Bubble Trouble

That most terrifying of times is almost upon us, peeps. Yes indeedee, the May Upfronts are but a mere 6-7ish weeks away. Not that anyone really cares besides me, but in case you're just bored enough, the Upfronts will be announced as such: NBC and Fox on May 17th, ABC on the 18th, CBS on the 19th, and the CW will come up last (which is typical) on the 20th.

What are Upfronts, you people with actual lives who don't live at home in their mother's basement and watch TV all day long may ask? That's the time of year when networks make their official announcements regarding what shows will be around next season and which shows will go to live on a farm in the country where they can chase rabbits and chickens... yeah...

Now, for shows that are either very successful or are The Beautiful Life, these decisions have already been made. The reasons behind giving a show an early renewal or an early death are many-fold, but in general, shows with good ratings have already been given a pick-up and The Beautiful Life is already dead as a dead dead (which, can I just say? Getting cancelled after only two episodes is pretty sad, but getting cancelled so soon by the CW is tantamount to getting punched in the face Snooki-style). Mainstays on each network don't generally get announced till later, but for shows like House, Grey's Anatomy, and NCIS, it's a foregone conclusion that they'll get picked up.

Anyway, I'm going to forgo any lengthy discussion of shows that will obviously be back and instead focus on the dreaded bubble. Each year, a number of shows are perched precariously on the bubble and aren't assured life or death until the actual Upfronts. It's cruel to showmakers and viewers alike, but I tend to think of it as my version of a fantasy football league (a league based on something that actually matters, unlike football).

Here are this year's bubble shows, so for those of you who don't keep up with ratings and have no idea how your favorite show may be performing, be forewarned--if your show is on this list, it's in trouble:

• Accidentally on Purpose (CBS)
• Better Off Ted (ABC)
• Chuck (NBC)
• FlashForward (ABC)
• The Forgotten (ABC)
• Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
• Heroes (NBC)
• Human Target (Fox)
• Lie to Me (Fox)
• Life Unexpected (The CW)
• Medium (CBS)
• Melrose Place (The CW)
• Mercy (NBC)
• Numb3rs (CBS)
• One Tree Hill (The CW)
• Parenthood (NBC)
• Scrubs (ABC)
• Southland (TNT)
• Trauma (NBC)
• V (ABC)

If you have a show on that list, there's cause for concern, but depending on which shows you have on the list, the concern level is very very different. There are a number of factors that affect a show's survival. Obviously, ratings are the reason they are on the bubble in the first place, but the final decision comes down to any number of factors including: what network a show airs on, fan support, quality of the show, production costs, network branding and strategy, what other shows are the network, what other shows are on the chopping block, how the network feels about the show, network reputation, contracts, etc., etc., etc.

I'm no expert, but I keep closer tabs on these things than most, so below, please find my official predictions for those poor unfortunate souls who are currently on the bubble. I have a pretty good track record, but even I get thrown for a loop on occasion. I was pretty surprised when Dollhouse escaped the dreaded axe, but for several of the reasons listed above, I could definitely understand the decision, even if others were mystified. The Fox network has been taking a beating from viewers for years for their careless handling of shows and their quickness to cancel any show that isn't an immediate hit. Firefly is the poster child for viewer malcontent and keeping Dollhouse around was little more than atoning for past sins as far as I'm concerned. And quite frankly, it worked pretty well. Fox has done many things over the past few years to improve their reputation and brand name and throwing a bone to the geeks has lifted much of their bad internet buzz. It may not have been the best financial decision right off the bat, but I think in the long run, it really helped stabilize viewers' perceptions of the network.

Anyway, I can't be 100% on these predictions, of course, but here's where I see things ending up:

SHOWS THAT WILL GET PICKED UP:

• CHUCK
  As with the past couple of Upfront seasons before this, Chuck is one of the most bubbly of bubble shows. Sigh. This one is a tough call, given the instability of the show's modest ratings, but I'm going to err on the side of renewal. Why? Chuck is a great show with a strong, vocal fanbase and most importantly, it airs on NBC. Oh, NBC. You suck so very very much... Which is actually good news for Chuck at this particular moment. NBC has issues. It's brand name is in the toilet. It's slate of scripted programming is pathetic and talented writers and producers have actively begun to avoid the show. Add to that the Jay Leno debacle and NBC is looking at a pretty terrifying fall 2010. They have very few shows that can pull their weight and they'll have an extra 5 hours of television to fill. The only other scripted program on NBC to pull better numbers than Chuck really is Parenthood, which airs in a much less crowded timeslot. If Chuck can improve its numbers a bit or even just hold steady where it is, I think it'll be safe. On any other network (besides the CW), it would be in serious trouble, but NBC doesn't have the luxury to be choosy at this point.
  
  
• PARENTHOOD
  Speaking of Parenthood, I think it and Chuck will be the only two scripted, bubble shows on NBC to survive. Parenthood's numbers aren't great and were in a pretty steady decline until just recently (when it was up against practically not competition). More important than numbers, however, is the message this show sends. This show is NBC's vanguard of scripted programming and if they cancel it, it will be further evidence that NBC isn't a network that cares about talent or quality. Not that it's the best show in the world or anything (it's growing on me, but I still really only care about Lauren Graham and Peter Krause), but it is a family drama with an all-star cast. Cancelling this show would be disastrous for the already much maligned NBC brandname, so assuming it's numbers stay even half-way decent, I think it's safe to say Parenthood is in the clear.
  
  
• LIFE UNEXPECTED
  This one is one of the tougher calls on the list. I'm still on the fence about it, but I think it'll get picked up. Its numbers are on par with Gossip Girl, which has already been renewed. Also, there has been a surprising groundswell of support for the show, and the CW, like NBC, doesn't have any right to be choosy. A lot has been said about Life Unexpected and One Tree Hill and the presumed fact that only one will survive. Well, OTH's numbers are better (somehow... I think I sense a Stonecutter's plot), but it's an aging series and the CW knows it. I don't like LUX very much, and stopped watching it after only a few episodes, but I can tell you right now it's better than OTH. It's a very tough call though because the CW is a floundering network that has a pretty unfortunate bottom line... It's also the network that gave Veronica Mars three seasons though... but then gave it the axe... Yeah, tough call, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it'll get a stay of execution.
  
  
• ONE TREE HILL
  That's right, I'm going to buck the trend and say that LUX and OTH will get picked up. I honestly don't care about either show, but that's what I'm guessing is going to happen. It really depends on the CW's new slate of pilots though...
  
  
• ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE
  I honestly don't have much to say about this steaming pile of crap other than that I think CBS will keep it. The numbers are modest at best, but it's a cheap show to produce and half-hour comedies generally have to be aired in pairs. It'll really depend on how CBS's pilot development goes, but at this point, I think it'll just squeak by.
  
  
• V
  Another tough call. It's only had one episode back from its hiatus, but the numbers were actually fairly decent (in that they were only down a little from its last fresh outing). The numbers aren't great though, so it could really go either way. If it comes down to FlashForward or V, and many of us in the industry think it will, V will get the pick-up.
  
  
• LIE TO ME
  This one is in a very odd situation... It's been on hiatus for some time now, but won't return until after the Upfronts, so there's very little to gauge its possibility of renewal on... That said, based on its old numbers, I think they'll give this one another chance. When stacked up against Human Target, Lie to Me is cheaper to produce and holds onto more of an audience. The fact that they will be starting it up again in June may sound like they're burning off episodes, but they have paired it with Matt Nix's new pet project The Good Guys (formerly called Code 58), so I think that's a vote of confidence. I think Fox may be trying to cash in on some of the summer profits that cable has been tapping into for years and I'm hoping Lie to Me is their strategy. Fox's schedule is always completely screwed up by reality shows, so it's hard to tell, but I'm going to predict that Lie to Me will be back early next year as a midseason starter (you know, after it wraps the rest of the current season this summer).
  

