Ace Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) dazzles as a savvy businessman and threatening yet cool customer on "Luck."

I’m aware how reductive it can be to encapsulate a Milch-ian work in one word. It could devalue the razor-sharp perception embedded in his dialogue, it could diminish the thought-provoking choices made with any given shot, and it could disrespect the dedication his actors make to their characters. But it could also serve as a guidepost for the casual fan who wants to understand this man’s mastery with thematic cohesion.

This week, the word is seduction. The track is home to the sirens. Whether lured in by the tune of revenge, the hymns of glory days, or the rhythm of horses’ hooves, men and women from all walks of life pass through Santa Anita hoping to be seduced, or looking to ensnare. This week, as he outlined for us in last week’s ending, Ace is looking to hire his liaison, or “go-between, for dealing with Mike, the underworld boss who was largely responsible for Ace’s sentence. The more I see of Hoffman’s performance the more I’m won over by his command.

For intimidation, he need only a sarcastic quip or a persistent stare. His most powerful weapon is his disapproval, which can causes young derivatives hotshot, Nathan Israel (played by Patrick J. Adams) to tremble while trying to give off an air of confidence. He becomes Mr. Bernstein’s latest victim when he questions the practicality of his financial recommendations. It’s unsettling not knowing if Ace will lose his own reigns, because even flashes of his “temper” forebode violent capabilities. I fear Ace without him ever lifting a finger, and that’s genuine power. His contempt can be so demoralizing that a blow to the head would be welcomed just loosen his stranglehold on your wits.

Israel is asked politely by his superiors to meet with Ace. Once in Bernstein’s penthouse the interrogation begins. Ace grills him about his interjections in the boardroom and what compelled him to question his requests to free up money to buy the Santa Anita track. His skepticism comes from deducing that he dabbles in illegal business that extends beyond the cocaine possession charge he took three years prior. Ace of course dresses him down, makes him sweat. When Nathan retreats to the “lavatory” he clues in Gus on his motives. He’s unimpressed by the kid’s smarts and ambition, as it takes style to thrive in this business. But he also recognizes that he could would make Mike’s skin crawl, making him perfect for the job of “go-between.” He offers him $1 million for a year’s employ humbling the cocky financial guru.

On the track, our four degenerate pals make a play for the horse Renzo lost at the claiming race. Jerry exhibits prowess as a negotiator, snagging Mon Gateau for $27,000 instead of his supposed market value of $40K. He also convinces Escalante to train him. At first, he’s reluctant, reasoning that he got rid of the horse because his legs are weak even after two years of rehabbing. Jerry then cleverly rebukes: “Guy comes to me about a girl I still have eyes for, I tell him she has crabs.” Escalante is a steep price, but the exhausting expenses don’t deter our “four amigos.”

The childlike wonderment in their eyes as they pet and feed carrots to their new investment suggests this venture was as much about fulfilling a dream as it is about the earning potential. Even Marcus, still loud-mouthed and blunt, forces a smile as he becomes acquainted with the elegant beast. Renzo can’t help but boast to complete strangers and Lonnie appears unaffected my the brutal beating he suffered at the hands of the insurance temptresses when he strokes his new animal companion. It’s touching to see these four appreciating majesty as opposed to feigning for their big play.

It’s a tough week for the jockeys as both Ronnie Jenkins and Leon take major spills. Ronnie is thrown from Walter’s horse, Gettin’ Up Morning, when the foal is bumped off the rail. Ronnie resorts to his diehard habits of snorting cocaine and downing whiskey to ease the pain of a broken collarbone (which he has apparently broken before lamenting that he breaks his collarbone more than he gets laid) and shattered pride. Leon smashes his head on the floor when he passes out trying to make weight in the sauna. The dangers and pressures of ushering these horses to the promised land is beginning to take its toll on the rookie and seasoned veteran alike, causing their agent Joey to stammer even more severely as his clients recover. In Ronnie’s case, he’ll be out 4-6 weeks, but as suggested by his relapse, his time might be running out completely.

As endeared as I have been with Walter, his story this week came off as a memory wipe. Because of Ronnie’s injury he’s forced to confront his decision to deny Rosie the privilege to be his jockey. His now routine monologue is him practicing what he will say to her, and though this deliberation gave me the warm and fuzzies watching the sweet old man get nervous, it amounted to little more than a complication. Despite Ronnie’s propensity for failure, he always had Rosie in waiting so I was never worried that Rosie would not get her shot. Nick Nolte nails his elderly regret as always, but the circumstances surrounding it were slightly contrived.

I had mixed feelings concerning the relationships that were ignited this week. A woman named Claire enters Ace’s life when she requests he fund her Thoroughbred Retirement Fund, a program that would pair up convicts with broken down race horses, but a spark was evident, and Ace expresses his desire to meet with her to Gus. The other was utterly devoid of chemistry. Jo, (Jill Hennessy) Escalante’s veterinarian, is aghast when he accuses her of mouthing off about Mon Gateau’s condition, resulting in the horse being claimed. She is rightly offended, but when he “apologizes” by hitting on her, she responds by sleeping with him later on. I interpreted their hookup as one predicated on convenience, and maybe even loneliness. But if there was supposed to be romance or affection there was none to be found. I’m okay with loveless sex, but the motivations behind it were absent.

