Sci Fi Overload

Hey, peeps. I've been rather remiss about writing lately. Between most of my shows going on hiatus and my work life royally sucking at the moment, it just hasn't been a priority. I've spent my evenings working on jigsaw puzzles. Yes, jigsaw puzzles. And yes, I'm aware of how very sad that is. You want sad? I can crank out a 1500 to 2000 piece puzzle in about 3 days. This generally involves sitting on the floor for several hours at a time, hunched over my puzzle, which in turn results in a condition I affectionately call "puzzler's back." (You know, like maid's knee, tennis elbow, or dancer's hip.) Ann and gals at work basically couldn't stop laughing for about 15 minutes when I told them of my affliction--resulting in several cases of "laugher's side"). I had honestly never really thought of it as funny because I use it so often, but when I step outside the situation, I can see that's it's funny in that "ohhh, you gave it a name" kind of way.

I have my chiropractor on standby.

Anyway, this post is actually supposed to be about my science fiction shows, not puzzles (had ya fooled, didn't I). My sci fi shows are on a sliding scale these days, with none of them performing at the level I'd expect.

I miss Firefly. (As I shed a tear for the Browncoats...)

DOLLHOUSE

As any of you who watch this show know, Dollhouse has been officially cancelled, but the brass at Fox (still atoning for Firefly) have agreed to air the entire 13 episode order. They've been airing two episodes on Fridays, which is a lot to take in, but also nice to have around sans anything else. I haven't seen this most recent Friday's outings, but the two episodes aired their first week back were surprisingly good. I'm not as invested in the show as I was in season 1, and no episode can hold a candle to "Epitaph One", but I'm really enjoying where the show is going these days. The addition of Alexis Denisof (aka Wesley Windham-Price) as a politician seemingly hell-bent on bringing down the dollhouse has been excellent. I'd be lying if I said I didn't see his reveal as a doll coming, but it was still pretty satisfying to watch. Also, having Summer Glau back in the Whedonverse was a nice addition as well. Although her acting is always verging on the "doll state," she did a really great job and I hope they bring her back for more episodes (you know, before it goes off the air in a few weeks). Same goes for Amy Acker... I think the reason this season started off a little slow is that Whiskey high-tailed it out of there early on. I can't imagine she won't be resurfacing sometime before the finale (let's face it, her storyline easily has the most loose ends which will need to be tied up), but I find myself wishing she were central to just about every episode. Sigh. At least Alpha's coming back soon. :)

The episodes have been less rigidly "story of the week" as well, which is greatly appreciated. This may come as a shock, but I actually don't care what wacky antics Echo is up to this week unless it matters in the grander scheme of things. The engagements were only part of the problem. When half your cast can't remember what happened in last week's episode, it's kind of hard to build anything solid or employ any substantive story arcs. Given the self-imposed limitations of the concept, I'm shocked the show has worked as well as it has. That said, I really wish Joss and company had thought of some other conceit, some modified path for these characters to take that would have allowed for growth in a more active fashion. That Echo is really starting to remember things is encouraging, but at the same time, her fellow dolls (most of whom I care about more than Echo) are still wandering around like mindless children most of the time.

Anyway, my issues with the concept are beside the point this late in the game. I have enjoyed Dollhouse and expect the rest of the season will be quite satisfying, but I'm also glad Joss and company (did you notice that was Marissa playing Kilo?) will be able to move on to other projects (most notably the Dr. Horrible sequel (eee!)). As far as my slate of sci fi is concerned, Dollhouse is still the strongest contender.

FLASHFOWARD

Oh, FlashForward... I had such high hopes for you. Okay, that's being a bit dramatic, but the show really hasn't knocked it out of the park as one would hope. As with V (which we'll get to later), the concept of the show really only allows for one storyline. Granted the show takes a different bent on that one story and focuses on different characters in different episodes, but at the end of the day, you're stuck with one big giant endpoint: the blackout. I've been sufficiently intrigued by the blackout, who is behind it, why it happened, what implications it may have, etc., but I've also found myself feeling bogged down. Again, as with V, I keep thinking this conceit is better suited to a miniseries or a movie than a standard series. Each episode seems to be desperately trying to flesh out characters I don't care about regarding an event that I've heard about all episode every episode since the beginning of the series. Not a good sign.