SHOWS THAT WILL GET THE AXE:

• THE FORGOTTEN
  ...has already been forgotten. There's no way in hell this turkey will get picked up, so if you love this show (and I can't imagine you really do, deep down inside), that's too bad. It was recently bumped for a clip show of FlashForward, so that's always a good sign...
  
  
• FLASHFORWARD
  Speaking of FF, it will also be cancelled. This show has paltry ratings, is expensive to produce, has flown off the rails creatively, is on its third set of showrunners, and its stars are already finding other work (which is technically in second position, but not really). I enjoyed this show early on, but it quickly turned into a chore to watch. It won't be back next year. Some blame the hiatus for the show's demise, and I'm sure that didn't help, but this was a sinking ship long before it was benched for 3 months.
  
  
• SCRUBS
  Should have died long ago, but now it's official.
  
  
• BETTER OFF TED
  Should have lived a long and prosperous life, but will not be back next year. I would love to say that ABC will keep it, but there's just no chance. I look at the second season as a miracle and a gift that won't be repeated. Unfortunately... God, I loved this show...
  
  
• MELROSE PLACE
  The CW doesn't have the right to be choosy, but even they won't be keeping this crap pile around for next year. It won't be missed... like so much Ashlee Simpson...
  
  
• HEROES
  This one is a tough call (unbelievably), but I think NBC will finally give this sucker the old heave-ho. Aside from being a truly terrible show that even hardcore fans wish would just die already, it has turned into a bit of an albatross for the network's image. It gets panned everywhere it goes and does nothing for the network's branding. It's an expensive show and its ratings are worse than Chuck's. I have heard that international sales are the only reason it was renewed last year, but I don't think even that will be enough to save it this time. Here's hoping I'm right and this nightmare will finally be over. Kill the show, save the network...
  
  
• MERCY
  ...won't be joining us next year and no one really cares. Terrible show, even terribler ratings, it doesn't stand a chance.
  
  
• TRAUMA
  ...won't be joining us either. NBC's stab at replacing ER backfired bigtime as neither of its new medical dramas took off. Trauma's not a bad show, but its ratings were pretty dismal to begin with and it's way too expensive to keep. Handled the right way, this could have been a real hit, but this is NBC we're talking about, so that was pretty much never a possibility.
  
  
• NUMB3RS
  This one is kind of odd, but I'm going to say it won't be back. There's a lot of backstory on this one's situation, but I don't really want to get into all of that. Suffice it to say, at one point everyone agreed this was its last season, then that kind of got muddled, but I think we ended up back at it getting the axe.
  
  
• MEDIUM and THE GHOST WHISPERER
  I'm not going to lie... I don't know anything about the numbers on either of these shows. Based on quality alone, I'm going to say cancelled, but really, I have no idea. If you love these shows, you'll have to look these up yourself...
  
  
• HUMAN TARGET
  Another tough one, but based on its most recent numbers and its lack of fan support, I'm going to say cancelled. It never held onto its American Idol lead-in like Fox would have wanted and it's ratings have always been pretty modest. Even people who kind of like the show don't really like the show, so I'm going to say it won't survive. And won't be missed.
  
  
• SOUTHLAND
  I wasn't a fan of this show early on, but it has totally grown on me. NBC gave it the axe even before it could air its second season, but I've found a new appreciation for the show on TNT. Unfortunately, that won't be enough to save it. The ratings are bad and no plans have been made to produce more episodes, so I don't think it has much of a chance. Too bad. It had really turned into a solid hour of programming. Although, is it sad that the opening credits are always my favorite part? What can I say? It's a really great title sequence...

And there you have it. There are really only a couple that I'm on the fence on and the others I'm quite confident. Time will tell, but at this point, that's how I see things stacking up. Depending on what happens with everyone's numbers over the next few weeks though, anything could happen...

Well, Chuck me gently with a chainsaw...

Between the "holy hell!"ishness of last night's Chuck and the fact that Heathers was on over the weekend, there was really no other title I could come up with for this post. (And yes, I realize that basically no one who reads this blog will recognize that quote, but I don't care.) (Heh--it just reminded me how Nicole Ricci's character on Chuck was named Heather Chandler... nice, unintentional connections all around.)

Anyway, I just had a lengthy discussion about Chuck with Bob (geez, could this sound more like a 1950's sitcom? Where are Bill and Tom and Betty Sue?) and had to share my thoughts here as well...

No matter where you fall on certain issues, I think we all can agree that the (often very big) changes this season have come down the line pretty fast. Bob seems to be more irked by the breakneck pace of late than I am, but that's likely because I'm thoroughly accustomed to the usual speed of a Josh Swartz production. Having seen three lifetimes worth of crazy doled out in just a few short seasons of The O.C. and Gossip Girl (which I've basically lost all faith in--what can I say? I'm bored), skipping from plot point to plot point just doesn't jar me as it probably should. I will admit that the current pace of Chuck hasn't been working perfectly, but the show doesn't really have the viewership to allow for a more belabored narrative approach. Once again, they are on the knife's edge and they have to keep the excitement a-comin'. I'm going to make my official prediction and say that Chuck will get picked up for next season. Its numbers aren't very good, but for NBC, it's second only to Parenthood in terms of key demos. I'm going to wager that those are the only two scripted shows NBC keeps. God help me if they pick up Heroes again... You know you're in trouble when even the most hardcore of fans is begging for a merciful death. It kind of feels like the late days of Buffy... Well past its prime, even the diehard fans knew it was time to let it go...

**SPOILER ALERT** (If you haven't seen last night's Chuck, read no further!)

So, what are those plot twists and changes that Bob and I argued about? Where do I begin? I'll let Bob start off this blog vicariously...

Bob wants to know, "Why does Sarah hate Chuck for the same reasons she loves Shaw? Shaw kills people all the time, and that's totally fine, but the thought of Chuck killing someone, and she hates him for it. That doesn't make any sense..."

Doesn't it, Bob? Doesn't it? I will admit that that exact same line of questioning ran through my head over the past couple of episodes as well, but in the end, I think it makes sense and is in line with Sarah's character. As has been discussed before on this blog, Chuck represents the life Sarah wishes she could have. She's been living the crazy-ass, mixed-up, life-and-death, duplicitous, dangerous life of a spy for years and found herself yearning for a more normal existence. Then she met Chuck. The embodiment of normal to her in oh-so-many ways. Chuck wasn't a super-spy or a badass or an international playboy, and that's what she loved about him. He was nerdy and sweet and thoroughly average in most ways. It is Chuck's humanity that makes him him. It's the same reason viewers fell in love with the adorable geek themselves. He's not the insanely hot covert operative (I miss Bryce, in case you couldn't tell... sigh) and that's what makes him so special to Sarah. And to us. We can all relate to Chuck and absolutely love him for it. Now comes the wrench in the works. After two seasons of Chuck desperately wanting the intersect out of his head and pleading with Sarah to run away with him to lead an average life, he gets and upgrade and decides he wants to be James Bond. I've already expressed my annoyance with Chuck over this move (it just seems counterintuitive to what he's been wanting for so long--although I can see where an insecure dork such as himself could be seduced by a more glamorous life), so I won't belabor the point, but his rejection of Sarah marked a turning point that would dictate her actions for the next dozen episodes, so it can't be undervalued.

Sarah took a chance on normal, took a chance on Chuck, and got clobbered for it. Aside from being completely heartbreaking for her, it must be absolutely mortifying as well. Seriously, she puts her heart on her sleeve, lets her guard down, and then basically gets dumped by a self-proclaimed loser? Ouch. That's gotta sting. I think it was at that point that Sarah decided to embrace the spy life, the unemotional, largely detatched life that she knows so well. She took a leap and it blew up in her face. What else would someone do other than retreat into familiar territory? I think that's where Shaw comes in. He represents the familiar to her. He's a spy, she's a spy, they've both lost people they loved, they have both suffered the slings and arrows of the job, and unsurpsingly to me, ultimately found each other.

