WE HAVE TO GO BACK: A Twitter exchange between Our Friends Alan Sepinwall and Linda Holmes reminded me that two shows I watch on Mondays--HIMYM and Castle--have a similar problem, but have dealt with it in altogether different ways.  In both cases, the "mythology" of the series--in HIMYM's case, not only the Mother story but all the various flashbacks and flashforwards they've set, and in Castle's case, the "conspiracy that killed Beckett's mom" storyline--has become an utter bore.  The difference is, the two shows have handled the problem very differently.  HIMYM now feels painted in--it's impossible to get invested in any of the relationships we currently have on the show because we know they're going to come to an end.   We knew Barney and Quinn were going to breakup, we just didn't know how that'd happen.

In contrast, Castle takes the opposite track, completely ignoring the "mythology" in at least half the episodes, and having much more fun when it does.  (Last night's was a great example of that, as well as of how they've managed to handle and overcome the so-called "Moonlighting curse" and keep things funny and spry despite resolving the unresolved sexual tension between Castle and Beckett.)

COMMUNITY OF TOMORROW:  EPCOT turned 30 yesterday -- televised grand opening with Danny Kaye, Drew Barrymore and others here -- and I can't help but wonder: does the non-World Showcase half of the site work?  Isn't there a better use for all the faux-World's Fair facilities?  [I'm not saying I have the answer.]

I'M JUST SAYING, WHY NOT HAVE TWO GENIUSES IN THE FAMILY? SORT OF A SPARE IN CASE BART'S BRAIN BLOWS UP:  The NYT has leaked the names of this year's John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellows, and once again both Marilyn vos Savant and I have been denied recognition. Instead, honorees receiving the $100K x 5yrs include author Junot Diaz, mandolinist/composer Chris Thile, WaPo reporter David Finkel, historian Dylan Penningroth, and economist Raj Chetty.

[Our 2006-11 discussions can be found here.]

THERE WILL BE FUNNY VOICES AND A MEDIOCRE SONG:  Ted will almost certainly remain the year's top-grossing comedy (at least in the live-action division), so I guess it kind of makes sense that Seth MacFarlane will host the 2013 Academy Awards.  It's a particularly interesting choice given that this year seems likely to be dominated by throwbacks to the 70s (Argo, The Master) and stuff that is VERY traditional (Les Mis, Lincoln).

YES, BUT WILL HE CATCH A GRENADE WHILE HOSTING?  After a week off this week (fortunate, if just because it spared us a longer version of the Replacement Refs sketch we got on Weekend Update Thursday), SNL returns live on Saturday with Daniel Craig hosting, and NBC has announced the other two hosts for this month and seems to be playing small, with Christina Applegate getting a second crack at hosting next weekend, and more oddly, Bruno Mars pulling double duty as host and musical guest on October 20.  The 27th may have a live show, and would love to see Tom Hanks promoting Cloud Atlas there.

THE TIME A 17-YEAR-OLD RASHIDA JONES CALLED OUT TUPAC SHAKUR IN THE LETTERS SECTION OF THE SOURCE MAGAZINE:  I did not know about this.

ON THE IDIOT BOX:  A few quick thoughts on fall TV that we haven't covered here already (starting with Monday):

• Revolution:  I think I'm sold for at least a while longer, though I think the show would be far more interesting if it focused more on the adults and less on the whiny teenagers and more on the adults, perhaps with a more flashback-intensive structure.  I'm fascinated in particular by how Google guy was and wasn't changed by the blackout, and we haven't really explored it at all.
• NCIS:  We don't talk about TV's #1 drama much here, but despite the lack of real consequences stemming from the cliffhanger and the annoying disappearance of Jamie Lee Curtis' character, that was a darn solid season opener.  Particular credit to the writers for making Harper Deering both a legitimate Big Bad who could go toe to toe with Gibbs while not letting him descend into mustache-twirling villainy.
• Private Practice:  I run hot and cold on the show (with the "Charlotte gets raped" plot being the high point), and was both hot and cold on the premiere, but have to give credit for a pretty darn audacious chronological structure in the premiere, which also has the benefit of showing how the show might work without Kate Walsh.
• Vegas:  I'd be much more interested in the cable version of this show, with a clear ending, rather than what it seems like we're going to get, which is "Dennis Quaid kicks ass of crimes which are masterminded by Michael Chiklis."  And creepy to see Ron Butterfield playing a character with moral ambiguity.
• Last Resort:  Man, that was one hell of a pilot, and I can see this spinning a very good yarn for 10 episodes, but spinning it for 22 episodes, much less multiple seasons?  That's a dicey proposition.  The good news is that ratings suggest we're likely not going to see more than 13.  I hope ABC lets Shawn Ryan and his team wrap it up (and gets Andre Braugher an Emmy for Best Actor--Miniseries/Movie next year).
• Elementary--On Sherlock, the title character describes himself as "a high-functioning sociopath."  Here, he's kind of just an asshole, and the show winds up pretty devoid of humor as a result.  I do like the Miller/Liu quasi-bromantic chemistry, though, and it'll get a few more episodes to prove itself.
• Made In Jersey--Filmed in and around my office building, so I felt obliged to watch, but man, that's a show that desperately needs a legal consultant.  The Good Wife manages to wring good drama while still being somewhat realistic about what lawyers actually do, and I wish this show could as well.