Simon Boccanegra

I don't think the ratings factor into the Kardashian kids' cameos at all. It's not as though they're the actual adult Kardashians and people are going to tell each other, causing the number of eyeballs to go up. No one is tuning in to see a few seconds of some child actors. It's just Ryan Murphy indulging in some pop-cultural archness. He made them as annoying as possible tonight, shrieking and giggling and spelling their name.

I thought this was a comedown after the premiere. The actual Bronco chase, with the craziness and uncertainty and surreal quality that hung over it, was spellbinding, if you were around back then and watching the news. (I was at work that Friday night, and I remember we all went down to the lounge and watched it, and a coworker kept saying, "He's gonna kill himself.") But a dramatization of it over an hour was...tedious. This was what I was afraid the whole series would be like, an assortment of famous beats hit in the right order (like "This is AC! You know who I am, damnit!"). I haven't given up, but I'm relieved this chapter is out of the way. The closing music was not original score. It was a piano reduction of this slow movement from a Schubert trio.

You've missed the 1976 Helter Skelter, Sarah? It used to be a TBS stable. I think there are longer and shorter cuts. I don't think either that one or the 2004 miniseries does full justice to the book. The '76 one is smarter. The way the '04 justified its existence (essentially, "We're going to tell this story again, and this time we're going to show you the murders") left a bad taste. The '76 one has some awful TV-melodrama scenery chewing (the Linda Kasabian, for one), and the pseudonyms kind of bug: "Cisco Budge" for Bruce Davis, "Bolger" for Irving Kanarek. So does the faux-Beatles soundtrack by Silverspoon. At the same time, even though the '04 actors are generally better, the '76 ones are more convincing as people of that time. Playing "period" is a strange process, and not everyone has the knack. The girls in the earlier movie had lived through that time. They had the right look, the right inflections, without trying. The ones in the newer movie seemed so turn-of-the-millennium contemporary, no matter how they were styled. The great performance in the '76 was George DiCenzo's Vincent Bugliosi. He delivered Bulgiosi's closing argument as powerfully as I could imagine the real one doing. I don't know what was behind the casting of Bruno Kirby (fine actor, but all wrong) in '04. Steve Railsback's Manson has its admirers, and yes, he is scary, but I find it so over the top that I reluctantly sympathize with one of the Manson girls (!) who said that she would never have followed for a minute someone who acted like that, let alone stayed so devoted to him. Jeremy Davies's Manson in '04 is an unheralded great performance, quiet and intense and thoroughly malignant. Owen Gleiberman described him as "seething like a scorpion that has lost its sting," or words to that effect, and that's a perfect description. He was the best thing in it.

When he went to the funeral and kissed her and then stood over the body in the casket for what seemed like an hour, it was all Othello and shit. No, seriously, this was much better than I expected it would be. The years just fly by, and to me, this is very recent history, not something half-remembered from childhood. So my initial reaction to the news of it was that we already had had a television series about the O.J. Simpson trial, and it was called "the O.J. Simpson trial," and there could be no topping those "performances." But as a 20-years-later dramatic version, this could go the distance.

I was going to say we know it's the '70s because the adorable monkey sidekick was a thing for a while then. Friends made a halfhearted attempt to bring it back.

Critiques were weird tonight. Even Harry didn't notice that there was a serious band sync issue with the beginning of "Harder To Breathe" that really hobbled the whole performance? Nick had to bring that up himself? Until he said something, I was thinking it was just me. They also praised some flat performances and were surprisingly tough on Clark's "Boyfriend," which I thought was much better than his "Yesterday" (which seemed to be there to give him another chance to ace a standard-type ballad, and it was an improvement over "Moon River"). Rayvon's "Don't Stop" was one of his worst -- he was ragged until the glory note, and inaudible down low -- but there was lingering bad juju over Quentin's scene last week, and Rayvon's "I'm Not The Only One" had been stellar. Quentin's very good save-song performance was not enough to overcome all that. I liked the funky rhythm of the verses of his "Light My Fire," but it had nowhere to go on the choruses, and he didn't really fill the song out with charisma. You just can't see someone sing that without thinking of Jim Morrison. Tyanna seems adrift (great raw vocal material, not there yet), and I'm not getting JAX. A weak female side this season. Nick is this year's solid and inoffensive Casey James type whose triumph will be hanging around into the top five. I really like the personalities of both Rayvon and Clark. They're good singers and seemingly pleasant people. There is a warmth and niceness about them. That will matter less post-Idol, but I imagine it is endearing them to the audience.