So why is it that it's okay for her to love Shaw (who kills people all the time), but she suddenly shuns Chuck (whom she thought had killed someone)? Because she loves them for different reasons. For Shaw to kill someone, it's a part of the job, a necessary evil that he (and Sarah for that matter) take in stride. For Chuck to kill someone? Especially with a gun? Well, that's just completely different. She loved Chuck for his warmth and humanity and normalness. Killing someone in cold blood, as an order from on high, is the direct antithesis to everything she ever knew and loved about Chuck. It's the opposite of normal. It's most certainly not something he has ever been comfortable with before and never would have even considered... unless he had changed fundamentally as a person. If he had been able to kill that guy, he would have had to have been a different guy than the one Sarah (and the audience) fell in love with. Now, the audience had the almost immediate luxury of finding out that their suspicions were correct (Casey had actually killed the guy), but Sarah is not privy to this knowledge and really believes the sweet computer geek she adores shot a man dead. We may wonder why she is making such a big deal of this, but we have knowledge she doesn't. Imagine, if you will, that Chuck actually had killed the guy... Okay, wow, that would have been a HUGE game-changer for the show and the audience. I can just see the forum posts now... "They've ruined Chuck! How could they have him kill someone?!" It would have marked a change for Chuck and the show on a pretty earth-shattering narrative level. It's for this reason that I can understand Sarah's actions here. She had been afraid he was tumbling down the rabbit hole for weeks and killing a man would have been the final nail in the coffin (no pun intended...).

Anyway, moving on...

Chuck has been on my nerves for the better part of this season thanks to his sudden I-want-to-play-cowboys-and-Indians! approach to spying, but he's only one piece of the puzzle. As I've mentioned before, Sarah and Casey really haven't had as much to do this season (Sarah has had a particularly thankless role having to keep Chuck's emotions in check and Casey, well, Casey has all but been defanged lately) and the Buy More players are proving less and less necessary and are making less and less sense narratively speaking. Add to that Ellie and Awesome having basically nothing to do (with the exception of Awesome's foray into spydom, which rocked) and the basic fabric of the show has been unraveling. Looking at all the areas in which the show is spinning its wheels, I'm continually amazed at how much I still love the show. In spite of its short-comings and game-changers, it's still a quality show that's thoroughly entertaining. That said, I think next week's episode will mark a turning point in the series and will hopefully get the weaker links back on track or eliminate them completely because after last night's episode, I think we can all see that some serious changes are around one hell of an awesomely effed up corner.

So yeah... Sarah killed Shaw's wife during her Red Test. Say whaaa?! I may be a dunce and a dullard for not seeing that one coming, but I'm the first to admit that I was totally surprised. Nice twist, show. Very nice. They way they incorporated Sarah's flashback to her Red Test in a way that didn't make it seem like a huge, monumental, holy-shit-that's-important! kind of way was very impressive. I honestly thought of it solely in terms of Sarah's psychological profile and Chuck's progression and didn't consider it in grander terms. I had a feeling the details of his wife's death would play into the show in a more prominent way eventually, but that was an angle I hadn't even considered. In my defense, Chuck is a show I don't put a whole lot of thought into... If you think too hard about the show, you get all head-shakey and that's just no good (I'm sorry, how exactly did the intersect have the combination to the...uh... vending machine(?) again...? Yeah...). Anyway, it was a very nice twist that will lead to a whole lotta storylines being resolved and, I believe, a new start for the show.

So yeah, last night left us on Shaw very pissedly taking Sarah into the desert to "settle the score." To which I had to ask, "So wait, why is Shaw taking the fact that Sarah killed his wife so personally?" I know that sounds like a stupid question, but seriously. He already knows the details behind his wife's murder. Sarah told him all about her Red Test. He knows it was an order, he knows she didn't want to go through with it, but thought Eve was pulling a gun, and he knows it was the worst day of her life. It's not like she woke up one day and decided off Superman's wife. It was an order. An order she didn't particularly want to follow. I guess I've just never had a spouse murdered so I can't really understand, but I would think Shaw would be mad at the powers that be, not Sarah specifically... We don't know what's going to happen next week, so it's hard to tell for sure what Shaw's motives are, but based on the previews (which are admittedly misleading a lot of the time), things don't look like they're going to go very well for Sarah... However things end up, I think this spells an end to Shaw's run on the show and a real reboot for the characters.

Which brings me to my last point (finally, right?). I know all you Shuckers out there have been bitching and moaning for months over the roadblocks between Sarah and Chuck, but now I hope it will have been worth the wait for you. I've never been a huge fan of the pairing, even less so this season than ever, but in seeing where this storyline is headed, I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. The writers have really raised the stakes on this relationship. Chuck won't win back the girl with a mopey testimonial about how much he wuvs her, he'll have to seriously man-up and save her life before he even has a chance. I think that gives everything a lot more weight and some much needed gravity. At this point in Chuck's progression, I wouldn't be averse to seeing him get the girl and am kind of hoping that the next chapter in the Chuck saga will involve the pair of them working together as (sort of) equals. I'm not saying the show should go full-on Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but I think it'll be a nice dynamic to explore the kind of relationship Sarah had with Bryce with someone like Chuck. Can he really be a superspy and the same lovable dork he used to be? Hopefully we'll get a season 4 in order to find out...

This season hasn't been perfect, to say the least (anyone want to go throw bricks at Subway with me?), but it still has me on the edge of my seat and I honestly think even more badassery is to come. Hang in there, Chuck fans! The fate of the show may very well depend on it...

You've come a long way, baby.

I review a lot of pilots on this blog, but after that, generally only a handful of shows get regular mentions. This doesn't mean that other shows aren't as awesome, it usually means they just aren't as controversial (I've been going toe-to-toe with you Shuckers out there for weeks) or as "holy hell, what just happened?" (Dollhouse, I'm looking in your direction). Well, there have been a slate of new shows this season that received tepid to fairly warm pilot reviews but have since turned into absolute, must-see, might need to cancel conflicting shows off my DVR, top tier, A-list loves of my life. Namely, The Good Wife, The Vampire Diaries, and White Collar.

Let me count the ways...

...oh, and there are definitely SPOILERS below for those who aren't caught up on these shows, so tread lightly and read at your own risk...

THE GOOD WIFE

I quite enjoyed the pilot for The Good Wife, but never dreamed it would be anything but a second tier moderate pleasure. I'm beyond thrilled to report that it should really be renamed The Insanely Entertaining, Thoroughly Awesome Wife. Seriously, each episode is better than the last and the tension between Alicia and her philandering, lying, corrupt man-whore of a husband is getting more tacitly tense by the day. As far as I'm concerned, she should just divorce his sorry ass and be done with it, but the show does a really nice job making it clear that sometimes it's just not that simple. Julianna Marguiles (and no, I'm not going to check the spelling on that) simply sparkles and is able to anchor the show in a way I never would have thought possible. Not only is she spectacular on the show (her performance is powerful and nuanced and subtle and passionate all at once--very impressive), but everyone else on the show is superb as well. I wasn't sure how Kalinda would really fit into things at first, but she has turned into quite the little badass. The fact that she isn't catty and genuinely likes Alicia is such a nice change of pace. As much as I enjoy the stereotype that women are perpetual gossiping bitches, it's nice to have a brush with reality once in a while. I'm hearing the stellar newest addition to show, Alan Cumming, will be a series regular next season, so that'll be awesome. And Chris Noth does a great job as Alicia's waste of space husband Peter and I'm really enjoying the tension between them at home. Peter never really knows where he stands (the audience can't really tell either) and Alicia's distant coolness toward him is riveting.

