Bones Starter Kit: Four Seasons of Storyline, One Season of Time

It's summer, and it seems like everyone's in catch-up mode: we're finally get into series that we've so far missed. It's fun, but sometimes it gets a little daunting. Even though we here at Chaos in General are quick to recommend Bones to our fellow fangirls, catching up with this series means almost 100 hour-long episodes--that aren't available on Hulu.

So we've put together a "Starter Kit" of sorts. It's 24 episodes (plus a few assorted scenes) that contain basically everything you need to know about Bones for the fall. So if you're put off by the thought of spending the next two months glued to a computer screen scouring the internet for these episodes (and you're not like me and Mae, who caught up with the first three seasons in a matter of days), fear not. Here's what you need:

More...

Note: Links to clips are download links--they're totally safe and contain only the designated clip, I promise!

"Pilot"


We are introduced to a man and a woman, henceforth known as "partners." Bet Mulder never backed Scully up against a wall at the firing range.

"The Man on Death Row"

Here, the writers try to introduce a story arc. So rarely do they do this that it should be noted. Brennan kicks some serial killer ass and it is AWESOME.

"The Man in the Fallout Shelter"

It's lockdown, so B&B (and the rest of the squints--boo) are forced to spend Christmas together. Also, good Brennan backstory and we're introduced to the wonder that is Parker Booth.

"The Woman in the Garden"

You really just need the second-to-last scene. It's the first time Booth physically stands up for Brennan, and DAMN he brings it. I mean, whoa. That's hot. (Sorry, I can't find the clip. Anybody have it?) Note: This is the scene Mae used to get Leigh hooked on Bones. It worked.

"Two Bodies in the Lab"


Arguably the shippiest episode from season one, this episode shows B&B's relationship blossoming outside of work, whether it's watching movies at the hospital or (yes) dancing around to Foreigner. This is also their first rescue scene and it is awesome.

"The Soldier on the Grave"

Turns out, Booth's kind of fucked up. Good thing Bones is learning how to be there for him with just the touch of a hand.

"The Woman in Limbo"

Oh, right, and Brennan's not all that together either. Also, her name's not really Brennan WHAT.

"The Titan on the Track"

Goodbye, Goodman (very sad). Hello, Cam (very sad). She will later become an awesome HBIC, but for now, she appears to be supremely In The Way. And also kind of a bitch.

"The Blonde in the Game"

What? More story arc? Here, we return to the story of Howard Epps. Really, probably the most fascinating recurring murderer ever.

"The Girl with the Curl"


Just this scene. Because it shows how, even though Booth dabbled in a little Cam for a time, his heart never stopped belonging to Bones. Oh, and he thinks she's hawt.

"The Woman in the Sand"


Booth and Brennan's first annual undercover op--not to be missed. Highly amusing--and HOT. This episode also kicks off a much-beloved second-string OTP.

"Aliens in a Spaceship"

Important to the canon--this episode introduces The Gravedigger, a serial killer with a truly bizarre MO. (And, no, we still don't know what was in that letter.)

"Judas on a Pole"

In which we return to the ongoing saga of Brennan's family. She and Booth meet a priest who says he can shine some light on Brennan's past...and things get interesting.

"The Man in the Cell"

Epic and awesome, this episode features so many memorable (not to mention suspenseful) moments: Booth's terrible boyfriend behavior, Parker Booth, a visit to Sydney Bristow's carousel, and the creation of what will forever be known as The Line.

"The Killer in the Concrete"

Here, we turn the tables for a change--it's Booth who's in trouble and Brennan's going to have to use unorthodox methods to save him, including finding an unlikely ally in her search for her kidnapped partner.

"Stargazer in a Puddle"

In the second season finale, our second-stringers are getting married, but, as usual, it's Booth and Brennan who get the real moments. In a scene that takes place in a parking lot, Booth proves just how far he'll go to do right by Bones. (And this chivalry won't go unnoticed--by anyone.)

