SHAMELESS is back for its second season. The premier left little doubt that the chaos will continue this year. Fiona (Emmy Rossum) wrangles multiple jobs, men and sibs, not to mention Frank. Frank (William H. Macy) loses Liam in a bet (sort of). Lip (Jeremy Allen White) hosts a fight club. Kevin (Steve Howey) grows a basement full of pot, running up an $8,000.00 electric bill, a portion of which Fiona uses to ransom Liam. The list of crazies just goes on and on. I really enjoyed season 1, and with this cast, it is a must watch this season.
CALIFORNICATION returns for Hank’s (David Duchovny) continued spiral into infinite troubles. Our intrepid traveler eases into a situation like a punch in the face, but always accepts the punishments that he deserves with an aloofness unmatched by any character in history. Hank learns the lessons that most of us mastered at the age of 5. In this episode, Hank returns from New York looking to stir things up with his ex, his daughter and a potentially new writing assignment. The first seasons of Californication were dynamite, but it now lacks the emotion between Hank and Karen (Natascha McElhone) that drove the show. I’ll continue to watch like a rubbernecker at a traffic accident.
What to say about the pilot for HOU$E OF LIE$? Unfortunately, Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell will not save this one - just an opinion. The show is sort of a MAD MEN without subtlety or nuance or anything else that makes MAD MEN a good watch. Someone must have run into a consultant that they really hated and wanted to stick it in there face. Maybe Marty Kaan (Cheadle) is based upon this real life person. Take every a**hole trait that you could slide into a human being and you’ve got Marty. But we are supposed to believe that he is a good dad, because the kids’ mother played by Dawn Olivieri is every bad trait of a man and a woman rolled into one person. The premise for the pilot is how do we sleazy consultants ripoff what we perceive to be an even sleazier bank ran by idiots and make them feel like they are getting something for the exorbitant fee we charge. I know, let’s sell them on “loan amnesty.” Sorry, House of Lies just not my cup of tea.
Note: If you missed the first season of HOMELAND starring Claire Danes on Showtime, definitely take the time to catch-up.
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