Fall TV: 'Blood Dolphins'

Years ago when I created my "Bucket List," I wrote down "Swim with Dolphins."

Then I saw the Academy Award winning documentary "The Cove."

The film follows a crew who are documenting the capture and slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.

Some dolphins are captured and sold to theme parks and most others are herded into a cove and outright killed.

The end of the film saw the crew document (for the first time ever) what exactly was going on in that cove and the horrors inside. The documentary becomes almost unbearable to watch as the fisherman use many methods to kill the dolphins and turn the beautiful water of the cove into a horrific mass of blood red water.

The new Animal Planet mini-series "Blood Dolphins" is a sequel of sorts to "The Cove."

Viewers are reintroduced to the man responsible to trying to save the dolphins, Ric O'Barry, as he comes back to Taiji with international press and publicity for "The Cove" on his side.

You see, O'Barry is a deeply troubled man. He personally feels 100 percent responsible for what is going on.

Back in the '60s O'Barry personally captured and trained the dolphins that would become the television sensation "Flipper."

Due to the popularity of "Flipper" more and more parks wanted trained dolphins to perform at their parks because popularity equals tons of cash.

Years later O'Barry was called to come care for one of the ailing dolphins who portrayed Flipper. He looked into the dolphins eyes, held her for a bit and watched her die (from suicide he says).

That moment changed him forever... and haunted him as well.

He spent every working moment of his life from then on to save dolphins around the world.

Along with his son, Lincoln, they find that things seem to have improved in Taiji... at first. The press coverage seems to be working as the hunt doesn't start when it's supposed to

When the fishermen think the O'Barrys have left they resume the hunting and killing. There is a lot of money to be made from dolphin meat, even though it contains dangerous levels of mercury.

This brings an emotional suckerpunch during the show when both father and son sneak back and video tape this happening. Ric has seen this before, but it's not like that makes a difference. It's Lincoln who is personally seeing this for the first time.

The look of horror and disgust on his face is almost as tough to watch as the bleeding dolphins being dragged by a boat through the water.

Children should not watch this mini-series. Even some teenagers will be disturbed by it.

Like I said before it is an emotional suckerpunch. Even someone without a heart like me is deeply affected by this. No matter what you think it's wrong. These animals should be free, not caged and forced to perform for the enjoyment of others.

And certainly not made into dolphin steaks.

The next few episodes follow the O'Barrys as they travel to the Solomon Islands where the exact same business as in Taiji is occurring.

You can see clips and learn more about "Blood Dolphins" here.

And yes I immediately took "Swim with Dolphins" off my list.

'Sons of Anarchy' returns tonight

Tonight one of the most fantastic shows on TV returns with the third season premiere of "Sons of Anarchy" at 10 p.m. on FX.

"Anarchy" follows the lives of the members of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO) as they maintain a gunrunning business and deal with inter-club politics.

Veteran actor Ron Perlman plays the club's tough as nails president Clay Morrow and British actor Charlie Hunnam plays the young, idealistic vice president Jax Teller.

Jax thinks they should try to go legit, but Clay seems fine with the status quo. This power struggle has caused a rift in the club, but like all families SAMCRO comes together when outsiders attack.


This season picks up where the second season ended with Jax's young son being kidnapped by a rival gunrunner. The club helps him in his frantic search while trying to solve its internal issues.

While the show is extremely intense in its portrayal of SAMCRO's world, the quality comes in the way the story is told and the performances of the great cast, the best of which is Katey Sagal as Gemma Teller Morrow.

As Jax's mother and Clay's wife, Gemma is caught in the middle of their feud. While she is careful not to choose sides, she knows the club's continued survival depends on the two men solving their differences.

As the first lady of SAMCRO, Gemma runs a tight ship keeping the other wives and girlfriends in check. Sagal is at once graceful and tough. Her unyielding support for her family makes her the glue that holds it all together.

It is criminal that her tour de force performance from last season went unnoticed by Emmy voters. One can only hope they pay more attention this year.

In her column on tvsquad.com Maureen Ryan said that fans of shows like "The Shield" and "Battlestar Galcatica" would like "Sons of Anarchy" and I agree 100 percent.

The complex characters and the morally undefineable lives they live makes this one of the most interesting and watchable shows on TV.

"Sons of Anarchy" airs Tuesdays on FX at 10 p.m.

