Line Item Raves and Nods to Not-bad-ishness

As mentioned in the previous post, there's been a lot to be disappointed by lately. I didn't even include my recent weariness with Burn Notice, but it's there. It's still better than many shows out there, so it got a pass, but I have to admit, the formula is really getting to me these days. I used to be able to "just go with it," but lately, I can predict with frightening accuracy at what minute the "twist that makes it look like the plan won't work" is going to happen. Sigh.

Amid the mediocrities and disappointments though, there really are some winners that I should give their due, whether they fall into the stellar category or the "well, that was a lot better than expected" category.

Here are my recent raves:

SUITS

I decided I was in love with this show (as well as with Gabriel Macht, who, after the dramatic improvement in his hair, warrants a poster above my bed) several episodes ago and I've been very pleased to find that it holds up. So often, I'll decide I'm in love just in time for the next episode to suck. Not so with Suits. Each episode is solid on its own, but altogether, they're making for a cohesive, driven, thoroughly entertaining freshman year. Unlike so many USA shows, the writers for Suits have a clear purpose in mind and defined character arcs to explore. This isn't your typical procedural where all but little tidbits of personal life and ongoing "big bad" get reset at the end of the hour. Indeed, after their last stellar outing, which sets up the season finale in fine, nail-biting form, my mom actually said, "So... it just continues next week?" I cheekily gave her a hard time saying, "Yep, television shows tend to air week-to-week," but I knew what she meant. It points to the best part of the show. It's serialized. It's not as serialized as more hard-hitting dramas like Breaking Bad or Justified, but it's far more of a serial than anything else USA has ever attempted. That points USA in the right direction, gives them a broader brand with which to work, and clearly improves the quality of this new series. I hope the unmitigated success of the show tells USA to do more of this in the future, because it's working. Thursday's offering was intense and twisty and layered in a way I just don't expect from this network. By the end of the hour, I was in no way certain that everything would work out just fine next week. I'm wagering it will, but the fact that there's even a chance in my mind that it could possible not resolve itself is a hell of a step in the right direction. Best of all? Mike finally called Rachel on her shit and threw her petty sexual politics in her face. Yeah, that's right, missy, you ignored him for months and blew him off until it was too late. Deal with it. (I'm not much of a Rachel fan, so that confrontation had me twiddling my fingers in Mr. Burns' fashion of diabolical glee.)


ROOKIE BLUE

Yes, that's right. Rookie Blue. I initially wrote this show off as Grey's Anatomy with Cops, and to large extent, it still is, but the more annoying elements of season 1 (the voiceover, Ephram's characterization, the forced will-they-or-won't-they-ishness) have morphed into a thoroughly enjoyable show that ups the ante every chance it gets. It's a light show, very easy to watch, but it's not devoid of substance. A lot of that substance is squishy, squee-worthy relationship stuff, but a lot of it is people getting shot too. They actually maintain a pretty nice balance. The will-they-or-won't-they-ishness is still there, but it's way more fun to watch because I like the characters involved so much more. Ephram has settled into the role and is actually pretty fabulous now, and they dropped the stupid, sanctimonious voiceover entirely. On top of that, the show is a lot more exciting this time around. Geez, who knew Canada was so dangerous? One of the main characters gets shot in the chest in the premiere for hell's sakes. Pretty freaking fantastic. This used to be the kind of show that I didn't tell people I watched it because it was a tad embarrassing, but I've always secretly enjoyed it will enough. This season however, I'm out and proud. It's a hell of a lot of fun and is actually pretty damn funny a lot of the time. In one episode, Andy, the main girl, is undercover as a car saleswoman (salesperson?). When asked about the engine, she peers under the hood, deer in the headlights, but goes for it with, "Dual..." And that's it. Hehe. I busted up. Her line delivery is what really sells it. Anyhow, I have found myself looking forward to it week-to-week and have saved the whole season on my DVR. That's right, I'll admit it.


