VIP Blog

DEXTER MADE HIM BREAK BAD!

Carlo Settecase, a 21-year-old Chicago-area Nordstrom employee who allegedly stole more than $20,000 in merchandise from the store, blamed his television habits for making him think he could get away with it. According to the Pioneer Press, Settecase told police that watching characters on Breaking Bad, Dexter and The Sopranos get away with various crimes inspired him to hatch his plan of placing items into a mail tote, dropping the tote in the mail room, and then taking the merchandise from the mail room the next day. Settecase was ultimately caught on surveillance camera. Perhaps he should add Punk’d reruns and Law & Order to his TiVo season pass.

POWER OF BRITNEY

Britney scores big ratings

The Britney Spears-themed episode of Glee (aptly titled “Britney/Brittany”) on Sept. 28 proved to be the show’s highest-ranked to date – it attracted more than 13 million viewers! According to Entertainment Weekly, the big ratings helped Glee become the first series since Seinfeld in 1993 to debut as the top series of the week and then see its ratings grow the following week. “I loved it! Thank you guys SO much for making this happen!” Spears Tweeted during the West Coast premiere of the episode. What do you think – did the episode live up to it’s hype? Who would you like to see featured on Glee?

BONES GETS MARRIED

That sound you hear is the shattering of fan-boy hearts. While faithful viewers of Bones have been anxiously waiting for romance to bloom between Brennan and Booth, Emily Deschanel is living her own love story. Over the weekend, the actress married boyfriend, writer/actor David Hornsby (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), in a ceremony in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Congrats to the newlyweds!

DEXTER KILLS THE COMPETITION

Michael C. Hall in Dexter

The fifth season premiere of Dexter ranked as Showtime’s most highly rated season premiere in 15 years. The Los Angeles Times reports that 1.8 million people tuned in for the premiere, and another 575,000 watched the rebroadcast for a same-night total of 2.3 million viewers. Undoubtedly, fans were eager to see how Dexter (played by Michael C. Hall) would deal with the murder of his wife, Rita, the ramifications of which will be felt throughout the season. “Basically he’s got an appetite for vengeance that can’t be quenched…” Hall told TV Guide. “He’s got to sift through and reassemble the wreckage that the murder of his wife has created. He is acting, initially, from a state of shock, and then certainly from an impulsive place. I don’t think he’s able to put it all together. I think Dexter will come to appreciate what has been unconsciously motivating him in a conscious way. He really does crave some way to atone for what’s happened, even though he doesn’t maybe consciously know that, and even if he does, he doesn’t know how to do it.”

PEGGY’S FAVORITE “SUITCASE”

Elisabeth Moss recently revealed her favorite Mad Men episode is season 4’s “The Suitcase” during a Sept. 26 interview with Entertainment Weekly’s “Pop Watch” column. The emotionally wrenching/incredibly drunken episode is set against the backdrop of the May 25, 1965, Muhammad Ali/Sonny Liston rematch for the world heavyweight boxing championship and a Samsonite luggage campaign.  “I felt very flattered and honored to be given that episode. [I'm] flattered that [series creator] Matt [Weiner] wrote it, and, for me, it was a joy,” said the actress, who plays Peggy Olson on the series. “It was just a sort of wonderful bubble of an episode. I relished it and I’m super proud of how it came out.” What’s your favorite Mad Men episode?

Reasons Why Dexter’s Fifth Season Is Can’t Miss TV

September means a lot of things to people. It’s the month that marks the official end of summer. It’s the first full month of school for many. It’s a month of remembrance and reflection for many. It’s also hosts International Talk Like a Pirate Day (seriously, look it up). But for many television fans, this month marks the return of something very special and dear to our hearts. I am of course talking about the return of Showtime’s hit series, Dexter. After 8 months of restless anticipation from fans, Dexter Season 5 finally premieres September 26^th, and this season is shaping up to be killer devilishly fun one to die for I hate puns one to remember. Here’s my breakdown as to why this season of Dexter has potential to be the best yet.

1. Last season earned the series its highest amount critical and commercial success thus far:

Last season, the series creators and cast were able to avoid all of the pitfalls that have often troubled serialized dramas and provided fans with the most consistently incredible hours of dramatic programming on television. Evidently the critics and fans agree.  The series finale earned the highest ratings of any Showtime original series in history (2.6 million).  The show also received eight Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations and walked away with four award wins (including Best Supporting Actor- Drama Emmy and Golden Globe win for John Lithgow and a Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama Golden Globe win for Michael C. Hall).