Putting 'Scott Pilgrim' into perspective

With today being a holiday and all, I decided to do something a little different and kick "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" while it was down.

After the results of this weekend's box office came in, the movie is now in 18th place with a grand total of $28.9 million.

Its budget is $60 million, so unless it makes a ton of money overseas it's going to be considered a bomb.

So, to rub salt in the wound here are some movies that actually, and surprisingly, did better at the box office:

"Charlie St. Cloud" - $30 million
"Vampires Suck" - $33 million
"Marmaduke" - $33 million
"Meet the Spartans" - $38 million
"Step Up 3D" - $41 million
"Tooth Fairy" - $61 million

Heck, "Norbit" even made $95 million!

"Norbit!"

I am not a total monster.

I will give "Scott Pilgrim" a little bit of credit.

It did make a lot more than "From Justin to Kelly."

New episode up...

2010 Scream Awards nominations: reaction

The nominees for the 2010 Scream Awards are out and since these are awards tailor made for nerds, I felt we should share some thoughts about a few of the more interesting categories. Also note that they don't separate TV and movies so "Lost" and "True Blood" are nominated against "Avatar" and "Kick Ass" in several categories.


The Ultimate Scream

• "Alice in Wonderland"
• "Avatar"
• "District 9"
• "Inception"
• "Iron Man 2"
• "Kick-Ass"
• "Lost"
• "True Blood"
• "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"
• "Zombieland"

This seems like an impossible category to predict since this really represents the best of the past year. It's been a movie the last few years in a row, so it would be interesting to see a TV show sneak in and take it.

Best TV Show

• "Dexter"
• "Doctor Who"
• "Lost"
• "True Blood"
• "V"

Obviously I'm completely biased and want "Doctor Who" to win, but it'll probably be "True Blood," which I'm also cool with.

Best Science Fiction Actor

• Sharlto Copley-"District 9"
• Leonardo DiCaprio-"Inception"
• Robert Downey Jr.-"Iron Man 2"
• Matthew Fox-"Lost"
• Josh Holloway-"Lost"
• Denzel Washington-"The Book of Eli"

Because the Scream Awards are fan voted, this category seems like a complete toss up. All of these actors are fan favorites, but if I had to choose I'd go with Downey, because he's king of the nerds right now.


Best Ensemble

• "Inception"
• "Iron Man 2"
• "Kick Ass"
• "Lost"
• "True Blood"
• "Zombieland"

For me "Lost" is one of the best ensembles ever put on screen, so if it doesn't win I'll be a little disappointed. However, "Inception" and "True Blood" are both very strong contenders.

There are also categories for Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel, Best Comic Book Writer and Best Comic Book Artist, all of which have a extremely strong list of nominees. But, if "Blackest Night" and Geoff Johns don't win for that spectacular title crossing series, I don't know what to say.

There are 30 categories in all and for the complete list you can head here. The 2010 Scream Awards airs on Spike TV on Oct. 19 at 9 p.m.

A fangirl's top six: unexpected fan favorite characters

I honestly tried to make this a list of 10 characters, but I could only come up with six that really fit the description. Whether from a film, television series, or book, has there ever been a character that you became attached to so quickly, that they completely took you by surprise? All of the characters on this list are exactly that.

So much, that the author or writers continued to use the character for much more, and much longer than they expected. Perhaps even becoming a main character.




6. Lafayette Reynolds ("True Blood")

Portrayed by Nelsan Ellis, I do not know one fan of the HBO hit series that is not happy Lafayette survived the first season of the show. In fact, the fan reaction to his character was so strong, the writers decided to go against the story of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, which "True Blood" is based upon, because Lafayette is actually killed in the beginning of the second book.

Unsure whether I even had an interest to watch the series, the first scene I saw is Lafayette's entrance, and I immediately knew that I would enjoy it. Although I have yet to watch the show because I do not have HBO, I still plan to buy the DVDs, once HBO makes them available for a starving college student.



5. Alaric Saltzman ("The Vampire Diaries")

Played by Matt Davis (aka Ernesto Riley) Yes, Alaric does stick around in "The Vampire Diaries" novels written by L.J. Smith, on which the series is based. However, he does not play as important a role as he does in the hit television series. The moment we met Mystic Falls' new history teacher, we knew he was here for a purpose. As the fan response became stronger, so did his role in the center of the story.