"The Widow's Son in the Windshield"

We pick up a short time later, with the introduction of another serial killer, one who'll prove to be the ultimate undoing of a much-beloved character. Also, Booth and Brennan share a very sweet (if woefully green-screened) moment at the end. With this episode, we begin the rarely-strayed-from format of ending every episode with a requisite Scene of Fluff. I'm not complaining. In fact, when episodes do not contain this scene (*coughDoctorintheDencough*), it feels incomplete.

"Death in the Saddle"



Booth explains the difference between sex and making love. His eyes make it obvious just who he'd like to practice with. This is the scene Mae used on me to get me hooked on Bones. And look, it's on YouTube!

"Mummy in the Maze"


Booth and Brennan's "undercover" episode for season three, this one's set on Halloween and, in addition to being a really creeptastic case, involves Booth and Brennan dressed up as a squint and Wonder Woman, respectively. Not only do the characters find each other almost irresistible, but the actors admitted on separate occasions that they found themselves attracted to each other during the filming for this episode. SOMUCHTENSION.

"The Knight on the Grid"

Another "Widow's Son" case, this one, arguably the best of season three, literally brings everything. You've got an awesomely terrifying case, Brennan Family drama, plenty of romance, Booth at the firing range, and also some really funny moments. (Try not to laugh when Brennan talks about how taking the silver skeleton to Bethesda.) I'll even forgive that this episode fails at bringing the End Scene of Fluffiness.

"The Santa in the Slush"

Caroline was feeling puckish. Enough said. (Oh, the End Scene of Fluffiness is ridiculously perfect--and involves Parker Booth.)

"The Baby in the Bough"


Sometimes Bones hits you over the head with a baseball bat. This is one of those times. Here, Booth and Brennan, in a series of unfortunate and diaper-related events, are forced to spend an entire episode taking care of an infant. The words "But you're the babydaddy" pass through Brennan's lips. Does nothing for the plot at ALL, but this episode is epic in its silliness.

"The Wannabe in the Weeds"

You really just need this end scene, where Booth fulfills one of Brennan's childhood dreams. (And then seriously ruins her day.)

"The Pain in the Heart"

So contrived, so ridiculous, practically unforgivable from start to finish, but this episode does involve a hat that dispenses beer. And our guys solve the Widow's Son case. It's stupid. You can choose to blame the writing or the strike. I just choose to blame Hart Hanson, who I feel was responsible for both.

"The Man in the Outhouse"

Again, one scene (coincidentally, the End Scene of Fluffiness) is enough. After Bones's experiment with dating multiple men ends in disaster, Booth schools Brennan on love again, this time on a promise that there is someone out there that she's meant to spend the rest of her life with. And by "out there," he really means "right here." Just look at that eye contact!

"The Con Man in the Meth Lab"


We've temporarily figured out a lot of things in Brennan's family, but now we've got to deal with Booth's family drama, which, while not quite as unusual, does suck pretty hard. Here, we meet his brother, Jared, who's got some problems and who also has his eyes set on (wait for it) Temperance Brennan. Watch what happens when "Booth-Lite" makes a move on his brother's girl! (Hint: it ends with a six-minute End Scene of Fluffiness.)

"The Hero in the Hold"

While this episode did not live up to expectations (even those developed midway through the episode), it's still pretty epic and important. Gravedigger's back, and this time they've got Booth--and they gave him some meds. He is affected.

"The Cinderella in the Cardboard"

In this End Scene of Fluffiness, Brennan tells Booth that she wants to be able to love the way Booth loves. They drink scotch, sit close, and he promises her that she'll find that one day.

"Mayhem on a Cross"

In this whole thing, I haven't mentioned my Third-Favorite Bones Character (Maybe Second), Dr. Lance Sweets. I pretty much want to go into the Bones canon and marry Sweets. Here, we get some of his backstory and some delicious character development for Booth and Brennan. (Hint: there are tears.) This episode solidifies the fact that B&B need babies, if solely for the reason that they would never lock her in the trunk of the car.