Great story. "Angel Eyes" is a much better song than "New York New York" or "My Way" or "Strangers In The Night." ("Chicago" I think is a little better than those three, but it's a "frothy" standard.) But great performers often have to bear signature songs that are far from their best. Ella Fitzgerald was performing "A Tisket, A Tasket" her whole life. Why, on earth? It was no better or no worse than a lot of other '30s novelty numbers she had cut in her early career. It caught on and people wanted to hear it, though. (shrug) And who was a better servant of the Great American Songbook than Ella Fitzgerald? I could come up with 100 set lists for a dream Ella Fitzgerald concert without getting to "A Tisket, A Tasket."

Both also contributed to the DVD commentaries that I'd imagine were recorded after S1 had wrapped. However, neither of those things makes me think there was nothing to it. Weiner (et al.) might be okay with a character popping in for one brief appearance some time later, but not being part of the big plans, on the set on the regular. Anyway, both women clearly have done well and worked consistently since their Mad Men time ended. If there is something to this, I suspect it was Stanchfield rather than DeWitt, just on the basis of the timing.

Roger being marked for death and then getting a reprieve also fits with Roger's fragile heart being such an ominous story thread early on, but one rarely mentioned in S2-S7. Occasionally he'll say something in a light and playful or manipulative way like "I have a heart condition, you know," but for the most part he seems an indestructible quip machine. He certainly hasn't been shown leading any healthier lifestyle. In fact, in the later seasons he's been more of a risk-taker than ever. When he told Dr. Feelgood in "The Crash" about his heart condition and the guy just said "Doesn't matter" and injected him anyway, it seemed meta.

"The Inheritance" had not slipped my mind (I mentioned it in the other post about the Bishops above), but with that one exception, she became a perennially off-screen "my mom." We'd hear a voice shouting Glen's name or hear Betty gossiping about Helen dating a big fat man (Glen's eventual stepfather?).

All I've heard (fan reports quoting one of the show's creative team at a public appearance after S1) is that they found one of the actresses difficult to work with in the first season and dealt with it by cutting the character's story short. There was a specific episode number given, and it lined up with Darby Stanchfield/Helen, whose story did feel truncated. The only two actresses who were written out that season were her and Rosemarie DeWitt, and there was not as much of a sense with Midge that there was supposed to be more there. That relationship seemed to end right on schedule for Don to get serious about Rachel. But Helen's arrival in the neighborhood and relationship with Betty seemed such a big deal early on, and then after "Red In The Face," she was talked about and never seen. Anyone have more details?

No, he makes an uncredited appearance in "The Fog," staring at pregnant Betty when the Drapers go to the school to meet with Suzanne. It's the kind of thing you only catch if you watch it in slow motion. You also have to freeze it at just the right spot. (Kidding. That would be funny, though. Or terrifying.) Thoughts on Glen: I made the nepotism jokes, I made the creepiness jokes, and there were certainly many things in the series I enjoyed more, but I don't think he was ruinous or anything. His story was an interesting element in S1 and could have ended in S2's "The Inheritance." I felt that that episode gave us closure on him and on Helen, who long ago had seemed the important Bishop. Whatever went on between Darby Stanchfield and the Mad Men powers-that-be took something out of the Glen material for me, when Helen just became a background voice. I never particularly enjoyed his S4-S6 "spirit guide" phase for Sally, and his trashing the house in "Christmas Comes But Once A Year" was the nadir for me. Maybe with a stronger actor, I'd have had more affection and concern for the character? Possibly. All of that said, since they did go there with bringing him back over and over, I was okay with the resolution of it and I'm glad he got other scenes with Betty that referenced how all it began a decade ago. I'm glad she didn't start screaming at him when she realized who he was and that he had continued to have contact with Sally. I thought it all worked out about as well as it could have. And I don't want him to die in Vietnam.