Then, the creators of the series, Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, did something that carved Alaric's name into stone as a main character: they teamed him up with unstable and volatile Damon Salvatore. Who knew that a vampire and a vampire hunter would become one of the best duos on television? I have no doubt whatsoever, that Alaric will be sticking around for a while.
4. Dobby ("Harry Potter")

Voiced by Toby Jones in the films, after all the mass of character in this series, who knew that it would be the free house elf that would become the most surprising fan favorite? I'm not positive what kind of plans J.K. Rowling had for Dobby, but I am willing to bet she did not expect how the fans would respond.

Playing key roles in Book two, Book five, and saving lives in Book seven, it is Dobby that makes the true raw emotions boil to the surface. Knowing where Part one of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is going to end, I will warn everyone to carry along a box of tissues, and be prepared to stand up and cheer for our favorite house elf!

3. Karl "Helo" Agathon ("Battlestar Galactica")

Played by Tahmoh Penikett, creators Ronald Moore and David Eick did not plan on Helo making it out of the miniseries of "Battlestar Galactica" alive. After giving up his seat to save Gaius Baltar, Boomer left him on the surface of Caprica and headed back to Galactica. After legions of fans demanded to know exactly what happened to him on Caprica, Moore and Eick had no choice but to continue his story.

Helo became a true heart of the series, his humanity being tested time and time again, being the man that falls in love with a Cylon, and has a human cylon hybrid child with her. Many of the stand out moments for me in "Battlestar Galactica," are moments when Helo shines, or is forced to make a terrible decision. And the remarkable thing about Helo, is we can always trust him to do the right thing.


2. Magnus Bane ("The Mortal Instruments")

I know most people are not familiar with Magnus Bane and are probably wondering why the hell there is a picture of Adam Lambert up here. Well, Magnus is a character from the young adult fantasy series "The Mortal Instruments" written by Cassandre Clare, who believe it or not, began writing "Harry Potter" fan fiction.

As for Adam Lambert...I'm not particularly sure I agree with this, but most fans of the series believe Adam would play a perfect Magnus in the movies. However, I do agree that Adam's style is definitely what Magnus needs to be like in the movies. I'm sure they will find somebody perfect. But, back to Magnus...a warlock who we know for sure is a few centuries old, splashes so many flamboyant colors onto the pages of "The Mortal Instruments" and now, "The Infernal Devices."

His humor, wit and flamboyance is unforgettable and instantly charming. He started out as a character that would only show his face in a single chapter in Book 1. But when Clare realized how much the fans responded to him, she knew she had to bring him back, and in the following books, he became a main character.

Personally, he is my favorite character of the series, and I found myself pulling for his and Alec's relationship to make it through, more than Clary and Jace's, the two main characters of the series. The thing that truly made me decide that Magnus was my favorite character, for the first two books, it seemed he could never be pulled down by anything. His wit always seemed to dominate his emotions.
That is, until he met Alec.

His love for Alec truly eats away at him, enough that he is willing to put his own head on the chopping block to make sure Alec is unharmed. It's the easiest and most simple declaration of love you can give, and finally, Alec relents, giving the Shadowhunter rule book a toss out the window. (Being a gay Shadowhunter is a big no-no). We have always loved Magnus for his humor, but now, we can love him for his humanity.

1. Rodney McKay ("Stargate: Atlantis")

There are two characters that are probably the most iconic in the "Stargate" franchise. One is Jack, and the other is Dr. Rodney McKay, played by David Hewlett. I will even go as far to say that he may be one of the greatest science fiction characters ever created.

A Canadian born physicist, we first meet him in the "Stargate SG-1" episode "48 Hours" where he is assigned to help Carter rescue Teal'c. To say that they clash is putting it lightly. It's almost as if the writer's set him up to be one of those annoyingly irritating characters that is not really a bad guy, but you really want him to be. Much how they painted Woosley to be when he was first introduced.

However, I'm sure it's because of Hewlett's performance, there is still something about McKay that we simply can't resist, which is why writer's kept bringing him back until he finally became a series regular in "Stargate Atlantis." However insulting, hard-headed or unwittingly idiotic to the conventions of friendship he may be at times, McKay has always had the best of intentions. Becoming part of the prime Atlantis team, and having friendships with Sheppard, Teyla, Elizabeth, and most of all Carson, really filled in all the doubts we would ever have about him.

