The Black Donnellys

Sorry Donnelly fans, but NBC has cancelled our beloved Irish brothers.

The call came this morning and sadly there are only two episodes left. Whether or not those two ep's will air is still in question. The Black Donnellys will be replaced by a newcomer comedy called The Real Wedding Crashers.

If I hear anymore details I will let you know!

It doesn’t surprise me that no one here ever has any money: There are never customers in the diner or the bar. Sean thinks a jukebox will help Jimmy’s business. Maybe the Donnellys should have more wakes at their bar. Enough people die every week to keep them in business.

Every time Jimmy (Thomas Guiry)comes on the screen I want to shout, “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!” The guy looks for trouble. He’s always lying, cheating and stealing. And he always gets away with it. Even if he has to throw a man out of a window to do it.

I was surprised at how fatherly Jimmy was with Sean. He really doesn’t want Sean to get caught up in the new family business of bookkeeping and killing sprees. Perhaps Jimmy is actually being a responsible older brother or he just feels guilty that Sean already got a nasty taste of the other end of the fist. Either way, I hope Sean stays out of trouble. He obviously doesn’t want to go back to school, but that may be the best thing for him. By the way, how old is he? I’m beginning to think he is not old enough to hang out in bars, but in their neighborhood no one cares. If he’s been out of high school for a year and a half he is most likely 20 years old. Close enough.

Jenny went head-to-head with Dokie (who’s been ax-free lately). I was happy to see her stand up for her father and the diner, but why does she always look so dull? Sure, she lives in a beat-down neighborhood, but she doesn’t have to look so homely all the time. She wears gray and black in every scene, with her arms folded and her eyes popping out. She’s a pretty girl and I know she’s the victim in most of the story lines, but she seems so boring. I don’t see the attraction Tommy has for her.

I liked the flashback with Kevin. It gave us a clear understanding of how his gambling obession began. However, I don’t know too many kids who go to the tracks alone and bet on horses. I thought that he picked the horse for his dad to bet on. Instead, it showed him at the tracks alone and then walking into his home to hear that his father had been killed. And in a previous flashback we saw that Mr. Donnelly was with Jimmy when he died. So why was a kid like Kevin gambling on his own? Furthermore, I knew Tommy was going to go with the first horse Kevin wanted. I was shocked that Tommy even made the bet, but he becomes desperate with all things Jenny. I’m glad he trusted Kevin’s first instinct.

Speaking of bets, I should have called Whitey and told him about my Kate Ferrell/Tommy prediction. The woman gave Tommy $13,000! I wish I had that kind of money lying around my house. Then she gave him a more than friendly, awkward kiss. I knew it. I’m awesome. Pay up! Now, who wants to bet me that Kate and Tommy get closer within the next two episodes? Any takers?

I’m glad I didn’t grow up with the Donnellys. It’s hard enough trying to find a decent man in general, but in their neighborhood? I would have been single for the rest of my life! Seriously, was Tommy the only “good” guy for women to choose from? Of course, that was before he committed murder, stole from widows and beat up old friends to collect gambling debts. And even after all of that, he still looks to be the pick of the Irish-cream crop.

Maybe it’s not the women’s fault that they picked deadbeats to marry. Jenny will soon take over the family diner (as suspected, her father is suffering from Alzheimer’s) and has always seemed smart. Marianne owns her own printing business. She has to have some brain cells. And yet, both ladies married losers. At least Marianne’s husband, Eddie, is still alive. The neighborhood didn’t need another widow this week.

I’m also shocked at who my favorite leading ladies are. Of course, Kate Mulgrew is the greatest mom on the East Coast. We’ll get to her later. But for some odd reason, I find myself liking Jimmy’s drug-addict girlfriend, Joanie (played wonderfully by Betsy Beutler). She lit up the screen tonight. It was the only real excitement during the show. That and the shovel to the back of Nicky’s head. By the way, I believed Joanie over Whitey (Kevin Corrigan).

I jumped out of my seat when Nicky got slammed with the shovel and fell to the ground. My first thought was that it was Dokey. Then we saw that it was actually Nicky’s boss. Nicky likes to bend the rules. Sal had asked him not to hurt the Donnelly brothers, and then he beat the crap out of Sean. And his new boss simply sent him to get an answer from Dokey - not to kill three Irish Union workers. Nicky is very arrogant. And so is Dokey. With Sal and Huey gone there is no one to keep the peace between the Italians and the Irish. Watching both Nicky and Dokey is almost painful. I feel like any minute one of them is going to explode. Nicky seems more controlled than Dokey, but Dokey and his axe have only hurt their fellow Irish. Nicky knows no boundaries.