Episode Three, proved to be a continuation of last week, but stood on its own two feet during the character moments. Ace in particular started to feel like a real person, and not just a generic ex-con set on revenge. Our four generates showed sides of their personalities that made them more relatable, and the adorable Rosie is returning! Overall, there was less to jump out of my seat for, and with the horse race sequence shortened the episode lacked that injection of adrenaline that keeps me attentive. Milch, Mann and company executed another fine episode with memorable lines and arresting moments of tension and transcendence, but the pivotal race next week and the introduction of Mike will offer the rejuvenation necessary to keep me and other loyal viewers revved up. For maintaining its stylistic brilliance, and allowing us to view our new friends through windows of delight and mischief aside from the pity and desperation of the past two weeks, despite the lack of thrills “Luck” proved “its got a good head” like Gus’ horse avoiding a collision, with a B+.

More gorgeous horse races, scheming, gambling and intrigue on the second episode of HBO's "Luck."

HBO doesn’t do small-scale. Sure, “The Sopranos” was a family drama embedded in the all-consuming network of the mob, and “The Wire” never neglected the personal struggles within the deteriorating city of Baltimore, but both shows required a steep learning curve (a few episodes) before one could fully immerse themselves in these familiar yet foreign expanses. There was no denying, however, the web of interconnectedness from the get-go. Everyone shared a commonality of experience, the impact of their worlds’s stranglehold, the futility of escape. Whether tied to a family, an occupation, a city or a way of life, these dramas always emphasized the love/hate relationship people have with the place they came from, and how indelibly linked its character is to ours.

“Luck” follows this formula. Last week, it was a universe that seemed impenetrable for outsiders and the unestablished connections between the track insiders had us scratching our heads. I was compelled by the grandeur of this well-oiled, horse racing machine. So many cogs were operating, but the functions of each gear eluded me. Then I remembered the insistence and the infinite wisdom of “Luck’s” predecessor, “The Wire,” “…All the pieces matter.” With that in mind, the labor of the pilot paid off this week. The table-setting paved the way for exploration, and as viewers we begin to recognize where the tragic threads are being woven. Revenge plots are being forged, envy and greed threatens the glory in victory, and opportunities to climb the ladder present themselves.

THIRST was the overriding feeling of the episode. Every one had a compulsion, an overwhelming desire. Some were fulfilled, some were denied, but none subsided. All are bitter about changing world. One woman even mentioned President Obama (referring to him coyly, and farcically, as the Muslim President from Kenya) in creating an analogy about broken promises. These are people set in their singular ways about prosperity and success and they won’t be satisfied with their latest score. They’re going to play the game until they win big or you lose it all.

Ace Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) already lost it all. We finally learn the origin story of his three-year prison sentence. He fell on his sword, taking the charge for his grandson at NYU, and an unseen associate, Mike. Mike was stashing his cocaine at a co-op apartment that Ace had purchased for business and entertainment. He allowed his descendant to use the place for raging parties and one night the cops crashed it, arresting the grandson on a lofty possession charge. Ace was offered a deal. His flesh and blood would be set free if he would divulge the name of the supplier. They knew it was Mike, but they required official testimony. Ace had never ratted on anyone his whole life, and though Mike would have snitched on him in a heartbeat he took the fall so both Mike and his grandson would remian free. Nevertheless, all’s not forgiven.

The business dealings of last week come into sharper focus as we learn Ace is planning to buy the Santa Anita track and convert it into a casino. What remains undisclosed is how this transaction will factor into his vengeful scheme, but he’s on the warpath, no doubt about it. Gus, “The Greek,” owning a horse is also a piece to the puzzle, but as far as I’m concerned the slow reveal of the details is earned by Hoffman’s portrayal of a sleeping giant. He exudes a slick poise, but on occasion will unleash a lion’s roar to alarm his partners about his grip on reality post-incarceration. He is dangling the bait, and we’re waiting for for one of his investment “pals” to bite. His bluntness and sarcastic debonair make him both fearful and likable. His sinister unveilings of payback have you rooting for his badass “Bernstein temper” side and his tender reflections with Gus at day’s end bring him down to earth, like a Grandpa with lessons of hard work and determination to impart.

Our four “degenerates” come across some difficulties adjusting to their newfound fortune. Jerry’s gambling addiction runs rampant with the recent influx of funds and his willingness to keep playing despite huge losses reaches dangerous levels. He loses $7,000 in one night only to return the night after. But as he watches his thousands of dollars in chips slip through his fingers, his resolve to win only strengthens. When he barely ekes out the biggest pile of the night he’s floating on a cloud, impervious to harm, but with such a large margin or error and so little willpower to walk away, we might as well start counting the days until either the thrill of the chase overtakes him.

Renzo appears to be the most kind-hearted, if  not the most childlike, of the four, and wishes to repay his gratitude through a grand gesture. Now that he can afford to, he wants to lay claim to a horse. In order to manipulate the odds, trainer Turo Escalante (John Ortiz) enters his horse Mon Gateau (one of the degenerates’ Pick Six winners) into a claiming race. The only hitch is Renzo is eyeing that horse. With all the  good karma surrounding it, after it proved to be key to their jackpot, Renzo figures he should scoop it up as the perfect gift to the group. When Mon Gateau wins the race, validating Renzo’s interest, he’s hopeful that he will capitalize on his investment. But another claim was put in. A man named Mulligan had gathered the same intel and after drawing marbles, Mulligan wins the horse.

Marcus, my favorite of the group right now because of the biting insults and his weathered voice of reason, is disgusted by Jerry and Renzo for flaunting their money. He feels they are asking to be targeted by those willing to resort to violence to obtain their winnings. They are relatively tame in their extravagance, however, compared to Lonnie, who dons a new suit and hat. Marcus has a fit. Lonnie’s stray remark about “having two insurance women pay him to f**k” is also explained. Supposedly, these two women are indeed insurance agents, and they have orchestrated a scam involving Lonnie and a fabricated “slip and fall” (watch out for the irony in this term, I’ll come back to it toward the end of the review). As Marcus had predicted though, they learned of his recent cash infusion and change the plan. They took out a life insurance policy in his name and after seducing him and spiking his drink, attempt to kill him. As (wait for it) luck would have it, during their scrum they break through the motel window and a passerby whisks him away and drops him off outside of Renzo and Marcus’ room.