BREAKING BAD

This show quite simply kicks ass. It's absolutely amazing and is far and away one of the most intelligent, adult, well-written shows on air. It's also one of the darkest. If you're looking to get caught up, be forewarned. It's not the kind of show that you can burn through 5 episodes in a day. It's incredibly dark a lot of the time and very cerebral. It doesn't spoonfeed and it doesn't pull punches. This show is more terrifying and exhilarating in its quiet moments than most shows are when buildings are exploding. This whole season has been about quiet, but earth-shattering shifts in power and I can't wait for more. As Jesse becomes the new Walt and Walt slowly turns into Jesse, all hell is breaking loose around them. It's, quite simply, gripping. If you've seen the show, you know. If you haven't, I couldn't possibly do it justice with a random paragraph on a blogpost. So I'mza gonna stop tryin'.


Those three shows are the real standouts in a summer of burnouts, but there are some honorable mentions as well.

Here are my nods to not-bad-ishness (oh, it's a word):

AGAINST THE WALL

I'm as shocked as you are. I'm still not entirely sure why I gave this one a shot, but I did, and I've been pleasantly surprised. I don't even think that's the impossibly low standards talking either. The fact that it's a largely procedural cop show wasn't doing my initial perceptions any favors, but knowing it was on Lifetime, Television for Women... Who Really Love Stories About Unfaithful Husbands Getting Murdered, was probably the biggest bias-creator. To my surprise, it's actually a very warm, funny little show about a woman who works in Internal Affairs. I'm no fan of cops in general (my admiration for Rookie Blue notwithstanding), so the thought of a show about a cop who nails other cops for being terrible at their jobs or just downright dirty has its appeal. More than anything though, it's about the interpersonal relationships among the main character's family, her friends, and how being the cop of cops affects her life. It's not perfect, and it's hardly top tier, but I'm enjoying it. It's well-made and charming in its own way. It has its issues (chief among them the annoying-as-hell realism in fiction that strong women have to have some sort of ridiculous foible (usually ridiculous levels of clumsiness) so that they can be vulnerable), but it has really grown on me. If the subject matter and overall treatment were more up my alley, I think I'd be quite the fan. As is, why not.


ALPHAS

I gave the pilot a lukewarm, yet mostly hopeful review and I'm pleased to say it has turned into a nice little show. Their most recent episode (the obligatory "everyone has been bewitched by a cult leader" episode) was by no means their best outing, but on the whole, it's a pretty good show. It's entirely too procedural for me to really get sucked in entirely, but that has more to do with me than the show. It taps into Sci Fi tropes without going overboard (usually) and that allows it to stay pretty grounded, while still interesting. I think my main hang-up is that I'm having a hard time really getting attached to the characters, but they're growing on me. It's been slow to find its way into my heart, but I think it'll get there eventually. They teased an overall mythology that they should pay more attention to and if at all possible, phase out the procedural aspect. If they could just do that, I'd be sold. As is, it's good enough to keep me going, and I'm enjoying it far more than I expected I would, but it's not yet living up to its full potential.


AWKWARD.

MTV doesn't exactly have the best track record for original programming, so imagine my surprise when this show caught my attention. I've seen 6 or 7 episodes, and while it has its moments, I can't quite decide if I really like it. That said, I keep watching, so it must have something that keeps me coming back. It's more ribald and raunchy that my usual fare, but the main character is female and that manages to keep it from being cliche most of the time. The lead actress does a really nice job and queen bee bitch is shockingly successful at making me want to punch her in the face, so the show must be doing something right. I can't say I'd recommend this show to everyone, but if you were at all interested but opted out assuming it would suck, it actually doesn't. Who'd have guessed?

Thinning the Herd

I don't know if you've met most shows, but the vast majority of them suck. As such, while I watch nearly every pilot that comes out (whether I mention it on this blog or not), only a few make it into my regular rotation. It's not often that I'll either pick up or completely discredit a show based entirely on the pilot, so I usually give those with even a modicum of potential a couple of episodes to really grab me. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to bags of crap like The Beautiful Life, The Deep End, or The Forgotten, I only need about ten minutes of the pilot to decide it falls into "Show Fail" territory and never look back, but most shows have a least a glimmer of hope.

