Gilmore Girls

8 Things For Which I Am Thankful…

These are the mostly television related things that I am most thankful for this year. It has been another year of ups and downs and this is what helps get me through it all.

1. No Tomorrow
I wrote an entire post about why I think you should be watching this awesome new CW show, but mostly it just makes me laugh a lot. It is genuine and uplifting, and it is the show that I currently look forward to the most each week. I have actually decided that I am most like Kareema, only she says things out loud and I just think them, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, it has been a great escape these last few months, and I appreciate that more than ever.



2. Lin-Manuel Miranda
Not only do I pretty much have the Hamilton Soundtrack, the Hamilton Mixtape, and the Moana Soundtrack all on repeat right now, but following Lin-Manuel on social media is the best decision I have ever made. Every day, he posts a ‘good morning’ and a ‘good night’ message, and they are always hopeful and encouraging. He is genuine, thoughtful, and supportive, and I just appreciate him. This awesome song from Moana was written by Miranda and sung by Dwayne Johnson:



3. Alfred James Band
When I lived in Philadelphia, I became friends with the Alfred James Band, and even though we have lost touch a bit since I moved to Texas, I was ridiculously excited when they released their second album recently. I had missed hearing these songs, and the album was everything I hoped it would be. I was especially surprised and touched after learning that one of the songs was written for me, and it reminded me that no matter where you go in life, a part of everyone you’ve ever met stays with you forever. You can listen to and download ‘Forgotten,’ as well as the rest of the album here:

4. Gilmore Girls
I probably will not have a chance to watch all four parts of the revival this weekend, but I am so excited!! A part of me is actually a little sad about it, only because I know that once I watch them, then it’s really over. The four words will have been spoken, and there will be no more. But I know that it will be amazing to be back in Stars Hollow with these characters and, for that, I am grateful.

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8 Exciting Things Happening at ATX Television Festival Season Four…

This amazing festival brings together actors, writers, directors, producers, music supervisors, studio executives and fans to talk about the past, present and future of television and it is all happening right here in Austin, Texas! From June 4th to 7th, there will be screenings, panels, parties and live music with some of the industry’s leading professionals. These are the things which excite me the most.

1. James L. Brooks
The recipient of this year’s Achievement in Television eXcellence Award, Brooks is best known for creating The Simpsons, but also worked on The Andy Griffith Show, My Three Sons, Mary Tyler Moore, Taxi, and so many more influential shows. He is participating in a conversation with fellow TV creator & friend Phil Rosenthal, as well as a panel on the evolution and history of The Simpsons.

2. The Whedonverse
Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods, Much Ado About Nothing, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Danny Strong (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Sean Gunn (Angel), Joseph Sikora (Dollhouse) and Jesse Garcia (The Avengers). My Joss-Whedon-loving heart cannot handle the excitement!

3. From Dusk Till Dawn
I only just recently watched this show in preparation for the festival and it is fantastic! The first season follows the Gecko Brothers to Mexico after a bank heist. They are pursued by a Texas Ranger and make a dangerous stop at a strip club that is run by vampires. It is filmed right here in Austin and we are premiering the first episode of season 2. Most of the cast will be here for a Q&A following the screening.

4. Panels…Panels…Panels
A lot of attention is paid to the screenings, but there are also a ton of great panels going on throughout the weekend: CBS Summer Writer’s Forum, Turn Down for What?! A Look at Testing + Focus Groups, The Devoted Niche vs. The Casual Mass: Is It Really All In the Numbers?, Boy Meets Girl Meets World, A Kiss Is Just a Kiss presented by GLAAD, and SO MANY MORE! I do not actually get to see any of these live, but luckily they will all be on YouTube for those of you that cannot make it to Texas. Here is one from Season Three with Faking It creator Carter Covington and actor Michael Willett, moderated by ATX Ambassador Wilson Cruz:

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8 Scenes in the Rain…

April showers bring May flowers and, while we have not yet gotten an April rain here in Texas, I thought it was appropriate to make my list of favorite scenes that take place during or just after rain storms.

1. Ross and Rachel’s First Kiss – Friends
While on a date, Rachel gets drunk and leaves a message on Ross’s answering machine telling him she’s over him. After he hears the message, Ross must choose between Rachel and his current girlfriend Julie.



2. Doug Becomes a Hero – ER
Doug is leaving County General for a private practice and after his last shift, his car breaks down in the rain. A young boy approaches his car and asks for Doug’s help saving his brother, who is trapped in a flooded storm drain.