McKay truly is a hero, and would be someone you always want at your side. Despite how whiny or affronting he can be, he is also a center of humor, and is undyingly loyal, never forgetting what is at stake, which is usually the fate of the galaxy.
He makes mistakes yes, many of them in fact. However, the thing that we love about McKay is that he never makes the same one twice. He learns from them, and always desperately tries to make things better. He may have the biggest ego in the universe, but because of the strong relationships he has around him, he has a big heart as well and will always be a hero in my eyes.

Now excuse me while I go start a "Stargate" marathon...

September movies project

Stephanie and I decided to reuse the formula for our Fall TV project and apply it to new movies coming out this month.



For the record and lazy people:

Tim has to see "Machete" and "Alpha and Omega," while Stephanie gets the romantic comedies "Going the Distance" and "You Again."

Thanks to our good friend, and technology wizard, Khai Le for helping out with the video.

Dancing with who?

In recent years "Dancing with the Stars" has really stretched the limits of the who can be called a star. It also has become predictable, as it fills certain roles every season.

With the announcement of this year's cast, the show has once again cast a cornucopia of reality stars, Hollywood has beens and athletes.

Just in case you missed it, here's this season's cast.

• The Athletes-former Laker Rick Fox, former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner
• The Showman-David Hasselhoff
• The Comeback Kids-Brandy, Michael Bolton
• The Reality Stars-"The Hills'" Audrina Patridge, "Jersey Shore's" Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
• The Sentimental Favorites-Jennifer "Nobody puts baby in a corner" Grey, "Brady Bunch" mom Florence Henderson
• The Wildcards-Disney star Kyle Massey, comedianne Margaret Cho
• The WTF?-Bristol Palin

While it sounds like an interesting cast, there's only two or three people that I genuinely want to see. So if those people don't make it to the later rounds, I'll probably stop watching.

Of course the inevitable cheesy trainwreck that is Hasselhoff will be awesome to watch.

Emmys welcome newcomers

Because of the nature of television, the Emmys are the only award show where repeat nominees and winners become the norm.

Last night's ceremony broke that mold, with the television academy awarding a lot of first timers.

Surprising first time winners included:

• Archie Panjabi "The Good Wife"-Supporting Actress Drama
• Aaron Paul "Breaking Bad"-Supporting Actor Drama
• Eric Stonestreet "Modern Family"-Supporting Actor Comedy
• Jim Parsons "The Big Bang Theory"-Lead Actor Comedy

This marked the first year that so many rookies took home trophies.

There were also wins for Emmy favorites Edie Falco and Kyra Sedgwick. Falco was a surprising winner for Lead Actress in a Comedy for "Nurse Jackie," which is the most serious, unfunny comedy on TV.

Sedgwick had been nominated five times for her role on "The Closer," finally taking home the trophy for Lead Actress in a Drama last night.

The night's biggest upset came when "Top Chef" won for Reality Competition Program. "The Amazing Race" had won this award seven years in a row, and everyone figured it would be "American Idol" or "Survivor" to finally take it down, but "Top Chef," no one saw that coming.

New show "Modern Family" won for Best Comedy, but that had been predicted by several TV experts so that wasn't really a surprise.

Like the Super Bowl, the Emmys rotate networks and with the show on NBC this year, Jimmy Fallon hosted.

For the most part he was funny doing unusual introductions and fun comedy bits, but his crowning moment was the opening number. Fallon and the cast of "Glee" got together a group TV stars to perform the Bruce Springsteen classic "Born to Run."

It really set the tone for a laidback, fun show.

While all the surprises did throw a wrench into our predictions, it was nice to see the Emmys honor a new crop of shows and welcome some newcomers into the fold.

Candace's Emmy 2010 Recap

I will try not to rant, because there was too much that I didn't agree with on the Emmy's tonight, however, there were a couple fabulous parts tonight, and I will stick to those!

I have to say, I think this is the best opening the Emmy's has ever had. Honestly, I can't remember any of the other openings now that I think about it. But this one will never fade. A musical performance with Jimmy Fallon, the cast of Glee, Nina Dobrev, and Jorge Garcia. Having been reading spoilers for the event for the last few days, I knew it would start with a musical performance. I was bouncing up and down, clapping like a Gleek when Nina Dobrev, the star of "The Vampire Diaries" hopped in, but I "LOST" it when Jorge Garcia joined in! Then he and Nina got to bust out a verse together! I was falling out of my chair! It was fabulous!