In looking at the new shows for this summer, a few shows managed to make it onto my schedule, but the majority fell by the wayside pretty quickly. ABC, NBC, and Fox tried their hands at summer programming, but by and large, they failed pretty spectacularly. It's cute that the big four thought they could really challenge the cable networks... Sad, but cute.

With a schedule as jam-packed as mine is, I can't really afford to keep shows that don't have me truly interested on some level. Don't get me wrong, the three tiered system is still in place, but it's become so overflowing that I've found I have to cut my losses quicker and quicker. Back in the day, I was able to give shows more time to impress me, but with my DVR prioritizer bursting at the seams (literally, it can only hold 50 shows, and I've had to break up with old ones in order to make way for new ones), I just can't do it anymore. Sometimes you just have to thin the herd...

Here are the sickly little gazelles that didn't survive:

• The Gates
  I actually enjoyed the first couple of episodes of The Gates well enough (it seemed like a nice, thoughtless summer guilty pleasure), but it just didn't keep my attention. That, coupled with the dismal ratings and I knew it wasn't worth dedicating myself to a lost cause. Also, confoundingly, for a show about vampires, witches, werewolves, and whatever else, it was surprisingly slow.
  
  
• Scoundrels
  This crap-fest didn't stand a chance. I barely made it through the pilot alive. I realize summer isn't really your key season here, but if you're going to make a foray into this kind of scheduling, at least make it bearable...
  
  
• The Good Guys
  This one's a heart-breaker. I wanted to like it, I really really did, but alas, I just plain didn't. I thought my allegiance to Matt Nix knew no bounds, but apparently I was wrong. It knows some bounds all right... bounds called The Good Guys.
  
  
• Memphis Beat
  This show actually had a fairly solid pilot, and while I can appreciate that it's well-made and certainly has its charm, at the end of the day, it's your standard cop procedural and I lost interest after only a few episodes. The dynamics of the show just didn't really gel for me and after only the second episode, I felt like it was a chore to watch and gave up.
  
  
• Rizzoli & Isles
  Again, it's not a bad show really (which isn't to say it's a good show either), but if you've seen one cop procedural, you've seen 'em all, and this show did very little to reinvent the wheel. I found the relationship between R and I boring, uninspired, and generic. Add to that Donnie Wahlberg as a love interest and I officially reached my limit (and tested my gag reflex to the breaking point. Think unsexy thoughts... Think unsexy thoughts... Oooh, that's unsexy...).
  
  
• Pretty Little Liars
  On a purely trivial level, I wish I had stuck with this one. From what I hear, it's the perfect summertime soap opera. I caught the first few episodes, and while I could appreciate the shallowness and intrigue, I ultimately found that I needed more substance. I just plain didn't care what crazy things were happening because I didn't care about any of the characters. I'm not saying it needed to be a deep, cerebral tour de force or anything, but a dollop of substance would have gone a hell of a long way.
  
  
• Huge
  Ugh. I only made it through the pilot. I found it completely charmless and dour from beginning to end. They had a real opportunity here to present an uncommon television demographic here, but all the characters were fairly unlikeable. I toyed with the idea of giving it a few more episodes to draw me in, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth it.
  

Here are the shows of hardier stock that have made it into my regular rotation for various reasons (some more justifiable than others):