Sean (Michael Stahl-David) is finally getting more screen time. The poor guy really needs some female lovin'. “SOS. Calling all Kims!” I was surprised how embarrassed he was when his mother walked in on his phone call. I doubt Kim will return. And if she does, will anyone ever explain to Mrs. Donnelly that she had nothing to do with Sean’s beat-down? Speaking of Mrs. Donnelly, Kate Mulgrew is one of the greatest TV moms I've seen in a long time. She devotes herself to her boys, but stands her ground. I loved her response to Sean when he said he wished she hadn’t told Kim to stay away: “Yeah, well, I wish your father was still alive and I lived in the country.”

And finally, we were introduced to another new character — Jack Trevor, the councilman. Apparently, he was close with Huey Ferrell and Bobby Donnelly. Joey told us that it was no surprise he was the only one standing. So, what did he do to get so lucky? He definitely has some deals made with the Italians, or he wouldn’t be so concerned with Dokey’s actions. I think he will be the most evil character on the show. Most politicians are. It will be fitting to see his true colors as the story line expands.

By the way, I’m trying to find out which episode will air the showdown between Jimmy and his new business partner, Whitey. When I know, you’ll know.

"Is it really a lie if you’re trying to spare someone’s feelings?"

The women got a lot of backlash tonight. First, we find Jenny in church. “You’ve been on your knees for 45 minutes. I know a sin when I see one.” I didn’t know when she left with Samson last week that she was going to hop into bed with him, but fine. We all make mistakes. I was also shocked that her estranged (also known as dead) husband has been gone for over a year. I’d say those are good grounds for an annulment. Even after all the mistakes made, Jenny is still in love with Tommy. Why did the two of them never get together before? The priest mentioned that she should have never gotten involved with her husband.... So maybe Jenny has really bad taste in men, or she’s just unlucky.

I felt so bad for Kim. The poor girl must have really fallen fast for Sean. Never mind that they knew each other for less than 24 hours — she took a hit to the face for him. Do you remember that? When Nicky and his wingman were beating Sean, she did her best to defend him and took a nice punch to the cheek. She even stayed with him at the hospital and put up with Mrs. Donnelly. But the last straw was drawn when she showed up at the Donnellys' apartment. Sean never answered her calls, Tommy did his best to ignore her, and Mrs. Donnelly outright insulted the poor girl. The look of confusion on her face was priceless: “What kind of people are you?”

Again, I love Kevin. Especially the scene where he was eating his cereal. “What is it, going to get cold?” Even I thought, "Um, no, Tommy, it will get soggy, duh." Kev had a lot of responsibility in this episode. He had to watch over his mother, explain the rules of being a bookie to Jimmy and Joey, and he definitely got slapped with the “middle-child” label at the end. After all he did, he was only given squash for dinner. “I don’t like squash. I don’t even like saying it.”

Tommy is the genius of the family, I’ll give him that. By the way, was anyone else concerned with the ages of the brothers? Mrs. Donnelly mentioned to Sean that she wants him to go back to school. I’m guessing they are all in their twenties, but it would be nice to know the exact ages. Anyway, Tommy won’t be going back to art school. And I’m already predicting a Kate Ferrell hookup. Was anyone else feeling that? I know, I know... she’s a widow and older than Tommy. But Tommy likes widows.

Also, I can’t forget Jimmy and Joey. They both stole the show tonight. Jimmy insulted Jenny so many times I had my hand over my mouth in shock. And Joey was just Joey. I love those guys. No matter how much they screw up. Especially when they take on a man who weighs more than both of them combined — hilarious! I can’t wait to see what happens when people start looking for Louie or the guy named Jimmy, at the office.

Now, when Kate called Tommy and asked him to come over, I thought, "She knows he took it." But instead, she asks Tommy to change the locks. I knew Tommy put the black box outside while Kate was in the bathroom. I didn’t know Matty saw everything, but I believe the kid won’t say anything... for now. So Tommy got away with stealing the box. Then his smarts finally kicked in. He played Nicky (Kirk Acevedo) brilliantly. And even Nicky gave him credit. I’d bet on Tommy over Dokey, too. A person’s words can be far more effective than an ax.

Quick tip: There is an exclusive episode online that bridges the gap between this episode and last week’s episode. If you haven’t seen it, I strongly suggest you watch it!