Let me tell you, I have never been so happy with the Emmy's in my life until Jim Parsons won Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance of Sheldon Cooper in "The Big Bang Theory". I wanted him to grab it, but I honestly thought Steve Carrell would grab it instead. I am BEYOND happy for Jim. I was so shocked, that I gasped at the top of my lungs and almost fell from my chair. I bet I'm not the only one cheering and possibly crying for their favorite TV nerd! And in true Sheldon Cooper fashion, with that Emmy in his hand he couldn't sit still and couldn't slow down, but that's why we love him.

For me, the ceremony went down hill after that, which both of these previous moments happened in the first thirty minutes. There was only one other performance that I enjoyed, and that was Jimmy Fallon's tribute to "LOST", "24" and "Law & Order". It was hilarious and had me falling out of my chair once again. Fallon's Green Day rendition for "LOST" was classic! Once I find a good quality video of it, I will post it, but there isn't one quite yet. All in all, I think Jimmy Fallon was a fantastic host, and I would love to see him host the Academy Awards very soon.Just as a quick little tid bit for the red carpet, I think hands down the best dressed was Nina Dobrev. She was a goddess! There were plenty of gorgeous and beautiful gowns, but once we finally saw her on screen, my jaw just dropped. I'm not sure Nina will ever end up on a worst dressed list, and I always want to steal her shoes. Running a close second is Claire Danes,who won Outstanding Actress in a TV or Miniseries for "Temple Grandin".

New episode up...

Losing faith in the Weez

I think it is common knowledge around the world of Inscaped that Weezer is my favorite band.

I don't know what it is but the music has always connected with me.

No one can argue that "Pinkerton" is incredible stuff.

And if you try, then you'll lose that argument.

Heck, I even loved "Maladroit." I remember taking off early from work to go to Circuit City to get that on its release day.

I loved the "Red Album" and the fact that other members of the group wrote and sang some of the songs (those songs were some of my favorites on the CD.)

Then something happened.

"Raditude."

Don't get me wrong, I love a lot of the songs on that CD.

Especially the ones co-written outside of the group ("Put Me Back Together" and "Let It All Hang Out.")

But, lead singer Rivers Cuomo did something different around that time.

He put down the guitar and went solo in front with just a microphone.

And disaster struck.

Cuomo without a guitar is like a kid with ADHD out of control. He's flailing around and acting crazy.

It was obvious to me that Cuomo without his guitar is like Samson without his hair.

Bible reference FTW!

The geek power of Weezer was flowing through Cuomo and his guitar.

Now it's power run amok.

Recklessly pushing people over and kissing hands and shaking babies... somethings not right.

Then it was announced the new record would be called "Hurley" and the cover would be a close up photo of actor Jorge Garcia's face, the actor from "Lost."

Now I love "Lost" but come on... really?

I swear people turned around to look at me when I read the news because my eyes made this really scary sound when they started rolling out of control.

And to make matters worse? The first single.

Here it is... "Memories."



It sounds like Bad Religion started writing a Christmas song, then handed it off to New Order and they re-wrote it with breakup poetry.

I'll still buy "Hurley," because I won't totally give up on them yet.

Here are some recent performances that are giving me some glimmer of hope.





The above one works so well because of Pat Wilson on the keyboard.

'Lost' auction makes fans Dharma crazy

Over the weekend the memorabilia company Profiles in History partnered with ABC studios to sell props from the TV show "Lost." Among the items for sell were costumes, scripts and setpieces from all six seasons of the popular program.

While the show always caused a certain level of hysteria among die hard fans, no one expected the prices to be as high as they ultimately were.

The highest selling item was the blue Dharma van, which went for an astounding $47,500. While it's no secret that we're huge "Lost" fans, the ridiculous numbers that the memorabilia went for was a complete shock.

Second on the list was the dial mechanism and mirror array from the lighthouse which went for $27,500, while third place was the frozen donkey wheel at $22,500.

Really, the frozen donkey wheel, where in the world are they going to put the frozen donkey wheel? It's not like you can just sit on a shelf someplace?

Below is a list of highlights from the sell.

