Line Item Rants

With the new fall season starting up in a few weeks, I've been taking it easy and haven't been posting very much in the last couple of weeks. Actually, as much as I'd like to think that "taking it easy" is the only reason, it is a distant second to the fact that there just hasn't been a whole lot to write about. There are plenty of shows in the summer these days (good lord, my Sundays are teeming with programs), but with a few exceptions, I've been underwhelmed. Nothing has really warranted its own 15 page post (front and back!), so here are some random thoughts on some random shows (several of which you probably didn't even know that I watch--oooh, the depths of television that I plumb when no one is looking...)

TRUE BLOOD

As mentioned in my recent query to Matt Roush, True Blood has been more entertaining this season than last, but that's not to say it isn't a complete mess at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I'll take just about anything over were-panthers, but the show is so unfocused, so sprawling, so haphazard that even the elements I'm enjoying are kind of driving me nuts lately. The vampires versus witches storyline has been entertaining, but it should be packing far more of a punch than it is. Why is it not hitting as hard as it should, you ask? Well, aside from the writing, which seems hell-bent on only raising the stakes so high as to be easy to manage, but more than anything, there are so many completely unrelated storylines being tossed in that the momentum gets quashed at every turn. We only have a couple of episodes left, so the tension should be blissfully, nail-bitingly unbearable, but at this point? Yep, those witches sure are causing some problems... Sigh. Every time they start to ratchet things up, we cut to some random event in the lives of Sam, Arlene, Tommy, Andy, Jessica, Debbie, and everyone else under the sun (or under the ground while the others are under the sun). I've complained before that the show needed to cut half the characters, but I'm feeling it now more than ever. It seems like every time the writers start to actually focus their attention on the primary story arc, I get hit in the face with 10 minutes of filler storylines that annoy the hell out of me. In and of themselves, I don't hate these characters, but when they're off on random tangents that take me away from the unholy apocalypse that should be drawing everyone's attention, it grates. I still enjoy the show, but it's a total mess. What few storylines it actually keeps an eye on (amid the hundreds) almost always fizzle out in the end or get completely forgotten. For as much as I hated the stupid, disgusting, ridiculous (in a bad way) were-panther crap, I kind of can't believe they just dropped it cold. On a purely selfish level, I'm thrilled that they realized what a colossal failure that was and casually wrote it out of the new season as quickly as possible, from a narrative standpoint, that was the biggest effing waste of time. They spent so much time and energy setting up all these people and their relationship with Jason and now what? Nothing? Hell, that situation only seems to have had the most superficial of effects on Jason, let alone the overall storyline of the show. I would hate for them to pop up in the future, but from a writer's perspective, I can't believe that was a throw-away. That's just one of the many, many storylines that suck, go nowhere, or ultimately mean nothing. From a show that I trusted more, I would know deep down that all the establishing stuff that's going on right now would mean something down the line, but with True Blood? They'll probably forget about all of it as soon as they get bored with it. Arlene's demon baby? Jason's blood-fueled affair with Jessica? Andy's V addiction? Sam in general? Alcide and Debbie's dysfunction? On a more reliable show, I could be assured that these tangential narratives would eventually build to something meaningful to the show as a whole, but here? Who the hell knows. They might just be a complete waste of time. Remember Russel Edgington, who, it was teased, would logically come back this season in some capacity? Sigh.

One the plus side, I'm pretty damn glad Eric is finally back. As much as I enjoyed his doe-eyed acting job, the Sookie-Eric relationship felt incredibly forced. That said, they do have some palpable chemistry, always have, and I kinda have to wonder how Stephen Moyer feels about all this... Probably the same way Bill feels, so, you know, he's working real hard this season. I'm intrigued to see how things play out now that Eric is back, but knowing True Blood, they'll probably drop the ball. This show has a whole lot to work with, but just gets distracted too easily. They need to pare down the cast, pick a central storyline to focus on, and build to a climax that is more central. The show isn't completely without merit, but at this point, I'd give it a C+ average. I get frustrated, but then it comes up with lines like, "I don't care what happens as long as I get to kill shit!" and it's hard to hold a grudge.