On the track, Escalante is furious after Mon Gateau is claimed and suspects Leon of loose lips. Preoccupied, he fumes at Gus when he makes a innocuous remark about his horse’s condition. Escalante takes a lot of pride in his expertise and when that authority is challenged, or undermined in anyway, consequences (inadvertent or otherwise) are to be expected. Earlier in the episode, Leon did confide in his agent, Joey Rathburn, wondering whether the horse that was put down last week wasn’t fit to race, and Escalante knew beforehand. It’s a heavy allegation and Joey says that he should just keep his mouth shut and ride exactly as Escalante advises. On a side note, Escalante continues to strain my ears with his thick accent, but David Milch and his writing staff are very aware. Another character references it, “I must need a vacation because I just understood everything you just said.”

Rosie, the ravishing Irish women who’s employed as exercise rider by Nick Nolte’s Walter Smith, makes a bold move and requests that she be Gettin’ Up’s jockey. She has established a strong rapport with the horse who continues to dazzle in workouts, but Walter has his doubts. Evidently, horse racing is a man’s world, but Rosie’s humble perseverance give Walter pause. Wanting the best for his horse he hires a Kentucky Derby-winning jockey, Ronnie Jenkins, who seems like the sure bet. Little does he know that Ronnie has a drinking problem and may have passed up the better candidate. In a kind gesture though, Walter asks Joey Rathburn (also Ronnie’s agent) if he’ll put in a word for Rosie at another track, Portland Meadows, and set her up with a good agent. Yet that wasn’t the moment most worthy of Walter’s highlight reel. During his discussions with Ronnie, he recalls how Gettin Up’s father, Delphi, was murdered. When his owner, “The Colonel,” (it is never made clear if he meant the KFC founder or not) the men who took over his farm spent irresponsibly and killed the horse for the insurance policy. He laments over what he could have done to stop it, and describes the sound of horses’ legs breaking as branches snapping. Nolte’s delicate treatment of this tortured soul has already won me over, along with the easy-on-the-eyes Kerry Condon as the trailblazing Rosie, I wish him the best in the episodes to come.

Some will complain that show moves too slow, but I would argue that with all the pawns being put in place for the endgame, maybe it moves too quickly. Because the intrigue is mounting. Balls are rolling as tensions rise and each character offers their own vibrance and zeal. Milch’s dialogue contains a firecracker wit, that adds a bounce to the deliberate pacing. Much like the horse races themselves, the show is high stakes, and as the characters’ need to quench their thirst becomes more desperate, the more invested we become in their “slips and falls” and who/what else will stumble in the quakes and aftershocks. Like Jerry at the poker table, each loss only drives me to come back and leave with the whole pot. The payoff is nowhere in sight, but my fixation on its possibilities match the yearning that intoxicates the “Luck” universe. The joys quickly fade, giving way to the race that lies ahead. Risk is equaling reward so far, as David Milch goes all in. For the audacious cast, the haunting sense of place, and the commitment to thematic balance (the scores and the failures, the lively thrills and the deathly devastations) HBO’s gamble comes out of the second turn (with seven episodes of ground to cover before we reach “the straightaway”) ahead with an A.*

*As of January 31, HBO showed great confidence in “Luck,” after over 3 million watched the series premiere, renewed the show for a second season.

Enjoy a day at the track as David Milch's latest HBO drama, "Luck," takes you deep into the thrilling world of horse racing.

When do you know something is art? How do you distinguish smart storytelling from the lazier narratives. And why does the disconnect between mainstream audience engagement and critical appreciation exist, and how can it be bridged? These questions arose immediately, for me, as the end credits ran after the series premiere of HBO’s new drama series, “Luck.” Created by David Milch, creator of former HBO success, Deadwood, and co-produced by Michael Mann, acclaimed director of films such as “Heat,” “Collateral,” and “Miami Vice,” (and frequent director on the ’80s TV show of the same name) the show centers around horse racing and the various characters that the sport breeds and attracts. Entering this world, I was weary of the culture shock, the little-to-no proficiency of the vernacular, and the little investment I had in the problems of old, white gamblers. Predictably, as I’d been foretold, none of this mattered. Most of what I could nit-pick about has more to do with my obligations as an attentive viewer than it does with any of the technical aspects of this masterful artwork.

Over at the The AV Club, expert TV critic Todd VanDerWerff spoke in his review about experience vs. understanding. Traditionally, when we watch anything, movie or TV program, we try to comprehend the symbols we are given. Whether we’re interpreting a particularly arresting shot selection, a gripping snippet of dialogue, or a peculiar expression on an actor’s face, we’re attempting to make sense of what we’re being presented. Now this act of analysis is not mutually exclusive with experience, but often it can impede our ability to fully immerse ourselves in the sensory pleasure of viewing. But if you so choose to indulge my requests, and the whims of HBO, and you do watch the magnificent first episode of “Luck,” do yourself a favor and shut down your noodle from the opening theme (the unmistakably cool “Splitting the Atom” by Massive Attack) to the last frame. It’s almost like mindless sophistication. No notes were required for me to churn out this review because while there was plenty of plot to sift through, and a lot of legwork is done to introduce us to the characters that inhabit this environment and the channels through which they are connected, the grandest accomplishment of the hour are within two minutes bursts where few words are spoken, because articulation diminishes the visceral thrill of the moment. I’m talking about when those exquisitely statured beasts compete with every ounce of muscle they possess to cross that line first. I’m talking about the horse races.

