The Week in Review: The Office, Veronica Mars, Boston Legal, Las Vegas, One Tree Hill, Friday Night Lights, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

The Office
Hell hath no fury like Roy scorned. When Pam told Roy that she had kissed Jim, I got a little scared when Roy screamed, “I’m gonna kill Jim Halpert!” Jim, you can hide at my house, if you like. J (Relax, Tubers, I’m just being polite, you know.) Meanwhile, don’t send hate mail, but I’m enjoying Karen and Jim. There. I said it. Her prank on him at the party was hilarious. They have fun together. Sure, she isn’t Pam, but Jim deserves a little happiness, while new, confident Pam is finding herself. As for Dwight, he’s obviously in the wrong profession. If I ever need a home inspection, I’m calling that dude.

Veronica Mars
They slaughtered Lamb. The sheriff was bashed in the head by a baseball bat. I rarely question the TV god that is Rob Thomas, but this move left me with my very own pain in the head. Why kill Lamb and not have it be a murder mystery Veronica and Keith could solve? I will say this. If Lamb had to go, his death was poetic for the character. He shot his own reflection in the mirror (and we all know how narcistic Lamb was) before getting clubbed with the bat. It was beautiful foreshadowing. But poor Sachs. The guy looked positively traumatized, sort of like me and the rest of the audience, when we realized the sheriff was dead. Meanwhile, now that Lamb is gone, maybe Wallace can get more than one line of dialogue a show. And perhaps the Dean O’Dell murder will finally be solved. Yes, I liked the dean, and I’m hoping that his Mrs. was the culprit. As for Logan, we found out that the guy knows the Kama Sutra by heart. Talk about a shocker.

Boston Legal
Denny Crane at Temple. Enough said. Watching Denny trying to fit in with his Jewish girlfriend and her religious customs had me laughing so hard I was crying. Is there any other character on TV who could get away with the shenanigans that Crane pulls, with blatant disregard for all that is politically correct? The answer is no, and that’s why we love him. How he’ll get out of the impending lawsuit from the rabbi who got hit in the eye with his spitball is another story. I don’t think Alan Shore can save Denny this time. And speaking of Alan, his cruel tirade against “Hands” made me want Alan to be the next target on Denny’s spitball list.

Las Vegas
Sam has better watch her back. Fate has not been kind to the previous two owners of the Montecito. Freak accidents tend to occur to the unfortunate owners. Monica was blown off the roof, and Casey was killed by a giant squid. If this crazy trend continues, I could see Sam going out choking on a hot dog, during one of her famous hot-dog-eating contests. I’m sad that they killed Casey. He deserved better than to buy it in some ridiculous accident. Meanwhile, Mary’s got a gun. I think we all know where this is headed. Danny, talk some sense in to the girl, because there is no way she’ll make it in the hoosegow. Last time I checked, they don’t have prison-orange uniforms with plunging necklines and spaghetti straps.

One Tree Hill
The prom episode ended with a heart-stopping surprise. When Peyton’s handsome blonde date turned around, it wasn’t Lucas. It was that creepy, stalker guy. Up until then, I wanted to punch Peyton myself. The girl had no right to be ticked at Brooke, because to quote Ross Gellar, Nathan and Peyton “were on a break.” (Yeah, I’m Team Brooke, if you can’t tell.) Peyton had no right to be upset considering that she went after Lucas, while he was still dating Brooke. One Tree Hill had the best line of any show on TV this week. The Clean Teen club slogan that was mentioned had me rolling: “We break hearts, not hymens.” Priceless.

Friday Night Lights
Parents who dread talking to their teens about sex, I hope you caught this week’s episode of Friday Night Lights. Tami stumbled upon her daughter’s boyfriend buying condoms and immediately went into action to set her daughter straight. Watching the Taylors deal with realistic family problems is as gripping as any island mystery or plot to save the world. The Taylors walking the floor, waiting for Julie to get home from her date, seemed as stressful as Sawyer and Kate trying to escape The Others. Friday Night Lights knows how to do drama about life issues. Between Tim’s fight with his dad, Lyla’s cheating father and the Taylors dealing with Julie’s adolescence, Dylan, Texas, isn’t just a fictional town. It’s a weekly life lesson in how to tackle difficult problems.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
I enjoy this show, but recently it’s turning me off, as it’s turned into the Matt/Harriet romantic canon. To me, that’s the most boring part of the show. The problem is, Matt and Harriet have no chemistry. I want to see the writing room and Jack, Simon, Tom and the rest of the cast members. I enjoyed guest star Kari Matchett, Dr. Frosty from Invasion. She clicked with Matt. And I loved that Aaron Sorkin gave a shout-out to fans of The West Wing, by making Matchett’s character work for the law firm Gage Whitney. (That was Sam Seaborne’s firm on The West Wing.) Another Sorkin-West Wing reference left me chuckling and recalling the Ainsley Hayes episodes. On Studio 60 this week, a poster for The Pirates of Penzance was visible for several scenes. (Sam’s character on The West Wing was the recording secretary for the Princeton Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Yes, I am a complete geek, if you haven't figured it out already.) Apparently, Sorkin has serious love for Gilbert and Sullivan.

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