THE GLADES

This show has gone from third-tier "nothing else is on" filler to completely unwatchable. The cause? Kiele Sanchez, who, as far as I'm concerned, should be buried alive in real life, not just on Lost. God, she's unbearable. In her defense (just a tad), her unrelenting hate-ability has more than a little to do with the writing. On The Glades, she's just horrendous. It's a show that's clearly written by nothing but men who infuse drama into the show by relying on the irritating fallacy that "women are emotional and crazy" and very little else. Callie's every action, every comment, and every reaction is completely irrational and pissy, almost 100% of the time. That's annoying in and of itself, but when she's been posited as the "will they or won't they" love interest of the series, it's unbearable. Dear Show, NO ONE WANTS THEM TOGETHER. Hell, when Jim's ex showed up on the scene to act as an obstacle to the non-epic romance that is Jim and Callie, I speak for everyone I know who watches the show when I say, "Pick the new girl!!!!" She's gone now, much to my chagrin, but when the central romance on your show is the worst part of your show, you're in trouble. Next week Callie gets held at gunpoint by a patient at the hospital. I don't think I'm alone in hoping he suffers from a severe case of Itchy Trigger Finger. I'll be breaking up with this show after next week if she lives. (Oh, and now she's a "forensic nurse"??? WTF? Not only am I pretty sure that's just a ridiculous, made-up profession, the last thing this show needed was more Callie, so what do they do? Make her a pseudo-cop. Smooth. Real smooth.)


LEVERAGE

You know, it's hard to put this show in this category because, in and of itself, it's as good as it ever was. The real problem is that it was never very good. This is mainly because it has little to no over-arching storyline, the head of the team is practically unwatchable (seriously, anyone but Timothy Hutton would be an improvement), and the capers each week are pretty much exactly the same, only with different names. I'm no big fan of procedurals in general, but this one is driving me crazy these days. It's bad enough that it's the same people doing the same things every week with very little personal or emotional development, but it seems to be getting harder and harder for the writers to think up ways for each member of the team to be useful. Beyond that, what they come up with is getting less and less convincing. Sophie is an actractive woman, don't get me wrong, but she's not the head-turning vixen the show seems to think she is. Hate to break it to you, but relying on her wiles and sex appeal at every turn makes no sense whatsoever. The writing is just plain bad. Jesus, that episode where Hardison gets buried alive (because, you know, it's required to have such an episode at this point in a series) should have been a tour de force, and for Aldis Hodge's performance alone, it was one of the better episodes, but everything beyond him was laughable. The dialogue was cringe-worthily bad at every turn. I kept expecting wacky, mad cap music to cue up as people ran in and out of different doors down a long hallway. Awful. I need to break up with it, I really do, but I enjoy Hardison quite a lot and Parker has her charms. Everyone else can jump off a cliff. Man alive, the last time it went to commercial break with its standard, "You're watching Leverage, on TNT," I keep changing it in my head to, "You're watching Leverage, on TNT, and you don't know why." You're damn straight, mental re-write of standard advertising. As with most of the shows on this list, it could be so good, and yet, it just isn't.


IN PLAIN SIGHT

Okay, so In Plain Sight has already concluded its summer run, but it's still a disappointment. I realize that Mary MacCormack got knocked up in real life (which should be a fire-able offense when you're on this kind of show), but that does NOT mean you should write it into the storyline. Ever. I used to really love this show, but pregnant Mary was an epic fail in every possible regard. In my heart of hearts, I've been carrying a torch for Mary and Marshall to hook up, and her random, ridiculous pregnancy completely ruined their vibe this season. What's worse, there wasn't even the slightest suggestion of terminating the pregnancy as an option. It would be absolutely fine for Mary to be against abortion, and frankly, I think that could be consistent with her character's need to protect others, but then they should mention that. To not even put a throw-away line in there is absurd. A woman of her age, with a high risk, unwanted pregnancy would at least consider it as an option, and even if she didn't, everyone else certainly would. I was actually a little relieved when I heard that the show would be back for another season, but that that would be the final season, if for no other reason than the demoralizing prospect that she might actually keep the baby. She might not abort the baby, but she sure as hell wouldn't keep it, no matter how lazy the writers get. As with so many other ridiculous pregnancies on television, this one ruined the show. Even if you like children, you'd be hard-pressed to argue that it didn't ruin this show and Alias before it. It should be part of their contract that they can't get pregnant if they're on this kind of a show. How I Met Your Mother? No big deal. Action shows? Awful. I'm sorry, but when you're 8 months pregnant, you're not going to be chasing down bad guys... Oh wait, that's her job. And the entire foundation of the show. Seriously, people, this is not rocket science. Is it ridiculous to cover her huge pregnant belly with giant handbags and potted plants? Sure. Is it necessary? YES. Wow, she's a beautiful woman, but she's one of those women who seem to get pregnant with every fiber of their being. She looked unbelievably uncomfortable all season.

