Well, we’re not completely over the shocker that Zack is not going to be magically back next season, but we’re having to come to terms with it quickly, because the casting for the rotations of grad students has begun! Meet Michael Badalucco, whom you might remember from The Practice - he played Jimmy. (Although since I don’t watch that show, I remember him best as “Baby Faced Nelson” from Oh Brother Where Art Thou. Kind of a weird person to be playing on Bones, if you ask me… but hey, whatever works - and let’s hope he does!)

It seems like the news is being met with varying degrees of outrage and acceptance. For those die-hard Zack fans who can’t seem to let go, this is just another hit for the show. Some people are wondering what’s happening to the writers and if the show has hope of pulling out of the downward spiral that it seems to have taken. Others are more accepting of the change and are willing to move past the sorrow of Zack’s removal from the show. Either way, the die has been cast, so I guess we can only wait and see how the new “rotation of grad students” goes and hope for the best.

Thus far, the show has been great, with the exception of the complete loss of weeks of episodes due to the strike - which I think played a big part in the absolute shocker of Zack’s turn to the dark side. So I can only hope that the next season will pull through with the same great writing as we’ve become accustomed to. Only a little over two months!

Another of M. Night Shyamalan’s thrillers, The Happening is being called a “paranoid thriller” - whatever new label that is. The movie is about some phenomenon that causes people to commit suicide - in a completely calm and assured manner. Zooey Deschanel plays Alma Moore, the wife of Elliot Moore (played by Mark Wahlberg). Apparently the movie is pretty graphic, showing scenes up close and personal of a construction worker who has thrown himself off of a building site with arms and legs and bones snapped and twisted in strange positions due to the fall, complete with blood and gore. The graphic gore gets worse, but I won’t tell you any more about it. But it’s safe to say that this movie is most definitely not for the faint of heart.

Although the critics haven’t been terribly kind to the film, it seems that the audiences like it pretty well. Critic Roger Ebert said of the film, “It is no doubt too thoughtful for the summer action season, but I appreciate the quietly realistic way Shyamalan finds to tell a story about the possible death of man.” If you were a fan of M. Night Shamalan’s other films, this is one you probably want to check out. And be sure to take time to appreciate Zooey’s performance while you’re at it!

I’ve taken a look at this declaration, and I’m not really sure about the whole deal. Modeled after the Declaration of Independence, it says “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all creatures are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That whenever any form of human activity becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new practices that shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

The text concerns me that soon people will be lobbying that animals have the same rights as humans, and that it’s not only wrong to treat them cruelly, which I do agree with, but that it’s wrong to even kill them for food at all - even in an agreed-upon, “humane” way.

The text goes on to tout the evils of agribusiness, although it doesn’t offer any alternatives or really any facts. The goal is to have 100,000 signatures, but so far the organization has recorded 212. The Declaration will be unveiled on June 28th at a ceremony at the 7th annual Catskill Animal Sanctuary Shindig.

Other big names in support of the Declaration include Kristen Wiig, Russell Simmons, Zana Briski, and Brook Shields. To learn more about the Declaration or to sign it and add your support, check it out at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary.

Since the movie is still just in talks, it’s WAY to early to suggest that David Boreanaz is a shoe-in for the role, although he did voice the character in the latest Justice League animated film. Other names thrown around for consideration are: Josh Duhamel (whom you might remember from the movie Transformers) and Nathan Fillion (Buffy, Firefly, and the movie Serenity).

One of the great things about this comic book hero is that he truly is an average Joe. There are no superpowers that come from being a mutant, an alien, or some gift of the gods. The hero has his gifts due to something anyone could wear and wield, like how Iron Man is “Iron Man” because of his suit, the Green Lantern is who he is because of his ring.

About the film, writer Marc Guggenheim said “I think Green Lantern has the potential to be a very highly regarded superhero movie. We’re approaching it with such respect and such care. And really, it’s written to be a movie that everyone who’s not familiar with the character can enjoy, but there are so many nods to things that I know the fans love and care about that I think people will be very happy.”

So who knows, maybe we’ll have the opportunity to see David as a superhero soon? We can hope!

In this short clip, the guy explains that they cut the scene because they didn’t think it was needed. Okay, sure, whatever. But, if you’ve seen the movie - SPOILER COMING IF YOU HAVEN’T - this really goes along well with the end scene!
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They just look so cute together! Wonder what kind of relationship issues we’ll get into next season?

