Quicklet on House Season 2 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK House M.D. has become one of the most successful medical dramas of all time; this is no small feat, considering the medical drama genre has been around since the inception of the TV series. Medical dramas tend to have several of the same elements, which can be packaged and arranged in different ways but remain fundamentally the same. Medical dramas have sick patients, of course, so people in peril is part of the formula. They have technology, or, more specifically, they have medical technology. The shows are full of disease names, other jargon, and high-tech machines that make viewers think what is on the screen is new and vibrant. And they have ratiocination, that is, they have that quality of the detective story that keeps everyone interested, the application of reason and investigative methodology to solve a difficult problem. MEET THE AUTHOR Jeff Davis is a life long educator with a Ph.D. in English Studies who has taught at both the high school and university levels. He is also an artist and an amateur anthropologist who is a proponent of First Art, that art which our ancient ancestors practiced some 30,000 years ago and even earlier. His most recent book, The First-Generation Student Experience, expanded the college student-affairs field describing the challenges of contemporary nontraditional students. Related to his interest in evolutionary biology, he is currently working on a writing pedagogy book that argues that motivation is the most important dimension of the creative process, even more important than skill and native ability. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK House M.D. has been running for eight seasons, since 2004, and each season has its own special flavor in terms of character and plot development. One of the main themes of Season Two is Houses attitude toward medical ethics. House obviously thinks about the ethics of his actions, but his actions often reflect questionable conclusions. Strangely, some people regard House as ethical to a fault. These people think House gets into trouble because he represents a true, pure ethical character while everyone around him takes the easy way out. This behavior can make him seem brave to some people, but what if he is just a cold, antisocial individual who doesnt care about other peoples feelings? For example, it might be full disclosure to tell a terminal patient who will die in two days that his wife has been cheating on him, but this does inflict unnecessary emotional injury to the patient as well. So what is ethical? Anyway, Season Two shows House acting brashly in many touchy, ethical situations; although he sometimes appears to get pleasure out of delivering bad news to people, he also seems to want to do the right thing most of the time. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on House Season 2 (TV Show) + Introduction + Producer and Directors + Overall Summary: Season Two + Episode Summaries: Season Two + ...and much more House Season 2 (TV Show)




Quicklet on House Season 3 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK House M.D. is a medical-themed television show that started back in 2004, shortly after the production team of David Shore, Paul Attanasio and Katie Jacobs pitched the idea to Fox Broadcasting. While the medical procedural itself was hailed as something like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the character of Gregory House, M.D. didnt come around until Chase, Attanasio, and Jacobs were approached by the network to liven up the premise. A human element was required in order to give the show a spark. Actor Hugh Laurie was the right ingredient. The third season of House M.D. is made up of 24 episodes. The season opens with the doctor recovering from gunshot wounds received in the second season finale. Much of the season depicts House coping with his returning leg pain following his ketamine treatment at the end of Season 2, and dealing with the intricacies of the legal and human systems. MEET THE AUTHOR Christine Saint-Jean is an Ontario English teacher with a great passion for American literature in particular and the written word in general. Her two daughters, aged 3 and 7, also seem to have a love of books, as her 7-year-old just started reading Tom Sawyer herself. Saint-Jean follows global events as closely as she can but also enjoys entertainment news. Currently, Saint-Jean is working towards a black belt in karate. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK At this point in the Emmy Award-winning series, the acclaimed doctors ego and addiction to Vicodin has only grown. He has recovered from his gunshot wounds, which were sustained at the end of Season 2, and although he is starting to regain use of his leg, he is back on the Vicodin. His addiction, as always, doesnt stop him from solving some of medicines most challenging mysteries. He has, however, become more of a nuisance to his peers; Wilson and Cuddy have both grown concerned over the godlike egotism they see coming from their friend and make the decision to clip his wings a little. House M.D. continues to resonate with society, particularly the medical community and those struggling with rare medical conditions. People have suggested diagnoses for themselves because of situations which have come about on the series, leaving the medical community struggling to explain to their patients why they shouldnt base their diagnoses on what a television doctor proposes. That said, House M.D. continues to fascinate and spark discussion, both about the characters and the medical issues themselves. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on House Season 3 (TV Show) + There's a Doctor in House + About the Producers and Directors + House: The legend falters + Episode Summaries + ...and much more House Season 3 (TV Show)