Random TV Detritus

I couldn't come up with any logical organization for all the bits of televisual flotsam and jetsam that have been swirling around in my head of late, so I'm just going to throw them all in one miscellaneous post. Between the summer shows coming to an end, the TCAs (Television Critics Association panel-y type conference-y thingamajig), and BBC America invading my viewing agenda more and more, I've got a lot of randomness going on and simply can't be bothered to organize any of it beyond the most basic of categories. Long story short? Not thinking is muuuuch easier than thinking.

USA NETWORK UPDATES:

IN PLAIN SIGHT: While there's not a lot less fanfare involved with USA Network pick-ups, I was pleased nonetheless to hear that In Plain Sight just got the green light for a third season. It's really the little second tier show that could. I have to admit, I'm pretty surprised at just how much this show has grown on me over the past two seasons. I can't imagine it will ever become a top tier contender, but it makes for a nice addition to my schedule (especially my ridiculously slim Sunday viewing options). I'm a little afraid of where Mary's personal life is headed (what with the ill-fated engagement and all), but at least her mother has seemingly disappeared and her sister has been reduced to cameos. The writers are building up the sexual tension between Mary and Marshall and it's becoming more and more apparent that Marshall thinks of her as more than just a partner. It's a pretty standard storyline, but I have some ideas on how the writers could make it pretty awesome. I don't know that I'd ever like to see Mary and Marshall become a couple or anything, but I do enjoy the differing agendas going on. My predictions? I think the third season will illuminate to everyone the true nature of Mary and Marshall's relationship. Raf may be her romantic partner, but Marshall is quite clearly her partner in every other conceivable sense of the word. I'm not sure to what extent Marshall may or may not be in love with Mary, but I'm excited to find out. I realize I'm the only person who watches this show, so I don't expect anyone else to jump on the bandwagon here, but I'm thinking next season is going to be pretty awesome. The season 2 finale is on Sunday, so if you're just now thinking you'd like to give it a shot, this wouldn't be the most ideal time...

ROYAL PAINS: In other pick-up news, Royals Pains got the go ahead for next year after surprisingly decent ratings. Royal Pains isn't as horrible as I would have expected (it's fairly watchable, if not anything to write home about), but I think I'm giving it the official heave-ho. I've only kept up with it in the most cursory of ways, but even that is more than I really care to give. If USA didn't make it so damned easy to keep up with crap (what with airing them a million times), I'd have never have given it this much of my time. The fact that it's a summer show also played a part... In spite of all these aspects, it's as blah as ever and I'm done.

BURN NOTICE: Awww, Burn Notice. Eases the pain. How insane has this season been? With each passing episode, I become less and less supremely confident that everything will work out okay. Michael Westen may have actual magically powers when it comes to spy-ishness, but the baddies have been coming out in full force this year. While past seasons have been much more specifically client-of-the-week, this season has seen Michael and company be the clients more and more often. The tension between Mike and Fi hasn't helped calm the seas either. I'll be posting more about Burn Notice after Thursday's mid-season finale (which, holy moly, have you seen the sneak peek pics?! Ahhh!), but for now, rest assured that my most darling of shows has been renewed for next season, much to no one's surprise. The second half of the third season won't air till January 2010 (gah!), so soak up all the Burn Notice-y goodness while you have the chance.