Simply stated, horse racing, much like boxing is an ancient artifact, a relic of a different time where one could afford to be bothered with such trivial activities as watching animals run around a circular track. But there’s no denying that whenever the Kentucky Derby is on, or even the Belmont and Preakness Stakes, I actively tune in for those two minutes. For that fleeting instance I’m entirely absorbed in whose nose will come out in front, and its unfair to the integral majesty of the horses to explain why. When you see a beautiful woman or man, do you stop and ask why they struck you? When a sunset stops you in your tracks as walk toward the horizon do you disengage to question it? No, you absorb the feelings it evokes until it overwhelms you. These brief glimpses don’t mean anything, and yet they say it all. They are the purest images we see because they aren’t tied to a consumptive or indulgent exercise, they are just part of living. In the world of art we call it transcendence: when an image, a phrase, a brushstroke, or a note impacts you not because it told you something, or what it meant, but because it did nothing, and it just was. 

And yet working in concert with such sensual exhilaration, there is a story being told. Dustin Hoffman is the big ticket, starring as Chester “Ace” Bernstein, a man in his 60s who is being released from prison after serving three years. His crimes are never explicitly defined, but one assumes gambling or financial irregularities of some variety did him in. Dennis Farina plays his pal Gus “The Greek” whom Ace admits is the only man who “gets a pass” in terms of his trust. Ace is returning to the world of horse racing through Gus, who is serving as a front for Ace’s new horse. Also introduced is a trainer, Escalante (played by John Ortiz), who muddles the plot even further with his thick spanish accent (another character refers to facetiously as a thick Irish brogue). We also spend a considerable portion of the episode with four degenerates, Jerry, Marcus, Renzo, and Lonnie. This mangy crew spends the episode trying to capitalize on the track’s jackpot of $2.7 million, which is earned when at least six of the eight races are picked and no one else picks all the same horses. They used their various insider tricks along with suspect cash flows with which they placed their bets. I won’t lie to you, if you have no working knowledge of gambling or specifically how to play the ponies you will be confused, but the beauty of it is you’ll never feel disengaged. The stakes are clear. Win, you get paid. The emotions are so clearly displayed upon the actors’ faces you’ ll be tensing up along with them as the horses near the straightaway.

Lastly, we meet Nick Nolte‘s grizzly, worn-down Walter Smith who shares an intimate relationship with his horse. He lays back in his lawn chair and reminisces with the colt about its father and how magnificent a runner he was back then. This nostalgic feel permeates throughout the pilot as we gather that Ace is mindful of who he once was too, and his unchecked temperament suggests that he is bottling up some resentment towards those who might have done him in. He exits vehicles with a bravado emulated only by gangsters and hot shots. Perhaps his time is gone, but he sure strides like he still owns everything he surveys, or at the very least, he could.

Fragility and frailty are also intrinsic in the happenings of the pilot. We see up-and-coming jockeys trying to make names for themselves knowing that they and the horse must sync up perfectly or else they fall short of the magic necessary. Defeat is just as expertly rendered as victory, particularly when one horse snaps his leg mid-race and is subsequently put down. When the young jockey speaks of the light leaving the eyes of the horse as it passed you feel as though it wasn’t your a regular at the track because the ups and downs are so genuine that it just can’t be your first go-round, it hits you so deep.

The pilot isn’t perfect. As mentioned there are many instances where a conversation zips by and you’re likely to only extract a sentence or two. It’s enough of a working knowledge so that you can stay aware, but you can’t help but feel like you missed something. Michael Mann, however, doesn’t miss much at all as he captures every last detail of life at the track. Whether it’s the steam rising from a horse’s hindquarters, or the way the gate is assembled and operated in preparation for the horses to be stabled inside. Nolte and Hoffman cement themselves as quiet giants that could unleash wrath at any moment they are so indelibly tied to this life, and Kevin Dunn as Marcus exudes an intellectual confidence you’d expect at a Fortune 500 board meeting, not at Santa Anita placing bets. As far as HBO pilots go, this one is fairly typical in that the initial installment doesn’t set the table with exposition, more screen time is spent setting the mood while constructing a unique world, aiming to also evoke the overarching themes and visual stamp.

I haven’t quite comprehended what “Luck” is trying to say to me. Honestly, I heard very little. There were quips that made me laugh aloud, fearing I’d wake my roommate, and there were open-ended statements that laid before me like an undisturbed corpse, but then I walked right along awaiting the next infusion of adrenaline to burst out onto the track. So, do I know what “Luck” is will add to the pantheon of visual novels that HBO has contributed throughout the past decade (The Sopranos, The Wire, the aforementioned Deadwood? I have not a clue. But I get it, I dig it, and I want me some more. There aren’t many things in life that I can just do and I’ll feel at peace. Watching “Luck” is going to be one of them though, that much I can tell you. If this show can continue to provide the indescribable rush of a horse race in hour-long strides, then it will hit the jackpot. But for now, it’s an A-, by a nose.

You’ll soon be able to get your Game of Thrones fix right on your Xbox or PS3, thanks to HBO and Time Warner’s announcement that the on demand service HBO GO will soon be hitting consoles.

The announcement was made via a conference call with investors, and shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as it was revealed earlier this week that over half of all Netflix instant stream users connect via a game console.

HBO GO is an on demand video service free for anyone with an HBO subscription.