This was a very quiet episode. And by "quiet" I mean no one died. In the exclusive episode, someone does die. After watching that episode and this one, my choice for favorite brother has changed. From the beginning, I was a Tommy fan. But poor Kevin (Billy Lush) tries so hard. You’ve got to give the guy some credit — he really does mean well. When we look back to the first episode, the brother who caused all of the drama was Kevin. He never meant for any of this to happen, but his gambling problem did get the Donnellys in way over their heads. However, the guy isn’t unlucky. He’s just not a good card player.

Kevin promised Tommy he’d take care of the liquor and he asked Joey Ice Cream to come along with him. They were hilarious. I wonder if any of the show’s writers have ever been taxicab drivers. “Are you nuts? Twenty hours being told what to do by people who can’t even afford a car.” I really liked Joey in this episode. He was very believable this week, and whether you think that’s important or not, it makes the story so much better. I actually trusted him.

We were also introduced to a few new characters. Hughie Ferrell’s wife, Kate, could become a key player. So far, she’s the grieving widow, but something tells me she’s not going to keep mum about her husband’s death. And we know Dokey isn’t keeping quiet. Could he have made it anymore obvious, when saying words at the church, that he thought the Donnellys had had something to do with Hughie’s death? Of course, he’s right and it showed. His eyes never left Tommy.

I’m not too keen on this new guy Samson. If Hughie had gotten him his job and now he’s afraid he’s going to lose it, he must not be the best guy. Joey did tell us he was the complete opposite of Tommy, so maybe he was referring to the old Tommy — the good brother who didn’t kill people or try to slice their fingers off with a scalpel. (I told you: Watch the exclusive episode.) In the end, it appears Jenny chose Samson, at least for the time being. I think she did it out of spite for Tommy. And good for her! The poor girl asks for the truth and instead Tommy tells her, “If you really believed what you said about loving me, you’ve got to stop asking and just trust me.“ Then she gets questioned and taken into a basement by Dokey and his ax. That would scare the hell out of anyone.

Also, another love interest: Jimmy’s girlfriend Joanie. The two of them are meant for each other. One question: why did Jimmy go to Sal’s funeral? He has a very different idea of how to pay respects to the dead.

Of course, the best scenes are always saved for last. Jimmy pulled himself together for the meeting in the basement. Kevin was nowhere to be found. He couldn’t even lie on the telephone. If you can’t lie on the phone, you definitely can’t lie in person. And Tommy “came clean” with Dokey. In the end, Joey explained it best: "If they hadn’t killed Louie Downtown they would have been dead. Right then and there.” The ax came out again. If I had my choice I’d take a gun, but Dokey is a Hokey Pokey fan, so maybe he enjoys taking people’s left leg out. Put your left leg in.... After he’s done, you won’t be able to shake it all about.

The original title of this show was supposed to be: The Truth According to Joey Ice Cream. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank whoever nixed that idea. Don’t get me wrong, I love the character, but I don’t get it. How does Joey (Keith Nobbs) know everything? Sure, he keeps saying, “Oh, well, I was there.” But he only painted himself into the background after his lawyer asked him how he knew what had happened. He never placed himself at the hospital, in the van, or where Tommy and Kevin got rid of Louie’s body.

This episode was all about Tommy (Jonathan Tucker) and Kevin (Billy Lush). The best scenes have been between the two of them: last week during the elevator scene and this week in Nicky Cottero’s bar. When Tommy began to walk to the back room to see Nicky and saw Kevin sitting in a booth, I think we were all a bit shocked. I didn’t think they were on very good terms after they had beaten each other to the ground. Kevin had pulled a gun on Tommy, after all. But this scene proved how far they are willing to go for one another.

I’ll admit, I thought this show jumped the shark, but hopefully it will prove me wrong. The minute Jenny kissed Tommy in the hospital I thought it was all over. I’ve always disliked when shows drag out relationships between main characters, but you can go a few episodes, even seasons, before two characters jump into bed together. And that’s exactly what Tommy and Jenny did. After the body was disposed of, the clothes were burned and the blood was scrubbed away - it was time for some lovemaking. I’m glad Tommy finally said, “I love you,” but did you notice Jenny didn’t say it back? She said it last week when she gave her speech about how she mistakenly heard that Tommy had been beaten up, but she didn’t repeat herself in the bedroom. And then Joey explains it all. Could he have been in the bedroom too? (That’s sarcasm.)

Joey took us back to when Tommy ran over Jimmy’s leg. Tommy prayed and prayed to God to let Jimmy walk again. Apparently, when that prayer was answered, the price would be the one thing Tommy wanted most - Jenny. Again, Joey Ice Cream knows all. Either he can read minds or we are being lied to, because I did not see him sitting on that stairwell praying with Tommy.

