Gargoyles, Lizards and Coco; WB Wed - "Dawson" and "Roswell"; WB Wed - "Angel" and the death of Doyle; The death of Glenn Quinn (Doyle of "Angel"); Week One of Car Four

What is it with the Skittles commercial? Is there supposed to be some logic involved? Church bells clang, ugly gargoyles come to life, little children run down cobblestoned streets. Then multi-hued Skittles spring forth and rain down. Wait! Did I miss something? Beautifully done, compelling, hypnotic but totally devoid of logic. However, it does a great job of associating a product with a visual image; you actually remember the product.

One of the great ironies of video commercials is the one you remember, but you can't associate it with the appropriate product. Consider the various long distance ads, I never can remember which is which. Or the ad with the two auto mechanics finding a full-sized spare in the trunk. Funny but which car? Which beer was represented by the two lizards?

One of my all time favorite commercials was one several years ago. A woman reclines by an azure pool. The shadow of a giant bird spirals across the water. A sexy man in a Speedo materializes and dives and vanishes. The music is the Inkspots singing "If I Didn't Care." The only words are at the end saying, "Share the fantasy! Chanel #5!"

No "Dawson" or "Roswell" last night. I do miss "Roswell." I'm a tad confused about the shape-shifter. I thought he was a good guy, but last week he killed Michael's foster father. Or at least I think that's what happened.

Instead repeats of "Buf" and "Angel." But one I'd not seen. I need to find a fan site for Angel. Well done and much darker than "Buffy." And I could watch Angel any day. And Doyle is not bad himself; being of Irish ancestry, I'm a terrible sucker for a guy with an Irish accent.

Gads! Was Doyle just killed on "Angel"? No! Tell me it's not so. What a loss. How oddly sad I feel. A noble soul dispatched so suddenly.

(Update 03/07: I can still remember how strongly I felt about the death of Doyle. The following is from Biography for Glenn Quinn.

Doyle was played by Glenn Quinn who was actually Irish, born in Dublin in 1970. He played for ten episodes in the 1999 season, which was his first role in which he used his actual Irish brogue. "Had a tattoo "Erin Go Bragh" (Ireland Forever) on his right shoulder, and a Harp on his left."

And, so very sadly, he died of a heroin overdose on December 3, 2002, in North Hollywood, California. When I first heard of his death, I felt like I'd been shot in the heart with an arrow.

I recently saw the episode in which he is killed, and I was overcome with grief.)

The first week of ownership of the new Saturn has passed. It is by far the sportiest thing I've ever owned. I love the way its maroon surface glitters in the sunlight. I was also thinking about the fact that it is only the fourth vehicle I've owned. The first was a copper-colored Dodge Dart, but that was so long ago, I can barely remember it. Next was a large, nondescript green Plymouth Satellite. The kind of car an undercover cop would have driven. And the last was the white Nova, actually a Toyoto Corolla manufactured in the US by Chevrolet.

That's all I can deal with tonight.

PAX!