The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced early morning on July 14 and will air on Fox on Sunday, September 18 at 8:00 p.m.

Fox’s “Glee” received a nomination for best comedy series and supporting actors Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer have been nominated as well. Lynch will also host the Emmy Awards for the second consecutive year.

The cast of “Modern Family” received an impressive 17 nominations with each adult cast member nominated. The show falls just behind “Mad Men,” with 19 nominations, and “Boardwalk Empire,” with 18 nominations.

HBO was once again the network to receive the most nominations with 104 this year. But surprisingly, the hit series “True Blood” was not nominated in any major category.

 Nominees in top categories are listed below. For a complete list of Emmy nominations please visit emmys.com

Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks and Recreation
30 Rock

Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Lead Actress in a Comedy
Laura Linney, The Big C
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Lead Actor in a Comedy
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Steve Carell, The Office
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Louis C.K., Louie
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Lead Actor in a Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Timothy Olyphant, Justified

Lead Actress in a Drama
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law

Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Supporting Actor in a Drama
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age
Walton Goggins, Justified
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife

Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Supporting Actress in a Drama
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified

Mini-series or Made-for-Television Movie
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Kennedys
Mildred Pierce
The Pillars Of The Earth
Too Big To Fail

Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

Lead Actor in a Mini-Series or movie
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos
Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
Idris Elba, Luther
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail

Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or movie
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Taraji P. Henson, Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs

Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Deadliest Catch
Hoarders
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List
MythBusters
Undercover Boss

Reality Competition
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef

Host of a Reality Program or Competition
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can
Jeff Probst, Survivor

Sources: New York Times and MTV

Showtime has canceled “The United States of Tara,” effective at the conclusion of its current third season. At the same time, its renewed “Nurse Jackie” for a fourth season.

Hard to see this one coming with the standard pay-cablers like HBO and Showtime handle their business decisions, but still, I would have guessed “Tara” was safe for the long-run. Showtime especially has a history of keeping shows going if only to appease the customers. “Tara” was also the center of consistent critical acclaim, adding to the reasons to keep it.

“Jackie” had somewhat usurped it however as the networks new comedic face. Edie Falco has won rave reviews and even the most recent Emmy (against “Tara’s” Toni Collette) for Best Actress.

Ratings stories differ, as Showtime culls together its numbers from multiple airings and on-demand. However, statistics show the show was averaging a little more than 300,000 viewers in its original airing, while “Jackie” has been drawing closer to 800K. Showtime said “Nurse Jackie” averages more than 2.8 million viewers each week after all its viewings.

“United States of Tara” will conclude its final season June 20.

Terence Winter, of “Sopranos” fame, has made it through an entire 12-episode season of “Boardwalk Empire.” Since its premier in September, critics of all walks have been jumping over themselves to praise this Prohibition-era period piece about corruption and mob-run liquor rackets in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It seems only fitting that the one hour finale took place on December 5th, Repeal Day, in celebration of the 1933 ratification of the 21st amendment and the end of Prohibition. Too bad Nucky Thompson and his swill-cronies have thirteen more years of government crackdowns and the psychotic stalking of Agent Van Alden to look forward to.

So what does that mean for all of us living in the land of couches and non-government regulated beer? Well, for this fanatic I found myself surprisingly underwhelmed. Maybe it was the complete lack of naked Steve Buscemi or that the only graphically violent scenes came as a montage to a slanted speech, but I found myself missing the usual firework antics. Winter, instead of leaving the audience with some kitschy, overdone cliffhanger, chose to focus on the intricacies of character relationships and gently build tension toward next season. Perhaps this is the poison of the times. So many shows require flashy stunts and over-the-top flare to keep the attention of the plugged in generation, which ultimately left this “finale” feeling oddly lackluster.

You see, I’d gotten used to the ridiculous peppering of explicit sex scenes, the brain-bursting headshots, and rampant flaunting of liquor in front of corrupt government officials. It was spunky, even endearing at times how raw this show purported itself to be. Instead, I found myself more interested in the two minute “and that’s what you missed” opening sans the Glee gasp. My disappointment aside, there were some powerful scenes that should be recognized and at least one twist that made me laugh with schadenfreude-style giggles. What were they you ask? Let’s go to the run down to find out.

The finale opens with a lot of tension dangling from the previous episode. Nucky and Margaret are falling apart now that she’s finally acknowledged his illegal activities. He also doesn’t believe it should be her choice not to have more children (my feminist brain is writhing, but I’ll hold comment on gender dynamics of the 20’s for another time). Van Alden has drown/baptized his corrupt partner and slept with former mistress Lucy giving into some sort of crazy-person “divine temptation”. Jimmy’s common-law wife, Angela, failed to leave him for her Parisian-bound lover and Rothstein is getting ready to be prosecuted for fixing the World Series. Did I mention that the Commodore is still dying because he’s too stubborn to see a doctor?

What it boils down to is that change is coming for Boardwalk. Jimmy Darmody says it best during his drunken stupor, “You’re like a machine, completely devoid of emotion…you’ll use anyone Nuck: man, woman, thirteen year old girl.” In the background of Nucky’s happy carnival the Commodore, Jimmy, and Eli are plotting what we can only assume is Nucky’s downfall and the potential for Jimmy to take his place. So often the Commodore has scowled from his bed claiming that “the wrong man” is running Atlantic City. We’ll just have a wait until season two to find out just how the right man is.

