This show has GOT to be kidding.

I recap the episode at Tor.com as per usual. You will notice that there is yet ANOTHER mother figure.

It’s no mystery why they’re there, in general; mother figures have a built-in motivation, so they are a godsend for lazy TV writers since no one questions a mother’s desire to protect her kid. But seriously, the punishing of single mothers and the converse miraculous protection awarded to married mothers is going past self-parody to the point where it’s just insulting. When you know in the first thirty seconds that 1) this character must be pregnant because she’s a woman without a visible child and 2) that kid will survive because she was married, your show has a problem. For serious.

Also, you imply that mercury poisoning is easy to clean up as long as you take the mercury-filled fridges out of the water. I just, I mean, what…is WRONG with you?

So, Melissa Leo Day (otherwise known as the Oscars) happened last night! Let’s get right to the fashion.

Melissa Leo did not win. This was not a surprise (it was Winslet’s year and everyone knew it), but by the time it happened I felt like it was for the best, because as awesome as I think Melissa Leo is, I did not necessarily want to see her dress again.

Young lady, what are you WEARING?
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Or, you know, the Oscars, but really, Melissa Leo Day.

I loved you in Young Riders (haters to the left!), I LOVED YOU in Homicide (best cop show ever), and I have watched proudly as you have supporting-roled your way through the indie-movie circuit. Now you are up for an Oscar (FINALLY), and I will be turning on the ceremony for the first time since Cate Blanchett lost for Elizabeth and my heart died, just to see if you win.

Just FYI, if you win, every hour of my youth spent in front of the TV can be classed “talent scouting” instead of “hatred of other kids.” That’s about six billion hours for which my family is still waiting for me to account. No pressure.

(I cannot really put into words how excited I am. When Tilda Swinton suddenly exploded, I was only mildly surprised; she should have been famous since Orlando, but she was destined to be awesome, so better late than never. When I saw that Melissa Leo had a Best Actress nomination, I was speechless.)

Come on, Leo. I’m rooting for you.

Yesterday, the Post reported the saddest TV exclusive in a long time: they’ve cancelled the Middleman. I sob about it over at Tor.com.

Middleman gone forever, Tin Man in the works. It is not a good week for TV.

Hint: Dear Sci Fi channel, PICK UP THE MIDDLEMAN. You already have all those CGI dinosaur effects you can use, and your expenses will drop a lot once Battlestar Galatica is over and you can start auctioning off all that memorabilia!

Last night at KGB Liz busted out her poll about underrated genre films and asked for everyone’s must-underrated genre movie.

Since this is like asking me which oxygen particle is my favorite, I tried to narrow things down. It went like this:

G: “What are other people saying?”
L: “I can’t tell you.”
G: “But my choices might not even be considered genre!”
L: “They’re fine. Just tell me.”
G: “Whale Rider.”
L: “…but that’s not really genre, is i?”
G: *sobs quietly*

Many people mentioned previous Questionable Taste Theatre movies, which makes me feel less alone in a cruel and empty world, etc. etc., even though I spent half the night reviewing my DVD collection in my mind trying to decide which ones I would consider underrated, since clearly some geek classics were well represented. I mean, underrated in the sci-fi community? At the Oscars? Box office? Enduring legacy? Forgotten influence? This question is going to drive me up a wall, is what I’m saying.

(No, seriously, she summons whales with the power of her mind! Come on!)