And here’s David - showing off his awesome socks! Reminds me of the witch’s socks in the Wizard of Oz - when the house landed on her - wasn’t she wearing striped socks like that?

And Emily, beautiful as always - and in polka dots!

Sure, the Booth-is-dead thing could have made an entire episode in itself, but hey, they were pressed for time. Sure, we could have done with a few more episodes to build up and/or help explain how in the world Zach converted to a cold-blooded killer, and what the heck happened to him while he was in Iraq, but hey, they were pressed for time. It really sucks that so much great storyline got tossed due to the strike that seems to still be biting us in the butt even after it’s over. But, like I said, our show is still around, and although it’s back on hiatus until the fall, we were left with some gratifying scenes. Don’t believe me? Maybe you don’t remember this one…

Did anyone else notice he was reading a Green Lantern comic book? The character he voiced in the new Jusitce League movie?

Or how about this one? Repressed feelings anyone? I don’t think anyone except maybe Bones and Booth don’t know these two are meant to be together (and that would mostly be because of denial and repression!)

These are just two of some of the great moments from the season finale. I guess the best part is that we have next season to look forward to.

I am a little confused about the “Gormogon logic” they talked about very briefly in the article - something about killing a few to help the many. Maybe I just need to rewatch some of the older episodes when the Gormogon storyline began… That’s something I’m hoping they pick back up on next season as they hopefully bring Millegan back for a few guest spots - the whole “how” he was convinced to join the Gormogon and what brought him to that point. Guess we can only hope!

Millegan reflects on ‘Bones’

U-M, Interlochen alum went from Broadway to TV

Eric Millegan was getting ready for a fine evening.

The “Bones” co-star and University of Michigan theater grad was courtside with his favorite basketball team, the Portland Trail Blazers. Then:

• He learned he would soon be unemployed.

• He learned he’d been helping a serial killer.

• And the Trail Blazers lost.

“That went from one of my best days to one of my worst,” Millegan said.

He’s had time to get used to it now, but viewers may need a while. The season finale aired Monday, packing a surprise.

There was Zack Addy (Millegan), former child prodigy and current sweet-faced scientist. He had been secretly helping Gormogon, the serial killer.

“When I first found out, I was like, ‘That’s ridiculous!’ ” said Millegan, 33.

Then he agreed it’s possible: Zack takes pride in being ruled by logic; he fell for the Gormogon notion of killing a few people to help the many.

By the end of the hour, Gormogon was dead and Zack was being shipped to a mental institution. He might return, Millegan said, but not as a regular.

So Millegan is back to job-searching. He has more turf to search than most, all the way from Hollywood to Broadway.

Before any of this, he was a sweet-voiced teen who grew up in Oregon, but has some of his best memories from Michigan.

He spent three summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp - “the most amazing time in my life” - and won a scholarship to the University of Michigan’s elite musical-theater program.

Those were good years, he said, especially after he became open about his homosexuality. And after graduating, he became busy in musicals.

On Broadway, he was a disciple in the “Jesus Christ Superstar” revival. Elsewhere, he starred with Estelle Parsons in “Harold and Maude” and starred in the early workshops of “Spring Awakening.”

Then came “Bones” and Millegan was considered a fresh face. “I’d been in the business for 10 years,” he said.

Zack was the assistant to “Bones” Brennan (Emily Deschanel), who had an almost maternal fondness for him. Derided as “squints” by the FBI guys, they were better at lab work than at human contact.

“It’s been such a journey,” Millegan said. “I don’t think any character has changed as much, except for Brennan.”

He savored the three years of steady employment. Shortly after the writers’ strike was settled, before actors were called back to work, he went to that Trail Blazers game.

Then he got a call, asking if he could come in the next day for a meeting.

“I’m like, ‘Hmmm. I’m paranoid and this does not sound good.’ ”

So Millegan insisted on the news then. He learned that his character was leaving.

Some good came, he said, including the quiet moment between Zack and Brennan. “It’s a great scene; the whole episode was really good.”

And some bad came, including a return to unemployment. Also, the Trail Blazers finished with a .500 record and missed the playoffs; sometimes, things just don’t work out.