• Covert Affairs
  As per usual with USA network, it only took a few episodes for this show to find its feet and really suck me in. Truth be told, every episode since the pilot has been better than the pilot. Much better. From the pilot alone, I had feared the show would be too light and fluffy to really have any gravity or suspense, but it's actually pretty well grounded. Like other shows on this network, it has a pretty nice balance and light and heavy. The show is still a bit rough around the edges, and at times doesn't quite seem to know what to do with some of its characters, but it has found a good groove and has plenty of room to grow and improve. Piper Perabo has been much more engaging and likable than I ever would have expected. There are still certain aspects of her character (and acting) that I would change, but by and large, she's grown on me rather quickly. Her partner in crime (and I suspect, soon to be partner in the sheets) Auggie is an absolute delight. From the pilot, I was apprehensive that the show wouldn't have the dramatic chops to really explore his character, but fortunately, they've settled into a narrative tone that allows for just about anything. The most recent episode helped illuminate some of Auggie's psychological turmoil and I loved it. The more Auggie, the better. I've always loved Christopher Gorham and I'm thrilled he's found such a plum role. His chemistry with Perabo is a big part of why this show is working for me. You can tell that they really seem to enjoy one another and I suspect they get along famously in real life. It shows onscreen. They clearly form the foundation of the show, and more and more it's seeming like they're the only characters. While I appreciate a show that doesn't feel the need to use actors in every episode (if there's no reason for them to be there, leave them out), I get the impression the writers just don't really know what to do with Anne Dudek and Mohinder. Hopefully they'll either cut the dead weight or better yet, find something important and interesting for them to do. As is, Mohinder is largely absent (and nigh-unrecognizable), and Dudek is wasted on a thankless role. All in all, however, I find that I'm really enjoying this one and am actively excited for it week-to-week.
  
  
• Boston Med
  The best little show that no one is watching... but me. I realize this is more up my alley than most, so it comes as little surprise that it hasn't exactly been a ratings juggernaut (although I hear it's been improving). I'm a sucker for documentaries and medical shows, so this one really appeals to me. It would never be appointment TV or anything, but it makes for a nice alternate.
  
  
• Rookie Blue
  On the more embarrassing end of the spectrum, we have Rookie Blue. It's unabashedly Grey's Anatomy with cops, but you know what? I quite enjoyed Grey's Anatomy at first, so it stands to reason that Rookie Blue would hold some appeal. It's predictable and generic and fairly cheesy, but ultimately pretty harmless. It's not the kind of show I would miss if it disappeared, but for what it is, it's enjoyable enough. It makes for a nice summer distraction, if nothing else. Although, while I salute Ephram for trying to break out of the Everwood mold, I can't say I like his new character much at all and I spend the better part of each episode wishing he'd start playing the piano or pining for Amy. On an unrelated note, I knew this was a Canadian production, but didn't truly grasp the depth of its Canadianness until I hear a "Soory" slip by. Excellent. :)
  
  
• Rubicon
  In all honesty, I've only seen the pilot, but it was intriguing enough that I'm ready for more. This is a cerebral conspiracy thriller (well, maybe not "thriller" per se... the pacing of the show leaves a bit to be desired) that is extremely well-made and doesn't assume the viewing audience is as dumb as a post. It's a nice change of pace when a show presupposes that viewers will understand what they're trying to do and that they don't need to be spoon fed. That said, it still needs to find its feet. The pilot was a bit uneven for me, but I think they've set up a situation that could be exhilarating. As mentioned, the pacing is really the only aspect of the show that might become an issue. I'm not saying it needs to have one mindless car chase after another or anything, but a little suspense would have done wonders for it. As is, I just didn't get that nail-biting sense of simmering dread that you'd expect from this kind of a conceit. Again, we've only just begun, so here's hoping it figures out exactly what it wants to be and knocks it out of the park.
  
  
• The Glades
  Okay, I'm as shocked as you are on this one. It's basically your standard crime procedural, but for some reason, I keep coming back week-to-week. The lead actor carries the show and he's just charming enough that I want to see more. When I first heard about the show, I had no intention of keeping it. Maybe it's that it airs in an uncrowded timeslot... Whatever the reason, I'm actually quite enjoying this one. It kind of has a House vibe to it, but with a more playful, boyish, carefree bent. If you're in the market for a new crime procedural to add to your slate, I'd recommend you check this one out. Otherwise, I could take it or leave it. I wouldn't be too upset to see it canceled, but I enjoy having it around.
  