3. Angel Turns Into Angelus – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
After narrowly escaping Spike, Drusilla and The Judge, Buffy and Angel return to Angel’s apartment, where they have sex for the first time. This moment of pure happiness causes Angel to loose his soul and turn back into Angelus.



4. President Bartlett Decides He’s Seeking a Second Term – The West Wing
The President is not dealing well with the death of Mrs. Landingham and he has also just announced to the world that he has multiple sclerosis. Now, everyone wants to know if he is running for office again.

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8 Christian Characters…

It is the season of Lent and Easter is just five weeks away. Since I gave you my list of favorite Jewish characters during Rosh Hashanah, I decided now would be a great time for my list of favorite Christian television characters.

1. Alba Villanueva – Jane the Virgin played by Ivonne Coll.
Jane’s grandmother is a devout Catholic and sharing her faith with her family was important to her. It did not really stick with her daughter, Xiomara, but Jane took it very seriously.



2. President Josiah Bartlett – The West Wing played by Martin Sheen.
A graduate of the Univeristy of Notre Dame, he quoted scripture often (sometimes in Latin) and even considered becoming a priest before going into politics.



3. Coach and Tami Taylor – Friday Night Lights played by Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton.
Their religion was not something they talked about all the time, but they went to church every Sunday and they always tried to instill their morals in their own children and the students they worked with every day.

4. Harriet Hayes – Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip played by Sarah Paulson.
She was the only Christian on the cast for a SNL-like live sketch comedy show. One of my favorite Harriet lines is from the end of the second episode during a pre-show pep-talk: “We say this prayer in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who had to have been funny to get so many people to listen to him.”

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Quotes of the Week: Feb. 15-21

These are my favorite quotes from the past week, not just from shows currently on the air, but also just random things I happen to be watching.

Shameless
Doctor: “Are you retarded, Frank?”
Frank: “No.”
Doctor: “Then get your shit together.”

The Originals
Jackson: “You brought me a bag of werewolf heads.”
Klaus: “I kind of thought you’d see it as an early wedding present.”

Jackson: “I pledge to honor and defend you and yours, above all others.”
Hayley: “To share in blessings and burdens. To be your advocate. Your champion.”
Jackson: “To be your comfort. Your sanctuary. And for as long as we both shall live.”
Hayley: “To be your family.”
Jackson: “To be your family.”

Gotham
Leslie: “There are plenty of things in this world that can’t be explained by rational science.”
Jim: “Yeah, people who enjoy folk dancing, for instance. Doesn’t mean ghosts exist.”

Jane the Virgin
Jane: “Hey, Rogelio.”
Rogelio: “Dad. You’re locked into Dad now.”
Jane: “Dad. Got it.”

The Flash
Iris: “Do you actually know anything about Physics?”
Mason: “Not a thing. It might as well be in Dothraki.”

Professor Stein: “I’m still inside Ronald.”
Cisco: “There has to be a better way to phrase that.”

Cisco: “You guys are like ten seasons of Ross and Rachel but, just like, smushed into one year.”

About a Boy
Fiona: “Oh, cabbage. You are not what men want.”

Fiona: “Right. Now you’re gonna get a lecture: 1. you’re a rubbish chaperone; 2. you are a *very* poor judge of character; 3. you’re far too tall, Sasquatch; 4. you’re an idiot; 5. snip, snip, snip on your eyebrows, okay? 6. your hair’s too big and it’s not the humidity!”

Agent Carter
Peggy: “Have you ever been hanged, Mr. Jarvis?”
Jarvis: “I can’t say that I have, no.”
Peggy: “It is quite unpleasant!”

Dooley: “I’m supposed to believe that you pulled off your own investigation without any of us noticing.”
Sousa: “Why would you go through all that trouble instead of coming to one of us?”
Peggy: “I conducted my own investigation because no one listens to me. I got away with it because no one looks at me. Because, unless I have your reports, your coffee or your lunch, I am invisible!”

Peggy: “I’ve just thought of something.”
Jarvis: “We’re still attached to a table.”
Peggy: ” We are *still* attached to a table.”

New Girl
Winston: “I will say one thing about that man that I’ve only said about Ryan Gosling: hot damn!”

Nick: “You know what the problem with Jordan Catalano is?”
Jess: “Yeah, an undiagnosed learning disability!”

Nick: “I touched both your mother’s breasts in a communal womb earlier today. I didn’t do it on purpose, but there it is.”

Justified
Constable Bob: “Hell yeah I got a badge. And I got balls like Death Stars. Let’s do this.”

