Since it was popular (moreso in other forums than these comments), figured I'd do a follow-up on the post from Sept. 30 now that things are starting to come back from the December break...
- Better off Ted it's so, so, so tragic that ABC has tossed this on the trash pile to burn off in January. At least we'll have DVD. Never fails to deliver big, big laughs. My wife has no interest in the show at all, but if I'm playing it in the background, she'll crack up at least twice.
- Big Bang Theory--They don't seem to know for sure what to do with Leonard while in the relationship with Penny, but the show's good enough that it'll survive. Still the funniest thing on TV.
- Bones--really enjoying this show this year--they've even turned the rotating assistants thing into a strength, a good improvement over last season.
- Castle--fun, fun show, improving on it's first short season. Great comfort food.
- Community--a real treat, now that they've started focusing on the whole ensemble especially. Watching these people bounce off each other is everything a comedy should be.
- Cougar Town--also strongest when it's an ensemble comedy, not just a Courtney Cox vehicle. Not as good as the first episode or two made me think it would be, but it's good, and the writers/producers seem to be learning how to improve.
- Dexter--what to say about this year? Jennifer Carpenter remains the best reason to watch this show (not that Michael C. Hall's any slacker). John Lithgow is the creepiest serial killer this side of Silence of the Lambs, but until the end of the season finale, I really didn't find it all that compelling. But for the first time since Lila set her last fire, I'm really looking forward to the next batch. One faithful reader told me on facebook that the finale is where Dexter jumped the shark, tho. He's encouraged to defend that thesis in the comments here.
- Dollhouse I'll be honest, I only watched the first episode of this season. Watching "Epitaph One" on the BluRay set really soured me on the series, but from what I hear, I really need to shake it off and get back to this.
- Family Guy--wearing a bit thin for me this year. Not worth a lot of effort, but good for a laugh.
- Fringe--I really wish this show would get the ratings it needs to survive, I'm getting more and more into this one. The character development--and show mythology development--has really endeared Fringe to me. Definite appointment TV.
- Glee--a not-so-guilty pleasure. This article sums up everything I wanted to say (and a few things I should've thought of) about it.
- The Good Wife--I can't say enough good things about this show. Still not sure it can sustain the story for more than a season, but want to see it try.
- House--has eroded most of the good will that the first episode or two of the year generated from me--not as bad as last year tho, but stumbling again. But that Wilson-centric episode? Loved it.
- How I Met Your Mother--this isn't the strongest season, but it still has its golden moments--and even when it's not that strong, it's still one of my favorites. Can't wait for the 100th ep, what little I've heard (and I've avoided as much as I can) sounds great.
- Lie to Me--much improved over a good first season. Some outstanding individual episodes. Still essentially The Mentalist but far less annoying.
- Men of a Certain Age--this quiet little drama is a real treat. Nothing flashy--in fact, it avoids the flash--just a few friends growing old and trying to get by.
- The Mentalist--really don't know why I watch this show. It's moderately entertaining at best.
- Modern Family--great, great sitcom. Something heartfelt, something laugh out loud hilarious, and more than a few quotable lines every episode. Great characters (all of the kids not named Manny need a bit more work tho'), good stories. People actually caring about every member of the family.
- NCIS--nothing remarkable, but a solid procedural show with good characters. Textbook entry on how to get it done right. Am actually watching the latest episode as I wrap up this entry--Ziva just quoted Charles De Mar of Better off Dead, even in NCIS there's character development. :)
- NCIS: Los Angeles--when the best episode of the year relies on a guest star from the show you spun off of, you know you're struggling. There's potential here, but I think it's being wasted.
- Numb3rs--something seems off this season, can't put my finger on it.
- Scrubs--AfterScrubs, Scrubs 2.0, Scrubs: The Next Generation, ZombieScrubs/whatever you want to call it. Close to funny, better since Braff left (can't believe I said that!). Still wish ABC let this thing die a natural death.
- The Simpsons--hey, it's The Simpsons still pretty good after all these years. What else can you say?
- Supernatural--lovin' absolutely lovin' this year, I should have something more to say than that, but I don't. Can't wait for the second half of the season.
