PUT A DOME ON IT! We haven't talked about Under The Dome at all here, despite the fact that it's the clear ratings sensation of summer, in part because I've tended to watch it on substantial delay.  The show's got a lot of problems--most notably, pretty much every character seems to be defined in the broadest possible strokes--like NPC's in a roleplaying game--Julia is a Plucky (d8) and Intrepid (d6) Reporter, Barbie is a Tough (d8) Shady (d6) Military Vet, etc.  That said, I thought this week's episode was the strongest they've done, in part because for the first time, we got some substantial idea of how the dome is affecting not just Chester's Mill, but the larger world.   In addition, we got some striking imagery (the monarch butterflies swarming on the dome, the view outside of the dome after the bomb went off), and the excellent use of Skeeter Davis' "The End Of The World" to score a montage sequence.  If the show can have more moments like that and less teen angst, I'll keep watching.

NEXT, ICE CREAM GUMBO: In case you're looking for the least healthy lunch imaginable, a restaurant in New Orleans has introduced a Gelato Po-Boy.

NO LIONEL HUTZ, NO PEACE!  For obvious reasons, we don't link to The New Republic much around these parts, but when they do a list of "great/important television lawyers" as part of their attention-grabbing "is the legal profession doomed" package, we are obligated to link, and it also provides us an excuse to link to their recent piece prominently featuring ThingThrower Paul Tabachneck. 

SIDNEY APPLEBAUM:  A collection of SNL performers breaking character (my favorite at :52).  Also, though you've probably heard by now, Jason Sudeikis is joining Bill Hader and Fred Armisen at the egress. Farewell, Vance.

GONE GONE GONE: So, apparently, Fox has enough faith in Gone Girl that they're not requiring a star name as Amy, and Rosamund Pike will take the role (opposite Ben Affleck).  Pike's never toplined a movie before--closest she's come is playing the female lead in Jack Reacher, where she was actually decent--she apparently beat out Olivia Wilde, Abbie Cornish, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, and Emily Blunt.  Casting a relative unknown may actually help the movie a bit, in that viewers won't bring preconceived notions of whether Amy's story is believable to the table, and Fincher had success in casting relative unknown (at the time) Rooney Mara in Dragon Tattoo.  Of additional interest is that Fincher wants Tyler Perry and NPH for supporting roles--not quite sure how they fit (cops?), but this could be an interesting one. 

I MEAN, WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT GUSTAVO FRING?  I have been deficient in updating you as to my Breaking Bad catch-up progress; for days, I had a draft post titled "RUN" but had nothing to say that would have felt out of place in a Chris Farley Show sketch (You know that time ... when Walt said "Yeah" to Mike? That was cool.) And even when I learned what all the one-who-knocks stuff was about, still, not much for me to say but "yes, this is quality television."

But now I just hit the halfway mark of season four, and holy crap do I just want to highlight a true Crowning Moment of Awesome.

THE LOVERS, THE DREAMERS, AND THE PRINCE:  Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy wish Kate and William well.

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM GREAT BRITAIN: After careful consideration, the Bank of England has decided to place Jane Austen on a forthcoming £10 note. Among other things, it will contain on its reverse side a quote from Pride and Prejudice,  “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!”, and may look something like this.  It will not, however, depict a mammoth, soaking wet Colin Firth emerging from a lake.

Also: George Alexander Louis. I was hoping they'd throw in Spencer somewhere.

PREDICTION: PAIN:  I thought Rocky Balboa brought that story to a nice close, but we are going to get another Rocky quasi-sequel--this one, called Creed, will follow Apollo Creed's grandson, who tries to get into the boxing game, and seeks Rocky's help as a trainer to get him into the ring.  Rising star Michael B. Jordan is attached to play the younger Creed, and Stallone apparently wants to do it. 

QUICK HARDENING CAULK:  The AV Club compiles some of the best tv moments from the first half of 2013, including a SYTYCD routine of which Peter Boyle would be proud.

AND HAPPILY EVER AFTER? Your Into The Woods cast continues to shape up, with Deadline reporting that Christine Baranski will play Evil Stepmom, and Tammy Blanchard and Lucy Punch as Florinda and Lucinda.  They continue to go with a nice mix of theatre names (Blanchard, James Corden, Billy Magnussen) and star power (Chris Pine, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp), and I'm very interested in the finished product.

VERY CREEPY:  Lifetime has greenlit a made-for-tv Flowers in the Attic movie starring Heather Graham and Ellen Burstyn.

DOES THE REAL ESTATE AGENT PUT A GUN TO YOUR HEAD? TURN THE KEY. TURN THE KEY. TURN THE KEY.: I'm not sure I'd want Christopher Walken and Brendan Fraser as dinner guests, but if I do -- I'd host them here. Of course, if I want post-apocalyptic real estate, I'm going with these guys.

I'LL TAKE "THINGS WHICH SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED BY NOW" FOR $600, ALEX: Some Drexel students are working on adapting EZ Pass technology to pay for on-street parking automatically, plus using GPS to let folks know where available parking spaces are.

STRANGE THINGS ARE AFOOT AT THE CIRCLE K: Saturday, to commemorate the new Arizona Diamondbacks mascot, Bank One Ballpark is hosting the Circle K/Univision Arizona Diamondbacks Luchador Mask Giveaway Night. This may be the greatest giveaway ever.

MAMA MIA, LET ME GO:  Sacha Baron Cohen has left the long-stalled Freddie Mercury biopic because the members of Queen have script approval, and they apparently want a happy PG movie while Baron Cohen and the writers and directors brought in (Peter Morgan, David Fincher, Tom Hooper) all assumed that this would be the R-rated true story.

THEY REALLY SHOULD'VE PAINTED AN GIANT "S" ON HIS SHELL:  Saw Turbo with the girls. In short, Turbo = Ratatouille + Indy car racing - cooking + Magical Negro and Latino and Asian helper-snails (or, more charitably, "matter-of-fact multiculturalism"). It is not essential, but other than Ken Jeong's shtick there's nothing particularly bad about it. Still, our relatively-empty theater was not unusual.

ON THE DAY I WAS BORN/THE NURSES ALL GATHERED 'ROUND:  No, this isn't our Royal Baby post; it's a Map of the "Most Critically Acclaimed" Recording Artist From Each State.