"Critic in the Cabernet"

Sometimes I pretend this was the season four finale. Brennan discovers she would like to have a baby (for an even dumber reason than "because I wouldn't lock her in the trunk of the car"), and convinces Booth to donate sperm. Of course, things don't go well, especially when Booth starts hallucinating Stewie from Family Guy. It's way more awesome than it sounds.

"The End in the Beginning"


The actual season four finale is just painful for me to watch, as it represents months of dashed hopes, misdirection, and out-and-out-lies. But you should watch it if you want to consider yourself caught up.

So there you have it. These twenty-four episodes and you'll be good to go for September 17. Join us then!

Bones: The Anvils Yet to Fall

Bones loves anvils hard core.

Mistletoe kiss? Check.

Pretending to be married? Double-check.

Taking care of a baby? Pwned.

For those of you unfamiliar with the lingo, an anvil is a device (a quote, a scenario, a love triangle) used exclusively and obviously to advance another plot. Forcing Booth and Brennan to care for a baby was a convenient and heavy-handed way to spend an hour with the partners as Mom and Dad. Booth saying "Everything happens eventually" was a convenient and heavy-handed way to say that Booth and Brennan's hookup is going to happen eventually.

Some anvils are particularly prevalent in primetime television. I mean, really, how often in real life have you had to pretend to be married to one of your colleagues?

Bones likes to partake of as many anvils as possible. They use them often and the anvils land hard. But there are a few of these devices that they've yet to utilize--and we're wondering why.

Could this be the year that Bones crosses the last few off the list?

More...
#1. The whole just-plain-sleeping together deal. One bed, two sides, but by morning they're allllll snuggly. We assume something similar happened in "Double Trouble in the Panhandle" (Cam even noted the single-bed situation in Buck and Wanda's trailer), but we've never actually seen this situation happen. And it seems like something that could actually make its way from the annals of fan fiction to the screen. Plus it'd be freaking adorable. You just know that Booth would be so good at spoony hands.

#2. Undercover in the suburbs. Duh. EVERYONE does this. Mulder and Scully, Sydney and Vaughn, Chuck and Sarah. If you're a government agent, it's what you do. It's a television rite of passage. I'm majorly crossing my fingers that Booth and Bones's yearly undercover op is to investigate a murder in the seedy underbelly of suburban America. Watch Bones pwn the obligatory barbeque/dinner party/cocktail party watch Booth like it a little too much. Then watch me die of squee.

#3. Real, legit formal dancing. COME ON. They've gotten close a couple of times before, including in "Hero in the Hold," where Booth and Brennan were due to a formal event where there would have inevitably been dancing. But yeah, they're really due for dressed-up dancing, complete with hands-holding, back-touching, twirling, whispers, and a decidedly heavy moment as they pull away. Would it be too much to ask for Booth and Brennan to have to go to a prom? High school murder?

#4. A solid locked-up-together situation. This is a weird one to ask for, because technically we have seen this a couple of times on Bones. There's the quarantine in "The Man in the Fallout Shelter" and there's the resonance chamber in "The Science in the Physicist," but never has this anvil been used for its primary purpose: to force feelings out in the open. Locking couples in small places, in elevators, or on rooftops can often force our folks to talk about things they've been thinking about for a long time. Bones should take an opportunity to do this properly.

Doctor Who: Do British People Know How to Write Happy Endings?

I feel like this all needs to prefaced with a loud, "Hear me out, y'all."

Because to explain my love for Doctor Who requires me to explain at least a little about Doctor Who, and to do so is to make me sound ridiculous. So let's start with the background.

Doctor Who is a BBC series whose history spans more than forty years. Its most recent incarnation started in 2005, a modern continuation of a classic science fiction story. On its face, Doctor Who is a show about a time traveling alien and the humans who join him for the ride. But at its heart, it's about redemption, bravery, loyalty, family, and, yes, love. (It's also quite funny.)

Since it's inception in the '60's, ten actors have portrayed the lead character, known only as The Doctor. He's very old (nine hundred something?), the last of the Time Lords, a species of aliens who look just like humans, but have two hearts and the ability to travel through time and space. And when he get mortally injured, he doesn't die--he regenerates. (Hint: this comes conveniently whenever the current actor decides to stop being The Doctor.)

