LOST

M: Where to begin. Lost is the only current TV show that V and I have been actively following. After watching the first season on DVD, we started tuning in each week. Thank goodness for DVR and the internet, over six seasons there was probably about a months worth of commercials. Well, Sunday was the final episode. I am left really torn. When Lost is on its A game, there is no better drama, on TV, possibly ever. When it is off, it is really off. As my friend noted, Lost is both the best and worst of TV. The plot walks a fine line between mind blowing mystery and absurdity. See if you can spot the plot twist that didn't actually happen.

1. A giant polar bear attacked a character while she was stranded on a tropical island
2. The characters set off a nuclear bomb that created an alternate reality
3. One of the characters drowned in some murky water and came back to life evil
4. When one of the characters escaped, it caused the island to start jumping trough time
5. A character shot and killed her yet to be born son when he came to the island
6. A character pushed a button every few hours in order to save the world
7. The characters discovered a magical bird that could tell the future
8. A black smoke monster helped a highly radioactive man go into a cave and unstop a glowing well of water, which led to earthquakes
9. One of the character's dead father is spotted alive several times
10. One character plays a cop, a con-man, a murderer, and a 70's security guard for a scientific community
11. One of the characters does not age and has lived for hundreds of years
12. The island had a giant statue (hundreds of feet tall) and a magical man lived in its foot
13. The island contained a lighthouse that could be used to look at people all over the world
14. A man fell into a cave, turned into a smoke monster, and later inhabited the body of a former cripple who was cured when he came to the island but was later killed after he left the island
15. A character can hear dead people talking from their graves. Another character sees dead people and talks to them face to face.

Which plot never happened? Number 7. A magical bird, that's ridiculous! But I guarantee that someone who hasn't seen the show could not correctly answer this quiz. My biggest complaint is that the writers are clearly better at creating intriguing mysteries than in explaining the mysteries. At the end, a lot was left completely unexplained. That bugs me. But still, as my brother in law noted, at times a Lost episode will come along that can only be described as "high art." These moments occurred the most frequently in the 1st, 4th and 5th seasons. I definitely recommend Lost. The characters are great, and, for the most part, the storyline is compelling. But be prepared to get lost a few times. 3 1/2 stars

V: Lost is fun. Watch it. 3 1/2 stars.

Night at the Museum 2

V: Had no high expectations, and I thought it was pretty funny. We watched it with our girls and they liked it, too - and there wasn't anything offensive. It made for a very fun movie night. I don't remember the first one very well, but this one was a lot of fun. I laughed out loud when the little guys were stabbing peoples shoes in slow-mo during the final battle. 3 stars.

M: I agree. Funny, clean, a bit overly silly at times, but generally good fun. They did a good job having a villain that was both villainous and hilarious. A good show. Not amazing, but good. 3 stars.

Corner Gas

M: Let me introduce you to my favorite TV series, hands down: Corner Gas. A Canadian TV show that aired for 6 seasons on CTV. The show is based in the fictional town of Dog River, in Saskatchewan, Canada. Dog River has one gas station, Corner Gas. Brett Leroy--played by comedian, producer, writer, and sometimes directer, Brett Butt--owns and operates the station with the help of his employee, and real life wife, Wanda. Attached to the gas station is the town diner, owned by Lacy, the girl from the big city. Other regulars include Brett's best friend and town laze-a-bout Hank, Brett's cranky parents, and the two lovable but incompetent local cops. I was introduced to this series by my sister, and through me, a think quite a few have now watched and, I hope, loved it. I love Sienfield, the Simpsons, and Arrested Development. They are all great shows. They also, at times, are not all that wholesome. They leave you laughing, but feeling bad that you are laughing. This is where Corner Gas shines. While it's not perfectly squeeky clean, it is more so than anything you can find on US television. It is also a lot better, funnier, and far more endearing.

The first thing that struck us about the show, as we start watching, was its slow, gentle pace. There is no laugh track, so you have to figure out when and if to laugh all on your own; I like this, it adds to the calmness of the show. As the show's opening theme states "You think there's not a lot going on, look closer, your so wrong. And that's why you can stay so long, where there's not a lot going on." The more I watched, the more I learned to absolutely love all of the characters, each quirky and delightful in their own way. When we got down to the last episode, I couldn't bring myself to watch. Each night, V would ask, "should we watch the last Corner Gas tonight," my response each night was, "not tonight, conditions have to be perfect." I felt like I was saying goodbye to a friend. Cheesy, I know, but true. Fortunately, we missed a few episodes along the way, V more than me because we watched one season in the Hospital after a baby, so she viewed it through very sleepy eyes. So, we have started again from the beginning. Corner Gas' offbeat humor, quirky and hilarious characters, and willingness to do a sitcom without dragging its viewers through the gutter is what makes Corner Gas the best comedy series ever. It is why we "can stay so long." It is why we can't get enough.

The closing theme describes Saskatchewan, "It's a great big place, full of nothing but space, and its my happy place." Corner Gas is my "Happy Place." Give it a try, maybe it will be yours too. 4 stars.

V: M is right. Corner Gas is a delight! We are now watching it over again from the beginning. (Can you believe M chided me for falling asleep during some of the episodes - while I was in the hospital? The nerve. Morphine is stronger than even the draw of Corner Gas. Besides, it hurts to laugh after a c-section. It was self-preservation.) I especially love Wanda. The "Conjunctivitis" and "Queasy Rider" episodes are some of my favorites. Also the one where Hank whines after losing at golf was pretty funny. I think that one caused me some pain in my hospital bed. And then there's "The Brent Effect" and the one with the Archie's characters, and well, you'll just have to watch. We love Corner Gas. It's a gas, gas, gas. 4 stars

Blindside

V: A very touching story. I like the characters. But not perfect. 3 1/2 stars

M: Pretty Good. 3 stars