CW NETWORK UPDATES:

THE BODY POLITIC: In spite of the fact that it had some serious potential, I'm hearing that The Body Politic is officially dead. Network president Dawn Ostroff confirmed today at the TCAs that the show won't be making it on the air, not even at mid-season as so very many people (read: me) had hoped. Word is, the actors have all moved on and been cast in other productions. I don't know if Dawn herself held the ax on this one, but I choose to blame her regardless. Here's hoping Jason Dohring finds a new gig that won't get cancelled... assuming he finds something that gets picked up in the first place... Oy.

GOSSIP GIRL: In better CW news, I'm also hearing that the rather unfortunate Gossip Girl spin-off with Lily's backstory is looking unlikelier by the minute. No official death notice, but it doesn't sound like it'll ever happen. That's not say that a spin-off isn't a possibility in the future, but that the original conception won't likely make it off the ground. I, like many, am rather relieved to hear this... Those Lily flashbacks were...not good, we'll say. It's a shame too because there were more than a few Veronica Mars alums in that thum thar flashback sequence...

OTHER NETWORK UPDATES:

DOLLHOUSE: I finally got around to watching the unaired pilot (you know, the one that was pretty much entirely scrapped) and I have to say, in many ways I liked it quite a bit better than the pilot that actually aired. I've heard conflicting reports of just why the original pilot was scrapped, and although the prevailing notion is that Joss himself was unhappy with it, I maintain that the brass at Fox had more than a little to do with it as well. In the plus column, the original pilot felt a lot more Whedon-esque, it explained the rules of the Dollhouse universe in a way that made much more sense and was much more logical in application, and most importantly, it didn't have the largely weak A-plot story-of-the-week of the official pilot (the aspect with which I was the most unimpressed). The hostage negotiator, procedural-style A-plot of the official pilot left me underwhelmed, a little annoyed, and tended to muddy the waters as far as the science and lore of the show is concerned. To be fair, it's hard to know how I would have reacted to the original pilot had I not seen the entire series thus far, but I'm supremely confident I would have liked it better. In defense of the official pilot, had the original aired instead, the series would have taken a very different path. In the original pilot, Ballard meets Echo right off the bat, Victor is revealed to the audience as a doll, and Echo's notions of self are already starting to show. The original set thinks up more clearly, but threw a whole lot of plot progression into that single episode. I've never been one for weak A-plots, so I think that's my primary bone of contention with the official pilot and really shouldn't reflect on the entire pilot as a whole, but kinda does... In terms of a pilot setting up the rest of the season, I can be persuaded that the official pilot was better, but as a stand-alone, I think the original had more going for it. I haven't watched Epitaph One yet, but I hear it's a whole lotta "huh?" For which, I'm unduly excited. :) In other Dollhouse news, I'm hearing Amy Acker (aka Dr. Saunders aka Whiskey) has been confirmed for three episodes for season 2. Thanks to her role in Happy Town, she just isn't as available and one would hope... Here's hoping they make the most of those three episodes. No official word yet on Alan Tudyk, but I'm hearing he'll be back as Alpha somewhere toward the middle of next season. In casting news, I'm hearing that Battlestar Galactica alums Apollo and Saul Tigh will be joining Helo for an episode a piece. Apollo is set for the premiere, as I recall... In even more exciting casting news, I hear that Alexis Denisof (aka Wesley from Buffy and Angel) is on the docket for next season. Yay! I've missed him... And I'd love to see him and Amy Acker onscreen together again. Finally, I've also heard the Felicia Day will find her way into the mix again somehow and there are plans to bring Summer Glau into the fold, although nothing official has been written. The show (as with most Whedon productions) is pretty much turning into one big family reunion--only this is a reunion you'd actually want to attend. :)