But, as I think anyone who watches the show can agree, the most delectable aspect of the show (especially after the most recent episode titled "Heart") is the interplay between Alicia and her boss Will. Holy hell things have gotten good! The show very easily could have devolved into a soapy teenish drama, but it's all refreshingly adult and mature about relationships. The unrequited sexual tension between the pair has always been a big draw for me, but recently it's gotten edge-of-your-seat squee-worthy. Little things like one smiling at the other's accomplishments or telling each other what a great lawyer the other is (code for "I simply adore you") took a back seat in the last episode when Will kissed Alicia and she quite enthusiastically kissed him back. I wasn't sure how they would work as an actual pairing (sometimes the potential chemistry smolders and the actual chemistry flops), but their chemistry together is palpable and that kiss was pretty breath-taking (for the characters and viewers alike). That the kiss came during an emotionally draining legal case felt very organic for these characters and didn't make it feel forced or cheesy at all. Even if you saw it coming, the actual fall-out was one hell of a nail-biter. Alicia breaks away from the kiss with a frustrated "dammit!", takes off only to make it to her car and decide that she totally does want to sleep with Will (and who can blame her? I love Josh Charles) and more importantly, is willing to throw caution to the wind and go back up to his office... which he's no longer in. They have bad timing, always have. But yeah, if that weren't gah-worthy enough, an unsatisfied Alicia goes home and sleeps with her husband! Holy shit! This show is so great. It doesn't do what is expected and doesn't always give the audience what it wants, but always delivers in spades. I particularly liked the scene later when Will finds out she came back for him and then goes to talk to her. For all her posturing about it being wrong for the two of them to hook up, it was more than noticeable that none of her reasons revolved around Peter. In spite of sleeping with the slimey bastard, things all still quite rotten in the state of Florrick and Alicia literally shuts the door on Peter and the prospect of sharing the same bed with him at the end of the episode. Wow. Awesome.

And if that weren't enough, all the sexual underpinnings of the show are going on during a very complicated, well-plotted, and emotional court case. The show manages to fill a whole hell of a lot into just 44 minutes and somehow it never feels rushed or slapped together. I've never been a big fan of procedural A-plots, but The Good Wife does a hell of a job. The cases are always interesting and engaging, but most importantly, realistic. It's never the over the top, blustering, "You can't handle the truth!" ridiculousness of most legal shows and movies, but it's still totally enthralling. I can actually believe that these people are lawyers and that the cases they take could be real and the court proceedings could actually happen that way. It makes it easier to believe that these are people who happen to be lawyers rather than a show about lawyers who are sometimes people (a pitfall of most procedurals where the A-plot takes up 95% of every episode--no, thanks).

The Good Wife has turned into one of my favorite shows on television and I'd recommend it to just about anyone. Even if you don't think this would be up your alley, it very well might be. I'm continually amazed at the number of message board comments that start off with, "This may sound strange coming from a 21 year old guy, but I love this show!" As well you should, random dude. As well you should.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

Here we have a show that received a rather less than stellar review from me after the pilot, but which has turned into one of the best shows on the air. After the pilot, I was pretty underwhelmed with most aspects of the show (with the VERY notable exception of Ian Somerhalder's Damon). It took a few episodes to really get good, but after that? Oh my god, this show has become one of the most cliffhangery, well-paced (they dole out the goodies at just the right intervals), and exciting shows around.

It has rather cruelly been on hiatus for several weeks now, but it's finally coming back tonight after leaving us on one of the most insane revelations ever! SPOILER ALERT. Holy shit, after half a season of watching Damon pining for Katherine and desperately trying to open that damn tomb, he actually gets inside and... [bated breath] ...there's no Katherine! I did NOT see that coming! How insanely awesome a twist is that?! Although the thought of someone not wanting to be with the insanely hot and delightfully devilish Damon seems unfathomable, it makes for one hell of a wrench in the works and says a hell of a lot about Katherine herself. Somehow, it seems fitting that someone that callus and manipulative would be adored by someone like Damon. Oh, and if that weren't enough? The tomb didn't close and there are scads of hungry vamps who are hankering for a drink! Eeeee! I cannot wait to see where things go from here. Well done, show. Well done. A lesser show would have saved up that reveal for the season finale or some shit, but not The Vampire Diaries. Every week seems to have an awesome reveal, an unexpected reversal, or a mind-blowing twist. I'm completely sucked in and can't wait for each episode.

Along with the easy-on-the-eyeishness and overall awesomeness of Damon, the rest of the show's cast has really grown on me. Even seemingly annoying second string players like Caroline and Matt have me invested. I'm not all that intrigued by Jeremy, I must admit, but he certainly serves a purpose on the show and his increased suspicions about the town's, uh, wild animal attacks... yeah... should lead to some crazy things ahead. Stefan will never hold a place in my heart the same way that Damon does, but he's pretty easy to look at as well and the writers have finally given him more personality and more edge. Nina Dobrev (who plays Elena) doesn't have the greatest range as an actress, but she's pulling off the role with surprising aplomb. I am hopeful she really grows as an actress over the coming seasons though, because where we're headed, we'll need one hell of a female lead at the helm.

I'm also incredibly interested to get more backstory on the brothers Salvatore. The show does a great job with flashbacks and knows exactly how much information to give to be satisfying, but keep you wanting more. The flashbacks with Damon and Katherine are always enthralling and manage to give the viewer some much lusted after insight into Damon's tortured soul. Awesomeness squared. The progression of his friendship (soon to be romance?) with Elena is so much informed by his past that the flashbacks do so much more than just fill in a few blanks. They really flesh out the characters, their motivations, and point to what insanity is to come. Speaking of insanity, this show is totally willing to get violent, get racy, and kill people off with impunity. Nice. Most shows would backpedal or wuss out, but The Vampire Diaries keeps you on your toes whether you like it or not. Poor Vicki... Awesome death. Keep it coming, badass show. Keep it coming.

WHITE COLLAR

White Collar started off as a fun little caper, then kind of lost its footing, then really found its voice and tone toward the end of the first season. There were a number of episodes early on where I got the feeling the writers just weren't sure what to do with their own concept and didn't do enough research to be able to make storylines even a little authentic. Toward the end of the season, the episodes got so much better and the dynamic between the characters and the conceit finally started to gel.

One of my primary quibbles with the show (both then and now) is Kate. The fact that the audience doesn't know a thing about her, and most damningly, doesn't really care, makes watching Neal pining for her and getting into all sorts of unfortunate situations on her behalf irksome at best and illogical at least. Why does he care about this girl? If he's so invested in getting her back, why is he hitting on all those other women? I kept wishing Kate would be fleshed out in a way that would make me care, would be revealed as a bad guy (which the show kind of did--that's when things started to get a lot better--you know, with the uncertainty about her motives), or would just casually disappear. I actually quite like the character of Alex and love that she and Neal have a romantic history--a history that Kate had a big role in ruining no less. It was annoying that things with Alex couldn't really progress because we were still stuck with this mostly faceless albatross of a storyline hanging over Neal's head...

...and then the plane blew up... Hallelujah! I dare you to find any fan of this show that wasn't pleased with the thought of Kate being written off the show. I can see where the writers were going with the character and what they were trying to do with the story, but it just didn't materialize as anyone would have hoped. They should have done a better job establishing Kate as an actual person. When you don't care about someone, you don't really care about her motivations, her actions, or her sudden death. Who knows if she's actually dead or not (by all appearances, she should be, but I can see where that might have been a devious ploy of some sort), but I really hope the writers find a way to make this character's death (or life) work for the storyline better. Seriously, I couldn't even find a picture of Kate to include with this post. That's how much screen time she had...

In spite of my lack of concern for Kate, the show really turned into a fun little romp that was easy to watch (so long as you didn't ask too many questions). Logic has never been on White Collar's to-do list, and that's fine, but it was nice to see the final episodes making a good faith stab at stories that revolved around actual reality. The episode with the bottle was wonderful in large part because it had been so heavily researched. The show should really do more of that. At the end of the day though, all they really need is Matt Bomer's gorgeousness on the screen and I'll forgive just about anything. It's the primary reason I kept up with the show through some of the less successful episodes...