Quicklet on Portlandia Season 2 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK “I like to describe Portland as a city with a lot of self-esteem, filled with people with a lot of self-doubt. Portland is a really kind place, with all kinds of people who will go to tyrannical lengths to show you how kind they are, to the point that it actually feels kind of mean. I think a lot of our characters are trying to navigate that.” – Portlandia co-creator Carrie Brownstein, quoted in The Daily Beast “You remember the 90s, when everyone was pickling their own vegetables, and brewing their own beer? People were growing out their mutton chops and waxing their handlebar moustaches. Everyone was knitting and sewing clothes for their children. People were wearing glasses all the time, like contact lenses had never been invented.” “Wait, are we talking about the 1990s?” – Jason From LA and Melanie, Episode 5, “The Dream of the 1890s” If you haven’t heard the joke, then you haven’t been going to the right bars in the right cities with the right people. Hang around enough cool, plugged-in, young, urban progressives - “hipsters,” as they’ve been termed in the last few years - and you’re bound to eventually meet a couple of them who are self-aware enough to have latched on to it. The joke is dry, bitter, self-deprecating. It indicts the entire hipster scene for a sin, one which is simultaneously inconsequential and monumental, that has characterized American progressives - young and old, hip and square, urban and rural - for decades. “Hey, are you a hipster?” “No.” “OK, you’re a hipster.” Hipsters are becoming notorious for their self-loathing. The internet is lousy with Tumblrs, blogs, and entire websites dedicated to bashing the hipster phenomenon. But who are the people hanging out long enough to make all these observations in the Mission, in Williamsburg, in Silver Lake, in Wicker Park, in Capitol Hill? It generally takes one to know one, when it comes to hipsters, and the joke is that one of the first identifiers of a hipster is denial of membership in the group. It’s a social identity literally built around participants’ pretending to not be participants. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK “Hey, are you a hipster?” “No.” “OK, you’re a hipster.” Hipsters are becoming notorious for their self-loathing. The internet is lousy with Tumblrs, blogs, and entire websites dedicated to bashing the hipster phenomenon. But who are the people hanging out long enough to make all these observations in the Mission, in Williamsburg, in Silver Lake, in Wicker Park, in Capitol Hill? It generally takes one to know one, when it comes to hipsters, and the joke is that one of the first identifiers of a hipster is denial of membership in the group. It’s a social identity literally built around participants’ pretending to not be participants. It’s not new, this progressive self-hatred. Its roots run deep. Liberals have always seemed uneasy with their own ideals. Conservatives rarely engage in the same degree of public, brutal, hilarious, humiliating self-flagellation. Recent studies have confirmed that conservative politics are bolstered by what is termed “low-effort thinking.” Firmly attached to a relatively simple, black-and-white worldview, a conservative does not see enough complexity in the issues of the day to see the funny side of his or her own perspective. But philosophical self-mutilation is so deeply entrenched in the left that progressives even do it in their daily lives. They wryly adopt and self-apply the most insulting terms hurled at them from across the aisle. Bleeding heart. Flaming liberal. Treehugger. And so on and so forth.