Anyway, for good or ill, this has been the most crowded summer viewing schedule I've ever faced. I usually spend the summer tapping into serieseses that I've been meaning to see, but either never watched, or missed the first few seasons of when they actually aired. At present, I've been watching The Wire, Criminal Minds, Rescue Me, Weeds, and Lost, but haven't really had time to polish them off. I'm mired in the middle of each at this point. Sigh. I kind of miss having the summers off. It's also the reason I haven't had a chance to post previews of the other pilots airing this fall. I soldiered through all 817 of NBCs new shows and simply didn't have the time or energy to attack the other networks. Maybe someday...

Everwood PD! Get your hands up!

Boy, if that doesn't strike terror into the hearts of perps everywhere, I just don't know what will...

ABC's latest attempt at summer programming, Rookie Blue, stars Everwood alum Gregory Smith, so that's good (by which I mean, of course, that's awesome)... But other than that? Well... how do I put this gently?

This new pilot is so obviously and shamelessly "Grey's Anatomy + Cops" that it's downright embarrassing. I can't decide if I should respect the creative team more for not trying to hide it or less for not trying period. Let me count the ways...

Cast of overly-attractive 20 somethings in a job that doesn't generally cater to aspiring models: Check

Hip soundtrack: Check

Local hangout is a bar frequented by people in X profession: Check

Female protagonist who also provides annoying, slightly whiny voiceovers: Check

Voiceover girl is the daughter of a legend in the profession and feels the need to live up to a bunch of stuff: Check

Pilot episode features group of newbies on their first day on the job: Check

Newbies struggle to learn the ropes at the hands of often unforgiving, compassion-less superiors: Check

Romantic pairing between voiceover girl and hot, hiring-ranking colleague: Soon to be checked.

Honestly, I could keep going. Now, a lot of shows in the past few years have been Grey's Anatomy + X profession, but never have I seen one that was basically a shot by shot remake of the original, only with that new profession at the center. Shameless. Truly shameless. And yet, paradoxically, shameful as well. Hmph.

From what I've gleaned from the message boards and from what buzz I came across prior to the premiere (and, speaking of shameless!), the only real reason anyone tuned into this generic mess is for Gregory Smith. I don't know what he's been up to since Everwood, but our darling Ephram Brown has been sorely missed. It was lovely to see you again, but I must say, I spent the better part of the pilot wishing this was a group of overly attractive twenty-somethings who were rookie pianists with Ephram providing the voiceovers... Now that's a derivative rip-off I'd enjoy! Come on, Grey's Anatomy + Pianists?! Gold. A quick note on Everwood: It's one of those shows that you get snickered at for admitting that you liked it, but more and more, I have found that a lot of the TV gurus I admire most were huge fans. I was never obsessive about it or anything, but it was a solid show that deserved better than it got. Gregory Smith was the primary reason for that. So brooding. So adorable. It's really a shame that his return to television here was... rather less than triumphant. I'm thinking maybe I'll skip Rookie Blue and re-watch Everwood on DVD instead...

There's honestly no better way to describe the show than "take just about everything and just about every character type from the Grey's Anatomy pilot and substitute with cops," so I don't think I'll try. Woefully derivative would be an understatement. That said, Grey's certainly benefited from this model, so who knows, maybe Rookie Blue will be a huge hit or something. And honestly, it was a watchable pilot. If I had never seen Grey's, I probably would have just passed it off as a cop show aimed at a younger audience and called it a day. In the definite plus column for me, I watched this before I blogged about Memphis Beat, which was definitely to Memphis Beat's benefit. I think it would have received a much harsher review, but for Rookie Blue.

Anyway, the show centers around Missy Peregrym's character Andy McNally. Oh, how I wish I were joking about that name. I've never been a fan of Missy's, so that was off-putting to say the least, but I figured Ephram would make up for it. Much to my chagrin, Ephram was in about 8 minutes of the pilot and wasn't really given anything to do. It was so strange seeing him be anyone but Ephram from Everwood, and the creators of this show should have realized that would be a problem. He needed to be given a substantive plot line with significant character development right in the pilot for anyone to see him as anything but Ephram. As with Charlie from Party of Five being revinvented on Lost, Ryan Atwood going from teen soap The O.C. to gritty Southland, and Carmela donning scrubs as Nurse Jackie, when an actor is known for playing a certain role, his/her next project needs to make a point of separating the two or you're stuck with second-rate hacks such as myself calling your character "Ephram" for the entire series. The creators should have recognized that he would be the draw for this show and should have showcased him more. He's the only reason I tuned in and is the primary reason I'll be giving this show a second episode.