Aside from being an updated version, the 2005 series also became the first Doctor Who chapter to really, truly be a love story.

More...
Because this series came with Rose Tyler.

Rose was introduced as the companion to the Ninth Doctor. In season one, she tags along on his journeys and generally, you know, gets captured and then has to be rescued. And there are some cute, shippy scenes (I particularly liked "The Doctor Dances"), but the chemistry just wasn't there.

Also, in season one, pretty ridiculous things happen. (I think they were still finding their groove somewhat.) Their first couple of adventures involve everything plastic becoming animated and traveling to the far-far-future where the last living human is just a flat piece of stretched skin with eyes and a mouth, plugged into the wall.

But that's the thing about Doctor Who. If I sat here and explained what a Dalek is, you'd roll your eyes like Mae did the other night when I tried to explain the awesomeness of the show to her. But it's also hard to explain the emotions stirred by these characters. At the very beginning of "The Impossible Planet," I said to said, out loud, to myself, "Oh, man, y'all, the TARDIS is going to effing save the day, and it's going to be AWESOME." And then, when in the next episode, the TARDIS totally saved the day? I jumped up and down and hollered with excitement. Because it was awesome. (By the way, for non-watchers, the TARDIS is their spaceship. It looks like a police box and is pictured in that top Christmasy snapshot. It's bigger on the inside. And it is awesome. Also, that's what she said.)

Okay, back on track.

So season one was a struggle for me. But the end of season one is where it gets AWESOME, because that's when the Ninth Doctor regenerates into the Tenth Doctor.



Because, yeah, she was close with Nine, and yeah, he kissed her to suck the essence of the time space continuum out of her so she wouldn't die or something, but he had large ears and an annoying accent and really not that much chemistry with her. And then as soon as Nine became Ten......Things. Got. AMAAAAAZING.

AND ME AND ROSE WERE, LIKE, ZOMG UPGRADE. Because this one, not only is he way hotter on a scale of hotness, but he's also funnier and goofier (in a good way) and touchy-feelier (in a good way) and way way way sexier AND HE WEARS GLASSES AND A SUIT and he's so charming and JUST OMG I LOVE TEN. The chemistry is SO GOOD. They hug and hold hands all the time, and they just say the SHIPPIEST SHIT.

No seriously. Their "hey, how ya doing?" hug makes Jack and Kate's "hug of all hugs" look like a friendly pat on the back.

See, when the Doctor regenerates, he doesn't just change appearance. He changes personality, too. He retains his memories and his feelings, but the way he interacts with the world is very different. This one, for instance, is witty and charming and perfection in a way that his predecessor just wasn't. (Sorry, Nine.)

Okay, so throughout season two, they go on all of these adventures. And it's great because now, Rose is a full participant in the travels. At the beginning, she just kind of did stupid shit and had to get rescued, but now she's learned from the Doctor and they basically just run about saving each other now. In fact, toward the end of season two, Rose (and the mothereffing TARDIS) saved the Doctor a lot more than the Doctor saved her.

Maybe this is a British thing, but I find it really interesting how the Doctor very rarely like, swoops in Jack Bauer-style and saves everybody. Mostly, he empowers the people around him, including Rose and the guest stars of the week, to become heroes. And it makes him all the more loveable. (Random thought: Is Jacob on a similar mission on Lost?)

And then, at the end of season two... Oh, it's so heartbreaking.

Watch out for spoilers, because seriously, this is good stuff, so if I've convinced you to watch the show, just go watch it now and don't read the rest of this post. If you're thinking, Oh, this sounds like the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard, but that Caroline is an amusing girl, so I'm just going to finish this post for the hell of it, then by all means, continue.

Something goes haywire on an adventure (one of those season finale-worthy adventures where EVERYTHING is on the line) and Rose gets transported to another dimension. It's actually very similar to what's been happening on Fringe, only in this universe, there's no magic elevator to take you to that other dimension. It's a fluke that Rose ended up there anyway.

