Julie Benz, Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez, David Zayas, C.S. Lee and James Remar."

I'd say this is certainly great news for Dexter fans; Smits is an interesting actor and would seem to be a terrific fit for one of TFN's favorite series. We've now gotten just a hint of next season's plotline -- hmmmm...a murder that affects both of their lives? -- and if Smits turn on the show is anywhere near as effective as Keith Carradine's guesting as Det. Frank Lundy last season, they've got a winner.

We're so eagerly awaiting this next batch of Dexter episodes that it hurts!

"Dexter" on CBS No Killer in the Ratings, but...

Did you watch the expurgated Dexter on CBS Sunday night? If you didn't know the original, I'm not sure you would have missed the earthier dialogue or shots. It cleaned up well, but the one thing I found that set it apart (and obviously so) was Dexter's structure. It wasn't meant to be chopped into multi-segments and doesn't have that familiar TV rhythm that sets you up for the commercial breaks, but that's not a fatal flaw. It just feels different...good, actually.

Most importantly, to Dexter's credit, it lacks all the fake melodrama that permeates most of network TV drama. It's a breath of fresh air -- well, as fresh as the breath of a serial killer, anyway.

In terms of ratings, NBC's new version of Knight Rider (god help us) won the 10pm hour, with Dexter coming in close behind ABC's Brothers and Sisters. Not a smash for Dexter, but not bad. Not bad at all. I'm sure one of our ratings experts here will be able to tell what the numbers meant in sheer audience figures, which will be fascinating to compare in light of Showtime's limited cable reach vs. CBS's broadcast ubiquity.

It's Official -- "Dexter" on CBS in February

This just in: the first season of Showtime's hit series --and The Flaming Nose's fave, too-- Dexter will air on CBS Sunday nights beginning in February. The cleaned-up versions of the gritty, grisly and gruesome (especially in the 1st season!) episodes will be broadcast at 10pm beginning Sunday, Feb. 17th, and continue for the next eleven weeks.

Pictured above are Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall as Debra and her brother Dexter, just two of the wonderful actors that mainstream America will now be able to enjoy with the broadening of Dexter's viewing base, by many, many multiples.

Obviously Dexter is a great fit--at least promotion-wise--with CBS' many crime dramas, but the inclusion of Dexter could have the unintended side-effect of making all those other shows seem just a little bit lame in comparison. It will be interesting to see how the show feels with the rougher and bloodier edges honed away, but the excellence will remain intact, no doubt.

Season One of Dexter was incredible, what with the whole Ice Truck Killer thing, and what a treat CBS viewers have in store for them! Dexter, welcome to Middle America!

P.S.: Check out this detailed article from yesterday's Variety with more information on the Dexter CBS pick-up. Interesting remarks from a Dexter producer about the appropriateness of Dex as a character for mainstream TV, and from a Showtime exec who says that the show, cut-down, will be "exactly" the show it was and that that cuts are things that nobody would miss. That's pushing it a little, but let's assume the edits will be done well and won't hurt the show, at least. I love the show, too, and I understand the exigencies of making the show suitable for CBS, but hey, they're cutting it. It won't be the same. That's just the way it is; you can't pretend otherwise. But don't worry, it will probably work just fine. It's that good.

Happy New Year Flaming Nose Fans

What would the end of the year be without yet another top 10 list? Here is mine, for all of our Flaming Nose fans around the world (all 12 of you). May you all have a prosperous and peaceful New Year. And may the power of television and the Internet bring us closer in the days to come.

Here we go, in no particular order...

• Best Ending in a TV Series Ever...The Sopranos-I still feel high when I remember that unprecedented cut to black. Amazing, shocking, and I still think that the onion rings on the diner table signified that Tony lived through the "circle of life".
• Weirdest Nod to Sub-Sub-Cult...The Entourage episode when Drama hooked up with a "Furrie" fetish girl and did the dirty deed in a full body squirrel suit. I'm going to have to guess this was a first for television.
  
• Greatest TV-Internet Event that Nobody Ever Heard of: When local TV affiliate KNBC broadcast the funeral of local town (Torrance California) hero on streaming video. Private Anzack had been captured and killed in Iraq and Torrance citizens honored him with full honors and a horse pulled caisson through the streets of their mid-sized California town. This sad and proud moment proved that small moments can be beautiful when TV and web merge to broadcast local events.
• Funniest Actor on TV...Alec Baldwin as the glorious Jack Donaghy on NBC's Great, Great, Great comedy 30 Rock. Not since the Dick Van Dyke show has a show about TV been this smart, funny, and magnificent. And Alec Baldwin is the absolute soul and pilot of the show. As an actor and a human being, he's had a rough year. As a character, he is top of the heap.
• Best Internet Television...Everything is YouTube, blah blah blah. That could all change on a dime. Here is a place where you can find short form user generated video as well as traditional long form television programming! All for free, of course. MySpace TV HuLu has it all; a place for TV fans to click onto many, many versions of great TV past and present. It's better than candy.
• Best Sidekick...Dwight Schrute (Rainne Wilson) For eveyone who has followed his manic path through this season's episode's of The Office, who would not worship the demented Dwight? From his unrequited, almost heroic love for boss Michael, to his clumsy pursuit of Angela, the blond office Nazi. Yeah, there was a terrible moment involving a cat in a freezer (we all felt really bad about that and talked about it endlessly the next day at work). Never mind, Dwight is the sidekick waiting to happen, he could go Supernova if the writer's strike ever ends.
  