All in all, I'm a little surprised by how much this show grew on me. The second half of the season got a lot more exciting and starting putting the episodes together in more polished ways. I'm hopeful that trend continues because this show somehow found its way to my top tier and I'd like to keep it there.

The Hype, Much Like the Shooting, Was Justified

Every now and then, I decide ahead of time that I won't be giving a show a shot. Not even just the pilot. This generally happens when I hear a basic premise that turns me off or see a clip that leaves me unimpressed. With the new FX series Justified (which is based on some works by Elmore Leonard), it was a little of both. In most cases, my preemptive write-off of a show proves correct, but Justified, as with Nurse Jackie before it, totally proved me wrong. Not that Justified was as stellar as Nurse Jackie, but it made for a surprisingly solid, engaging, accomplished hour of television.

I initially pooh-poohed Justified based on a brief description and an even briefer clip of the pilot. This may seem shocking based on my general televisions tastes and sensibilities, but a US marshal returning to his hometown (a prodigal son of sorts) so that he can shoot up bad guys in the modern-day Wild West of Harlan, Kentucky didn't exactly send shivers of excitement down my spine. Not that it sounded like the worst concept ever or anything, just not one that would generally strike a chord with yours truly. Oooooh, you say it's got guns, the middle of nowhere Kentucky, AND backwoodsy accents?! What more could a girl ask for!? Yeah, not so much...

I ultimately decided to give Justified a chance based on several good reviews I'd heard and word that Matt Roush had deemed it the best midseason pilot of the year. Now, don't get me wrong, it's been a pretty pathetic midseason so that could have meant anything, but I was confident that the positive buzz would actually materialize on the screen. My devotion to Matt Roush was shaken of late given his praise of Life Unexpected (a show which I tried really, really hard to like, but ultimately failed--it was finally deleted from my DVR queue after several unwatched episodes sat there for weeks while I rewatched episodes of The Good Wife), so I was going to really have to reevaluate our relationship if Justified turned out to be a dud as well. Saints be praised, he was right. It really is the best midseason pilot of the year. Easily.

Justified stars Timothy Olyphant as Deputy US marshal Raylan Givens, an old school gunslinger (the fastest draw in the West, er... East...) seeking justice in a more restrained, litigious world. After exacting some 19th century justice on a baddie in Miami, he's sent packing back to the 19th century... which is apparently tantamount to modern day Kentucky (and which also happens to be former stomping grounds). What initially turned me off to the show was a brief clip of Givens, but as it turns out, it was simply, and unfortunately, out of context. Givens is quiet and austere, but unexpectedly powerful and likable at the same time. At the very end of the pilot, he's described by his ex-wife as able to hide it well, but essentially being the angriest man she's ever known, and by the end of the pilot, you can absolutely believe that ( even if such a statement catches you off-guard). He really does hide it well and seems cool and unassuming, but you know there's more to him. He's a complex character with a lot of depth, a lot of heart, and yes, a lot of anger, but even when he's in the worst of possible situations, his calmness and confidence make for a very serious, casual character. With that much going on and that amount calm, cool vengeance simmering under the surface, you'd expect him to be standoffish, aloof, and unlikeable, but somehow there's a certain Southern charm that tempers the still waters. I thought the writers did a particularly nice job of setting up numerous layers for the character right off the bat, and not in a way that was obvious or overly expositional. Mere minutes after seeing Raylan calmly and prosaically kill a man (the other guy pulled first, so apparently it was "justified"--I kept hoping for a Han Solo reference when it came to who pulled first, but alas, to no avail), the viewer sees him show up at the house of a woman he knew several years ago and greet her in a very comfortable, casual, warm manner. Not the kind of gal to let a former crush of hers get away with kissing her on the cheek, she kisses him on the mouth and he very matter-of-factly kisses her back. It seemed very natural and organic to the characters, even in spite of seeing Raylan's gun-toting ways not ten minutes prior. It was a nice way to tell the audience that there's more going on with this character than meets the eye.

Timothy Olyphant does a lovely job as Givens and absolutely anchors the show in an engaging and effective way. I'm not too familiar with Olyphant's previous work, but I had heard that everyone was pretty excited to see him at the helm of a new show and now I know why. I can't even quite pinpoint what makes him an appealing actor, but he really is. Not bad too look at and a great dramatic talent to boot. Yes, please. Although Olyphant is certainly the core of the show, the supporting cast is equally strong and their characters have a hell of a lot of potential, even if the pilot didn't allow for a ton of development right away.

Nicest casting surprise? Natalie Zea. I greatly adored her as Karen Darling on Dirty Sexy Money and was thrilled to see her playing Givens ex-wife (and I suspect, soon to be "will they or won't they" love interest on the show) Winona. I actually didn't remember that her name on the show was Winona till I looked it up and it was like, "Of course her name was Winona..." Awwwh, Kentucky. Anyway, as Zea proved previously, she can take what easily could have turned into a one-note, stereotype of a character and turn it into gold. Karen Darling could easily have been your typical rich girl, but Zea made her quirky, likable, and conniving, all at once. She didn't get a whole lot of screen time in the pilot, but what little she had, she owned, and I suspect she'll bring nothing but her A-game in the future. And let's face it, playing a former flame and "will they or won't they" love interest is something she already excels at, so this should be fun to watch. She and Olyphant had an instant and complex chemistry together that I'm excited to see fleshed out.

Rounding out the cast of good guys are the other US Marshals who, in spite of even less time than Zea, already felt like very real, very intriguing characters who will bring a hell of a lot to the show. Justified did a wonderful job taking my expectations and turning them upside down, even with the most minor of players. I honestly didn't expect the skinny, bookish, slightly milquetoasty marshal to respond to a shoot-out with, "Boss, do you want me to wing 'em or kill 'em?" and then, at being advised, "Let's start with wingin' 'em," to do just that. On the first shot, no less. Like Givens, they're all cool and collected, but still passionate and aggressive. They have certain things in common and complement each other well, but each still has his/her own edge, which I'm totally digging thus far. Hell, even the bad guys who got killed off after a few minutes were well-rounded and interesting, so after even just the pilot, I get the feeling the sky's the limit. The pilot's primary baddie, a racist church bomber (a real catch, in other words), is a former acquaintance of Givens and has a lot more going on than the seemingly simply schemes he pulls would have others believe. Givens sees through his ruse, and the layers beneath start to unfold. Even the nastiest of the nasties bring a whole lot to the table. Nice. Well done, show. Well done.

As is evident by the way I received the characters on the show, the writing is solid throughout. Given the rural setting and Wild West-y tone and vibe of the show, I wasn't expecting a whole lot of complexity and was prepared for your standard macho, hackneyed, old West cheesefest. Mercifully, Justified embraces old west themes and motifs, but avoids the genre's pitfalls and predictabilities. The storyline was slick and well-paced throughout, knowing where to give more character and where to give more action. It could have easily fallen into your typical western cliches, but didn't. Even when making references to how fast a draw Givens is, it didn't seem forced or trite, it just felt like a very natural part of who this character is. Instead of feeling overdone or overwrought, it felt vintage and kind of classic.

I guess it's the tone or the writing or something, but somehow the Kentucky backdrop works really well. I expected to be bored to tears in minutes, what with the prevalence of a whole lotta nothin' in the more rural areas of the country, but there was something undeniably appealing about a country setting and an old world pace. As much as I love seeing big cities play host to 97% of shows on TV, it was like a breath of fresh air to see some new scenery (GREEN scenery) and I'm eager to see what kinds of trappings come with it. It's not a setting you see all that often and it made for a new dynamic for me to enjoy. Not an easy task, given my level of TV watching, but this show really pulled it off. Knowing your way around the hectic maze of a big city is impressive, but so is knowing where some rural road is that can't even be mapquested. I'm not sure how this setting will play out in the long-run, but so far, I'm much more intrigued that I ever would have thought. It was a good move on the writers' part to open the pilot with him in Miami (seriously, the opening scene could easily be Michael Westen in a cowboy hat). It made the contrast between big city and rural outpost all the more striking. And appreciated. The pacing is necessarily and charmingly slower given the rural setting and archetypal character profiles, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. The folksy drawl and deliberate pace could have been fodder for boredom, but even during the most seemingly unimportant of conversations, I was intrigued. The dialogue felt natural and kind of old-fashioned, but was still sophisticated and riveting to listen to. The actors' accents could use a little work (some more than others--you know who you are), but all in all, they really pulled off the tone they were aiming for.

