As always, I take on the shows I watched during the week, and provide you with links to some of the other fine TV work going on at BlogCritics.
But where are my children going? What am I to do? Many of the best shows on TV are closing up shop for the year.
I humbly await marching orders from the Ray.
Always Obey the Ray!
Overall take on the week:
Best Show on Television: Project Greenlight and Lost – magnificent both
Upper-tier Shows: The Contender – simply great this week
Rocking It Steady: The Apprentice
Falling… just about outside the range of the Ray: Trippin’, Alias
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Sunday
The Contender - NBC
The fights keep getting better each week. Maybe it’s because we’ve come to know the contenders fairly well by now, as this week wrapped up the end of the second round. Perhaps it’s because the level of competition continues to rise.
All I know is that the climactic fight between Jesse Brinkley and Anthony “The Bullet” Bonsante was one of the most exciting sporting events (heavily and cleverly edited though it was) I have ever seen.
All the signs were there from the outset. Brinkley had been resting on his laurels since his early first round victory, taking care to mess with other fighter’s heads and form alliances during his time off. Couple that with a hamstring tweak during a recent physical challenge and the need to lose eight pounds to make weight in one day (by the way: where do I get me one of those sweat suits?) and Brinkley looked like he might be in trouble.
Bonsante, on the other hand, has been a one-man daddy-a-thon since the outset (see: his victory during the epic Kids vs. God match-up in Round One). Every third or fourth word out of his mouth is “kids” or “daddy” or “father.” His physical ministrations include adjusting his “#1 Daddy” hat and wiping tears from his eyes. That said, he translates this emotion into some kind of psychotic stampede in the ring that is downright frightening.
Brinkley observed that Bonsante doesn’t box, he fights.
Brinkley did not mention that Bonsante is the guy that you would discreetly make for the nearest exit for if you happened to catch him staring at you in a public place.
Many of the five-round fights up until now have been a seesaw battle: one guy looks like he’s winning, then tires as the other fighter stages a comeback. Almost every week, the fifth and final round has ascended to an all-out war between men with great hearts and mighty fists.
Article comments
1 - Bennett
Like an Eloi hearing the sirens that promise a tasty dinner, this is my second week of being drawn to the Ray.
Good stuff Eric, what time is Contender on? (and how have I not seen this program?) I guess my Survivor habit is way too lowbrow for your weekly Ray? ;-]
2 - Tom Johnson
Eric, have you been watching Veronica Mars? I'm very surprised if you haven't - this has been one of the highlights of the season for me, making Tuesday nights a very complex routine of running from room to room as our DVR attempts to capture everything we need to see (Gilmore Girls, The Amazing Race, Scrubs, The Office, and Veronica Mars all intersect in one way or another (GG overflowing into the 8 o'clock hour, annoyingly!) And if you haven't, please do catch up when it's eventually released on DVD. The season finale Tuesday was a stunningly intense occasion - only Lost has managed to outdo this show's twists and turns. It only wants to be a teen-oriented drama, but it's far too smart and complicated for most hormone-addled kids, apparently, because I only hear of adults watching it. And this show certainly deserves a much bigger audience.
3 - Eric Berlin
Bennett -- Eloi drawn to the Ray... I love it! I'll have to try to work that in for next week. Contender is on at 8 or 9 on Sunday nights. There's only four boxers left right now, but you are absolutely guaranteed great matches leading up to the $1 million title fight.
Once upon a time, I did consider myself too high-brow for reality television, but as you can see, that was in the deep dark past (probably 2002 or so). So no, not too high-brow to watch Survivor. I've just never gotten into it, but I've also never likely given it a proper chance to grow on me.
4 - Eric Berlin
Tom -- I chatted with Chris B. recently about Veronica Mars. Sadly, I just missed out on it this year. At any rate, up until a few weeks ago, I was covering 10 shows, which was just about the max for what I can handle. I will try and pick up on it next season, however.
I've never seen GG, though I've heard good things about it from time to time.
5 - Chris Beaumont
You only watch 10 shows a week?
I do that in 2 days! plus I go to the movies and watch DVD's.
It's true I have no life! The RAY IS ALL!
6 - Eric Berlin
You are truly a ray-a-holic Chris... *but* we have different styles. I'll write 500+ words if I really dig a show, which takes a wee bit of a hit on my overall quantity. Plus... have to admit I'm a bit of a TV snob, so the idea here is to promote the best shows on TV that I receive, that I watch, that I end up writing about.
Skewed and biased? Oh for sure!
Seriously: I'm looking to up the ante on the shows I watch by a degree, and tone down the writing quantity. The C Ray Fray is pushing 2,500 words a week, which leaves precious little time to get to my other writing duties, I'm afraid.
7 - Chris Beaumont
Mine is going to be late, if you couldn't tell. I was helping a friend move today and that took all day, It will probably be up tomorrow evening.
Yeah, you do write more than me on it. I only started it to give a quick overview of my viewing habits. But different is good, don't want to have 2 essentially the same columns now! :)
8 - Eric Berlin
Yeah, absolutely. I noted a while back that the two columns are very complimentary -- quick overview of many shows vs. my in depth on a smaller number.
So you can tell me (as you have) what I've been missing out on!
9 - Bennett
Contender.... Yes! Recorded it last night and just found time to zoom through it. Ouch, those punches! All you had to say, to get me to the Ray, was Rocky and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Leonard was a big part of our teen years, no?
You wrote ('nuther thread)
"Bennett - Grew up in Alameda, eh? I spent five years in and about the East Bay: Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond. One of my wife's best friends lives on the water in Alameda with her husband, two kids, and a whole host of dogs, cats, ducks, hamsters, and so forth. A cute little dog (name of Janet Reno) would usually stop by as well. Rumor had it one of the guys who played with the Allman Brothers for a bunch of years lived next door. Great area, great views of the Bay."
Yeah! We lived one street over from Balena Bay Yaught (sp?) Harbor, before anything was built up. Paradise for us, always fishing, busting into the Navy Base, getting caught. (MPs have NO sense of humor), delivering newspapers to Lamonica and Stabler... True!
Grand parents lived two houses from the beach on Grand Ave. Many great memories from my childhood.
10 - Eric Berlin
Stabler? Very very cool.
I have a lot of good memories of the East Bay but in general am very glad to be out of there now.
Contender was great last night once again with an amazing fight at the end. Loved finally being able to see these guys go seven rounds. It was actually tough because I wasn't rooting for either one, but I wound up being really happy for Manfredo. You can't not like and admire that guy.
11 - Bennett
The crush of humanity became too much and I moved to Seattle for a few years, then to Vermont. I don't see moving again. Alameda was a nice place to grow up in, but 40 acres in Vermont is where you want to go through middle age.
Since I didn't know either of the fighters, I wasn't really rooting for either. The openning of the show had the knockout from the previous show... That'll give you brain damage!
Looking forward to Sunday, then Tuesday for the final fight.
Thanks for the heads up, to Obey The Ray.