Glee is the word

Everyone loves a story about outsiders, because almost everyone's felt like an outsider at some point. Such is the case with Glee's gang of misfit toys, with a new lesson about how It's Okay To Be Different dispensed every Wednesday night. Quite frankly, Glee still seems like a bog-standard high school underdog story, but I still feel compelled to watch it and wring my hands and shout "YOU LYING BITCH!" at the screen. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that they shouldn't promote acceptance, but there's a difference between making a TV show and making a 40-minute-long PSA. Sometimes the cheesiness makes me want to reach for a loaf of bread and a George Foreman Grill. Still, there are redeeming elements. In spite of the nagging, manipulative women that they keep company with, Will and Finn contribute enough charm and charisma to keep me watching every week. Emma's not too bad either, although her primary characteristics seem to be germophobia and a Charlotte Charles wardrobe. In general, Glee still seems to be figuring out which direction it wants to take, and I'm going to keep following it until it finds that out.

In other news, there's a new teaser clip for Merlin 2x02, and Spaced is ten years old today. Also, "Uprising" by Muse sounds remarkably like Goldfrapp.

Merlin 2x01: The Curse Of Cornelius Sigan

While the Doctor's away, strange creatures still reign on BBC Saturday nights with Merlin. The second series of the surprise hit debuted tonight, with "The Curse Of Cornelius Sigan."

The four stars of the show now all have a bit more experience under their belts, and it shows, at least with Colin Morgan (Merlin) and Bradley James (Arthur), considering that Katie McGrath (Morgana) and Angel Coulby (Gwen) got a combined total of about two minutes of screen time. The young medieval heroes are back in fine form, with plenty of the usual homoerotic subtext in the mix. There's plenty of Merlin acting like a jealous high school girlfriend when Arthur's attentions are drawn away from him, while Arthur is still every bit the kid in elementary school who expressed crushes through pigtail-pulling.

I think I just had the revelation that Merlin and Arthur are like Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe.

Anyways, jellied staplers aside, Mackenzie Crook guest-starred in this episode. I was never into Pirates Of The Caribbean, so I'm only familiar with his work on Skins and, of course, The Office. He was a good villain, certainly more psychological than physical. It's a shame that this wasn't a two-part storyline, it would have been nice to see more of him. This was a story that could have easily been spread across two weeks. Hopefully we'll get a multi-part plotline at some point instead of having this monster-of-the-week routine. While the first series had the running thread of Nimueh, we never saw the words "To Be Continued." Still, I'm looking forward to these new adventures, and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Merlin series 2 trailer

So, Gwen and Arthur, eh? Obviously, it had to happen. I'm curious as to when it will happen, given that so far they have had about three conversations together. Additionally, the characters don't seem like a good fit right now, but who am I to judge? It seems like Merlin's giving both characters the push that they need to balance each other better, with Arthur growing more sentimental and Gwen getting more daring. At this point, Arthur and Morgana have much better chemistry with each other. I hope that the kiss is from a dream sequence, because otherwise it would seriously throw off the pacing of the show.

Regardless of how many other people they kiss, Merlin and Arthur will always be "two sides of the same coin."

Geeky Dreamboats

Someone out there has compiled a book of "Geeky Dreamboats." The examples provided are Michael Cera, Daniel Radcliffe, the Jonas Brothers, and Flight of the Conchords.

Michael Cera? Uh, he always plays geeks and he always plays himself, so I guess he can stay. Plus, he's just wrapped up filming a comic book movie, which he was apparently already a fan of when he was cast. However, I hesitate to apply the "dreamboat" label, although this is subject to further contemplation once he looks like he has hit puberty.

Daniel Radcliffe? Free pass, he's Harry freakin' Potter.

Jonas Brothers? Get out right now. As far as I know, there is absolutely no basis in referring to them as "geeky," and I wish I knew much less about the Jonas Brothers than I actually do.

Flight of the Conchords possess sugalumps that I would check out any day.

Suggestions for improving this list, in order by surname:
--Colin Morgan. He makes Merlin the most adorable medieval wizard of all time, and his dream role is a character from a Terry Pratchett book. He also has dorky giant ears.
--Chris Pine, aka Chris Fine, aka Captain Fine. He's James Tiberius Kirk and he will not hesitate to punch you in the face. Additionally, he went to Berkeley and studied all the time, which is definitely dreamy in my book.
--Zachary Quinto. Admittedly, I've never seen him in anything besides Star Trek XI, but that clearly qualifies him.
--Jason Schwartzman. He possesses a great amount of je ne sais quoi in the geekiness department. Is it the way he looks in giant nerdy glasses? Is it the way he sounds while voicing a woodland animal with a sock on its head? The world may never know.
--David Tennant. He portrays one of the best-loved figures of science fiction, as well as having been in a Harry Potter movie. He is also lanky and enjoys licking things and doesn't freak out when finding out that he is the subject of a great quantity of pornographic fanfiction.
--Aidan Turner. He makes it okay for vampires to be able to go out into the sunlight without burning or causing the sparklepocalypse.
--Anton Yelchin. Having participated in two wildly popular sci-fi franchises, he is definitely qualified for the list. There was also that great scene in "Charlie Bartlett" where, as the titular character, he does his homework while on Ritalin.

Looking forward to fall TV

The Big Bang Theory season 3
I only just got into this show over the summer. I don't know how I didn't start earlier, given that it is about the plights of being nerdy and socially awkward, as well as giving nerdy and socially awkward people the hope that they will someday get to make out with someone who is a) normal and b) way hotter than them. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what happens when the gang returns from the North Pole.

Doctor Who: "The Waters Of Mars"

It's not much, but it's all we Whovians get until the Christmas specials. To be honest, I'm not particularly excited about people shooting water out of their wrists, but I'll take whatever I can get when it comes to the 10th Doctor. As much as I'm anticipating whatever fresh twist that the 11th incarnation will bring, David Tennant is simply fantastic and I will miss him very much.

Gossip Girl season 3

The main reasons I watch this are for the clothes and the fairly hilarious dialogue that makes me feel more confident in my own writing skills. The main buzz that's been going around for this season is that Chuck Bass is going to be kissing a man. Unfortunately, it's not Dan, but I'll still watch it anyways. Also, Anna Sui's Gossip Girl-inspired line for Target looks pretty promising.

Merlin series 2
Merlin has been my main obsession this summer. I know that it takes many liberties when it comes to the traditional texts, but it's a lot of fun and I'm not an Arthurian legends purist. I'm looking forward to this next round of homoerotic banter, CGI dragons, and intense sword fights. The cast's wonderful chemistry really makes it something special, and Colin Morgan is the most adorable medieval wizard I have ever seen. Also, Mackenzie Crook is guest starring at some point during this series--let's hope no one puts his stapler in jelly again.