PURPLE HAYES

I called my sister and told her I've been watching The Mod Squad.

"Linc," she said. As in Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, the groovy cop played by Clarence Williams III.

"Solid," I said. "Far out."

I guess you had to be there.

"Man, don't you dig . . ."

"We're the good guys!"

HUBRIS IN MOROCCO

Welcome back, old friend.

A strong start for Breaking Bad, season 5B.  I loved seeing the White house in decay, loved seeing "Heisenberg" spray painted on the wood paneling, loved the way Walt startled his neighbor.

And then it was just story, story, story and not a lot of action, which makes sense with only seven more episodes to go. Gotta lay a lot of pipe for all the twists and turns ahead. Everybody was represented, every character got some screen time.

But I'm glad Walt confronted Hank.  That had to happen fast, right? And it had to end with a threat. We hear Walt say very firmly, "that is not going to happen," probably not for the last time.

And then this:

"If that's true, if you don't know who I am . . .then maybe your best course would be to tread lightly."

One down, seven to go.

COMEDY IS HARD, WATCHING COMEDY IS HARDER

Amy Schumer is funny. I've seen her stand-up, I've seen her roast celebrities. She knows what she's doing, no problems there.

Marc Maron is a slightly different story, not because he doesn't know what he's doing (he does) but because my interest in him is less about the jokes and more about his self-loathing, his anger, his envy.  Like a lot of people, I got engrossed in his podcast.  He talks to comedians and musicians and always figures out a way to make it about himself. He doesn't shy away from honesty and real emotions, which is what makes the episodes so memorable. 

Sometimes it's a train wreck, but he knows when he's overreacting or screwing up and he apologizes for it, tries to make it right.

I've watched three episodes of their respective television shows (Inside Amy Schumer on Comedy Central and Maron on IFC) and while I want to like both of them equally, I really dig Maron and don't much care for Schumer's show.

Inside Amy Schumer is hit and miss, a hodgepodge of skits, stand-up, and Schumer interviewing random people on the street.  Watching her interact with people is endlessly entertaining, whereas the skits start well and tend to fizzle out. 

Portlandia is a skit show, and that works most of the time. So does Comedy Bang!Bang! I imagine Schumer was offered any show she wanted and she didn't want to get locked into playing herself.

Maron's show is much more conventional, a bit like Curb Your Enthusiasm with Maron playing a variation of his real self. It's not new, it's not groundbreaking, but it works for me. 

Fans of Maron's podcast know about his relationship with his father and casting Judd Hirsch as Maron's angry, feisty pop (introduced in the third episode), was a masterstroke. There's also a steady stream of celebrity cameos (Dave Foley, Denis Leary, Jeff Garlin, Illeana Douglas).  

I want the Schumer show to be successful, I want it to gel. Maron may be playing it safe, but at least it's fully formed.

MASTER BATES

I'm of two minds on the Psycho spin-off, Bates Motel, which should come as no surprise to anyone.

The show's creators (Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano) are taking real liberties with Robert Bloch's original characters, hatching a contemporary plot with a teenage Norman (Freddie Highmore) and his overprotective mother, Norma (Vera Farmiga).  They've moved the action to White Pine Bay, Oregon, and introduced Dylan, a Bates half-brother, a bunch of Norman's classmates (including one short-timer with cystic fibrosis), and a town full of pot farmers.  I understand all of it, but I just don't get it. I'm not exactly sure why we need a show like Bates Motel. I certainly didn't need any Psycho movie sequels. Hitchcock's original was plenty for me, even though author Robert Bloch chose to revisit Norman from time to time.  

I quit recording Bates Motel, but happened to watch the fourth episode.  It wasn't terrible but I just don't see the point.  I'm officially checking out of Bates Motel.  It'll be fine without me.

As it happens, I picked up a copy of the Psycho novel the other day.  I've never read it, but I think I'll give that a whirl instead.  

I have plenty of time on my hands.