If the ritualistic scarring, hyper-religious ranting, and psychotic breaks haven’t turned you off Agent Van Alden yet, I’m not sure what will. He is the creepy glue that holds this show together and is slowly becoming just as warped as the city he’s entrenched with. It’s spoiler time: he got Lucy Danzinger, the pouty-lipped moaner pregnant. Congratulations Daddy Van Alden, your sign from God to keep you in Atlantic City is an illegitimate child.

Let’s not forget about the relationships powering this show. Angela and Jimmy are still struggling to find some kind of balance between her loathing of the man he’s become and his holding back on PTSD from the war. Angela’s lover has fled to Paris and she’s left behind with Jimmy. Her passive-aggressiveness knows no bounds. Trying to destroy her marriage from the inside, Angela coddles Jimmy during his painful recounts of the war and his dreams of her sleeping beside him, her hair across his chest. But the next time he sees her, her long locks have been cut short and he can only run a hand through them, confused and hurt. It is a sniping rejection.

The Darmody’s make a lovely foil for Thompson and Schroeder. Like Angela, Margaret is finally given the story of her man’s off-screen past and is given the choice to understand and forgive him, or continue to push him away. Though Margaret is reluctant to become the kept woman she despises, the fear of being destitute sends her running back to Nucky. It’s obvious in the final scene, the pair looking out at their future in the Atlantic City twilight, that their unsure faces mean trouble. Just how much longer can they pretend that Nucky’s choices won’t put the both of them in danger?

So Chalky and Nucky got there revenge on the D’Alesio brothers. Rothstein isn’t going to jail. The Commodore’s downtrodden maid was slowly poisoning him with arsenic and only succeeding in killing his dog. The women have the vote and are using it just as poorly as the men. There’s a new stooge mayor and the philandering Warren G. Harding is president.

Basically, nothing huge or particularly surprising happens. It was a solid episode of human interaction and subtlety but felt more like something that should occur halfway into the season, not the whiz bang at the end. I can only hope that next season’s opener is as riveting as the pilot to keep me trusting Terrence Winter and his latest bloodbath baby.

HBO announced today that it has renewed it’s new drama “Boardwalk Empire” after just one episode. From Terrence Winter, a writer and producer of “The Sopranos,” the show is set in 1920′s Atlantic City, during the era of prohibition. The quick renewal comes on the heels of strong premiere ratings; the network announced 4.8 million watched the premiere, while 2.3 million tuned in for the encore. The more than 7 million viewers is a huge boon to the cable network which has approximately 30 million subscribers.

Showtime announced yesterday that it had renewed it’s Monday night comedies “Weeds” and “The Big C” for a seventh and second season, respectively. Both shows posted network records in August with their premieres.

Well, this is a nice surprise.

Today, we here at Blast were happy to be sent a press release from Sony, informing us that they’ve reached a deal with HBO to bring their original programming to the PlayStation Network’s video on-demand store.

Beginning today, Ps3 owners will be able to download episodes of some of HBO’s finer shows, such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Love, and True Love. New episodes of shows like these, and others such as The Sopranos, will appear on the PSN store every Tuesday.

“The HBO library of premium original content is a perfect example of how PS3 has become the most content rich entertainment platform in the living room,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president, marketing and PlayStation Network for Sony Computer Entertainment America. “When you combine the iconic programming from HBO with the existing TV, film, live sports and original programming available on PlayStation Network,
our customers have access to the content they want, when they want it, at home or on the go with the PSP.”

Individual episodes of most shows will run you 99 cents apiece, where as True Blood will cost $2.99 per episode.

For you PS3 owners who never too them time to watch it when it aired, please, do yourself a favor and download “The Wire” when it becomes available. It’s easily one of the greatest television shows ever produced, and totally worth the cost of about a buck an episode.

HBO announced a fifth season for the drama “Big Love,” giving it a 10-episode order for season five. The series, which stars Bill Paxton, begins production in the summer, and the new season premieres next winter.

FOX announced “So You Think You Can Dance” opens a seventh season with a two-hour premiere on May 27 at 8 p.m.

Syfy picked up the rights to “Merlin,” a British series from FremantleMedia. The series premiers in April. The first season aired on NBC last summer, but the second series will also air for the first time ever in the US.

Actress Brit Morgan will play Debbie Pelt, the psycho ex-girlfriend of Alcide in HBO’s “True Blood.” Emily Rose, from NBC’s “ER” will star in the new Syfy drama “Haven” based on Stephen King’s “The Colorado Kid.” Rose plays an FBI agent who comes to a small town in Manie to investigate a murder. Supernatural stuff happens.

The New Zealand folk-pop duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of the HBO comedy “Flight of the Conchords” announced that they will not renew the show for a third season.

No finales tonight, but two minor premieres: “The Sing-Off” on NBC at 8 p.m. and “Bank of Hollywood” on E! at 10.

CBS will test the waters of science fiction in a time travel project called “Murmurs.” CBS gave a script commitment to Jason Smilovic and producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas that revolves around a world where time travel is normal and an agency called Commission is in charge of it.

Momoa is said to have a nude sex scene in his new show

“Stargate Atlantis” co-star Jason Momoa has landed a role in the pilot for a possible HBO fantasy drama called “Game of Thrones,” according to GateWorld.

GateWorld reported that Momoa told fans at the Armageddon Expo in Australia that he got the role, and the Chicago Tribune later confirmed it.

The HBO series is based on the “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels by George R. R. Martin. The book is a planned seven-part series, with four of the books published so far.

In the pilot, Momoa will play Khal Drogo, a wealthy and powerful warrior and horse lord.

The show will also star lena Headey, (“Sarah Connor Chronicles”) Sean Bean, and “New Moon” actress Jamie Campbell Bower (Caius in “New Moon”).