Quicklet on Dexter Season 2 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK Dexter broke new ground for Showtime when it first premiered in 2006. Rival network HBO had long been acclaimed for its dramatic and comedic series such as The Sopranos and Entourage and Dexter proved that Showtime could deliver its own unique brand of drama that would captivate viewers. The show, much like its main character, was edgy, riveting to watch, and difficult to define. Dexter Morgan was a serial killer that, inexplicably, the audience found itself rooting for. While the show garnered controversy due to its violence and its portrayal of a killer as an antihero, fans clamored for more. Dexter gave the network strong ratings, a new franchise, and a bankable star in Michael C. Hall. However, with the main villain from the first season dead and buried, the lingering question became where the show would go next. While the first season was strongly based off of Jeff Lindsays novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter, producers decided to go a different route and branch away from the Lindsay books, creating their own storyline in the process for Season 2. The second season of Dexter surprised many by not introducing a new main villain for Dexter to hunt. The second book of the Lindsay series focused on a killer nicknamed Dr Danco. Instead, the TV season focused more on Dexter himself as the sins of his past threatened to catch up to him. The real villain of the season may be Dexter himself. MEET THE AUTHOR Dave Beaudrie is a graduate and valedictorian of Michigan State University with a B.A. in Advertising. He also studied Theatre and has performed in multiple productions around the country. He is a professional screenwriter as well with several projects either produced or in pre-production. He is licensed as a security specialist in the state of California and worked in the field for several years. Beaudrie is an avid mixed martial arts fan and has written extensively on the subject. He writes comedy as well under a pen name and resides in Los Angeles. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK What type of killer cant kill? That is the question Dexter must answer in the wake of murdering his brother at the end of Season 1. The Ice Truck Killer has been put down, but his memory and all he represents still haunts Dexter Morgan. Debra Morgan is also troubled by the Ice Truck Killer, albeit in a different way. Season 2 opens with the two siblings dealing with the death of Rudy Cooper in their own ways. Debra lives with Dexter to feel secure and this, combined with the constant surveillance by a suspicious Sgt. Doakes, puts Dexter on a very short killing leash. Over a month goes by without a kill and Dexter finds himself restless. However, when he finally has the opportunity to kill a voodoo-spouting murderer, he cant bring himself to do it. This sudden attack of conscious is exacerbated by the discovery of 30 bags of body parts in the ocean. Dexters previous victims have come home to roost. Deb returns to the force, but is clearly still traumatized. Dexters relationship with Rita becomes more strained as her ex-husband Paul continues to proclaim from prison that Dexter framed him for heroin possession. Paul gets killed in a prison fight and Dexter confesses to Rita that he set Paul up in the aftermath of Pauls death. He also admits to an addiction. He means murder but Rita interprets it as drugs and forces Dexter to go to Narcotics Anonymous. CHAPTER OUTLINE Quicklet on Dexter Season 2 + Introduction + About Tony Goldwyn (Director- Season Premiere) + About Steve Shill (Director- Season Finale) + Season 2 Summary + ...and much more Dexter Season 2 (TV Show)




Quicklet on Mad Men Season 1 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK Chances are, you heard about Mad Men before you watched it. Seemingly out of the blue, drinking during the day was cool again, fashion from the 60s was back in stores, and a handsome man in a suit was hosting Saturday Night Live. Enough people likely expressed shock, and perhaps even disdain, that youd never seen the show. So you sat down and watched an episode. Then another. And then another. We understand. Youve become obsessed, and so have we. Mad Men is one of those few shows that comes along every few years and turns everything on its head. When it initially premiered in 2007, few could foresee how much of a cultural impact it would have on television, especially since it was shown on a channel known for televising old movies. AMC took a leap of faith on the series though, even after it was already turned down by both HBO and Showtime, in the hopes that quality would win out over formulaic mass appeal. Whats ironic is that by not trying to have mass appeal, Mad Men spoke to the masses. Suddenly there was a cool, smart, and glamorous show on cable TV that didnt pander to those who obsessed over cheaper reality television, and people started to talk. Critics began acclaiming the show, saying it was the series that breaks new ground by luxuriating in the not-so-distant past, and not soon after, the creators picked up a Golden Globe for best drama. In short, Mad Men had become a sensation. But what exactly was it about the show that made it so addicting? Perhaps it was that the characters had depth, that we truly and deeply cared about them even as they ran themselves into ruin. Maybe it was the beauty of the authentic costumes, or the hazy, romantic glow of the sets. Or perhaps, though wed hate to admit it to ourselves, it was that these characters imbibed without restraint in ways that we never could, with three-martini lunches and nooners with girls in the Village, smoking packs a day and soaking up power as though it was a birthright. The characters of Mad Men live life in ways that we never will, simply because were born in the wrong era. Luckily for us, the show is engrossing enough that we can pretend. MEET THE AUTHOR Lauren was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina State University in May 2011. A few months later, she found herself in New York City, working in publishing and writing on the side, a dream come true! When Lauren is not reading, writing, or thinking about reading and writing, she is exploring the city with friends or finding new yoga classes to take. She loves traveling and going to concerts, or even combining the two and attending music festivals. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Mad Men: A term coined in the late 1950s to describe the advertising executives of Madison Avenue. They coined it. Donald Draper is at the center of the glamorous world that is advertising in 1960s New York City. Always seen with a scotch in hand through a haze of cigarette smoke, Draper is the Creative Director of Sterling Cooper, and a bit of a womanizer. His corner office is often where he gets ready for the day, since he didnt make it home that night to his wife, Betty. Betty, however, is ever much the loving and trusting wife that society demands her to be, even though she experiences nervous ticks that show that her suspicions might one day surface. While life for Betty might be calm and quiet in the suburbs, life in the city is anything but. Sterling Cooper is where executives rise to power, or fall to the wayside, depending on how they play their cards. The women who assist the men are playthings and nothing more; when the executives egos get bruised, they turn to the women to bring them back up again. One particular executive, Pete Campbell, has eyes for an upper management position, and is willing to do just about anything to get there.