Which isn't to say the pilot was a total disaster. It's real problem was with it's similarities to Grey's. Try as I might, I simply couldn't separate the two. In all honesty, the characters were likable enough, if light on substance, the concept could certainly be a lot worse, and all in all, it was pretty watachable. I didn't spend the entire pilot wishing it would just hurry and end, although perhaps that's because I was too busy chalking up items stolen from the Grey's script... The show certainly has some issues, and I don't think it has a creative team that could ever really make a serious drama work (so it's good that they're aiming for lighter), but the pilot was enjoyable on a certain level, if admittedly poorly made in a lot of ways.

Watching the rookies be put through the paces of the first day on the job was utterly predictable and when McNally arrests and undercover cop, it comes as absolutely no surprise. I certainly knew he was a cop, and so should she. That said, he could have done a lot more to tell her that was the case, but you know, that would have derailed a lazy plot point, so what can ya do? Wait, what's this? Not only was it a lazy plot point in the pilot, it's one with ramifications for the entire show! Huzah! Yeah, turns out the undercover cop will be filling the role of officer McDreamy. Ooooh, but he's all mad at her for blowing the cover he did absolutely nothing to protect (seriously, it would have taken less effort to maintain his cover ID absolutely than it did to vaguely try to clue McNally in), and he's a superior, so there's all sorts of tension and... whatnot! Yay...

The production budget apparently couldn't afford any sort of technical advisers to school these actors in police procedure or, as is so often the case, CPR. Not only did the writers of this show have no background in criminal justice, but I'm pretty sure they've never even seen a TV show about people who do. Half the things people did I couldn't decide if that was the writers' way of pointing out how stupid these rookies are of if that's how they think thinks actually happen. That's not a good sign. To boot, the heart of that poor girl who received CPR must have already been beating when Rookie McLetsseehowfastIcancrackherribs got to her, because the way she was pumping, the chambers of the heart wouldn't have even had time to fill with blood before the next compression. I don't know how it's possible that no actors ever had to learn CPR in their real lives, but... at least they have their looks? Shameful. Oh, but don't worry, the woman playing the paramedic must have actual magical powers or something because she barely raised the need in the victim's general direction before she spontaneously arose from her serious overdose. Top notch writing and acting. Who could ask for more? Oh, wait, I could!

All the characters are basic cardboard cutouts of standard TV types so far and the show did very little to give them any actual depth or individuality (but that one girl has a son! That's all sorts of depthy!). The stories of the week were a bit thin and felt forced and I didn't actually care about any of the players of the week all that much. So, making a tally so far... neither the characters nor the plotlines are strong enough to sustain a series in the long run. Great. I suppose there's a chance that this could magically turn into some solid programming, but I doubt it. But, maybe that's not what this show is going for. If it's a soap, and knows it's a soap, and isn't aspiring to be anything it could never possibly be, it might make for a nice guilty pleasure, which everyone needs a few of. It strikes me as the kind of show that you could keep up with, but never be really sure why you keep up with it, but it's enjoyable enough that you hang in there. It's fluff, and requires little to no energy or effort to watch, and certainly doesn't have the emotional resonance to ruin your evening, so in the right setting, this might be just what viewers are looking for over the weary summer months. There's certainly room to grow, I'll give it that much... Here's hoping they find their feet and smooth out the seriously rough edges because we all know I need more shows to watch... It premiered to solid numbers (for a summer scripted series), so people seem to have enjoyed this new little cop show.

Or they just wanted to see Ephram again.

I know which camp I fall into and involves a lot more Chopin and a lot less faux police work...

I'm just sayin'...

Pilot Grade: C

(The generosity of grading has a lot more to do with Ephram than anything else (in spite of his regrettably scant airtime)... which I'm sure comes a shock after this review.)