The Goldbergs
Barry: “Erica wins! She called me the TV character I like!”

Pops: “See, the problem here is, you horribly interpreted my advice.”

The 100
Lincoln: “Just let him kill me, then take him out. Please! Your people need you.”
Clarke: “You are my people.”

Hindsight
Lolly: “You look like a scared toon about to be dipped by Christopher Lloyd.”

Suits
Harvey: “I can’t believe it, you have no idea what to say! What’s today’s date? I wanna write this down.”
Donna: “You know what? It’s the 7th of kiss my ass and tomorrow’s the 8th of set your own goddamn meetings.”
Harvey: “Is that the Mayan calendar?”
Donna: “Nope. That’s the Donna calendar.”

Harvey: “Who is *she*?”
Mike: “That’s that lawyer.”
Harvey: “Why didn’t you tell me she was hot?”
Mike: “Because it’s not relevant?”
Harvey: “It is to me.”
Mike: “Why?”
Harvey: “Because she’s hot.”

The Vampire Diaries
Damon: “Today isn’t the worst day of your life. Today and tomorrow, that’s a cake walk. There’ll be people around you day in and day out, like they’re afraid to leave you alone. The worst day? That’s next week. When there’s nothing but quiet.”

Jo: “You can’t throw a pity proposal at a pregnant, ex-witch!”

Hart of Dixie
Wade: “Life was so much simpler before you and I became friends.”

Gilmore Girls
Reverend: “You know, Rory, being a young lady comes with many gifts. Your virtue, for example, is a gift. A precious gift. Possibly the most precious gift you possess.”
Rory: “Uh-huh?”
Reverend: “You wanna give this gift very carefully. It is a gift you can only give to one man. Once you give it, it’s gone. You can’t re-gift it. If you give it away too soon, to the wrong man, then when the right one does come along, you have no gift to give. You’ll have to buy him a sweater. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Rory: “No.”
Reverend: “Think long and hard about when and to whom you want to give the ultimate gift you have to give away.”
Rory: “Oh.”
Reverend: “Yes.”
Rory: “Oh, dear.”
Reverend: “Oh, dear, indeed.”
Rory: “Uhm, well, listen, Reverend, I really appreciate you taking the time out of, what I assume is, a busy day, to come here and talk to me about all of this, but I’m afraid the ultimate gift ship has sailed.”
Reverend: “What?”
Rory: “A while ago. It’s probably in Fiji by now.”

12 Monkeys
Striking Woman: “You’re walking through a red forest and the grass is tall.”

Cole: “Everybody’s got two wolves inside ’em and both of ’em are starving. One wolf is anger, envy, pride. The other is truth, kindness. Everyday they tear each other apart, but it’s not the better wolf that wins, it’s the one you feed.”

8 Beards and Mustaches…

I am a big fan of Movember and No-Shave November, especially when guys who do not normally have facial hair grow crazy mustaches to promote men’s health. So in honor of hairy men everywhere, this is my list of male TV characters with the best facial hair. For a couple of the shows, I have more than one character listed because I could not decide whose was the best.

1. Thomas Magnum – Magnum P.I., played by Tom Selleck.
You cannot have a list about facial hair without Tom Selleck. He shaved it at one point and life was not the same, but he is back rockin’ the ‘stache on Blue Bloods.

2. Seth Bullock and Al Swearengen – Deadwood, played by Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane.
Most of the men on this show had pretty great facial hair, but these two were my favorite. Someone needs to bring back the mustache with a soul patch.

3. Jay Kulina – Kingdom, played by Jonathan Tucker.
Jay is a bit of a wild card and I think his facial hair reflects that. The mustache and chin strap combo is a little crazy looking but it totally works for him.

4. Jax Teller, Opie Winston, Bobby Munson, Tig Trager and Chibs Telford – Sons of Anarchy, played by Charlie Hunnam, Ryan Hurst, Mark Boone Junior, Kim Coates and Tommy Flanagan.
All of these guys have some awesome beards going. Although, it is fun to go back and look at season one when they were a little more clean cut, I definitely prefer their current looks.

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8 Restaurants Where I Would Most Like to Dine…

I am not what you would call a ‘foodie,’ but I do enjoy eating, especially if there is cheese involved. These are my favorite TV restaurants where I would most like to dine, either because of the ambiance or the food that they served.

1. Nolita – Kitchen Confidential
Two words: Bradley Cooper. Also, the food actually looked really good.

2. The Icehouse – Dawson’s Creek
I think it would have been fun to compare Bodie and Pacey’s cooking skills. Who was the better chef? The restaurant was a little classier when Pacey re-opened, but the original location had character.