• Best Weird Serial Killer Show...Dexter on Showtime. See past 10+ blogs on the Flaming Nose for details.
• Best Tech Moment...Finally in 2007, the prices got low enough to purchase an HDTV. And this Flaming Nose correspondent is here to tell you that it is...glorious, beautiful, heavenly. I got it a couple of months ago, and I can just barely remember TV life prior to its existence. Strangest thing to notice on HDTV---all the guys on regular TV series look like they are wearing lipstick (they are, we just never noticed in the old format). Best thing to watch so far in HDTV--The Discovery Channel. You just can't beat the glory of nature in high-Def!
• Most Innovative TV Hit that Didn't Stand a Chance...Flight of the Conchords on HBO. Who would have dreamed that a half hour comedy about a couple of down and out folk singers from New Zealand (and their frequent bursts into song) would be the most darling show on TV? I can't wait for its return.
• Best Overall TV Episode of the Year...The season finale of "The Extras" on HBO, broadcast in December. It had everything...EVERYTHING...that the best of television should ever have. Fall down funny. Surprise. Heartbreak. If you look in the dictionary under "perfect TV", you will see a picture of Ricky Gervais in the Extras.

Special Memorial Mention for 2007: We mourn the passing of Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers, both most well known for their feisty double entendres on the classic game show THE MATCH GAME. You can still see their hilarious and edgy banter on the Game Show Network.

God Bless and a Happy New Year to all the Flaming Nose Fans!

---Jane

"EveryBody Lies" (Don't Read if you Have Not Seen Season Finale)

It's over. I feel strangely detached. Sort of like Dexter, I suppose. The season two finale has come and gone. Sgt. Doakes became the sacrificial lamb in a spectacularly staged explosion reminiscent of Apocalypse Now, and Lila was butchered for her treachery.

The brilliance of this episode, and in fact, of the entire season, was the underlying tapestry that "everyone lies". They are either lying to themselves like Angel, who saw first hand that Lila was Satan in a tank top, but followed her down a dark path with his libido leading the way. They are lying to themselves like Debra, who was too deeply in denial to see small lies (like Agent Lundy pretending that he would ever be anything but an aging workaholic), or monumental lies (like the creepiness at the underbelly of her own brother, who leads the ultimate double life). Even Rita the sugar queen is lying...to herself, to her kids. She is the type who wants everything to be fine, but that's never going to happen. There is never a fairy tale ending for people like Rita. The most she can ever hope for long term is an affordable mobile home and a beer bellied boyfriend who doesn't beat her. Instead she has Dexter, who she thinks is a God, but is instead the dark sociopath that walks among us with a box of donuts and a pleasant smile.

I feel very sad that Sgt Doakes had to die so horribly, and that his last days were torturous. That Dexter doesn't show any remorse whatsoever, even though he put Doakes in harms way, is immensely troubling. Dexter, killer of bad guys, has now caused a good cop's death, and he's so delighted to be off the hook, he's practically skipping off to Rita's for a little post murder roll in the hay. Please pass the pancakes before I gag.

Dear old Dad said, "don't get caught", but that's exactly why I'll be tuning in next season. I think Dexter will be going down.

OK, Nose fans, it's time to end the Dext-Fest and go on to some lighter fantasy fare. "American Idol" anyone? How about "Lost"? Both are right around the corner!

"Dexter" Final Episode Countdown: 3 Hours to Go!

Our Favorite Villainess, Lila West, aka Lila Tournay.

Boo. Hiss.

Expertly played by Jaime Murray.

"Dexter" Final Episode Countdown: 6 1/2 hrs. to Go!

"Dexter" Final Episode Countdown: 9 Hours to Go!

"Dexter" Final Episode Countdown: 12 Hours to Go!

Well, at least in my time zone...close enough to start getting excited!

Golden Globe Noms -- Michael C. Hall, at least...

Flaming Nose readers will be happy to hear that FN favorite Michael C. Hall, who is so amazingly good in the title role of Dexter, has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor, Drama Series. Oddly, the show wasn't nominated as Best Drama, which is a bit of a drag. Oh well...we all know what the Best Drama is already, don't we?

We will all be rooting for our favorite serial killer!

Congratulations on the nomination, Michael C. Hall! And also congrats to one of our other favorites 30 Rock which received nominations for Best Comedy, Best Actress in a Comedy for Tina Fey, and Best Actor in a Comedy for Alec Baldwin. Also to Ricky Gervais and Extras (what a sublime series that is...), which received noms for Best Comedy and Ricky G. for Best Actor in a Comedy. And another Flaming Nose favorite, Kevin Dillon for Best Supporting Actor for Entourage.

If you're interested in the entire nomination list, check out this article from Zap2It.com.