You could see how painful it was for Jenny to tell Tommy she couldn’t “do this.” Meaning: no more Tommy and Jenny. She did scrub blood off a basement floor for him - if that’s not love, I don’t know what is. But she knows being with him will only hurt more in the end.

I liked the new characters as well. Mrs. Donnelly (Kate Mulgrew) is a tough lady. (Of course she is - she was on the Star Trek: Voyager.) We didn’t get to see much of her, but she loves her sons and she believes in the good of people - even if wrong has to be done. I especially liked the moment when Mrs. Donnelly thanked Jenny for being there: “It’s hard to watch someone suffer.” I assume that Jenny’s mother is no longer living and Jenny had to witness her mother’s suffering.

We also got to meet Hughie Farrell’s brother: Dokey (Peter Greene). He scares the h*ll out of me. I’d rather sit in a room with Sal, Hughie and Nicky Coterro and play Russian roulette for fun. The man carries an ax with him. Yes, the murder of his brother has upset him, but I think it’s obvious that Dokey Farrell was born with a few lose screws. Again, he carries an ax. He’ll be causing a lot of problems for the Donnellys and the Italians.

By the way, for those of you who were so concerned last week: A “viewer discretion” notice was shown before the show began because the show contains violence. Now you know.

NBC is finally rising from the dead. First, they saved the cheerleader, now they’ve sucked us into family drama at its finest.

Did everyone love Joey "Ice Cream" — “because under pressure, I’m like ice” — as much as I did? He is the greatest, most unreliable narrator I’ve ever listened to. The year of his story changed not once, not twice, but three times. He definitely has a talent for exaggerating the story to his advantage by placing himself into every situation as if he is the fifth Donnelly brother. I especially liked his description of the Irish: “The Irish have always been victims of negative stereotypes.... People think we’re all drunks and brawlers. And sometimes that gets you so mad all you want to do is get drunk and punch somebody.” I have a feeling the detectives will eventually lose their patience with Joey. The book across the face is definitely going to leave a mark.

So, how much does Kevin owe the Italians? Even after he kidnapped Louie “Downtown,” Kevin remained loyal to his gambling addiction. (By the way, the character nicknames are a bit cliché, but I’ll go with it for the benefit of the show.) Kevin now owes over $5,900 — not like I was keeping tabs or anything. But that was before Jimmy shot Louie and Tommy (played wonderfully by Jonathan Tucker) massacred Sal Minenta, Sal’s men and Hughie Farrow. And now that Hughie is gone, the Donnelly brothers not only have to worry about defending each other, but the fate of the entire Irish neighborhood rests on their shoulders. I didn’t know a few card games could cause so much trouble!

While testosterone flows through nearly every aspect of the show, there is one sparkling gem of estrogen to be found in Jenny Reilly (played by the lovely Olivia Wilde). When will Tommy confess his love for Jenny? The attraction between the two is undeniable. “I thought what if he dies and he never knows that I loved him... I’m a married woman. Nothing’s ever going to happen.” So when is someone going to tell that poor girl that her husband is dead? That officially makes her a vulnerable widow. And who better to comfort her than Tommy?

Jenny’s plea to Tommy still doesn’t prevent him from getting into the elevator. He knows what had to be done for his brothers. I got chills when Kevin followed him. Tommy: “Where are you going?” Kevin: “Wherever you are.” The simplest of words can have so much meaning. All of this is happening as Jimmy is arrested and sent to rehab (thanks to Tommy’s talk with “Frankie”). We’re told that this was the day that will chang Jimmy’s life. Will he come out of rehab a changed man? Will he be the new Tommy in the Donnelly family?

The flashbacks held strong throughout the story line, especially at the end where it showed the driver of the car that ran over Jimmy’s leg. You have to have sympathy for the guy. Although Jimmy spends his time shooting needles into his arm and hatching plans to kidnap Italians, he's still willing to do anything for his brothers. The flashbacks gave us insight into the guilt he carries. But the brother with the most guilt is Tommy. He was the one driving the car.

The ending of this episode was fantastic! I applaud Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, the award-winning writers of Crash and Million Dollar Baby, for creating a remarkable story about the paths we choose when facing the choice between right and wrong. I also have three brothers, so I found myself admiring Tommy for the actions he took. Tommy Donnelly is prepared to throw his entire future away for his brothers. How far would you go for family?