• DHARMA Van: $47,500
• Dial mechanism & mirror array from the Lighthouse: $27,500
• Island time-shifting frozen wheel: $22,500·
• DHARMA Jeep: $20,000
• Hurley's Camaro: $20,000
• Daniel Faraday's journal w/extensive handwritten notes: $20,000
• Swan Station Computer: $16,000
• "Pilot" script signed by J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof $15,000
• Season Six production artwork: $15,000
• Season One production artwork: $14,000
• Desmond's fail-safe key with "Joe Inman" dog tag; $11,000
• Jack's death costume from the series finale, "The End": $9,000
• Large section of Oceanic Flight 815 wreckage: $9,000
• Charlie's "DS" ring: $9,000
• Locke's Compass: $8,000
• Baby Aaron's crib: $8,000
• Fragment of Jacob's tapestry: $6,500
• Hurley's winning Mega Lotto Jackpot ticket: $5,500
• Jack's Pilot episode costume" $3,000
• Sawyer's paperback copy of "Watership Down": $2,750
• Sawyer's improvised reading glasses from Season Three: $2,250
• Set chair for Matthew Fox "Jack": $1,200

Since my all time favorite "Lost" episode is "Greatest Hits" I have a special affinity for Charlie's Drive Shaft ring, but seriously $9,000. I'm sure not even Dominic Monaghan would spend $9,000 for what's probably a very inexpensive ring.

I get it, I'm a fan, but some of these items went for crazy amounts of money, so I have to wonder if this is just the last gasp of a television classic or the start of a pop culture legend?

Of course I'm writing this while sitting in a row of Oceanic 815 seats so it's not like I can judge what makes people happy.

New episode up...

Teaser Trailer for Season 2 of "The Vampire Diaries"

Thank you the CW Network!! Waking up to a fantastic teaser trailer to "The Return", the first episode of the second season, means it's going to be a good day. A great day even. Not only will this mean that I'm going to watch this teaser and freak out about it all day, then hopefully again once they broadcast it with the rerun of episode 20 "Blood Brothers" tonight at 8pm, but it will also include a very epic Skype conversation with all my closest twitter TVD pals with us dissecting every single frame, look and kiss in it's one minute and thirty seconds.

This is the moment that fans have been waiting for all summer. Now the official countdown begins. Only 21 days to go my friends. Let's hope it goes by with the blink of an eye!!

"Expendables" sequel cast wish list

And by the way, this is the 500th post for Inscaped. Go team!

 

 

Saw "The Expendables" this weekend, full review during the next show, and one of the biggest thoughts to come to me was "Ideas for the sequel!"

 

Without spoiling much, Bruce Willis' character offers the big job to Stallone's team and Arnold Schwarzenegger's "team."

Arnold turns him down saying "he's busy."

Well, he'll be done with his term as governor very soon so maybe he can make a return appearance and bring his "team" along.

So I would love to see his team comprised of: 

• The Rock
• Chow Yun Fat
• Milla Jovovich (she could hold her own with the guys)
• Vin Diesel

And then the bad guys would be played by Wesley Snipes and John Cena.

Boom, automatic No. 1 movie again at the box office.

'The Closer' never disappoints

As one of the most consistently successful shows on television, "The Closer" can sometimes go unnoticed. However, this is one of those programs that will go down in history as one of the best ensembles on TV.

This season has so far featured episodes that highlight the functionally dysfunctional methods of the Major Crimes Unit. From Sanchez adopting a suspect's son to Taylor's increased presence within the team to the always hilarious Flynn and Provenza team, every aspect of the show has fired all cylinders this season.

Of course, on a show like this it all starts at the top and on "The Closer" it starts with Kyra Sedgwick. Her Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson is one of the best leads on TV and the versatility that Sedgwick brings to the role makes her feel more real than some of the other cops on television. I'm looking at you David Caruso.

One of this season's major highlights has been the battle between Brenda and Pope to become the new Chief of Police. Pope thought he had it in the bag until Brenda's name was mentioned. At first it seemed as though she wasn't interested and only applied as a formality, but every episode she becomes more critical of what kind of job Pope would do.

While ultimately Brenda probably won't get the job because it would change the premise of the show, the drama surrounding the selection process will definitely change their relationship.

One of the most important things "The Closer" does is show the healthy, loving marriage of Brenda and her husband FBI Agent Fritz Howard. A lot of procedurals have the characters have these awful personal lives so they seem better investigators.

In Brenda's case, it's her happy life that makes her so good at what she does and once again that makes her far more interesting.

While TNT is giving all the press to the predictable "Rizzoli and Isles," "The Closer" is the show the network should be pushing.