SKINS: Most of you have probably never even heard of Skins, but I'm going to tout its premiere nonetheless. For some connections for you, one of the kids in the show (Dev Patel) went on to star in Slumdog Millionaire as Jamal and remember that socially awkward kid (Nick Hoult, pictured) from About A Boy? Well, he's all grown up and raising hell for the first two seasons. (Quite contrary to what you'd have thought after seeing About A Boy, he totally plays the leader of the pack, the rake, the cad--basically the tool.) The third season starts up on Thursday and I'm more than a little giddy, if slightly apprehensive. Skins follows a group of British teens as they try to find their way in a world of questionable parenting, drugs, sex, violence, and pretty much everything else. It sounds like your straight-forward teen drama, but as with so many British shows, it doesn't pull any punches and has a much grittier, edgier feel to it than most of what's available on standard American programming. Along with the grit, the show is bitingly funny and manages to blend serious character development in with all the light and dark and crazy of the world around them. My apprehension comes from the fact that, aside from Effy, it's an entirely new cast. I'm sure the writers will knock it out of the park once again in spite of the new cast, but I just don't know if it'll be the same without Tony, Michelle, Sid, Cassie, and company... Regardless, I can't wait to find out. :) Seasons 1 and 2 are available on iTunes, if you're interested. Bear in mind, it's definitely not G-rated, so you've been warned. If, however, teenage debauchery is up your alley, you've officially hit the jackpot.

In Plain Sight: Some contrivances, some improvements...

So, as sad as it is, Sunday has bascially become my only night of TV to look forward to. And, the shows I'm looking forward to on said night, aren't exactly obsession-worthy. That said, I takes what I gets.

First off, I caught the second episode of In Plain Sight (titled Hoosier Daddy--apparently the bad guy was from Indiana or something...) and must say it was considerably better than the pilot. I'm not ready to bet the farm quite yet, but I think this show has some winner potential. Last night's A-plot was quite engaging and also illuminated some interesting inter-character dynamics. The A-plot was well-thought-out and well-structured. It was a bit contrived, particularly the sorta saccharine ending, but I think it worked well. Mary succeeds in her quest to protect a 10-year-old boy by any means necessary. She's willing to do whatever it takes to get what she wants, and is apparently quite good at doing so. As with any show that follows this basic formula, I think for credibility's sake, she'll obviously win her battles for the first several episodes, perhaps even the whole season. For the conceit to work, the audience has to believe that she really is a badass who can get things done. The audience has to buy in to her persona as a no-nosense rebel who does her job well, no matter what she has to do or how many rules she has to break in the process. Her job is her life, and she puts anything and everything on the line to protect it.

This conceit, this formula, however, is at its most interesting when the protagonist does NOT succeed. Eventually, Mary, as with Dr. House, Veronica Mars, and Sydney Bristow before her, must get in over her head and must fail. I'm not sure if it's a good sign or a bad sign that I already want to see how she handles failure, but there it is. Last night I wasn't sure she would succeed, and felt like it was a bit contrived when she did. I think the show needs to flesh out its characters more and build more of a foundation for success before I can really, whole-heartedly, Dr. House-ishly believe that she will invariably succeed.

Contrivances aside, I really did enjoy last night's episode. It still needs work, but I'm compelled enough to hang in there. I was particularly pleased to see some character development for Marshall. I think he has a lot of potential to really draw viewers in. He acts as a more mild-mannered foil for Mary, but he's not milquetoasty at all. It was actually really exciting to see Mary and Marshall work together. They have a very friendly, brotherly-sisterly vibe going to I'm actually finding quite charming. The scene where Marshall knocks the drink all over their boss was particularly effective. (It'll be interesting to see if/when the writers go for the romantic storyline between them. I thinking it'll be more Mulder/Scully and less Vaughn/Sydney, but only time will tell.) They clearly know each other better than anyone else knows them and that gives them a comfort level where they know what the other is thinking and can use that to advantage. When Marshall confronted the boy's father (played awesomely by Fun Bobby!), and accosted his lawyer, it was extremely satisfying. Beneath Marshall's monotone, cool-as-a-cucumber exterior, he really is a force to be reckoned with. I'm excited to see more of that.