2. The finale left fans on a high note:

Now, I’m going to keep this guide as spoiler-free as possible… but, I simply cannot neglect to mention the ending. The season finale sent the Internet into a whirl (within the Dexter forum at Showtime, the finale episode’s forum contained a staggering 26.3% of the total posts) and built unprecedented hype around the upcoming season. This was only further demonstrated by the  frenzy that fans were whipped into after the release of the Season 5 teaser during Comic-Con. Simply put, fans are hopelessly addicted and loving it.

3. The creators have upped the stakes (again!):

“It was me.” Again, to avoid spoilers, (note: I hope all of you that have neglected this incredible series realize how disappointed I am with you) I cannot explain the significance of this particular quote. But for those of you who have seen the recent teasers will know, this stunned utterance seems to be what puts Dexter back under the spotlight of his longtime opposition/co-worker, Officer Joey Quinn.  With Quinn tracking his every move, Dexter must endure the constant threat of being exposed for his crimes (past and surely a few new ones). Quinn’s friendship/partnership with Debra only further complicates matters. All signs point to an inevitable Dexter/Quinn confrontation. Until then, fans will be waiting with bated breath to see how the conflict gets resolved.

4. More new characters:

After the incredible success of last season’s inclusion of John Lithgow, the Dexter team has signed a significant amount of new talent to join the cast this season. Some confirmed additions of the cast with recurring roles include: Shawn Hatosy (Southland, Alpha Dog), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Queer as Folk), April Lee Hernandez (30 Rock), Jonathan Lee Miller (Trainspotting, Eli Stone), Peter Frederick Weller (Robocop I and II), and Chris Vance (Burn Notice, Prison Break). Arguably, the biggest inclusion to the cast this season is Julie Stiles, who is rumored to play a love interest of Dexter. Fans of the series know how targets of Dexter’s affection tend to end up (dead), so we’re all curious to know just how the relationship will end up.

5. Dexter the family man versus Dexter the serial killer

With the ending of Season 4, Dexter was left psychologically unhinged with three children under his care. During the struggles between his role as a caretaker and his Dark Passenger’s savage desires last season, Dexter thought that he finally had the balance figured out. But, much like a boat at sea, the water always feels calmest before being sucked into a whirlpool. As those familiar with physics know, a void must always be filled. Dexter is floating, disoriented in an ocean of conflicting emotions. Can his family sans his wife be the plank that he clings to in order to float back to shore, or has the guilt and desolation from the loss simply created a vacuum too large to be filled by anything other than lust for a kill?

What is your biggest reason for being excited for this season of Dexter? Leave your reason in the comments below. Be sure to set your DVRs for Showtime on Sunday 9 PM ET/PT and join in on the discussion.

GWYNETH COMING TO GLEE?

Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis in 2000's Duets

Shakespeare in Love may have been her big break, but Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest career move might be more easily traced to her duet with Huey Lewis in Duets. The BBC reports that Paltrow is slated to appear in two episodes of Glee this season as a substitute teacher for Mr. Schuester – a part specifically written for the actress by series creator Ryan Murphy. “Gwyneth is a great singer,” Murphy told the BBC. “She’s done it a little bit but I really want to show it off and show everyone how great she is.” Who would you like to see guest-star on Glee?

DON DRAPER DISSES REALITY DOPES

Don’t expect to see Snookie and The Situation in John Hamm’s hot tub anytime soon. The Mad Men star recently told Details magazine that he’s fed up with reality television and what he sees as an epidemic of people willing to sell their dignity for fame. “If you just want to be famous … that’s not that much different than porn,” Hamm told the magazine. “I’m a movie star!’ Well, no you’re not. You’re a porn star, and that’s completely different… Porn probably built half the houses out here [in L.A.], but you’re selling your dignity in a way that I feel I’m not. And once you sell it, it’s gone. You ain’t getting it back.” What do you think? Is reality television a sign of the apocalypse?

REAL TIME WITH FAMILY GUY

Maher and MacFarlane on Real Time

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane will be part of HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher when the raucous, politically-incorrect weekly roundtable kicks off its eighth season on Friday night, Sept. 24. Maher will return the favor when he appears on Family Guy later this season. MacFarlane was also on hand last month as his friend Maher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

MAD MAN OF STEEL?

Don Draper as Clark Kent?

Could Mad Men’s John Hamm be the next in line to don the famous red cape and blue tights of Superman? “Those are sort of the Internet things that one person says and 15 more people Twitter it and then it becomes this sort of phenomenon,” the Emmy-winning actor actor said during a Sept. 16 segment of Live With Regis and Kelly (watch the clip here). “It’s sort of news to me, but if the powers-that-be are thinking that, I’d like them to get in touch with me. We can maybe discuss this.” You have to admit – he’s fresh off the success of The Town and his resemblance to the last son of Krypton is unmistakable. What do you think – is there anyone better suited than Don Draper to play the Man of Steel?