Dexter, We Hardly Knew Ye

And, as the last days of Dexter (season two) draw near, we are left to wonder....who the Hell is Dexter anyway? Our hero's Code of honor is kaput, the Feds are closing in, and Sgt. Doakes (poor thing) is still in a cage...all with one episode left to go. Oy vey.

The ambivalent Dexter is very conflicted, and that leaves us all feeling the same way. His relief at deciding to turn himself in to the feds felt very real. His decision (after a good steak and a few beers with Deb) to keep being true to his righteous serial killer self felt...well...crazy. And isn't that the kicker right there? Dexter IS crazy! It is only through the amazing acting skills of Michael C. Hall and phenomenal loopy script writing, that we have been able to accept good old Dexter, as just that cute boy next door who has an unusual hobby. For me, the hobby crossed the line into big time creepy, when he hosted Rita and the kids on his boat for a little pre-prison R and R. This was the first time the little ones (who clearly adore Dexter) were brought into his physical world. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who found the thought of them running around the deck that once held mounds of chopped body parts, not just a little stomach churning.

Oh Dexter fans...where do we go from here? The teaser for next week's final episode hints at an apocalyptic explosion in the swamp. We know that our Dexter won't be caught in the flames (spoiler haters, go take a bathroom break) as Lisa has already assured us there will be a third season. We most fervently hope that Doakes won't be caught in the flames, as Erik King's brilliantly nuanced performance has made this caged Special Agent a hugely sympathetic and engaging character. I love Angel to death, but as they said over and over again in this episode, he was warned about Lila. All bets are off for Angel's survival.

Ah yes...Lila. Here's what I think Dexter-ites, and I don't care a bit if it's trite. I'm hoping there is an eleven foot Gator out there in the Everglades who likes lean meat.

One. More. Dexter. Episode. Left. We will all need a 12 step program to get us through Dexter withdrawal until Season # 3!

The Penultimate Dexter

Okay, guys, we're getting down to the wire now, only two more Dexter episodes on tap for this season. Oh, it's going to be hard to say goodbye for a while, and even harder to fathom as we sit, ten or so hours away from watching tonight's episode, what the hell's going to happen to wrap this season up.

Everybody's in a pickle -- Dexter with Doakes and Lila and Rita and Lundy, Batista with Lila, LaGuerta with Lundy and Debra, Debra with Lundy (sort of, though they did have a good talk about things last ep), Lundy with the new guy agent Adams (I'm surmising, per the scene previews on the Showtime website).

Dexter is feeling the pressure, my friends, and though as before the speculation is rampant all over the online Dexter community, there are no perfect solutions, as Dexter is doubtlessly finding out. Kudos to Michael C. Hall for continuing to make his portrayal of our favorite serial killer the best performance on television, and shout-outs to all the cast, who have been at the top of their game. Special mention to Erik King as Sgt. Doakes, who been able to believably maneuver Doakes over the line from belligerent asshole bugging Dexter (and we all hated him for it) to contemplative captive trying to figure out how to get out of his grim predicament (and we feel for him).

Wow. Can't wait until tonight! We will be having our Dexter follow-up posting here as soon as possible after the episode. Watch Dexter on Showtime tonight, with two showing back-to-back at 9p and 10p ET/PT. (I definitely recommend watching the Dexter eps several times; they only get better!)

We're All Feeling Dexter's Pain

I'm with Jane on this week's Dexter. An excellent episode, and I found it an extremely tense one with so much coming to a head, and no perfect solutions in sight.

It's all quite horrible, isn't it? The one sort of bright spot is the bittersweet Deb/Lundy thing, as Jane mentioned. At the risk of verging into soap opera here (but I'm going to anyway), I think Lundy was surprised that their little romance had so touched her, and Deb was also similarly alarmed--and hence hurt and hostile--to find that she really likes him and had actually dared to envision something more between them in the future. Quite sweet and our Deb is growing up, it seems. We know from Season One and her relationship with Rudy that a little romance goes a long way with her. She's not used to it maybe but does respond to it, surely. Lundy is light-years away from her usual boyfriends, to be sure. And I'm not discounting the possibility that Lundy could still have suspicions about Dexter as the BHB, and might be playing, if not actually using, Deb in some way in the investigation.

Ohmigod. Lila. Railroading poor sincere Angel (watch the previews for more on this.) Jane is right. She must die.

The Dexter/Doakes scenes were chilling and scary, and there's going to be more of that next week. Unbearable revelations for Dexter, and too much horror for Doakes. Hard to believe.

There's a lot to wrap up in the next two weeks, and it's going to be some ride! Be sure to visit the Showtime Dexter site for previews and extended scenes from the upcoming episode. (Look under Video).

Also in Dexter news, in today's writers' strike world where nobody knows how the current season is going to be played out, CBS head Les Moonves has made statements that CBS (a corporate sister to Showtime) could be looking to pick up Dexter for use on the broadcast network. If so, even cleaned-up and made broadcast-safe, Dexter would be the best thing on TV, and I guess those of us who have loved it since the beginning can stand around saying "I told you so."