The Doctor rigs the TARDIS to project his image to her; he's running out of power and the hole in the universe is closing. This is all they've got. They're both crying, and she tells him she loves him. He responds, "Rose Tyler, I..." before the power runs out and they're both left alone, in two different universes, crying in pain.

Okay, so compare these two scenes:





Same basic concept, right? Beautiful British people desperately in love with each other but separated by really bizarre and unfortunate circumstance. Only in the American version, Desmond and Penny get cut off after they get their "I love you"s out of the way (a couple of times). The British version is just painful and...other words that mean really painful.

BUT WAIT!

That's not the end!

Rose, seemingly lost to the Doctor, returned for three episodes in 2008. See, she'd been trying that whole time to escape her alternate reality and return to the Doctor, and she finally succeeded in catapulting herself into his dimension. Reunited at last, the pair had a couple of epic hugs and saved the world again.

This is where it gets weird. (I know, right? Like it wasn't already weird.) Because here's the thing. Never in the history of Doctor Who had they had such an epic romance on their hands. Something had to be done to give Rose an ending that wasn't tragic; and any ending that didn't involve her living happily ever after with The Doctor would be unbearably tragic.

The Doctor gets shot by a Dalek (think R2-D2, but evil, and English-speaking) and may be forced to regenerate (OH NO!). But instead, he's able to use his regeneration energy to save himself and put the rest of that energy into a discarded hand he had lying around. (He'd had his hand cut off before, during his Nine-to-Ten regeneration, but because he was still regenerating, he just immediately grew another one. UGH THIS SHOW IS RIDICULOUS BUT IT'S OKAY 'CAUSE IT'S ALSO AWESOME.) So he kept the cut-off hand in a jar.

Well, then, left to her own devices, this woman, Donna Noble, who I don't really know because I skipped all the episodes that didn't involve The Awesome That Is Rose Tyler, touched the hand. And poof--she created a Second Doctor.

Shit.

So this new Doctor, 10.2, looks just like our beloved Doctor, has the same memories, same sense of humor, same personality, same affection for Rose, but he has a couple of different features:

1. He's half-human.
2. His emotions are more attuned to his old self. This part didn't really make sense, but we'll go with it.

Basically, he's crazy. He doesn't have that whole "let's let others play the hero and leave the guns at home" thing. So he destroys an entire species, and even though it's the Daleks and they're evil, Doctor 10.1 is really upset and kind of pissed that he's getting blamed for genocide. (Hey, you would be, too.)

Okay, so 10.1 takes Rose and 10.2 back to the other dimension. Because the world's not safe when there are two Doctors out and about, and this new one's really dangerous. And our Doctor, Rose's Doctor, tells her that he's leaving 10.2 in her care because the way he is now is the way The Doctor was when he met Rose--angry. And she made him better. (No, really, he says that. "You made me better.")



Let's do a Gilmore-style pro/con list of this situation.

PRO:
He's half-human, so he can spend his life with Rose.
He's still The Doctor, really.
He's desperately in love with Rose (and tells her so, unlike 10.1).

CON:
No more adventures.
Um, he's evil.
Uglier suit.

So, forget everything I've said up until now. Forget about the plastic coming to life and the Daleks and the regeneration and the cut-off hand becoming a whole human man. And think about this conundrum:

Is it better to have a whole life with a man who is almost the man you're in love with, or to have a few moments of a life with the original?

I DON'T KNOW! I've been thinking about this for days and days, and I just don't know.

Here's the thing, British people. Would it have killed you to give these two a plain ol' happily ever after? Did you really have to make 10.2 kind of evil? Did you have to leave Rose with a REALLY DIFFICULT PROJECT?

I mean, seriously. I should've known. I really don't like the U.K. version of The Office, because David Brent has zero redeeming qualities and the whole Tim/Dawn business is never really resolved (no epilogue). I'm really not putting down British film and television, because the fact that things don't end happily doesn't mean it's bad. I mean, the very fact that I've spent the last five days ruminating on the relative merits of spending forever with someone who's not precisely what you asked for means this show is quality. But all I'm saying is, you guys gave me this and The Office and Love, Actually, in which almost everyone ends up miserable and alone. But then you also gave me Notting Hill which not only includes a happy ending, but also an epilogue. So maybe you're not as one-dimensional in your romantic comedies as I've made you out to be. I apologize, Great Britain.