3. Monk’s – Seinfeld
The one thing that Austin is lacking, in terms of food, is a good Jewish deli. All I’m asking for is a corn beef sandwich with a little cole slaw and Russian dressing, and maybe some matzo ball soup!

4. Rammer Jammer – Hart of Dixie
I don’t know if the food is any good, but they usually have live music or some crazy town event going on, so it would least be an entertaining meal.

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8 Episodes of Gilmore Girls…

The big news on my Twitter timeline this week was that Gilmore Girls is FINALLY being added to Netflix streaming! This is still one of my all time favorite shows, so I thought I would create my list of what I think are the best episodes of the series. I am still firmly on Team Logan, so some of these choices reflect that stance. Please share some of your favorites with me in the comments!

1. Take the Deviled Eggs… Rory attends Sherry’s baby shower and Lorelai gets guilted into joining her. After a lot of ridiculous games and some Christopher stories from Sherry, Lorelai starts to get a little jealous. On the way home, she and Rory decide to devil egg Jess’s new car. The town also gathers for a hilariously unsuccessful political demonstration.



2. A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving Lorelai and Rory have committed to four different Thanksgiving dinners and are trying to pace themselves throughout the day. Sookie has let Jackson be in charge of the turkey and he decides to deep fry it, so she starts drinking. Lane has Dave play during her family dinner and afterwards they share their first kiss. Lorelai also finds out that Rory applied to more colleges than just Harvard and Kirk gets a cat.



3. Raincoats and Recipes Lorelai and Sookie host a practice weekend at the new Dragonfly Inn. Richard and Emily finally admit that they have separated after Lorelai forces them to stay together in the honeymoon suite. Jason tries to get Lorelai back, much to the frustration of Luke, and Dean admits to Rory that he’s not happy in his marriage.



4. Norman Mailer, I’m Pregnant! Trying to make a splash at the Yale Daily News, decides to write an article about a secret society on campus. She discovers that Logan is most likely a member. The accountant for the Dragonfly suggests temporarily stopping lunch service, which makes Sookie very upset. She eventually realizes that she is pregnant again. Rory also asks Christopher to leave Lorelai alone so that he does not mess up her new relationship with Luke. (I could not, for the life of me, find a clip of this episode. The internet failed me.)

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8 of the Greatest TV Pets…

Last week, I lost my best friend in the whole world to cancer. His name was Archie, he was a 13 year old Shetland Sheepdog and I really do feel like I lost a part of myself. What is shocking (and a little weird) is that several of my friends have also had to put their dogs down in the past two weeks or have recently found out that their pets are ill. So, this week’s post is not just in memory of Archie, but also for Charlie, Fleur, Jake, Maddie, Harry, Augie, Alize and anyone else who has lost their friend.

1. Marcel – Friends His favorite song was The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens, he had a thing for Curious George and he eventually became a movie star, how could you not love Marcel?!

2. Backup – Veronica Mars He kind of disappeared after the first season but, when he was around, he always protected Veronica from the bad guys.

3. Wildfire – Wildfire Kris saved Wildfire from being slaughtered and Wildfire saved Kris from her delinquent past so the two became forever linked. In the series finale, Jean and Pablo gave Wildfire to Kris as a wedding present because of their bond.

4. Burt Reynolds – Hart of Dixie He belongs to Bluebell Mayor Lavon Hayes and scared Zoe on her first night in town. He was also once kidnapped by the mayor of neighboring town Fillmore. I just wish we saw more of Burt.

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8 of My Favorite Food-Related Storylines…

My best friend just had her second baby two weeks ago, so in honor of Chase and because his mother requested this list, I present to you my favorite food related storylines.

1. Friends – Rachel’s Trifle This whole episode is one of my favorites, especially when Ross and Monica’s mother calls everybody out at the end, but it all starts with the trifle.

2. Kitchen Confidential – Chef Gerard After one too many bypass surgeries, instead of deciding to start eating healthy, Jack’s culinary school professor chooses Nolita as the location for his very last meal.

3. Seinfeld – Soup Nazi You cannot have a food-related list and not include this episode. It is just so funny and it makes me yell, “No soup for you!”

4. Sons of Anarchy – Chuckie’s Chili Chuckie finds an interesting place to hide a head that was dropped on SAMCRO’s doorstep from the deputies that are searching the clubhouse. They even ask to taste the chili because it just smells so good.

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