Penn & Teller Bullshit: The Complete Sixth Season

Written by Fumo Verde

Penn & Teller’s Bullshit is the one reason I still have Showtime. Here is a real reality show, and I’m not talking crybaby drama of who slept with who’s who. There’s no magic tricks revealed, just the bullshit that clogs are everyday view of what is going on in the real world around us. Past seasons have dealt with such wackiness as aliens abducting people to the truth behind the Ouiji boards (we all know that stuff is bullshit), to other subjects like “The Business of Love” and my favorite “the War on Drugs”. This is the only show I’ve seen that confronts these matters head on and brings people the real truth, whether they want it or not.

Two DVDs make up season six with episodes that include “New Age Medicine,” “NASA,” “Dolphins” and a whole host of others that will make yearn for more truth. One of my favorites of this season is “The War on Porn”. In this episode P&T show us that the only people at war with the porn industry are religious groups and feminine activists.

Now, some might say this show doesn’t give a fair chance to the opposition when presenting their argument. Bullshit! The people who P&T interview for their show know full well what to expect when this episode airs. So when the woman who will tell us in one breath that watching pornography will lead us to child porn and murder, and in the same breath tell us that there is “no good study” or scientific data which will back up her said statement, then of course I must laugh when these comic magic men rip on her and make fun of everything she says. Why? Because what she is saying is bullshit and to present your ideas as facts with out any scientific way of proving it, then yes you are to be laughed at. Don’t get them wrong, P&T believe everybody should be allowed to voice their opinions in our democracy, but when one group is out to “destroy” the livelihood of another group with false statements built as a façade to hide the real truth, then bullshit must be called, and this show does just that.

“Being Green” was one of those episodes that changed my mind about global warming. I followed the crowd when Al Gore spoke and believed carbon taxes would set us straight, until P&T warmed away the bullshit. They aren’t saying that global warming isn’t happening, but they did put it into a bigger perspective. The Earth’s climate has changed numerous times in the last billion years and it will keep on changing. Are we as humans moving it along faster? Possibly, but that data is still being tested and reviewed. The one thing for sure is our Earth has gone through some super-extreme climate changes, which killed almost everything that has ever lived, and it will continue to do so. We call it, and it is what I firmly believe in, evolution.

This show brings the evidence for both sides of whatever argument into play and they let the interviewees debate each other in a non-combative way where there isn’t a bunch of talking heads yelling at each other and bringing everything down to the lowest common denominator. Each side gets a chance to discuss what they believe to be the facts that will support their stance. Penn and Teller bring all this into focus under a comical light and let you the viewer decided for yourself whether something is real or bullshit.

Dexter: The Complete Second Season

Written by Senora Bicho

Good versus evil, how easy is that to define? Rick Warren recently hosted a discussion with Barack Obama and John McCain and asked the question “Does evil exist and, if it does, how should we deal with it?” Both candidates agreed that evil does exist, but is evil always so easy to identify? The second season of Dexter delves deeply into this issue and raises far more questions than it answers.

Dexter is the story of Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) who works for the Miami Police Department as a blood-spatter analyst. He was orphaned at a young age and raised by Harry Morgan (James Remar), a police office who recognized his tendency for violence early on. Instead of trying to change Dexter, Harry decided to channel those urges for good and instructed him to focus his desire to kill on only the most heinous criminals. So by day he uses his talents to catch them and at night kills those that got away.

In season two, Dexter starts to question what he is doing. He wonders, “Am I a good person doing bad things or a bad person doing good things?” When the police discover his underwater dumping ground, a large manhunt that includes the FBI begins. Sergeant James Doakes (Erik King), who has been suspicious about Dexter since season one, is also on his tail, desperate to find out what he is hiding. As Dexter tries to follow the investigation and worries about being caught, he starts to learn more about his dark past too.

Deb (Jennifer Carpenter), Dexter's adoptive sister, continues to suffer the after-effects of her relationship with the Ice Truck Killer from the previous season and moves in with Dexter, but she manages to find a new more normal love interest.

Dexter’s relationship with Rita (Julie Benz), the divorced mother of two, gets more complicated, and he is forced to enter rehab for drug abuse to cover up his real addiction. A new character to this season, Lila (Jaime Murray), becomes his sponsor and ends up doing more harm than good. Keith Carradine and JoBeth Williams also join the cast.

Hall is the foundation of the show and without him the show would not be nearly as interesting. He is a wonderful actor who is perfectly cast in the title role. I was initially concerned when I heard that he was going to be the star as I had only seen him previously in Six Feet Under. While he was terrific in that show too, it was a vastly different role and I wasn’t sure he would be able to pull off this character. However, he has exceeded all of my expectations. You are able to see and feel Dexter’s struggle, learn to truly care about him and even come to cheer him on. The supporting cast is also stellar and each character brings in their own demons and issues to the story.

The DVD collection includes all 12 episodes but leaves a little to be desired in the special features department. Showtime is more interested in reaching new subscribers than in making the fans happy. They offer a $25 rebate and include two episodes of their other series: Brotherhood, The Tudors and Californication. The DVD case claims that the bonus content available online includes a Michael C. Hall podcast and interview; however, at the time of this review it was not available. Even if it was why should true fans have to have Internet access to be able to access the only items of real interest? Instead of trying to force shows on me that I don’t care about or that no one else is watching, focus on what the Dexter fans care about: new and interesting information. I have no problem with Showtime trying to bring some attention to their other shows but that should not be their only concern. I own several collections of HBO series and they include commentaries, behind the scenes documentaries, and much more. Take a lesson, Showtime. It won't kill you.

Season two of Dexter was even better than season one and provided a lot of excitement, interesting storylines, and raised thought-provoking questions. If you were one of those viewers who only saw the show on CBS, now is your chance to see it complete and unbutchered. Season Three starts on September 28th but considering the shenanigans by Showtime in regards to this set, I am not encouraging you to become a subscriber.

The L Word: The Complete Fourth Season

Written by Senora Bicho

The L Word is a television drama that centers on a tight-knit group of female friends. Similar to Sex and the City, the women experience relationship ups and downs, job issues, and a host of other problems. What makes this show unique is that the women in this group of friends are lesbian and bi-sexual. While the show is overly dramatic, it does tackle real issues and brings subjects to light that are thought-provoking and that deserve to be discussed.

Ilene Chaiken is the creator, writer, and executive producer. Her previous experience includes The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Barb Wire, not a strong resume by any stretch. The show premiered on Showtime in January 2004. Production has started on Season Five and the season premiere will air in January 2008.

Season Four provided a lot of excitement for the group along with adding a few new faces. Bette (Jennifer Beals) and Tina (Laurel Holloman) are dealing with the aftermath of their breakup and custody of their daughter Angelica. Tina has also started dating a man, which creates some interesting dimensions and hostilities in the group. Shane (Katherine Moennig) left her fiancé at the altar at the end of Season Three and is trying to get her life back on track. She ends up with custody of her brother. This has a dramatic impact on her outlook on life and attitude towards responsibility. One of the most interesting storylines is about Max (Daniela Sea) and her desire to physically transition into a man. The hostility that she faces from her co-workers and family is very disturbing and authentic. Alice (Leisha Hailey) continues to host her radio show while building her Internet site based on “The Chart” and becomes involved with a military officer who ends up being called back to Iraq. Jenny (Mia Kirshner) has published a book about the group that hits a little to close to home for some of the ladies. Kit (Pam Grier) has a relapse with her alcoholism when she encounters some relationship problems.

Cybill Shephard, Marleen Matlin and Janina Gavankar joined the cast in Season Four. Shephard is the Executive Vice Chancellor at the university where Bette starts working. After 23 years of marriage and two children, she realizes she has been living a lie and is really a lesbian. Matlin is an artist at the university and Bette’s new love interest. Both provide good performances and are welcome additions. Gavankar plays Papi, whose conquest totals crash Alice’s website. Alice becomes fascinated with her and sets out on a mission to track her down.

While the DVD cover promised special features, there are none to be found about the show itself. There is an episode of The Tudors and Californication, a message from a couple of the stars on pet rescue, the announcement of some contest winners, biographies, and a photo gallery.

The L Word is a fun and entertaining show that one can easily be sucked into. It is also great to see a show that is based all around strong, independent women that also empowers the gay community. If you have Showtime and enjoy melodramatic television, give it a chance as some of the storylines are intriguing. I can’t recommend purchasing the DVD collection unless you are a die-hard fan of the show and plan on owning every single episode.