I think ultimately, it's all going to be okay for The Doctor and Rose. Because Rose Tyler will make him go from almost to perfect. She'll make him better, the same way she made The Doctor better. And they'll have adventures together, just a different kind. They can get married, have children, be happy.

And as a viewer, the most important thing that Ten gets to live on. We know that, come Christmas, Ten is going to become Eleven. And while I'm not sure if I'll be interested in seeing that Doctor, I do know that it makes me happy to know that, unlike any of his predecessors, my Doctor, Rose's Doctor will survive.

Hey, they could even come back.

Summerly Advice #2: Arrested Development

This is a win-win-win situation.

#1. This show is awesome. If you've ever laughed during 30 Rock, you owe this show a chance, because without it, Tina Fey's show could have never existed.

#2. Thanks to you, the non-watcher, this show is no longer on the air. (Thanks, jerk.) There's no further commitment involved.

#3. The entire series is available on Hulu. SCORE.

#4. They are (fingers crossed) probably making Arrested Development: The Movie for a 2010 release. So even though there's no commitment involved, you'll be able to appreciate the awesome of the movie when it comes out next year.

Arrested Development tells the story of Michael Bluth, who plays the unwitting straight man to his family of lunatics. (His mom, Lucille, is one of the greatest television characters of all time.) Michael's father has been sent to prison for various fraudulent business activities, and for the family to stay afloat, Michael has to run the company and the household. (Nobody else could possibly keep it together.)

You will laugh so hard you'll cry.

Bones: New Sides Are First Spoilers of the Season--and Hopefully Harbingers of A Good '09-'10!

The casting sides for "Harbingers in a Fountain" were released today, and there are a couple of spoilery doozies to be had.

But first, can we just rejoice for a moment at the wonder that is the first day of spoilers? I love it. June sucks for TV fans, as it's pretty much a dead zone for news and material. But July--ah, July! Not only are sides starting to trickle in, but we'll also start getting good scoop from Comic-Con and the TCA tour and the accompanying parties. (TCA time is one of Mae's and my favorite times of the year.) Not to mention Emmy nominations come out very soon, and before you know it, it'll be premiere time, and everything will be back to normal and HOORAY.

Okay, onto the goods.

More...Y'all. If we are to believe these sides, Booth and Brennan totes make out at a crime scene.

Reasons to Believe These Sides:
1. In my time reading Bones spoilers, I've never seen fake sides. (Apparently there were doctored sides for "Glowing Bones in the Old Stone House," but that's one out of 83 episodes.)
2. Everything else is intricate and seems to track. Very unlike the fakeout we saw on April Fool's.
3. They were on Showfax. Actors are getting these sides, y'all.

Reasons Not to Believe These Sides:
1. Hart Hanson is a tool.
2. Really? Booth and Brennan make out at a crime scene?
3. Hart Hanson is a tool.

So we're gonna go with cautious optimism, and since this is the first day of spoilers, we're gonna talk about 'em like it's true.

Honestly? This is a good idea, Hart.

I felt, as any of you who've read my previous Bones posts know, like we were owed something at the end of last season. There was a payoff I thought we (and Booth and Brennan) were promised as season four progressed, and they ultimately didn't make good on that promise. Even though I don't expect them to full-on have sex/get together/get beyond first base in this episode, a really good, line-crossing kiss would be an excellent way to start the season.

Because, of course, it's gonna have to be tempered with a big fat "not yet."

In that official synopsis from the network, it said that Booth is going to want to figure things out with Brennan, while Brennan's going to throw herself back into work. Makes sense. Booth's just spent four days imagining he's married to her and expecting a baby with her. (And having lots of sex with her.) That may be all he needs to try and push their relationship to the next level. And Brennan, well, even if she spent the last four days imagining the same thing, she wasn't inside it.