A Fangirl's Top 10: Best Screen Vampires

Say hello to the first volume of a blog series that I will be posting every week, with a new list and a new top 10!

Being the vampire fan that I am, I couldn't help myself and made a list of my absolute favorite screen vampires from film and television. For me, this wasn't an exactly easy list to make, especially picking between my top three.

10. Stefan Salvatore (played by Paul Wesley)

Other fans of "The Vampire Diaries" may hate me for putting Stefan at the bottom of my list, but he still makes it. A vampire struggling to keep the monster inside of him at bay, Stefan is the definition of a dark and mysterious brooder, trying to come to terms with his existence. The second season of this new hit series is going to be wild and unpredictable, with Stefan running this way and that trying to keep Elena safe, taming his older "bad boy" big brother, and battling against Katherine, his first love and sire.


9. Claudia (played by Kirsten Dunst)

One of the most brilliant things about "Interview with the Vampire" is the character of Claudia. A vampire that lives an abnormally long life while trapped in the body of a child. The love between Claudia and Louis is deep and endless. Yet, despite the long years they spend together, the facade of her youth will always stand between them. This character and her struggles is also played remarkably well by then child actor, Kirtsen Dunst.


8. Mick St. John (played by Alex O'Loughlin)

Although "Moonlight" was canceled before we could really get to know Mick, he was still intriguing. A vampire that has now been working as a detective for two lifetimes, must contend with the faces from his past and his love for human reporter, Beth Turner. I have yet to watch the whole series since borrowing the DVDs from Stephanie, but from what I have seen, Mick is a vampire taken from the legacy of one of my all time favorites, Angel. A vampire with a dark background, yet takes it upon himself to fight the good fight.

7. Katherine Pierce (played by Nina Dobrev)

Who doesn't like a Head Bitch in Charge?? Or so what we the TVD Twitter Family have been calling Katherine all summer. She is evil, coniving, hot as hell, and ingenious. What's not the love? In fact, I love her so much, that I can't wait until the bitch is dead! In all honesty though, Katherine is one of those characters you can't wait to see on screen and can't wait to see her get what she deserves. Acted flawlessly by Nina Dobrev, who has way too much fun playing two faces on "The Vampire Diaries", I'm sure Katherine will make it onto my favorite villains list in no time!

6. Dracula (played by Gary Oldman)

Yes, the Gary Oldman Dracula. The only man that could ever play Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula". Ladies, let's be honest here. No one can be better than Gary Oldman in any role he portrays. Being perhaps my favorite all time actor, there is no way that he would not make it on this list. He gives a fantastic and exquisite performance as Dracula, reminding us about the elegance and sophistication that is the Dracula Bram Stoker brought to life and started the international fascination with the vampire love story. I'm not sure anyone can ever do it better. Stoker and Oldman.

5. Louis de Pointe du Lac (played by Brad Pitt)

Back in the '90s when Brad Pitt chose roles in still some of the best drama films I own like "Legends of the Fall" and "A River Runs Through It", his portrayal of vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac is timeless. About a vampire struggling to accept his existence and immortal lifestyle "Interview with a Vampire" is one of my very first favorite movies. It contained a certain acting elegance that I feel Brad needs to get back. I don't think he has been as good since his drama run in the 90's. Louis stands as my very first experience with vampires, so deserves a high place on this list. It was only shortly after seeing this movie for the first time that I started to watch the WB series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". In short, Louis is responsible for destroying my life. He was the beginning of my love affair with vampires.

4. Angelus (played by David Boreanaz)

I'm not sure I know exactly how to sum up Angelus in only a few sentences. I originally didn't have him on the list, since Angel has yet to make his appearance. (scroll down a bit more...) However, seeing as he is a completely different beast compared to his soul, he needs a spot of his own. The evil doppelganger of Angel, Angelus may be the best vampire mastermind of them all. Although, he might eventually be outplayed by Katherine Pierce of "The Vampire Diaries" after this sophomore season of the series, at the moment, no one is more fun, or more of a bad boy, or more evil all at the same time than Angelus.


3. Spike (played by James Marsters)

Spike, also from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is the other perfect half of the Angel/Spike bromance. A vampire that does not regret his existence even an ounce, also ends up being more human that he'd like. A bad ass hunter who falls in love with a slayer ends up saving the world from the Hellmouth, and haunting Wolfram & Hart as a ghost in the fifth and final season of "Angel". The perfect accent, sexy bad boy looks, and witty dialogue, thanks to Joss Whedon and company, gives Spike and James Marsters the number three spot on my list.

