Hello, 2008. Goodbye to TV?
The strike is really too depressing to talk much about. Let's just say: a) the writers are completely in the right, I mean COME ON, they make 7 cents off a DVD and NOTHING off Internet? and b) all joy is gone until the big corps get off their butts and realize the # of people who will actually watch reality TV every stupid night is far smaller than the amount who appreciates well-written TV. Right? Fuck, I hope so.
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles started last night / continues tonight. I loved it. A little backstory / some good fights. Everyone is beaten down and miserable and barely keeping it together. Good performances by the three leads. I'm looking forward to more, although if you read the article in the latest EW, I do have concerns given the actors all seem a bit lost without the writers there during the majority of the filming (9 eps written out of 13 pre-strike, but the writers not around to discuss even what was already written).
And as for a mid-season (but potentially end-of-season) review of everything else I'm watching:
Brothers & Sisters. I still enjoy the repartee, and still enjoy watching Justin and Kevin... but I think it's pretty lame that EVERY marriage has to wind up with infidelity on this show. Same old, same old. Watch out, Calista & Rob, you're next!
Heroes. First half of season sucked ass. Last four eps were fairly awesome, at least up to season 1 standards. Not thrilled to be getting sucked back in...just in time for the strike. But this is definitely one of the shows I enjoy more on DVD (as with LOST).
K-Ville. Predictable and overly melodramatic. But enjoy the two leads and their buddy/partner chemistry.
Bones. MY FAVORITE SHOW OF THIS SEASON (even over #2 FNL knocked out of the top spot and #s 3 Pushing Daisies/Office tie and #4 Life) Loving it. Loved every minute of this season. So sad not to be seeing new episodes right now.
Reaper. Up and down but for the most part I do enjoy each episode even when afterward I think "What was the point of that / or they forgot about this / or they dropped the ball on that". None of it has lived up to the Kevin Smith-directed premiere for me. Ep 3 was close but all else has been mediocre in comparison. Still laugh at it though, so find it worth watching.
Gossip Girl. At first I was only watching this on iTunes but since it's one of the few with new eps left, I've moved to watching it in real time. A guilty pleasure, indeed. It's like The OC but without the annoying attempt at seeing real life next to the rich kids. Even Dan and Jennie are not Ryan Atwood poor. There are no well-meaning, morally upstanding (despite being rich) parents (Sandy Cohen, I'm talking to you). It's all boys, bitches and bling. What's not to like.
Pushing Daisies. My #1 new show of the season. The sweetness and charm, and the retro rich colors of the filming. So much to love. (So much to miss.)
Life. My #2 new show of the season. Love the lead, love the partner chemistry with both his old & new partners, love the fight to lead a zen life vs. the fight to get revenge. Love the creepiness of the bad cops and the bad non-cop dudes. Love it all.
The Office. Continued to be brilliant. Funny and crass and yet sweet and kind, all at the same time. Nobody does that better.
30 Rock. As funny as the Office with a little less sweetness (there really is no situation comparable to Pam/Jim on this show, in my opinion). Comedic actors doing the type of brilliant work they would never get recognized for on the big screen.
Grey's. Sucks. Contrived. Ridiculous. Trying way too fucking hard.
Friday Night Lights. (STILL HAS AT LEAST ONE OR TWO NEW EPS LEFT) Still love some of it. Still has these just blindingly beautiful moments of true feelings / true situations / bitingly real scenarios. At the same time, so much of it has been very contrived this year (and not just the murder mystery). Some of the really good bits are starting to be overshadowed by the ridiculous bits. Peter Berg, would you please step back in and get control of these writers (when the strike ends, I guess) as almost none of the episodes have held a candle to last year's. It's like they actually didn't know which parts made them a success and have gone off in the wrong direction. (And p.s. let's have dinner, you and me.)
NUMB3RS. Still not what it once was. But last few episodes have had some nice tension and some nice scary-without-a-zillion-shoot-em-ups bits.
I think that's all I've been watching in real time. Isn't it? Man, can't even remember, now that most shows have gone dark. Still catching up with How I Met Your Mother on iTunes, I'm somewhere in the second season.
And looking forward to the beginning of Lost and Jericho, although I don't think there's a full season written of either one, is there? Didn't watch last season of The Wire because the schoolroom focus was just too painful to watch. Will probably try to watch it on DVD at some point so going to save the current season for then. I do love me some James McNulty though.
