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    Some great writing by Jill Solloway:

    Borshoi:  Relax.  Life happens.  Isn't that the whole point of SFU?

    JOHN TETI:  Don't know if this matters, but just FYI:  The URL for this write-up for The Trap says "Making Love Work", just as the URL for the previous write-up, for "Nobody Sleeps", says "The Trap."

    Loved the potato salad scene.  I was so afraid she'd then try to flush it, and it would back up the toilet, spilling out onto the bathroom floor.  SFU's always been great with symbolism, and here, at one of her low points, Ruth the nurturer-through-food is forced to treat her food as if it's shit.

    Great episode.  This was another Alan Ball script (co-written with Bruce Eric Kaplan); directed by Jeremy Podeswa, who directed five SFU episodes in all, including The Invisible Woman from season two (written, coincidently, by Kaplan), and one of my favorite
    episodes of season four, Parallel Play (where it took me a

    Some of the AVC TV reviewers do fall into this odd habit of souring on a series if it doesn't develop along the lines they want it to, instead of just accepting a show's own vision.  This seems to happen here a lot with shows like Dexter, True Blood, and now Ray Donovan (at least for the pilot episode. I stopped

    Spencer: What do I mean when I say "Abigal Fuente"?

    And Ed Harris too, as the scary guy who puts politeness above everything (and has a way with knots.)

    "Almost always."  We do like Hannibal.

    The thing is, broadcast TV dramas suck.  They've almost always sucked, and they almost always will suck. You get young, pretty actors, cringe-worthy dialog, formulaic plotting, flat cinematography, and an unwillingness to do anything truly scary and innovative. We watched the pilot, thought it had some moments,

    I always thought they were headed towards making Jim another Michael, with Jim's youthful pranks turning into Michael's middle-aged hostile joking around, but then I also thought Pam would wind up with Michael.  (He's the one who buys her painting, and when Michael forms his own company, Pam decides to go with him.)

    I’ve always liked AVC for its interviews, but until John started the SFU reviews, never cared for the TV reviews on the site.  They just seem so rigid in their approach, with the reviewer often becoming dismissive of a series if the storyline didn’t go the way he/she wanted it to.  But I certainly have a higher regard

    I'd place SFU at the top as well.  And I suspect that view will grow in the years to come. It's an extraordinary achievement.

    One of my favorites, too.  Rewatching the series for the first time via Netflix rentals (after seeing the show live when it first aired), it was this episode that made us decide to buy the entire series for ourselves.  I love the eulogy.  It's so honest and moving.

    "What's striking to me the most about these episodes is how much I'm laughing."
    I remember the first time my wife and I rewatched SFU how surprised I was at how relatively easygoing Nate is at the beginning.  He smiles a lot.  I had forgotten that Nate.  It's amazing how his character slowly sours over the years.

    Agreed, love all the seasons, but 3 and 5 are my favorites.

    Peter Macdissi is perfect in the role, so much so that I'd love to see a new series starring his character.  (And of course everyone probably knows this already, but for anyone who doesn't:  Macdissi is Alan Ball's partner in real life.)

    Ball got some incredible actors/actresses to work on the show.  It's a great series for so many reasons—writing, direction, sets— but also it's the best actors' showcase we've ever had on TV.  Maybe because of Ball coming from the stage?

    Great film, but to me, nothing beats The Hills Have Eyes.  I saw it when it first came out, at a drive-in.  Bleak and violent, with just the right amount of black humor. I wish they made more down and dirty movies like that.

    One reason why I love season 3 is because here we are, right
    in the middle point in the series.  Two
    years behind us, in which we’ve gotten to know the characters, and still
    another three years to go in which to enjoy the journey.  (I also appreciate that the aspect ratio
    this season changed to widescreen.)