1. Damon Salvatore (played by Ian Somerhalder)

I'm not sure that there can be any tougher choice than having to pick between Angel and "The Vampire Diaries" Damon Salvatore as the best screen vampires ever. So as far as this list is concerned, they are tied at No. 1. When I consider my long relationship with the character of Angel, perhaps only he should be put at the top. However, then I feel like I am not taking the fantastic character of Damon Salvatore into consideration. I think it's obvious to say that he just might be the sexiest vampire to date, with a tendency to take his shirt off and his witty bad boy persona. However, in the opinion of this fangirl writer, he is also one of the best written vampires to date. Played with a rough around the edges elegance by former Lostie Ian Somerhalder, he may seem like a bad boy villain, but Damon is the bad boy that is scared of being a hero. He spends so much time making people hate him so they won't bother looking for the loyal hero beneath. Katherine's betrayal woke so many human emotions in him at once, that its as if he is learning all over again what it means to be human. A question that we always have to consider with Damon is who does he do the things he does for? Himself, or someone else? And according to Julie Plec, writer and executive producer on "The Vampire Diaries", being a hero is always something that Damon will struggle with. I for one can't wait too see what happens next.

1. Angel (played by David Boreanaz)

Angel holds such a close spot to my heart, being one of the greatest characters ever to grace television in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel", and played so perfectly by David Boreanaz. It's still a wonder to me that he was never nominated for an Emmy, despite his extraordinary performance. A vampire who struggles everyday with what he is and his purpose in the world, can be defined as nothing less than the hero we all want to have at our side. Loyal, smart, compassionate and capable, a man who has been destroyed by love time and time again, is willing to sacrifice his very soul (which is the highest price to be paid in Whedon's universe) for the good of humanity. For eight years, I was part of his life and death, mistakes and victories, love and loss, and have cried and laughed so much over those years, that those are some moments as an audience member that I will never forget. Angel's despair over the loss of Doyle, his weakness when Darla returned, the joys and pains of fatherhood, his love for Cordy, and the endless laughs over the Angel/Spike bromance in season five. I still, everyday, miss watching this series every week. And despite the horrid cliffhanger at the end of the series finale, there is no other way for it to end than in the middle of a storm, in the alley behind the hotel, prepared to fight Hell's best and ugliest.

Honorable Mention: all the vamps from True Blood. I'm sure some of them would make my list, but I have never watched the show, being one of the sad people that doesn't have HBO.

New project: Complete fall TV coverage

Or as I like to call it "We are insane."

Here at Inscaped, we have covered television with great gusto and enthusiasm. Our original show "Viewpoints On..." was built on "Lost" and "Heroes" coverage.

Television was our bread and butter.

So, using that thinking we have decided to cover television in a more comprehensive way.

Every new show to come out will be covered in some way.

It might not be a full on addiction like "Lost," but each show will be reviewed once and given a pass or fail decision.

In some ways we are also looking for that next big show to obsess over.

But, we decided to mix it up a bit. Instead of fighting over who gets to cover "Undercovers" or "Nikta," we thought some random fun would be interesting.

I found an online program called "The Hat" and we entered 28 new shows into it. Then the program shuffled the shows into a random order.

One by one we had the program "pull a show out of the hat" and we would cover that show. We did this for two shows each.

Here are the random picks:

Tim - "Hellcats" and "Raising Hope"
Stephanie - "Outlaw" and "Bleep my Dad Says"
Candace - "Hawaii 5-0" and "The Defenders"

We then picked shows ala elementary school picking dodgeball team.

Here is the end result:

Tim - "Blood Dolphins," "Blue Bloods," "Body of Proof," "Law and Order: LA," "No Ordinary Family," "Teach: Tony Danza," "The Event" and "The Whole Truth."

Stephanie - "Chase," "Detroit 1-8-7," "Outsourced," "School Pride," "Top Gear USA," "Top Chef: Just Desserts" and "Undercovers."

Candace - "Lonestar," "Mike and Molly," "My Generation," "Nikita," "Running Wilde" and "Terriers."

Insane? Yes.

Doable? Perhaps.

Fun? Totally.

New episode up...