She was writing it for the same reason I sometimes design me and Josh Groban's wedding invitations on Photoshop. 'Cause it ain't never gonna happen. Brennan spent those four days knowing he might never wake up. She knows what it's like to lose him.

I think it'd be great if, in this episode, they're allowed to be confused about each other. And if that manifests itself in making out at a crime scene.

Because I think it sets up a great final scene wherein she says, in not so many words, not yet. Knowing how painful it is to lose Booth at this level, why would she want to move to another level, where it's just going to hurt even worse? What she hasn't figured out yet is that there isn't another level. Booth is everything to Bones.

And personally, I love the idea of ramping up the tension by giving Booth the option of grabbing and kissing her. I love the idea of watching him try and figure out how to pursue her--'cause the wooing of Dr. Brennan is different than the wooing of any other woman. (Hint: Bones has never Photoshopped her wedding invitations.) I love the idea of him getting frustrated and, having just had a near-death experience, deciding to move on and get himself a proper love interest. (And, of course, this lasts for three episodes in May sweeps before Brennan gets as frustrated as we do and puts a stop to that crap.)

In any case, we gotta build the tension. I've been saying this for months. A forbidden, angsty, just-until-the-ambulance-gets-here kiss is a good way to do that.

But it's Hart Hanson and he's probably screwing around with us. And if it turns out he purposefully added that to the sides to intentionally murder the emotions of the fangirls? It's over. Really, really over.

Summerly Advice #1: Friday Night Lights

Our friend Hannah suggested that, as we follow through on our own summer catch-up plans, we offer some suggestions for everyone else on what they should check out before fall. (She'd know--the girl's already watched every single episode of Lost and 30 Rock this season.)

My first recommendation, and I really can't say this enough, is Friday Night Lights.

Normally when you hear emotional requests to watch Friday Night Lights, it's because it's in danger of being cancelled. Well, not this time. My pick for the all-time best television series has been renewed for not one, but two seasons, meaning you need not worry about picking this show up just to have it torn away from you. (Believe me, that's a legitimate fear, especially with a show as mind-bendingly amazing as this one.)

Be prepared to have your life changed, folks. And remember--clear eyes, full heart, can't lose.

Emmy Hopefuls 2009: Credit Where Credit is (In Some Cases, Massively Over-) Due

Rather than doing Emmy "predictions," I prefer to pull together a list of who I hope gets nominated. I like to assume these people have at least a fighting chance in getting on the list, but, hey, you know these voters. They don't always get it right. So here are the people who I think deserve some serious recognition for their work this year. Read my list after the jump and leave your hopes (and predictions, if you've got 'em!) in the comments.

More...

Outstanding Drama Series: Friday Night Lights. Again, as long as this show is on the air (and probably even beyond that), I’ll be thinking it needs to get nominated for things. It kills me how underappreciated FNL is, because it is hands down the best show on television. 30 Rock makes me laugh, Lost makes me deliciously frustrated, but it’s only this show that can move me to tears every single week. For its inventive storytelling, honest portrayal of its subjects and their lives, and warm-fuzzies amidst crap-crappys (i.e. Matt Saracen forgoing college to take care of his Grandma), this show is hands-down the best one on television--and it’s high time it gets recognized for that.

Outstanding Comedy Series: 30 Rock. It’s won the last two years in a row, and dammit if it doesn’t deserve it again. 30 Rock is consistently funny. It’s so inventive. There was a long period in there where all the jokes on television seemed stale--after you’d heard them the first time on Seinfeld and the second time on Friends, they were old. But 30 Rock didn’t just update the old jokes; this show has a different sense of humor, with updated characters and a fresh single-camera style that makes comedy television new again.

Outstanding Actor in a Drama--Joshua Jackson, Fringe. As the “civilian consultant” who liaises between his father’s wacky science and the FBI, Peter Bishop often has to be a translator, a mediator, and a calmer-downer for Walter. He’s at once frazzled by his relationship with his father, an arrogant ass with a mysterious (and dangerous) past, and a sensitive, affectionate friend to Olivia. Joshua Jackson plays him with a nice edge; he never gives away too much. It’s a performance I enjoy week to week, as the most normal member of this crime-solving team. Oh, right, and he’s from another dimension.