I've kept up with the show because the base concept really is intriguing, but in execution, the show is falling short. This glimpse into the future has added a gravity and an earnestness to even the simplest of interactions and it's just not working to well in the long run. Every scene is dripping with too much emotion and destiny and fate and crap, and subsequently, self-importance. I'm having a hard time really caring about any of the characters and even kinda sorta hate Joseph Fiennes' role. His character is unerringly dour, stern, and humorless, and I just can't bring myself to rally around a wet blanket who doesn't even have cynicism or snark to fall back on. I'm vaguely invested in the supporting cast, but at the end of the day, I just don't really care what happens to them. If what's-his-face gets killed in March, I'm unconcerned. If that one girl gets pregnant or not (a storyline which is saccharine and grating at best), I really don't care. That dude looking for his the Japanese girlfriend, the bearded guy and his military daughter, that girl who drowns... don't care, really don't care, seriously who is that girl? It's not the kind of response a show would hope for.

Again, the over-arching story is what keeps me going, but even that's starting to wind down for me. Much of the mystery behind the blackout has already been exposed, and while it's interesting, I've got enough of the story that I think I'd be okay not finding out the rest. The heavy-handed themes about life and destiny and all that crap were fairly intriguing early on, but I'm really starting to not care. It's not a terrible show or anything, but from what I can see, my sentiments echo most people's. The show's ratings are fair, but nothing to write home about, and the numbers for the winter finale were at a series low. That, coupled with the fact that ABC cut the show's order by an episode and have put the show on hiatus until March and I think it's safe to say it won't be getting a second season. I predict that when the show returns in the spring, no one will be watching. Also, this hiatus seriously throws off their timeline... I'm starting to wonder what exactly the plan is, but really? Who cares. (This is one of those times when there needs to be a punctuation mark for when it's technically a question, but is really a statement.)

V

Speaking of disappointing, hey look! It's V! When I first heard about this show, I had very high hopes. The pilot was decent enough, but no where near the tour de force I had anticipated. It's really much better suited to a miniseries, which, wouldn't you know it, is exactly where it started. Oy. Like FlashForward, the show has set itself up so that it can really only have one storyline. This kind of high concept can absolutely work, but in both these cases, it's just kind of falling apart.

To really sum up my thoughts on V, all I really need to do is disclose the fact that I've only seen the first 2 1/2 episodes. Oh sure, I've re-watched Glee's oeuvre about a dozen times, but can't bring myself to get caught up on V. It's hard to exactly quantify why the show isn't clicking with me, but rest assured, it isn't. I care even less about these characters than I do the FlashForwarders. Elizabeth Mitchell's character? Blah. Her son? Mega blah. That guy who's actually a V--you know that guy with the curly haired fiance? Ugh. Scott Wolf? Cheesetastic (and not in a good way). The priest? Couldn't care less. The only people I find myself concerned with are Morena Baccarin and Alan Tudyk, and that's more as a result of my allegiance to the Whedonverse than anything else. I keep wanting to like the shows Whedon alums find themselves signed onto, but it just isn't working.

Like FlashForward, ABC has cut the show's order by an episode. Not catastrophic or anything, but not a good sign either. That coupled with the plan to air the show in blocks (of 4 or so episodes each) and I get the feeling ABC isn't completely behind the show. I'm kind of glad they're on hiatus though, because maybe I'll actually get around to getting caught up. Of course, they've been sitting on my DVR for weeks now, so I'm not holding my breath.

Overall, sci fi on TV (at least basic network TV) is a dying art. Fringe in hanging in there (and actually showing some gains after quite a long spell of decreases in ratings), but only time will tell if it gets another season pick-up. The way things are playing out at the moment, I'm guessing Fringe will survive, V has a chance, and FlashForward is as good as dead. Its never been the most common of genres, but it seems to be struggling more and more. Battlestar Galactica was very successful (in its own way), but again, that's wasn't basic network TV. I think sci fi is more of a niche genre and has its best chance of survival on cable. It's really hit or miss for me, but lately? It's been a hell of a lot more miss than hit.

I'm hoping the current slate of strugglers doesn't dissuade programmers from picking up sci fi in the future, but I'm willing to wager it takes a toll. Although, given the new shows sci fi had to offer up this year, I can't say I'd be totally heartbroken.

Here's hoping for better things to come...