GateWorld also says that Momoa will have a nude sex scene in the show, which female fans will be sure to appreciate.

The series is expected to premiere sometime in the next two years.

Here’s a list of most of the winners at Sunday’s 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards:

• Actor, Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock,” NBC.
• Actress, Comedy Series: Toni Collette, “United States of Tara,” Showtime.
• Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.
• Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies,” ABC.
• Made-for-TV Movie: “Grey Gardens,” HBO.
• Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm,” HBO.
• Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens,” HBO.
• Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Ken Howard, “Grey Gardens,” HBO.
• Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Shohreh Aghdashloo, “House of Saddam,” HBO.
• Directing for a Comedy Series: “The Office: Stress Relief,” Jeff Blitz, NBC.
• Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special: “Little Dorrit: Part 1,” Dearbhla Walsh, PBS.
• Reality-Competition Program: “The Amazing Race,” CBS.
• Writing for a Comedy Series: “30 Rock: Reunion,” Matt Hubbard, NBC.
• Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special: “Little Dorrit,” Andrew Davies, PBS.
• Host, Reality or Reality-Competition Program: Jeff Probst, “Survivor,” CBS.
• Comedy or variety show: “The Daily Show.”
• Reality-Competition Program: “The Amazing Race,” CBS.
• Writing for a Comedy Series: “30 Rock: Reunion,” Matt Hubbard, NBC.
• Writing for a Drama Series: “Mad Men: Meditations in an Emergency,” Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner, AMC.
• Writing for a comedy or variety show: “The Daily Show.”
• Original Music and Lyrics: “81st Annual Academy Awards: Song Title: Hugh Jackman Opening Number,” ABC.
• Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special: “Little Dorrit,” Andrew Davies, PBS.
• Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Michael Emerson, “Lost,” ABC.
• Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Cherry Jones, “24,” FOX.
• Actress, Drama Series: Glenn Close, “Damages,” FX.
• Actor, Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad,” AMC
• Comedy Series: “30 Rock,” NBC.
• Drama Series: “Mad Men,” AMC.

Analysis coming later.

I think we can all agree that this season of HBO’s True Blood is leaps and bounds ahead of the last one. If season one was a top shelf bottle of True Blood A Positive, then season two has been the blood connoisseur’s version of a perfectly aged Merlot.

Sunday night’s season finale (ominously titled after Bob Dylan’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”) left viewers with a cliffhanger”¦ as usual. Sure the good guys won and defeated Maryann the clawed, immortal maenad. Yes, the town is back to normal, free from supernatural mind control, and blissfully ignorant of the madness that recently ensued. But what about Bill?! The season finale set up plenty of problems that need solving and questions that need answers for season three.

In the final scene, Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Sookie (Anna Paquin) go on a romantic date to a French restaurant. Right after dinner, Bill proposes. But overcome with emotion, she rushes to the bathroom to compose herself. Just when she’s sure of her answer, she returns to the empty dining room. Bill is nowhere to be seen, and there are signs of a struggle. So the main question is: Who took Bill Compton and why? And how is Sookie going to get him back?

Meanwhile, back at Merlotte’s Bar, Eggs (Mehcad Brooks) struggles with the revelation that he is responsible (because of Maryann’s mind control) for all the murders that took place in Bon Temps. He confronts Detective Bellefleur (Chris Bauer) with the murder weapon to confess, and begs Andy to lock him up. Unfortunately for Eggs, he never makes it to the jail. Jason Stackhouse (Ryan Kwanten) sees what looks like Eggs threatening Andy with the knife, and shoots him in the head. Just when we thought Tara (Rutina Wesley) had a chance at happiness in love, we’re left with the sight of her sobbing over her boyfriend’s body.

Aside from all the juicy action and surprises in the season finale, dedicated True Blood might have noticed a little something extra. Near the end of the episode, Charlaine Harris, author of the original Sookie Stackhouse novels, can be seen sitting at the bar, talking to Sam (Sam Trammell).

Will the town find out about Jason shooting Eggs? Will they remember what happened to Maryann? Have we seen the last of the evil maenad? Who are Sam’s parents, and are they really the “bad people” his stepmother claims they are? And why is vampire Queen Sophie Ann forcing Eric to sell vampire blood?

About season three only one thing is certain: There will be blood. And Southern accents.

Shoot son, I can’t wait till next summer’s season three premiere of True Blood! Catch up on all the recent episodes at HBO.com/TrueBlood.

Don’t let him fool you. He might say he wants to do bad things with you in his powerful single “Bad Things” (from HBO’s “True Blood”), but the truth is Jace Everett is a real gentleman. It’s hard to imagine him doing bad things with anyone, unless those bad things involve his unique brand of Nashville country rock. In fact, he’s more likely to lend a friend a helping hand, or charm this reporter starry-eyed.

Everett’s brand new album, Red Revelations came out on June 23 from Weston Boys Entertainment, and I’ve been listening to it ever since. An impressive vocal range and driving bass lines make the album immediately ear-catching, from the sultry opening track “Posession” to the hip-swaying “Lean Into the Wind” to the final track “Bad Things.” It’s an album full of stories, both playful and dark. Some songs will get you tapping your feet to the rhythm and getting down with your bad self, while others will make you want to pour yourself a tall glass of whiskey and take a trip down memory lane.

While listening to lyrics like, “I talk like a junkie but I pray like a saint down here on my knees” I got to wondering just what the man behind the music was like. Fortunately for my curiosity, I got a chance to talk to the carrot-topped Nashville musician about his new album and live performances, and he had plenty to say.

BLAST: I’ve been listening to your new album “Red Revelations” recently, and it’s totally addictive.