In less-satisfying news, the episode's B-plot was fairly unsuccessful at best. Mary's mother, played by Lesley Ann Warren (who has seriously cornered the crazy mother racket), and sister go on a wacky adventure in employment. The B-plot was forced and had basically nothing to do with anything at all. Before supporting characters can go off on their own B-plots, they need to be well-developed with relation to the lead characters. I found myself annoyed that they were cutting away from the reasonably-solid A-plot in order to focus on the completely pointless B-plot. Not that I think the mother and sister characters aren't viable, but they just aren't developed enough to keep me caring yet. Case in point, I can't even remember what their names are. Not the foggiest idea. I want to say the sister had a ditzy-girl name, but that could be anything from Tiffani to Kimberly to Jasmine to Bambi. Brandi!? I think it might be Brandi. Which... yeah... I still think there's hope for the supporting characters, but last night was a stretch at best.

In summation: I'm hopeful, but cautious. Unless the show can figure out a way to have some meaningful interaction between Mary and her family, I fear the mother and sister will be nothing but distractions and annoyances. I'm much more invested in Mary and Marshall and their dynamic than in any other relationship on the show, so I found it irritating to be sidetracked by the wacky hijinx of minor players. Although, all in all, I guess the fact that I care about any of the characters at all is a very hopeful sign for the show... Here's hoping.

In Plain Sight

I watched USA's new drama In Plain Sight when it premiered on Sunday mainly because it's summer and there's very little else to choose from. I never hopped on the USA character-driven bandwagon before, finding fare like Monk, Burn Notice and Psych less than engaging (although I've heard Psych is actually quite good) and given that they all appear on USA, I just never had the motivation to keep up.

But, I saw promos for In Plain Sight and was vaguely intrigued enough to give it a shot. I watched it at the same time that I was watching Stonehenge Decoded (which was completely fascinating, by the way--it's on again tonight if you're interested) on the National Geographic channel, so admittedly, my attention to detail may be lacking...

In Plain Sight follows Mary, a US Marshall, as she sassily roughs up bad guys and corageously protects people who are in the witness protection agency. (I can just see the brainstorming in the writers' room: "Uh, let's see, cops, doctors, lifeguards, lawyers, crime scene investigators, drug enforcement agents, FBI, CIA, and everything else has been done.... Witness Protection Agency it is!" "Brillant!") While her character is formulaic, actress Mary Macormack actually comes across pretty well and at least does fair justice to the formula. In the vein of so many other main characters, Mary is sarcastic, snarky, and has no respect for authority, doing her job better than anyone else with the kind of reckless abandon that would get others fired. Like I said, it's formulaic. But, all that being said, it's a formula that works pretty well a lot of the time. Whatever would the world do without the cantankerous Dr. House?

Anyway, the basis for the show has some definite potential, but falters a bit in its execution. The acting is fairly solid for the most part, but uneven in places. Mary's kick-ass, tough girl act felt forced in certain areas (the bar scene in particular), but by the end of the episode, I found myself buying into her persona a bit more. Overall, her character has the potential to be well-rounded, exciting, and fun. I've heard from reliable sources that it takes through about episode 4 before one can really feel invested in the show, but that's what I would expect from any new series. I generally give a show at least 4 or 5 episodes before I kick it to the curb or devote my entire existence to it, so that's a commitment I'm comfortable making. I'm certainly not sold on the show yet, but I'm happy to give it a few more chances to really engage me. And, what with it being summer and all, it's not like I have anything better to do.

In summation, Mary is truly the center of the show and has to carry the weight of the premise squarely on her shoulders. The supporting cast is likable and her sidekick Marshall makes for a nice foil. Her mother and sister also contribute to the show in interesting ways, and her sister's apparent drug problem may lead to interesting entanglements in the future.

While it was no Stonehenge Decoded, it was interesting enough to watch to the end and I'll certainly give it a couple more episodes before I decide to throw in the towel or not.

Pilot episode grade: somewhere around a B-, I'd say. Stonehenge Decoded: Solid A-. It was really quite fascinating. So, if it comes down to one or the other, I'd take Stonehenge, but then again, it's considerably less sassy than In Plain Sight, so it all boils down to priorities, I suppose.