Watching Showtime

Last night was the season finale of the second season of Dexter, and rather than take notes while watching (which requires a fair amount of pausing) I decided to just watch it through and blog it later. A wise decision I think, as so much happened it would have probably ruined the flow of the show for me if I’d tried to blog and watch simultaneously. That said, here’s a recap of the show, bullet-point style, with some of my favorite and some of the most shocking moments highlighted. (total spoilers ahead, so if you didn’t watch it yet, DO NOT CLICK AHEAD.)

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No single storyline on The L Word has affected as many people as Dana’s breast cancer diagnosis and eventual death. Fans all over the world are still up in arms over the decision, with everything from tribute videos on YouTube to forum posts still happening in the Our Chart forums about it. Whatever your feeling on Dana’s death, that storyline educated millions on the realities of breast cancer.

And now one anonymous donor has decided to do something about it, in a big way. A $1 million donation was made to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation in honor of Erin Daniels (Dana, right) and Leisha Hailey (Alice, left) and their honest and realistic portrayals in Dana’s storyline. Going one step further, this donor has set up a fund within the Foundation, and for every dollar donated to that fund, the same anonymous donor will match it! And with 11,000 women under 50 being diagnosed with breast cancer every year, this type of donation is necessary if we’re going to see an eradication of breast cancer in our lifetimes. Head on over to the Foundation website to learn more about the research they’re doing, how far they’ve come, and their larger goals. And then donate something, even a dollar. Your money will be doubled and will help bring an end to this deadly disease.

Despite the Writer’s Strike, still unsolved after writers walked out and took to the streets on Nov. 5, their annual awards ceremony will take place. And up for several? Showtime’s own Dexter! They’re being nominated for Best Drama and Best New Series. It was also “given a nod” for episodic drama for a single writer. Whatever that means.

So now that Dexter’s writers have been nominated, I’ll be excited to see pictures of the event start to filter back through the internet. And with Dexter coming back for a third season, that means even better storylines to come. If the writers are ever given what they deserve by the studios, that is.

With the holidays fast approaching, I was lucky enough to fit in an interview with Brotherhood guest actor Darren Tow earlier last week. Although his time on screen was brief, he is very clearly a talented actor, and has some great stuff to say about the craft.

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Not that we all here at Watching Showtime aren’t already believers in the power of a good Showtime television show. But … if we needed any further proof that the rest of the world is starting to sit up and take notice of what’s happening here on our little channel, the annual “Top Ten” List from The Underrated should give you some indication. Of his top ten television shows of the year, three were from Showtime. Three.

Here’s the full list for those of you who are interested, along with what was said about the three Showtime shows listed.

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Always wanted to know where Kate Moennig gets her style (a style, it would seem, that is not far off from Shane, the character she plays on The L Word)? Then follow along as the ladies of SpinDaily tag along with Kate as she shops in the trendy LA Boutique Kin. I’m pretty sure that even if the items she pics out are out of your price range, you can find enough inspiration to find similar pieces just about anywhere.

And besides. It’s a video of Kate Moennig. And that’s really all we need to get through the day.

Kate Moennig, Kin, SpinDaily, L Word, Showtime

With Doakes in captivity and Angel about to be framed for rape, the whole Miami PD have been turned upside down. How Dexter responds will affect not just his life, but Deb’s, Rita’s, and a lot more people’s lives!

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Can’t wait for the fifth season of the L Word to begin? Well, if you’re a member of Our Chart, you won’t have to, because they’re going to be showing the entire first episode a whole week early!

That’s right, on December 30th they’ll be posting the entire first episode of season 5! And to lead up to it, they’re going to be adding tons of sneak peeks and cast interviews until then, so you’ll be able to get yourself geared up for the season premiere in style! Not a member of Our Chart? Membership is free, so head on over!

Could this be true? With the writer’s strike dragging on and on, it looks like non-cable channels are looking to their paid-programming counterparts for help with filling all the empty spaces. And in the case of CBS, that would mean Showtime.

“Dexter is probably the first one to go on — with some edits,” CEO Leslie Moonves told reporters on Tuesday, with both The Tudors and Weeds to follow, but that “both will need heavy editing to make it to broadcast primetime.”

It didn’t take long for “family oriented groups” to freak out, however, calling the shows words like vulgar, obscene and graphic. These groups say the shows should stay on paid programming where they belong.

I’m betting they’ll change their tunes when there’s no new shows on tv for another six months. Besides, who ever heard of parenting your children, making sure they knew that what was on tv wasn’t real? Or, and I know this is totally unheard of, why not just NOT LET THEM WATCH THE SHOWS?

But that’s just silly old me talking here.

Last week I had the chance to interview John Talalas, who played Police Commissioner Steven Simon on the episode “True Love Tends To Forget”. A tremendous actor, he’s had a plethora of experience to draw from, and has some great stuff to share.

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Looks like someone looked sympathetically at Jonathan’s drunken actions in the Dublin airport late last month and took pity. The star was arrested, but reports came out later that he might have been so upset because his mother was dying. Not three days later she was dead, and Jonathan was back in Ireland to bury her.

Jonathan’s lawyer told the courts he was sorry for his behavior and that he’d agreed to donate a sum of money to an undisclosed charity, and apparently that was enough to remove the charges against him.

Normally, something like this would bother me, but in this case I agree with the judge’s decision. If only they’d be that lenient on non-famous people!

Known for her tough attitude and love for Doakes on Showtime’s Dexter, Lauren Velez has had a long career playing women known for their combination of attitude and beauty. And now After Ellen has taken the time to give us a little more insight into Velez’ upbringing and acting history.

Personally, I love LaGuerta, but have this fear she’s going to lose it by the end of this season. With James being accused of being the Bay Harbor Butcher and knowing Dexter’s the true killer, he’s bound to end up dead, which could break LaGuerta. Her not-so-secret love for Doakes has fueled many a hilarious moment on the show.

hey all. sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. with shows ending and all that, posting might be a little more sparse, but i still intend to post every day.

however. yesterday all my best posting efforts were derailed by the shooting that happened here in omaha. i’ve been told there were reports of it all over American news. and while i know it’s not near as bad as some other shootings that have happened, it’s still rocked our tiny little city a bit. most of yesterday was spent on the phone making sure people i know and love weren’t at the mall (where it happened), and then calling all my relatives (as i live at least eight hours away from most of them) to tell them i and mine were good.

so i’ll be back later today with some more posting, but wanted to check in and apologize!

With Deco finally deciding he wants back on the “good guys” side of things, life could get rough for Michael and Freddie. Meanwhile Michael’s dealing in purses and both Tommy and Colin have to come to grips with Judd’s declining health.

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Now that Dexter’s got Doakes in “custody” and Dexter still hasn’t gotten rid of Lila while attempting to rekindle things with Rita, it looks like these last couple of episodes will be full of suprises! I had hoped he wouldn’t have to kill Doakes, but now I’m not so sure.

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