Having only seen the pilot, I can't be certain what kind of show this will turn into, but so far, and at the very least, it doesn't look like a standard procedural and that wins it about a million points. I enjoy the occasional procedural show (whether it be legal, medical, or most perniciously, crime), but almost invariably, I couldn't care less about the story-of-the-week A-plots. In a more traditional drama, you have different story elements week-to-week (obviously), but they aren't the be-all-and-end-all of the story, which I greatly appreciate. There really aren't a whole lot of straight-up dramas out there these days, so I'm hoping shows like Justified do well and let the networks know that people can handle an ongoing storyline. Also, it would make sense for a show with more old-fashioned sensibilities to have a more old-fashioned narrative set-up. After seeing the preview of things to come this season, it doesn't look like I'll have to worry about this becoming your standard procedural (what with the main baddie surviving his gunshot wound and Ava sticking around for more than just the pilot) and that, my friends, is a welcomed change of pace. Here's hoping that assumption is correct.

Given the old world justice that was frequently doled out in the pilot, it should come as no surprise that Justified is grittier and less restrained than your typical prime-time show. They didn't pull any punches and didn't sanitize the subject matter for mass appeal (the fact that the show airs on FX certainly helps). The writers also left morality is a grayer area than most shows would which made Givens more complex and made for an interesting dynamic between characters. I was a little put-off by the old school style justice and the surprisingly high body count, but that really just speaks to my sensibilities about cops and robbers and guns in general. The "shoot first, ask questions later" approach doesn't exactly jibe with my own perspectives, but it was certainly interesting to watch. The show didn't try to espouse the numerous virtues of this brand of justice or anything, but acknowledges that for Raylan Givens, it's just how it is. It fit very well with the show's story and style and forms the backbone of the Wild West feel to the show. Again, having the lines blurred in such a way was unexpected and therefore, appreciated. It's not the kind of thing I see everyday, so even if certain aspects were off-putting, that's more than okay. That's probably exactly what was intended.

This show has some definite long-term potential. Again, a more standard drama is a narrative style that's dying out, so I welcome any newcomer who's willing to embrace a storyline that doesn't get wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end of the hour. There were certainly aspects that I would have changed, but overall, I quite enjoyed the pilot and I'm sucked in enough to be excited for next week. I'm not sure if the rural trappings or the backwoodsiness will eventually wear out their welcome, but so far so good. I'm not sure I'd recommend this show to everyone, but before having seen it, I wouldn't have recommended it to myself either. It's definitely worth giving a shot, because really, I never would have dreamt I'd have enjoyed it myself.

Pilot Grade: B+

Sigh... I miss Stars Hollow...

Given that I had White Collar and The Good Wife on the docket last night (both of which have gotten really, really good, by the way--especially The Good Wife, which just keeps getting better and better), I didn't get around to watching NBC's newest outing until pretty late, so you'll just have to bear with me on this one... I would have put it off till later, but my love for Lauren Graham knows no bounds and waits for no one.
Speaking of Lauren Graham, she was far and away the best part of NBC's latest drama, Parenthood. The show revolves around four adult siblings, their parents, and their spouses and children as they, well, grab barrelfuls of clichés, sentimentality, and contrivances and huck them at the viewer for an hour... That makes the pilot sound worse than it was, but honestly, if I had to sum up the show in a single word, it would be "contrived." No contest.

Parenthood has a lot going for it, including a stellar, all-start cast, a decent premise, and solid production budget, but I get the feeling this might just not be my kind of show... I generally quite enjoy a good ensemble drama, but when the entire basis for your show is that being a family is hard, like really, really hard, it's hard to tell from just a pilot if I'll really get sucked in. After only the pilot, I could really take it or leave it.

Parenthood's sprawling ensemble cast seems to center around Peter Krause, to a certain extent, but all in all, it doesn't appear to have a real central focus. I understand that this is all part and parcel of the whole ensemble gig, but it made the pilot seem a bit unfocused and meandering. Don't get me wrong, the very fact that this isn't a procedural with an obnoxious A-plot wins it about a million points in my book, but I'd like the show to appear to know where it's going. Quite frankly, it's what is making it so difficult to write a comprehensive assessment of the show. Where do you start when there is no start? Anyway, trucking right along, I think that's related to what I'm guessing will be the biggest problem this show is going to face. The cast is very large and some of these characters aren't anywhere near as captivating as others... To sum it up, I'll have more Lauren Graham, please, and less... everyone else...

Lauren Graham came onto this project after Maura Tierney dropped out for medical issues. As much as I like Maura Tierney, I can't even imagine what a dreary downer this pilot would have been with her in the role of screw-up single mom Sarah instead of Lauren. The entire pilot would have been pretty flat and sobering had it not been for Lauren Graham's sparkle and charm. She brought a warmth and light to an otherwise earnest, self-important show that was at risk of taking itself way too seriously. Now, Lauren Graham doesn't appear to have actual magical powers, so she could really only save the scenes she was actually in, but mercifully, that was most scenes, so she managed to wrench this show out of self-righteous clichedom and bring it some real personality and character. It really really really made me miss the classic days of Gilmore Girls... It was a little strange to see Lauren not playing Lorelai Gilmore, but every now and then she'd say or do something that reminded me of days gone by and it really made me smile. I shudder to think what this show would have been without her, but I'm a little morbidly curious to see the original pilot with Maura. If her role in this would have been anything like her role in ER, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be giving this show another episode... Not that she wasn't great on ER or anything, but I don't think she could convey genuine happiness or fun if her life depended on it... Lauren Graham, by contrast, is warm and funny even when she's breaking your heart. Her character's date with newly balding and doughy ex-flame Jim was some of the best stuff in the pilot. For all her wonderful boisterousness, Graham also excels at the small subtleties of life. I have to assume that the role had to be completely retooled for her because I can't imagine Tierney pulling off the same lines with equal charm. The only points during the pilot where I found myself really smiling were with Graham, even when she was dealing with her "degenerate children." God, how I've missed her.

The other bright spot in an otherwise mediocre mishmash is the always wonderful Peter Krause. He kinda sorta forms the center of the pilot, but I have a feeling the writers are going to rotate the focus of the show, so who knows who'll be the lead week-to-week. Where Graham's newest incarnation had inklings of Lorelai Gilmore, Krause's role as eldest son Adam smacked more than a little of his role as Nick George on Dirty Sexy Money. Krause plays the rock, the go-to-guy, basically the problem-solver of his siblings, but fortunately Krause manages to bring more to the character than the standard bag of tricks. This role could have easily been the know-it-all Mr. Fix-it of the family, but Krause's performance is much more layered than that. That someone who excels at solving other people's problems is faced with a son with Asperger's Syndrome should make for some really great stuff to come. I was fairly ambivalent regarding the character until Krause has to confront his father and tell him that there's something wrong with Max, Krause's son on the show. As ever, Krause knocks it out of the park and brings an impressive amount of depth and heartbreak to a character we only met 40 minutes ago. Other than Lauren Graham's every moment on the show, that was the best.