JACE EVERETT: Thanks very much. That means the world to me. I appreciate it.

BLAST: Can you tell me about what was going through your head when you recorded the album? What inspired you to write the songs that you did?

JE: Oh God, we don’t have that much time! I started writing this record last spring and basically the feeling was that my career was over. It started from desperation. There was a lot of dark stuff going through my head when I initially got started. And then the “True Blood” thing happened, where they used one of my old songs as the theme song for the show, and that inspired me to look at some other avenues for writing. I got in contact with a hero of mine, Chuck Prophet out in San Francisco, and I just badgered him until he would write with me. So I went out there and wrote some songs with him. Before you know it I had 15 or 20 songs and thought, well I must have a record here! I don’t know what all was going through my head: There was frustration at so many things but also that little glimmer of light somewhere on the horizon.

BLAST: Does the title, “Red Revelations”, have any special meaning?

JE: It does. It’s kind of a misread of a lyric on the record. There’s a song called “One of Them” that has these crazy distorted vocals and the last verse says, “I read Revelations chapter one until the end”, and that’s R-E-A-D. Then I came up with this concept”"I grew up really religious as a kid”"about who that character in that song is. We don’t know what he is: We don’t know if he’s a vampire or if he’s become a Born Again Christian, or if he’s an alcoholic, or what’s happened to him. But he’s slowly losing his tether to reality. And I just thought it was kind of a cool title for the album. The world seems so apocalyptic right now and‚  red is of course a color of danger and fire and all that jazz, so I thought, well, red revelations is kind of what this record is about.

BLAST: Let’s talk a bit about your background. Who are your biggest musical influences? How did you initially discover them?

JE: Honestly, the person who got me turned on to music as a kid was Willie Nelson, who has never been reflected in my music. I don’t do Willy Nelson, because you can’t. It’s kind of like doing Bob Dylan. But “Red Headed Stranger” was my favorite album of all time , a record he made back in the 70′s. That’s what turned me on. But I went through all the phases anyone went through: I loved KISS, I still love U2, I’m a big Tom Waits fan, I love‚  Bob Marley, I’m into Miles Davis, I like Jay-Z a lot. I’m kind of all over the map. I’m the kind of guy that listens to about eight or nine albums a year because I like albums. I buy an album and I listen to it for two or three months straight. My influences are varied, but I don’t know how much any of them show up in my actual music.

BLAST: How did you learn to play guitar and write music?

JE: I haven’t yet! I’m still working on it. I’m not a guitar player’s guitar player, that’s for sure. I’ve been a professional bass player for many, many years and worked with a lot of different people. Nobody in my family is really musical. My grandfather plays guitar, but he’s the only one in the family who really played, so I just kind of took to it. I don’t really know why. I sang before I spoke as a little bitty kid, and it’s always been the one thing that I come back to no matter what.

BLAST: Switching tracks a bit: Your mentioned your single “Bad Things” is the music for the opening credits of the HBO series “True Blood.” Do you watch the show?

JE: I don’t have HBO. I’m a poor man and a cheap bastard. But I just ordered HBO yesterday, so I will be watching it at home from now on. Embarrassingly enough I’ve been driving to my parents’ house an hour away on Sundays to watch “True Blood.”

BLAST: Do you think the song is a good match for a show about vampires in the Deep South?

JE: I think it’s brilliant! (laughs) I put that song out in 2005 on a country record, and the country audience was less than impressed. They wanted nothing to do with it. When Alan Ball discovered it and decided to use it, it was really humbling. Alan Ball is a creative genius and for him to choose my song for something he wanted to put together was a huge blessing. I think it’s really cool. I think the visuals those guys did with that song are at least 50% of what makes it cool. Those visuals are really unsettling, and I think it’s really great. It’s certainly not a huge credit to me”"it’s a credit to a whole lot of people who put their heads together.

BLAST: How does it feel to know that millions of fans are singing along to your song every Sunday night when they tune in to watch the show?

JE: It’s great! Being a guy who’s trying to make a living, I’m hopeful that people who love the track will transfer that onto my new music and I hope that it’ll draw them in. But even if it doesn’t”¦ shit, I write songs and I yell into a microphone! There’re far more talented people than me that never had this opportunity so I’m very grateful for it and it’s a huge honor.

BLAST: Back to the album. The opening track, “Posession”, is incredibly sultry, and it has a great bass line. It really makes me want to dance. In fact, a lot of the songs on the album are dance-worthy. This is my question: when you write your songs, do you intentionally make people want to get their groove on?

JE: Not intentionally. More than sexuality, sensuality is what I’m kind of into as a person. So that permeates what I do musically. And I am a bass player, so even though I didn’t play bass on the record (it was a buddy of mine, James Cook), I wrote a lot of the bass lines, and I’m really into the bass and how that interplays with the melody. I’m a typical musician: I don’t like to dance in public. The truth of the matter is, when I was a kid I knew all the Michael Jackson moves. Now I’m just old and insecure so I won’t dance a lot, but I love dancing. I think it’s one of the most intimate and cool things people can do together.

Bob Costas has officially left HBO for MLB’s fledgling network that is aptly titled, MLB Network.

The move will not affect his relationship with NBC, where he has worked since 1980.

“No, we don’t have a problem,” NBC spokesman Brian Walker said.

Costas hosted the first-ever program on MLB Network, while HBO demanded cable exclusivity.

“Bob Costas was a terrific addition when he joined HBO Sports eight years ago, providing us with a distinct and unique presence,” HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said. “Television is about change, and we respect Bob’s decision to move to the MLB Network.”