Such a good point. I'd rather not start any arguments by bringing up specific examples, but sometimes I see celebrities (at all levels) getting so much flack for things they say in interviews or on social media that aren't worse than things friends of mine say/post. But the more people are paying attention to you, the more diplomatic and circumspect you have to be. You also have to pick your battles.

Did he say anything about bass player/producers or comedian/talk-show hosts? Because I think we're all on the same page there, based on a small sample.

I do like the current panel. I wouldn't mind keeping this group around for however long the show goes on. The big surprise to me is Urban. He was part of that awful season 12 panel, and that would have dragged anyone down, but he's grown into the job in better company. He and Jen are better with each other and with Harry than they were in prior seasons.

Here's my theory. He's closest to Joey, less so to Rayvon, but he probably likes him well enough. He, Quentin, has been getting a lot of positive feedback from the judges but also some dings for pitch and other issues. He's getting the sense that Clark and Jax are The Chosen Ones, and maybe he doesn't understand why Nick is still there, successfully riding the middle week after week and sailing through with the voters. Nick mentioned that he and Quentin are roommates. I'm sure they get along, but of all the ones left, I would imagine Nick and Clark would be the least likely to be Quentin's "thing" musically, followed by Jax. So, I think he was sulking all through the show as other names were called ahead of his and Joey's. At a point when most of the chairs had been emptied out for the shot of the three singers whose fate was still up in the air, Joey and Quentin were staring at each other from opposite ends of their row (Rayvon had his back to them), like, "One of us is going to be on the chopping block." That phrase "This is wack" probably was going through Quentin's head a lot that hour. When Nick was safe again. When Jax was safe again. When Clark got such good feedback for a "Superstition" that was okay but nothing outstanding. When Tyanna got good feedback for a "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" that was okay but even less outstanding. They they call his name, and he's worked himself into a shitty mood. "I got through, but now Joey might go home." Still, he's rehearsed the thing, he goes out and does it, in his mind he "kills it," post-performance adrenaline is still running, he's in better spirits...and then Harry throws cold water on him: nothing original; carbon copy; people are really applauding the band, not you. And he isn't going to say, "Like that 'Superstition' was original? Like 'American Girl' was that different from Tom Petty's? What's really going on here is that I don't look like the winner you guys are trying to make happen." "This whole thing is wack" was as close as he was going to get. That's how I read it. Feeling as though he can't win, feeling as though the system is rigged against him, feeling that bland people are getting an easy ride from the judges and the voters, then his BFF is in B2 for the first time. Then he got criticism of a performance he felt was good, and that the people in the studio seemed to be into. It was just his snapping point. We've had pissy people before at elimination time. I remember Lee Dewyze getting so attached to the underwhelming Andrew Garcia and blatantly cold-shouldering some contestant who won the "Which will go?" Seacrest suspense sequence when AG's time finally ran out. Tim Urban, I think.

It shouldn't be news to anyone at this point, not contestants and not viewers, that Ryan isn't the contestants' friend. I have no idea what he is like in his off-camera life, he might be a wonderful person, but on stage and in the media? He is self-serving at best and a ruthless production minion at worst. He will ask questions designed to make a singer look bad or foolish, badger someone to talk about a painful subject, reveal something the singer thought was said in confidence...this is all documented. Remember when he went to the media with the story of his heroics in talking Crystal Bowersox out of leaving the competition (at a time his own image was taking a beating, following a number of bizarre statements and actions during one of the performance shows that season)? That he's still seen by a lot of the viewers as generally a nice guy, while past and present judges and mentors (Simon, Kara, Jimmy, Harry) get nailed for being rough on the kids, just reminds me that people pay more attention to someone's smile than to someone's eyes. Look at them sometime. Whatever is going on with his lower face, they're cold, reptilian. I've never been suckered by his slick game-show-host charm. As far as Quentin versus Harry, Team Harry here. Harry's old-school and genuine and he has a strong work ethic. I don't always agree with him, but he lives what he spouts. Quentin had major bitchface going on before he even started singing. He reacted to the news that he was safe for the week as if a judge had just ordered him into rehab and he'd have to watch a bunch of films about the negative effects of cannabis. Not everyone is well suited for this show. Which might be doubly moot shortly, because I don't think Quentin's going to be around much longer and I expect American Idol to come to its own end in a season or two. In both cases, it hasn't been a bad run, nothing to be ashamed of.