Rounding out the siblings are commitment-phobic Dax Shepard (who plays Crosby, yes, Crosby (who would name a character Crosby, you ask? The same people who would cast Dax Shepard in anything.... ew. Oh, Kristin Bell, you can do so much better) and workaholic ice princess Erika Chrsitensen. They both did decent jobs with their roles, but at the end of the day, they just didn't really grab me. While Graham and Krause struck me as multi-layered characters, Shepard and Christensen seemed like ultimate clichés and pure contrivances. Unless the writers give them some real dimension, they'll just be stock characters for the more interesting players to bounce off of. Christensen does a pretty good job with what she was given, but that honestly wasn't much. My real concern with these two is that they won't become more layered, but will still be the center of some episodes. Much like Heroes or Grey's Anatomy, when you have a huge ensemble, there are a lot of characters and storylines to keep track of. The peril lies in having some characters who bore you to tears, but who necessarily get a lot of screen time. It's one of the primary reasons I gave up on Heroes. When only 3 out of 17 characters actual interest you, it spells disaster for the show. Here's hoping that's a pitfall Parenthood can avoid. At this point, there's certainly room for other characters to grow on me, so I'll be giving this show more time to really find its footing. There are oh-so-many characters to choose from that surely a few will keep my attention. Although they did do that thing where all the characters say everyone else's names a million times which always drives me nuts, so that loses them a lot of points. I realize you have like 47 people for the audience to keep track of, but I do not need to be constantly reminded of people's names and social relationships. It makes it all seem less authentic because, well, no one talks like that! Ugh.

As if the principle four weren't enough, throw in their parents, all their kids, significant others, and bit players, and you've got a whole hell of a lot going on. And somehow, at the same time, absolutely nothing going on. Maybe the banalities of daily life in a big family just aren't my cup of tea, but little league baseball and parent teacher conferences just don't quite do it for me... The pilot basically showcased your typical bickering family, but who really love each other, don't ya know. It's almost like these shows have some ridiculous notion that the more dysfunctional a family is and the more everyone argues with everyone else, the closer they are. I'm not expert or anything, but in my experience, families that fight constantly aren't all that close at all, but are simply trying to convince themselves that they are. It all just seems like one big obligation in the end. Every time I see a show like this, I'm always a bit mystified. Is this how family life really is for people? If so, why oh why does anyone do it? Life is stressful enough without having to come home to a house full of drama. With rare exceptions, my siblings and I got along just fine and we all adore my mother. Granted we all hated my father, but we just casually ignored him. Shows like Parenthood seem to think that a family isn't a real family unless everyone is gathered around a dinner table arguing. Thanks, but no thanks. To the show's credit, it did include elements of the family actually getting along and showing some conradery, so that tempered the obligatory arguments considerably. I hope they maintain a balance, but I have a sneaking suspicion this might go the way of so many other family dramas where every episode is a battle and every little thing that happens is the end of the world. Ugh.

This show certainly has a lot going for it, and I'm intrigued enough to keep up with it for now. I think the writers are going to have a hell of a time getting all these people in the same place at the same time week-to-week, so I have to assume they'll have a couple of A-plots each week and simply shift the focus around. That's all fine and good until I lose interest in three quarters of the storylines and simply have to trudge through those to get to the ones I actually care about. Again, here's hoping that doesn't happen, but odds are, that's where we're headed. Even just with the pilot, it seemed pretty silly to me that all these adults and their children are spending so much time at grandma and grandpa's and who spend most of their days talking to or worry about their siblings. I know there are a lot of siblings out there who are close, but really, how many entire extended families do you know who would go to a kid's baseball game? Seriously, this kid must have had 17 people in attendance, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Contrived, much?

For all its faults, the show was well made and has a pretty solid base to build on. This concept might just not be up my alley (I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this kind of family tension, but I really can't), but I'm intrigued enough to give it some time. I certainly wasn't blown away and I'm not as sucked in as NBC would like me to be, plain and simple. Contrivances aside, the writing was adequate and the dialogue didn't make me want to punch people, so that's definitely a plus. There are certainly aspects of the show that will invariably drive me crazy, but I'm hoping it has enough going for it that I'm willing to overlook those. Again, the fact that it isn't a crime procedural automatically makes me want to like this show, so odds are I'll be more forgiving than usual.

Now if only I liked children, we'd really be cooking with oil! Mercifully, the children themselves are not the real focus of the show (at least not at this point), and most of them are at least teenagers, so that certainly helps. I admittedly spent the better part of the pilot wishing Mae Whitman would suddenly assume her alter-ego as Ann Veal from Arrested Development, but her newest incarnation was okay... I guess... ("She has a really low center of gravity. They call her the wall." "What, is she funny or something?" I miss you too, Arrested Development. Oh, so much.)

I think the moral of the story for Parenthood is that the all-star cast made me pine for the awesomeness of their previous shows rather than latch onto their current show. That's...not a good sign. This was a difficult show to sum up because it just kind of meandered for an hour, telling me who was who again and again. I grouse about this a lot, but good pilots don't feel the need to explain every single facet of a character and his/her relation to the world. Parenthood pretty much did nothing but establish people and relationships. Who knows, maybe that was the point. You know, that people are more important than events. Well, if that's the case, maybe you should have more interesting people... Not that Graham and Krause couldn't anchor a show, but with Parenthood, there really isn't an anchor. Or a rudder for that matter...

We'll see how it goes. They established a whole hell of a lot with the pilot, so hopefully they'll actually do something with those people in episode two. I'm not completely enamored of this one (you know, in case the epic thus far was a bit too vague), but I definitely seem some potential. If for no other reason than Lauren Graham, it's worth it to give this show as much of a chance as I can. First impression though? Meh.

Pilot Grade: C+

About Last Night... Cupcakes and Hookers!

You thought this was going to be about The Bachelor, didn't you? No, no, that would be "Tarts and Hookers... and Liars, Skanks, and Cross-eyed Austrian Cities"... which, come to think of it, maybe I should have watched The Bachelor... Although with a subtitle like "On the Wings of Love," I'd surely have to kill myself afterwards. What the hell, age 30 is just around the corner (which I almost typed "coroner"--heh) anyway.

About last night for reals, let's start with cupcakes.

CHUCK

[In gruff, hired assassin voice]: "Yeah, I know where that is. It's across from that cupcake place..." Ha! Totally made my day.

Anyway, Annie and I have already discussed some of the finer points from last night's episode, but I'm here to regale the masses who read my blog as well. (And by "the masses who read my blog" I clearly mean "the pair of old people who accidentally stumbled across this webpage whilst looking for televisions for people with poor visual acuity.")

While last night's episode had some issues, I personally loved it. Although I'm not as much of a Chuck/Sarah-shipper as most, so I certainly had an advantage. A quick note to the Chuck/Sarah-shippers out there. First off, how has a portmanteau not been established so that I don't have to type as much? I'm going to go ahead and create one right now because at present, it's just too much to type. New relationship name is... Shucks? Charah? I'm going with Shucks. Not only is it cuter, but it seems appropriate for any relationship that involves one Mr. Chuck Bartowski. Anyway, back on point, all you Shuckers out there (ooh, I like it), do you really, really want to see them get together at this point? Even if I were a huge fan of this coupling, I still wouldn't want them getting together at this juncture. Not only would it completely destroy the sexual tension between them, but it would derail the overall story arc of their relationship. I'm not a huge fan of the coupling, but I'm totally enjoying the jealousy and intrigue going on. I can totally understand the frustration with the "will they or won't they" teasing, but at the end of the day, it's a hell of a lot of fun to watch. And while some shows have drawn things out WAY too long (House, Psych, Bones, etc.), I think the powers that be behind Chuck are doing a nice job so far. While I wouldn't opposed them getting together at some point in the future, it just isn't right for the storyline right now. It would feel forced and convenient and like the writers has bowed to whiny fans. Don't get me wrong, I don't think writers should turn a deaf ear to what people think of their work, but by and large, kowtowing to audience pressure almost never works. For example, for as thrilled as I was to see Aaron Rose casually written off Gossip Girl, that void kind of made the story arc collapse. Everyone was happy to never ever see him again, but in terms of the overall show? I'm not sure his immediate dismissal worked out all that well... I would hate for the same thing to happen to Chuck.