Outstanding Actress in a Drama--Evangeline Lilly, Lost. Only one person in the cast really rocked that DHARMA jumpsuit, and that was this woman. If that’s not deserving of an Emmy, I don’t know what is. In all seriousness, Evangeline pulled off a real coup this year. Her character (Kate? Is that right?) had the strongest arguments both for and against Island Return ’07. Pro: Find Claire and return Aaron to his rightful mother. Con: Stay and keep living the charmed life you’ve set up with your kid. Her conflictions during Young Ben Death Watch ’77 and Jughead Explosion ‘?? were similarly awesome and well-played. Watching Evangeline play these emotional stories, especially in “The Little Prince” and “Whatever Happened, Happened,” was a thrill, even as it pained us to see Kate in such distress. Both Skaters and Jaters came out of this season kind of shrugging our shoulders, because Kate’s story this year was (finally) all her own.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama--Justin Chambers, Grey’s Anatomy. When we found out about the Izzie drama coming down the pike, this team was more excited for how this would affect Alex than his girl. Seeing their romance unfold--remember, it was just last season finale that they started things up with awkward comfort/pity sex--has been the shining light in an otherwise pretty dull season of Grey’s. Watching Alex mature in the face of his relationship with Izzie, watching him become a married man who thinks about his future children and their careers and their life together--it’s extraordinary.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama: Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights. As long as Connie Britton keeps submitting her name, I’ll keep praying for her to get nominated. Her performances on Friday Night Lights are consistently jaw-dropping in their honesty. Tami Taylor is, I swear, the most realistic character on television. Somewhere in rural Texas, she exists. And Connie plays her with such depth, such heart, such poise, that I can’t help but be moved by everything she does. From taking on Buddy Garrity’s Jumbotron to navigating Dillon’s fiscal crisis, this has been another banner year for this show and especially this character.

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory. Probably a shoo-in, Jim Parsons is announcing the nominations next month. And if-slash-when he gets nominated, it will be heartwarmingly well-deserved. As Sheldon Cooper, the neurotic brainiac physicist who sucks the fun out of everything and can’t handle change, I can’t help but laugh out loud at just about everything he does. Watching him handle otherwise uncomplicated life dilemmas (such as someone taking your spot on the couch) with atypically ridiculous behavior is the best part of watching The Big Bang Theory. And Jim Parsons plays this character with such earnestness, such matter-of-fact rationalism, that I would be remiss to champion anyone else’s cause.

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy--Tina Fey, 30 Rock. Fine. I’m boring. Tina Fey wins everything already. But (A) this is a weak-ass category and (B) there’s a reason why Tina Fey wins everything. It’s because she’s awesome. This year, Liz Lemon did more crazy Liz crap. She met Oprah (but not really), dated Jon Hamm before that went south, and, you know, just generally handled the business of TGS with Tracy Jordan. As awesome--some might even say as unbeatable--as ever, my money’s still on Tina.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy: John Krasinski, The Office. Just for the last fifteen seconds of the finale. Well, there's more than that. But seriously, watching Jim this year has been similar to watching Alex this year--only without ghost!sex. Jim took a little responsibility for his life this year--getting engaged to, buying a house for, and starting a family with Pam. He also tried to take his job seriously this year, even though he didn’t do a convincing enough job for Charles. For his maturity with a sense of humor, I think this is the year John should be considered.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy: Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock. She’s an underappreciated part of an otherwise highly appreciated series--and wouldn’t Jenna Maroney love to hear me say that? This year, a little spotlight was shone on Jenna as she prepared for her role as Janis Joplin Jackie Jormp-Jomp in the not-quite-a-biopic Sing Them Blues, White Girl: The Jackie Jormp-Jomp Story. Jane Krakowski brings dimension to a character who would otherwise be rather intolerable. Jenna demands loyalty, respect, and attention--but Jane makes us feel like she might actually deserve it.