TV Goodness

Happy Halloween, kiddos:

President Evil. It’s Halloween at Hearst and while Veronica (Kristen Bell) is looking for Logan (Jason Dohring) at the underground campus casino, the place is robbed and the thieves take Veronica’s necklace, given to her by Lilly Kane (Amanda Seyfried, who does not appear in the episode).

Meanwhile, Dean O’Dell (guest star Ed Begley, Jr., "Arrested Development") and his wife Mindy (guest star Jamie Ray Newman, "E Ring") seek Keith’s (Enrico Colantoni) help in tracking down Steve (guest star Richard Grieco, "21 Jump Street"), the biological father of Mindy’s son, who is deathly ill. Wallace (Percy Daggs III), distracted by a new group of friends, struggles to pass his Mechanical Engineering class. Ryan Hansen, Michael Muhney, Tina Majorino, Chris Lowell, Francis Capra and Julie Gonzalo also star. Nick Marck directed the episode written by Jonathan Moskin and David Mulei.

Looks like a lot going on…

But, of course, there is always TV to talk about in my absence:

Charlie Don’t Surf. When Logan (Jason Dohring) is informed that his inheritance is running low, he become suspicious and enlists Veronica’s (Kristen Bell) help to sort through his financial records. Veronica uncovers that large sums of money have been going to a man named Charlie Stone (Matt Czuchry). Meanwhile, Keith is hired by Harmony (Laura San Giacomo) to investigate her cheating husband. Jason Bloom directed the episode written by Diane Ruggiero and Jason Elen.

Whoopsie, I’m late:

Witchita Linebacker. Veronica (Kristen Bell) is hired by a campus football player to help him find his stolen playbook before the next practice, or risk losing his scholarship. As a result of the expose Veronica wrote about the campus sorority, Dean O’Dell (guest star Ed Begley, Jr., "Arrested Development") threatens to expel her if she doesn’t reveal one of her sources. Logan (Jason Dohring) tells Veronica his schedule is keeping them apart, but she realizes he has been spending time participating in illegal gambling. Meanwhile, Veronica convinces Keith (Enrico Colantoni) to hire Weevil (Francis Capra) to assist with office work at Mars Investigations.

And tonight’s installment sez:

My Big Fat Greek Rush Week. Veronica (Kristen Bell) is hired by the campus newspaper to do an undercover expose on the Zeta Theta sorority sisters during rush week to investigate Parker’s (Julie Gonzalo) rape. Throughout the investigation, Veronica realizes that everything is not exactly what as seems in the sorority house. Meanwhile, Logan (Jason Dohring) and Wallace (Percy Daggs III) participate in a prisoner/guard role-playing experiment for their Sociology class, which challenges them psychologically. Enrico Colantoni, Tina Majorino, Ryan Hansen, Francis Capra and Chris Lowell also star. John Kretchmer directed the episode.

Oh, sorority girl humor. I can’t wait. (Oh, and the description for next week’s episode is up too.)

This is probably all from me today, unless it isn’t, because I’m a busy worker bee. Writing through cold, &tc. Please, please, please tune in to Veronica Mars tonight, even if you’ve never watched it before. You’ll love it, I promise, and the next few episodes look to be the show’s last chance to grab an audience and stay alive*. Tonight’s ep description is:

Welcome Wagon. Veronica (Kristen Bell) is in true form from the moment she and boyfriend Logan (Jason Dohring), along with close friends Wallace (Percy Daggs III) and Mac (Tina Majorino), set foot on the campus of Hearst College. Wallace enlists Veronica’s help when his new roommate, Piz (Chris Lowell), has all his belongings stolen. While working on Piz’s case, Veronica learns that the campus serial rapist has struck again. Meanwhile, Keith (Enrico Colantoni) runs into trouble while transporting a recently released convict across the country to reunite him with Kendall (guest star Charisma Carpenter, “Charmed”).

Drop by after with your thoughts. (I’m probably not going to post a Gilmore thread, though like the idiot I am, I’ll likely watch since it’s on right before VM and I’m sick; so feel free to jump in with GG thoughts. If it’s an actual decent episode I’ll post a thread for it after the fact.)

*Yes, Kristen Bell will DIE if you do not watch. Why would you want to hurt Kristin Bell?

Ugly Betty — let’s hope it lasts. Betty Suarez rocks.

ps – Exec Producer Salma Hayek’s cameo as a telenovela star in the TV show on in the background was delightfully cheeky.

pps – Any others y’all think have already made the cut? (Besides Studio 60, I mean, which I’m not in love with, but am definitely enjoying.)

I’m not convinced what I’ll watch instead of plucking out mine eyes tonight will even count as Gilmore Girls, but here you go:

The Long Morrow: The seventh-season opener picks with Lorelai in bed with Christopher the morning after her argument with Luke. Now she faces the reality of her impulsive act and her belief that the engagement is over. She spends time with Rory, who is puzzled by a mysterious gift that Logan left her.

Description not from the CW, since their flash-heavy site doesn’t seem to include one. (Bad sign.) Join me back here for gnashing of teeth later…

Okay, so, why not? This is my other favorite show at the moment and we’re up to the reunion special tonight (which Ms. Keane has heard will be a catty debacle) and next week’s the finale. (Photo also snitched from Erin.)

Anyway, my two favorite Top Chef-obsessed bloggers are Erin and the fabulous Liza Palmer. Here’s why.

Liza Palmer: Okay, it’s on – Tom Colicchio. If Harold doesn’t win this bitch I swear…I’m…well, I’m not really going to do much of anything – I mean, I’m not really confrontational or for that matter very motivated or anything…so, it’s more of an empty threat…but, I will seriously be very confused and more than a little angry. For like a couple minutes until someone waves something shiny in front of me and then that would more than likely grab my attention pretty good.

And…

Erin Keane: Further gratuitous Harold commentary: sleeveless black t-shirt? Hot. Though I hope those white shoes were, like, regulation uniform shoes or something. They looked orthopedic to me. I should know. I wore orthopedic shoes until kindergarten. What the fuck, I was pigeontoed. But I never wore them into a sex shop, or paired them with a hot sleeveless number that makes me look like the oldest boy left in high school, the one with the Z-28 and the substitute teacher’s phone number, you know the guy who’d been shaving, or not, for so long he no longer fronted the ratstache just to prove he could, preferring to graduate to a three-o’clock shadow that gave your face a particular flavor of rug burn that betrayed your afterschool activities to your parents who angrily whispered things like "juvie" and "Outward Bound" after they thought you’d gone to bed. God, where did I put my Guns ‘n’ Roses album?

I’m posting this early in the event anyone wants to make a final guess as to what in the ?!$* we can expect tonight and who was behind the bus crash.

Not Pictured. The second season ends as Veronica, on her graduation day, learns who is responsible for the bus crash. After uncovering the culprit, her life is endangered as she tries to warn those closest to the killer. Also, Wallace learns some surprising information about Jackie, and the seniors celebrate their graduation with a lavish party at the Neptune Grand.

Parting is such sweet sorrow!

It feels like the end.

Partings. In the sixth-season finale, Lorelai tries to avoid Luke and ends up pouring her heart out to a psychologist (Melora Hardin) who was invited to dinner at her parents’ house. Elsewhere, Rory tries to avoid the Huntzbergers, particularly Mitchum, as she attends Logan’s graduation and prepares for his inevitable departure; and Taylor’s bothered by an influx of troubadours to Stars Hollow. Mary Lynn Rajskub, Sam Phillips, Grant Lee Phillips, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Sparks and Joe Pernice appear.

At least we have the bands to look forward to.