- V--Never got into the original version--even after I bought TLoML the series on VHS (kids, ask your parents to explain) for our first Christmas, so I'm coming to it new. I've only seen 50% of the episodes ABC ran this fall, and think it has promise, but not sure it's gonna deliver on 'em (or that ABC will give it the time it needs). But hey, Tudyk and Baccarin back together again--score.
- White Collar--I don't think it's lived up to the promise of the pilot episode, but it's close. Hope they haven't screwed things up too much with that mid-season finale cliffhanger.
Coming up soon: Caprica (intriguing pilot DVD, very curious about it), can't wait for Burn Notice's return, and so, so, so psyched about Chuck's premier--am like a kid on Dec. 22nd thinking about this weekend's episodes (not to mention Monday's). Oh, and there's this little thing called Lost--don't know if you've heard about it, guess it's coming into its last year soon. I finally succumbed to peer pressure and have started watching it. Now pushing myself to get through with the previous seasons by Feb 2 (if for no other reason than I won't be able to talk to coworkers once it comes back if I don't).
4 comments:
ok, they keep taking the programs I really like off. Life, The Nine, Southland....
John Lithgow is absolutely brilliant in Dexter and creeped me out way more than Anthony Hopkins. The season finale left me unhinged for days.
Firstly, I think the whole relationship with Rita was rushed in the past seasons. She went from being a psychologically-damaged prude to a nagging wench who wore too much makeup. The event of the finale may be a good plot device to keep the story moving, but it's just that.
I enjoyed the 'Trinity' storyline, and the strange twists within it, almost to the end. But because of the way the plot was revealed, the story became rushed and the finale even more so.
'Trinity' had no opportunity to do the deed in question during the finale. His window of opportunity to do the specific deed was so slim as to be unbelievable. My actual words, when Dex found what he did were "Oh, COME ON!" My mouth hung open in disbelief and I basically fast forwarded to the end of the episode in hopes that it was one of the dumb hallucinations they keep playing with, to no avail.
Dexter had come to ~love~ his wife and kids, and while that might not have been a good way to continue the story, nor truly in character for Dex the writers had created this box for themselves and should have chosen to end the show rather than force the soap opera-like twist. Dex has lost the edgy introspection into a killer's mind, and is just about a happy-go-lucky fool who kills on the side.
Again, I REALIZE that's the writer's fault, but that's no reason to shove this finale down our throats cause they're not creative enough to work something better out.
Finally, imo, they killed off Doakes prematurely and now have the skinny bad-cop beginning to play a similar role.
It's just getting tiresome.
The novels on which the show was based have Dex realizing that Cody is showing serial-ish tendencies. Now THAT story is one I could really enjoy.
Ok... that's all I'm going to say about Dex. Now about the other shows we share:
Better Off Ted - First season was quirky fun, just got the second season recorded will sit down this week and start on it.
Bones - Ungh, I can't stand this show for so many reasons. I turned it off just last night when they looked at a victim's rib cage on their 3D holographic display.
Castle - I like it.
Fringe - AWESOME TV.
House - I love the show, but I'm more interested in the case studies than the pseudo-philosophical-banter, who talks like that???
Lie to Me - Seen two eps, good stuff.
Mentalist - Mom watched it, I saw it too, not bad.
NCIS - Seriously... SERIOUSLY are there that many crimes committed by Naval/Marine personnel that they can have two shows on this? It's like CSI-lite.
Dr Who is back... need to watch the last eps of Tennant's run.
Eagerly awaiting Chuck.
CSI - (The only one that counts)- back to basic crime-science and story telling...
Basically, that's all I watch.
Seriously last comment on the Dex thing.
Trinity had a code of his own. He showed guilt at the death of innocents (ie: people who werent part of the pattern). Consider the anguish he showed after killing in the first ep. and the guilt he felt over the deer. Now it could be suggested that it was an act, but it seemed more consistent with his MO/etc that he wouldn't kill outside his pattern unless necessary. The finale therefore seemed completely foreign to the character's nature, while I'm stating this about a fictional serial-killer, it just seemed to convenient a device to rid the show of a problem relationship.
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