Along those lines, I'm pretty bummed that last night was Kristin Kruek's last episode. I didn't totally love the character of Hannah, but I liked her well enough and felt her presence kind of grounded the show in a more logical way. Chuck's cover as a Buy More employee makes less and less sense the more real-spyish he gets, but having Hannah in his life gave it some credence. It also gave his actions, his decisions, and most importantly, his constant lying some much needed gravity. Lying to his friends and family has become par for the course for Chuck (and the audience), but to see Chuck lying to someone he's trying to form a romantic relationship with is pretty jarring. Chuck has always wanted a normal life with a real relationship and Hannah made it painfully apparent to him that his new spy-gig makes that practically impossible. Chuck wants to be a good guy. Chuck is a good guy, but you can't really build something real and good and meaningful when every other sentence is a complete and total falsehood. I think the fact that Chuck's friends and family knew him before he became the lying spy and that makes things different. Lying to them should be even more criminal, but we all understand that it's necessary. They were a part of his life before he decided to play James Bond so he has to lie to them to protect them and his job. But Hannah? She's really an innocent in all this (although I'd secretly love for her to come back as a baddie after all this--Chuck kinda sorta deserves it at this point). Chuck has no reason to include her in his life other than selfish reasons. I'm not saying that Chuck shouldn't have relationships, far from it, but you can't have your cake and eat it to. Or in this case, you can't have a real relationship and lie about everything constantly too. That's a balance spies have to strike, and clearly, Chuck's not comfortable with that. What's worse, that's not even the main reason Chuck breaks up with Hannah. No, no, he breaks things off because he's still in love with Sarah. His lingering feelings for her are a good reason, but all in all, I think its just one piece of the puzzle. I think it was way too soon to send Hannah packing, but I do like that she called him out on all his shit. Chuck may think he can be a spy and still be the same guy he always was, but as Sarah has been telling him since day one, it simply doesn't work that way.

Speaking of Sarah, Annie took issue with Sarah telling Shaw her real name, but I actually think it worked perfectly. I'll admit that it's a little convenient and a little fast for her to be confiding in Shaw the way she did, but after thinking about it, it absolutely makes sense to me. Since the beginning of season one, Sarah has been grappling with her real life versus her spy life. Her real life slowly diminished as her spy life took over. Doing the job they do will change a person whether they want it to or not. I think Sarah has always seen Chuck as the most sincere, most authentic of people (a fact that has always made her long for her old life) and to now watch him tumble down the rabbit hole of spydom is distressing at best. He's losing everything that makes him him, and I have to assume that reminds her of her own trajectory. I think watching Chuck spiral downward is distressing for her and I think that's what has led her to Shaw. Sarah can't really talk to anyone about her concerns besides Shaw, because really, who else is there? Casey's a big no, and every time she tries to caution Chuck about the path he's taking, he waves her off. Or, as has recently been the case, they've been in this awkward holding pattern where they can't really talk to each other. I have to agree that the awkwardidity is getting a little mud-like, but I hopeful that jettisoning Hannah might help. The fact that Chuck and Sarah have grown apart and that she can't really talk to him anymore came to a head when Sarah told Shaw her real name. I agree with Annie that it initially felt a little fast and convenient, but if the writers were looking for a point that would needle Chuck the most, they picked a the perfect thing. Chuck has been prodding Sarah for her real name for years now and she has always denied him. But now, seeing Sarah with Superman, hearing her tell him her real name? That's enough to rattle Chuck completely off his hinges, and quite frankly, I'm pretty excited to see the fallout. Telling Shaw her real name is tantamount to telling him she loves him (as far as I'm concerned) and it's at that moment that Chuck really sees how much he's screwed things up. Awesome. Also, seeing Sarah's face etched with guilt and even a little sense of betrayal really sold the emotional underpinnings of such an event. I think Sarah sees Shaw as somewhat of a kindred spirit. They've both been burned by the spy system at the expense of their real lives and people they love. For me, it made total sense that she would be drawn to Shaw, even if it means hurting Chuck. I'm really liking Sarah and Shaw as a pairing and watching Chuck spin his wheels and get all jealous is really satisfying. He blew his chance with Sarah and now she's moving on. Suck it up, buddy boy. You brought this on yourself. I have no doubt that this Sarah and Shaw relationship will fizzle out eventually (the Shuckers will eventually win out), but for now, I'm totally digging it. It's nice to see Sarah with someone who can actually keep up with her and not need to be coddled. I expect that somewhere down the line, once Chuck gets his head on straight and becomes the kind of person who can go toe-to-toe with Sarah, things will work out for the Shuckers, and hopefully by that point, they'll be in a place where I can be on board as well. For now? Chuck has made his empty bed and must lie in it. Things are definitely heating up for Sarah and Shaw and I'm pretty excited to see what's down the road.

In other news (and by "other" I mean "ugh"):

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

I think I might be done with HIMYM... I didn't get started with the show until just a couple of seasons ago and absolutely loved getting caught up on DVD. This current season, however, has been a total downer. The writers really seem to not know what to do with these characters anymore and are just spinning their wheels at this point. There are some high points, to be sure, but overall, it's just a whole lot of the same, only in some sort of ersatz alternate reality. Let me count the ways:

1) Barney and Robin. I actually quite enjoyed watching Barney's character development during the "I'm in love with Robin" arc and to watch all of that be completely forgotten is annoying at best. Seeing the two of them actually come together did. not. work. (A word of warning to you Shuckers out there--things generally don't end up too rosey.) Once they got together, the writers decided they would completely forget who these characters have been for the past few years and rather turn them into an insufferable couple. Barney and Robin should have been awesome together, but the writers just let things completely fall apart. I was a big fan of the potential pairing, but after seeing the actual pairing, I cringe at the very thought of them together. I can see where the writers were trying to go [how exactly would a couple of people who suck at being in couples work?], but it failed. And now that they've broken up? Things are even worse. Robin has been turned into this pathetic shell of her former self and Barney has regressed into a caricature of the stereotype he always pretended to be. Robin used to be awesome and Barney used to have some depth (well concealed depth, but depth). They used to be my absolute favorite characters and used to have incredible comedic chemistry together, but now? Robin has nothing to do and Barney is basically a cartoon. It's not much fun to watch...

2) Marshall and Lily. Speaking of people who have absolutely nothing to do, enter Marshall and Lily. Teacup pigs are cute and all, but seriously? I used to adore these two, but now the writers just seem to be lost. Marshall and Lily don't seem to have any real purpose and the writers are doing very little to change things. Much like Robin and Barney, I used to love these two, but they seem to have devolved into caricatures. And not even caricatures of themselves, but caricatures of some annoying couple that I don't really want to know. Somehow Lily turned into a bit of a shrew (in clear contrast to her awesomeness of yore) and Marshall is a simpering idiot. Again, not much fun to watch...

3) Ted. At the center of all this disappointment is Ted, the character how has always been a disappointment. Again, the writers just don't seem to have even the slightest idea what to do with these characters anymore. This show is supposed to be about Ted's trials and tribulations to meeting his kids' mother, but more and more, it's just Ted getting plopped into some random whacky situation that doesn't actually have anything to do with anything. I could appreciate last night's sentiment (in that people lead other people on, whether they mean to or not--either being the hooker or the hookee), but it just felt like a throwaway episode with no real impact. I miss the days when the episodes jumped around in time in such a slick and effortless way that you could really believe that this was a story being told by a guy who really had history with all these people. That's not an easy conceit to maintain, so I can see where after all this time it would be harder and harder to do, but that's kind of the show's bread and butter.

Solutions? Ted needs to meet the effing mother already, Barney needs to have more than one facet (or at least somehow reinvent that one facet so that it's less redundant), Robin needs to become the awesome, funny, snarky character we once knew, and Marshall and Lily need some direction. Any direction. They all just need a purpose at this point and none of them do. Oy. The show still has its moments, but they're getting fewer and farther between...

All in all, I've about had it with HIMYM...