Discussion in episode thread of post-Idol successes: Yeah, I thought For Your Entertainment was extremely disappointing. I had liked him on American Idol and I really thought he was in the right place at the right time circa 2009. But that music was so...ordinary. I heard some of the publicized tracks of Trespassing and never wanted to pick it up. I have Crystal's first album too. A similar case -- I absolutely loved her in S9, but the country direction "they" tried with her on the album seemed inauthentic, a shrug at the question "How do we market this chick?" The only songs I like on it are her originals that I had already heard in her less slick-and-sweetened pre-Idol recordings. ("Speak Now" is probably the best track, and it's the farthest from the ill-considered Nashville direction.) I had always meant to work around to her sophomore album. Anyone want to tell me it's great? Has there ever been a good post-Idol first album? I'm sure mileage varies.

Responding in "Past Contestants."

"And before that, he sang backup...for Aretha Franklin!" (rips wig off Bob Benson to reveal an Afro). (Anyone remember Police Squad?)

Huh. I never noticed that Don's line to Ted in "For Immediate Release" (floating the merger idea), "Hey, Lieutenant. Want to get into some trouble?" is a word-for-word quotation of the affianced soldier to Don in Hawaii ("The Doorway"). Even the framing is the same, with two guys at a nearly empty bar, sitting in the same positions. I'm not the first to notice this, of course; Google turned it up in some think pieces. Still. You can pick things up at marathon time that got by you with seven-day waits between.

I don't know..."you had your chance/you blew it" can be haunting, IMO. Kelly did agree with him that it was "sad." I don't think Rayvon nailed it, but I do think there's enough there to support a wistful reinterpretation. "How come I'd never hear you say, I just wanna be with you / I guess you never felt that way" -- that could be powerful from someone who could make it sink in. Then the song is the POV of someone who's putting on the brave face but isn't over something. Again, I don't think he made the strongest case for it. But all he had to do was convince the East Coast time zone he was better than Daniel, and I was a fan for the night.

I didn't take him seriously at all. That was the problem. He was Hollywood Week amusement (the feud with "the Cowboy") that should have ended there.

I think they just try random things now to keep the dwindling audience engaged and telling other people about AI, and we may or may not see a specific gimmick again. Last year we got the episode in which the remaining contestants were allowed to vote via secret ballot on whether to nullify that week's booting and keep the group intact, with a double elimination the following week. I had to look it up to make sure it was last year (I thought so, because I remembered Caleb and Jena Irene being involved). That was the week Sam Woolf was sent home...and in less than a year, I had completely forgotten his existence.

All of this. I don't want to bag on Quentin; he's above-average as American Idol contestants of recent times go. But I do feel he's getting overpraised in some quarters. He looks like an "artist," and I was buying into it at first too, but at least for me, when one or two performances became six or seven, I started wondering how deep it really goes. Whereas with Clark -- actually the opposite. On the visual level, he could be taken for well-groomed cookie-cutter blandness that could have been created in a TV talent show factory, but he has the goods. He has something to say about the songs he covers, and considerable skills. You need the latter. That's the foundation on which everything has to rest. Lowering the age limit was a terrible idea, and I don't disagree that there are people who stick around too long every season, as discussed upthread -- but, you know, it usually works out well enough. I give the voters some credit. I could name some winners I thought were not the best of the season (I may never get over Crystal coming in second to Lee), but most of the past analogs to Daniel were gone well before the finale, and now Daniel is too. Looking back over past seasons, most of the people still standing close to the end, like around final four, were strong performers within their seasons...including Lee (a weak season), including Taylor Hicks, including Gokey. The Lazaros, Heejuns, Tims, Megans, Sanjayas, et cetera, whom I couldn't have imagined were getting support by any meaningful musical criterion, usually were long gone by the time the herd was thinned and it was really a race.