Quicklet on Community Season 2 (TV Show)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK While the second season produced some of the best Community episodes to date, including the Emmy-winning Christmas episode, it also felt the most uneven season to date (which could explain the steep decline in ratings from first season). Whereas most shows put their best foot forward with the first few episodes of the season, Community repeated its mistake of having the best storytelling after the half point of the season - by which time the show had lost significant viewership. As a viewer, I wanted to fall in love deeper with every following episode and there were times when I had to remind myself that Community as a show is a living, breathing thing. Other times, the shows brilliance and epic, quotable moments, smacked me in the face and upside my head, making me feel guilty for ever having doubted the writers and shows creator. Did Community iron out the major problem it had with the first season? It really didnt. We learned new things about the characters but the information trickled out like water from a broken faucet. Was it a genuine situational comedy? Not really. Every episode revolved around something absurd happening, arguments that seemingly escalated over nothing, and yet the viewers could theoretically find themselves in similar circumstances without trying hard. One things for sure: Community is too clever even for the most devoted viewer. Just when you think they have lost track of the bigger picture, their social commentary is right on point. Which is really the reason why the show is more popular when it is in reruns - TV watchers have the option to analyze every joke and explore all the meta references. MEET THE AUTHOR Evelyn hails from a very tiny country of Estonia, so it's ironic that she chose to be a writer when English isn't her fist language! After a few years of working for newspapers and local TV news, she chose to forego any idea of a schedule and started a freelance writing and marketing business. Because it isn't the most stable of jobs, Evelyn would often supplement her income with random gigs, including being a singing telegram and an airline interpreter. She has an unnaturally close relationship with food and for a number of years worked as a chef. However, after crying too many times in the kitchen, Evelyn had to give up her professional culinary pursuits. Instead, you'll find her traveling, reading, participating in your general "debauchery", and making new friends. She has several degrees and some accolades but she'd much rather tell you about the time she smuggled a kitten on an airplane out of Russia. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK The second season took a lot more risks stylistically and tackled more iconic film tropes, including the ever-popular zombie takeover, Pulp Fiction and flashback sequences. When the group returns for their second year at Greendale, everyone is excited to build on the friendships they developed during their freshman year. Problem is there is some awkwardness between Jeff and Annie, and Jeff and Britta after last seasons love triangle fiasco. Eventually, the group decides that it is better for the health of everyone if all members remain strictly platonic towards each other. During an unfortunate medical scare that causes delirium, Shirley and Chang have sex at the schools Halloween dance. Neither of them remember it until Shirley finds out shes pregnant. Chang looses out on his chance to join the study group since Shirley despises him. The worst of it is she doesnt know if the baby is Changs or her estranged husbands, Andres. After some struggling, Shirley decides to try to work it out with Andre, who has promised to raise the baby, regardless of who is the biological father. Shirley goes into labor at Greendale and it is revealed that Chang is not the father on the account of the baby being born without a tale. CHAPTER OUTLINE ...and much more




Quicklet on Criminal Minds Season 2 (CliffsNotes-like Summary, Analysis, and Commentary)


Book Description

ABOUT THE BOOK The second season of Criminal Minds aired on CBS, and ran from September 20, 2006 until May 16, 2007. Of particular importance to this season is the absence of Elle Greenaway, who left the show during Episode 6. Starting with Episode 9, Criminal Minds introduced a new character, Agent Emily Prentiss, who took Elle’s place for the rest of the season. Criminal Minds follows an elite team of FBI criminal investigators, known as the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), as its members travel the country working to solve grisly murder mysteries and arrest the serial killers responsible for them. During its premier season, Criminal Minds was the newest iteration of crime scene investigation television programs, competing with such shows as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Crossing, Law & Order: SUV, and Medium, many of which were also broadcast on CBS. Given this context, Criminal Minds used its first season to set itself apart from the crowd. MEET THE AUTHOR Charles Limley is a native of Colorado. After earning bachelor’s degrees in both English Literature and Humanities from the University of Colorado—Boulder, he entered the world of professional writing. He began his work with Hyperink during the fall of 2011. In addition to writing, Limley is an avid reader. He also loves bicycles, and has completed several long-distance bicycle tours. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK In portraying these crimes, each episode of Criminal Minds becomes its own mini-narrative placed within a larger overall story in which the BAU team works together to become not only a professional team, but a personal team as well. As the season unfolds, characters’ personal struggles, fears, and doubts are revealed, and as they are, teammates must figure out how best to help each other. In this way, the members of the BAU team are constantly focused on providing relief and help to those in need, despite being surrounded by a world of deranged, senseless, and bloody killings. This fundamental theme is attested to by Agent Gideon during an episode of Season 1, when he reminds Agent Reid that for a psychological profiler, the “most effective weapon is the ability to empathize—to humanize an unsub’s victim” (TV.com, Criminal Minds: Episode Guide). Gideon tells Reid that only by reversing the dehumanizing effects of crime and murder, returning to the victims their dignity and worth as individuals, can an effective and accurate profile of the perpetrator be constructed... Buy a copy to keep reading!




Quicklet on Glee Season 1


Book Description

Glee had caused a fuss before the show even aired. From the first cryptic commercials to the success of the first episodes, potential future audiences wondered if a show about misfits singing in a show choir could "make it." The buzz was loud, expectations were high. In the end, however, Glee successfully managed to combine karaoke-style singing with astute commentary on the high-school experience and universal teenage dramas. Although TV had been enamored with the karaoke-style singing show format ever since American Idol premiered in the US in 2002, few had attempted to combine singing with elements of traditional comedy. Before Glee premiered in 2009, creator Ryan Murphy spent his time assuring potential audiences that the show wouldn't include only show tunes and that cast members wouldn't spontaneously break into song. People were put at ease when they saw that the show featured some of their favorite songs, including songs from Top 40 lists to oldies to yes, even a few show tunes. A hit with audiences, the TV show Glee, which was originally conceived as a feature-length film, quickly became a hit.




Naptime with Joey


Book Description

From viral Instagram sensation, lifestyle photographer, and mommy blogger Laura Izumikawa comes Naptime with Joey, a ridiculously delightful photo book of her now internet-famous daughter dressed up in various pop culture costumes—a perfect gift for new parents everywhere. Lights, Camera…Nap! Joey Marie wears many hats (or, rather, wigs): she’s dressed up as Inigo Montoya, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Pikachu, Anna Wintour, Moana, and Barb from Stranger Things. She’s taken trips to Hawaii, baked croissants, and blasted off to the moon as an astronaut (at least, in her dreams). She’s held occupations such as pizza chef, aerobics instructor, and handy-dandy-fixer-upper (figuratively, of course). She’s inspired a parenting blog, been the face of her mom Laura Izumikawa’s Instagram account—and for the first time, she’s taken the leap from the ranks of internet-baby-snoredom to the pages of a book. Naptime with Joey is chockablock full of over a hundred deliciously adorable photos of Joey dressed up as various pop culture characters, movie stars, musicians, vacationers, and holiday-goers, making this the most fun, festive, and downright delightful gift under the sun!




The Everlasting Rose


Book Description

Camille must save Orleans in this high-stakes sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller.