Showing posts with label Revenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Revenge. Show all posts

Monday, December 19, 2011

My Top 10 TV Shows of 2011

I'm really hoping that with the new year, my zest for, well, anything really, will return, but until then, this blog is going to be pretty sparse. It's not that there isn't plenty to talk about TV wise (the fact that Once Upon a Time just killed off one of the few characters I liked is currently irking me and the fate of Boardwalk Empire sans Jimmy looms large), but I just can't seem to care enough to type. Venting to the kiddies at work is my current outlet. I highly recommend everyone get their coworkers hooked on all the same shows.

Anyhow, in spite of my apathy, I couldn't not put together a top 10 list of the best television programs of the year, and then some significantly pettier, dorkier lists as well. Without further ado, and in no particular order...

MY TOP 10 SHOWS OF 2011

JUSTIFIED
My love for this show knows no bounds, and the fact that it's been rather conspicuously absent from my schedule since March is kind of maddening. That said, the show is finally starting up in about a month and I can't wait. FX has been re-airing the first season and even though I've already seen it at least twice, I couldn't help but watch again. What's more, it didn't even occur to me to fast-forward through the boring or annoying parts because, well, there aren't any. It's not a crazy, fast-paced, explosion a minute kind of show or anything, but I find that I'm simply riveted from beginning to end. While season 1 was fantastic, season 2 brought something even more amazing to the table: Mags Bennet. When you have a cast of characters that includes the likes of the Crowder clan, it's hard to imagine someone stealing the spotlight, but Margo Martindale was electrifying. My one quibble with the show in general is that female characters tend to play the damsel, but the addition of Mags (and Loretta for that matter), balanced the scales in all the best ways. Oh sure, we started the "Oh, for hell's sakes, Winona!" drinking game during her tenure as the dithering damsel with sticky fingers, Mags was there to temper the gender gap. She was layered and warm and terrifying and ruthless and caring, oftentimes all at once. I'm incredibly sad that Mags won't be back for season 3, and her loss, coupled with the loss of Helen and Loretta, the other tremendous female characters on the show, means that we're left with Winona and Ava. If any show has the power to turn them into more than moronic damsels and fluttering love interests, it's Justified, but their treatment of these two thus far gives me pause... That said, the promos have Raylan and Boyd seemingly teaming up, so there's only so much I can worry about.

BREAKING BAD
Once upon a time, when television aficionados would herald the greatness of the medium or defend it against the slings and arrows of critics defaming it as pulp, they would call on The Wire to justify their cause. Now they call on Breaking Bad. This show is just so, so good. This is one of the few shows that I've actually addressed in fair measure lately, so I'll keep this short. Maybe. While it's been a powerhouse of awesome and artistry since day one, I think this most recent season might have been their best yet. The brilliance with which the writers balanced so many different factions, agendas, mental and emotional priorities, political concerns, and kingpins is nothing short of amazing. At any given time, I found myself pulling for someone different, condemning characters I once loved, and exalting the baddest of the bad. Then it would all change in the coming week. The best part of all is that these shifts in my loyalties were not based on the most ostentatious or sensational of events. By contrast, with Breaking Bad, it's the quiet moments that shed the most light and send me reeling. Which isn't to say that the show is lacking in big, insane, WTF moments or anything. There are certainly plenty of those. It's just that with Breaking Bad, a scene with a few guys sitting around a table talking (or a scene with no talking at all) is just as gripping and terrifying as the deadliest shootout, the biggest explosion, or a mass poisoning. This season saw the end of Tio Salamanca (ding! ding! ding!) and Gus Fring, two irreplaceable powerhouses, but I have every confidence that next season will see the introduction of even fiercer, quirkier baddies. In a lot of ways, I think the season 4 finale could have served well as the series finale, but I'm sure glad it wasn't.

REVENGE
Going into every fall pilot season, I have shows that I'm excited about, shows that I know I'll hate, and shows that I'm willing to give a shot, but fully suspect I'll drop them in a couple of weeks. Revenge definitely fell into the third category. Little did I know it would quickly turn into the sudsiest, juiciest, most delectably addictive soap opera to hit TV in years. The first few episodes had me a little worried that I was headed for a revenge procedural, with Emily dispatching of one of her father's foes each week, all wrapped up in a nice little bow. Much to my delight, those early episodes were only setting up the tangle web to come. This show is a soap opera, which is generally used in the pejorative, but there's not guilt in this pleasure. With any genre, there are going to be good ones and bad ones. For genres like "chick flick", "rom com", "soap opera", and "crime procedural", the bad so often outnumber the good that the genre as a whole gets a bad wrap. Well, Revenge may be a soap, but it's a bloody good one. The story-telling is lightning fast, but there's also a long con that sweeps maliciously from episode to episode, tying things tighter and raising the stakes. The characters are surprisingly layered and complex, giving the writers plenty of room to explore not just the outlandish soapy plot elements, but the more intriguing character elements as well. The cast in general is very strong, but my heart belongs to Nolan (which, given my propensity for siding with the smart, snarky game-changer should come as no surprise). Revenge is truly a watercooler show, even in an age when everyone seems to watch shows at different times. With Revenge, you simply can't afford to risk missing it or you'll be subject to 45 minutes of heated discussion without you. I'm not sure where the show is headed in the long run (although I hear a move to New York is in store for season 2), but I'm definitely along for the ride.

BEING HUMAN (UK)
Although the US version tries desperately to keep pace with it's British predecessor, it's an incredibly high bar that it will never surpass. The most recent season of the British version ended many months ago, but it was still one of the first shows to come to mind when compiling this list. Being Human, on paper, has one of the most absurd, campy, tween concepts in town. And yet, the writers brilliantly explore the human condition through werewolves, ghosts, and vampires. Indeed, by looking at what humans are when they aren't human at all, it sheds light on humanity as a whole. This most recent season was brutal and beautiful and heartbreaking. The writers had a plan from day one, plotted and executed it perfectly, and ended right where they should have, even if that was the most devastating place possible. It's months later and I still can't believe Mitchell is truly gone. As the season began, and it was foretold that he would be killed by a werewolf, fans couldn't help but wonder if that werewolf would be George. Against all inclinations to the contrary, as the season concluded, it only made sense that George would end Mitchell's life. It had to be done, I knew it had to be done, but it was devastating for all involved. No matter what Mitchell had done, no matter in how many ways his inhumanity wreaked havoc, he wanted so desperately to be a good person, but it just never happened. Until the bitter end. The wolf-shaped bullet ending his life was, in its own way, the most human thing to have happened. I honestly don't know where the show will go without his handsome mug, but even if it falls apart, I can always remember last season as being something truly special. The US version can try and try all it likes to match the darkness, the brutality, the hilarity, and the humanity of its predecessor, but I can't really fault it for falling short.

SUITS
Last year, almost all of USA Network's line-up got a nod in my "Best Of" list, but this year, only their newest show garners a spot. While one-time favorites slumped, fell by the wayside, or decreased in quality, Suits arose as the banner show for the network. I assumed this would be yet another "blue skies" procedural for the network, taking the exact same principles and elements of their other shows and wrapping them in the guise of "lawyer show," I was very pleasantly surprised to find the network's most adult offering to date. It has "lawyer show" elements, of course, but it's more of a serial than I've ever seen on USA, it takes more chances narratively, and it even adopts the standards and practices for foul language that networks FX and AMC have employed for years. The occasional "shit" may not seem like much, but it marks a shift in terms of tone and audience. I recently noticed that Covert Affairs has taken a similar tack, so I'm hopeful that as the network takes more chances, the quality and originality would follow suit. Don't get me wrong, I've always enjoyed the "blue skies" approach taken by the network, but after a few years, it starts to wear on you with its sameness. For various reasons, USA's other options haven't retained their luster, but the sameness is one of the main factors. Burn Notice has played the same hand for the past three seasons, needing a reinvention sooner than later, In Plain Sight got pregnant and ruined the show, Covert Affairs is somehow surprisingly boring, seeming to have lost its narrative thrust, its sense of direction, and its understanding of its own characters, and Psych is... well, it's Psych. If you've seen one episode, you've seen them all. (White Collar is really the only other show on the network that has upped the ante and kept me totally enthralled.) Suits (oh yeah! we're talking about Suits!) bucks the trend of sameness in the best ways possible. It takes the best elements of the network's shows and adds so much more. Suits isn't afraid to have heroes that do bad things, characters that are unlikable, and real tension. All of this is undercut with an incredibly charming bromance, a lot of laughs, and several ongoing storylines to keep the show from stagnating or stalling. In the best surprise of all, they have crafted characters that are layered and intriguing in surprising ways for this network. Indeed, the show's lead, Harvey Spector, isn't particularly likeable on a number of levels, but that's what makes him so special. He's not the kind of character I usually latch onto, but I'm completely enamored. This kind of connection with characters, and the knowledge that they won't always do what you expect them to, makes for a surprising ride where I genuinely don't know what's going to happen every single minute of every episode. It's a lovely change of pace for USA and one that I hope continues. I can't wait for Suits to come back and have spent the downtime re-watching this year's episodes.

GAME OF THRONES
It honestly took me about half of the first season to really get invested in this show, but once I did, I found myself really looking forward to it week-to-week. Even if it weren't my kind of show, the size and scope and scale of the production should garner it a spot on most lists. My initial qualms with the show stemmed from the seeming marginalization of the female characters. Based on the time and setting, it made sense, but that didn't mean they deserved to be afterthoughts. As the season progressed, however, I was very pleased to see the female characters taking center stage and becoming substantive movers and shakers in the narrative. As the season drew to a close, my qualms were fully assuaged. Rumors of storylines to come have also bolstered my confidence. It's not the easiest show to jump into if you haven't read the books, but I think the writers and producers did a nice job of paring down the cast and explaining who was who in a mostly non-oppressive manner. I have always appreciated a show that's willing to kill people off (as long as it makes sense for the story and isn't to the clear detriment of the show... *cough* Once Upon a Time *cough*), and Game of Thrones does not hold back. I had heard that the characters who start off the series are not the ones you end up with in the end, but this didn't truly hit home until Ned was beheaded. That takes balls. As much as I enjoyed Ned, killing him off was true to form and turned the narrative on its head. That's the kind of storytelling that keeps me on my toes and genuinely surprises me. When all bets are off, there's a terrifying sense of the unknown that I absolutely love and dread with equal measure. For someone who watches as much television as I do, it's not easy to quash my expectations, so when a show manages to achieve such a feat, it gets rewarded with a place on this list. Game of Thrones wasn't perfect, but it came close enough. I'd tune in just for Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish alone, but Robb Stark and Jon Snow don't hurt either. Now that the show has it's legs and a better grasp of how to turn this story into a series, I'm very hopeful that season 2 was be even more sensational that season 1. It'll certainly be just as expensive to produce. Wow, HBO knows how to loosen the purse-strings and I can't thank them enough.

COMMUNITY
No top 10 list would be complete without the best comedy on TV. No, not Modern Family. Indeed, while Community continues to push the boundaries and have me rolling in the aisles for new and surprising reasons each week, Modern Family seems to get more and more boring. I used to really enjoy the show, but more and more, I find myself smiling on occasion, and almost never laughing out loud. This is most delightedly not the case with Community. Most shows on TV can be likened to other contemporaries or predecessors, but Community is genuinely unlike any other show. In any given week, the show somehow manages to combine hilarious gags, clever jokes, erudite allusions, and a hell of a lot of heart with a willingness to play with form and narrative unlike any other show. You truly never know what exactly to expect from Community, whether it be a Spaghetti Western, a musical, an homage to an obscure movie, a parody of an entire genre, a more conventional comedy episode with a splash of anime, or anything and everything in between. They play with storytelling in a way that makes me smile every time. All the while, the show maintains its warmth and heart. The show isn't too cool for school, and it embraces it. Indeed, this collection of characters is probably the most endearing family on TV. Other comedies find themselves hitting the same beats again and again, what with comedy being a genre where true character growth and development is difficult to manage, but Community throws out the rulebook, giving it's characters real journeys to follow all the while making me crack up. I'm heartbroken that NBC has shelved the show until who-knows-when. I realize that the ratings are bad, but so are the ratings of every other show on the network. I don't want to live in a world where dreck like Whitney and dumbass shlock like Two and Half Men survive, but Community gets put on hiatus. Oh, America. You make me sad sometimes. I do hope that NBC keeps sucking just long enough for Community to get another season. They're only about a season away from being able to be sold into syndication, so hopefully NBC will take that into consideration. Come back, Community! Come back!!!

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
The CW doesn't often get a lot of love when it comes to critical acclaim, but more and more, even the hold-outs have had to admit that The Vampire Diaries is one hell of a show. No longer mistakenly thought of as a Twilight rip-off or True Blood lite, The Vampire Diaries has set itself apart as a kickass supernatural thriller. It's storytelling is tight and compelling, giving viewers a thrill-a-minute, tantalizing cliffhangers, and a surprising amount of depth and character advancement. Sure it has its flaws, but ounce for ounce, it's one of the best shows out there. While the last part of season two got a bit muddled with the moonstone and the curse, season 3 has been its best yet. Two of the best aspects of the show are that it's willing to kill off important and beloved characters and if a character doesn't need to be in an episode he/she isn't in it. True Blood could learn a lot from TVD in this regard. TVD blazes through story at a breakneck pace, introducing new characters and killing off others in near equal measure. This keeps the cast from spiraling out of control the way that True Blood has. What's more, the storytelling is tight and interlaced among the characters. While True Blood has about 87 different storylines going at once, half of which have nothing to do with the others, TVD brings everything together in the most tantalizing of possible ways, ending each episode (if not each segment) with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. There's an insane amount of character history and supernatural mythology that has been doled out over the past two and a half seasons, but somehow the show makes it all work (well, mostly). When Rebekah revealed the history of her family, the origins of werewolves, the original vampires, her brother as a hybrid, the sun and the moon curse, and everything in between, it... actually made a lot of sense! Sure there are certain things that we just kind of ignore, but for the most part, the writers put it altogether in a way that worked. No small feat, that. The show also manages to impart all of that history and mythology in a captivating way. Seriously, where most shows put me to sleep with plot exposition and info dumps, TVD makes those some of their best episodes. Seriously, in a recent episode, the entirety of the actual action that took place was Elena talking to Rebekah while Damon and Stefan hung out. Sounds like a snooze-fest, but it was exciting, revelatory, and fabulous. Best of all? Elena and Stefan, who used to be on the bland and boring side, have become interesting and badass in their own ways. Evil Stefan is even better than I would have guessed and Elena has finally taken some control over her life. Now if we can just kill off Bonnie and Matt, we'll be good to go!

THE GOOD WIFE
This is one show that has received a fair bit of press on this blog (more so than the other deserving entries on this list), but I promise, it's still not enough. That this is one of the best dramas on TV goes against so many factors. The show airs on network TV, said network is CBS of all things, the show features actual adults, it tackles sensitive issues like religion, politics, and money in just about every episode, it's been moved around on the schedule, and it skews older in terms of demographic (for some unknown reason). And yet, it survives. This show is smart and sexy and has more than a few serial elements to it. In a network viewing landscape that has seen the success of one crappy crime procedural after another, The Good Wife bucks the trend. Thank god! Season 2 was absolutely amazing. Seriously, the last 5 or 6 episodes could each have served as the jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching season finale, but they just kept piling on the awesome, episode after episode, culminating in one of the best season finales I've ever seen. So good, in fact, that had the show been unjustly axed after season 2, it could have served as one hell of a send off. Season 3 hasn't quite kept pace with the insanity of the last half of season 2, but it's building slowly and surely. One of the most heartbreaking factors of season 2, Kalinda and Alicia's falling out, reverberates through season 3 in a very real, restrained way. One of the things I've always loved best about the show is that the female characters are allowed to have layers, agendas, and a well-rounded presence on the screen. They're also allowed to be friends. On most shows, women are invariably pitted as sexual rivals. On The Good Wife, as with the real world, women are friends, they support one another, and form complex bonds and relationships with one another. Seeing Kalinda and Alicia, the best of friends, fall apart was devastating, but seeing the slow easing of tensions over season 3 has been incredibly rewarding. This show knows how to hit all the right buttons and it doesn't casually forget about things that have happened before. I'm constantly amazed at how a person, an event, or a piece of information comes back many episodes later like a lightning bolt. This show has an amazing cast, an enviable list of guest stars, and Eli Gold to boot. Alan Cumming is completely magnetic as Eli, but this is so good that even when he's not in an episode, I don't notice until long after the show is done. As with The Vampire Diaries, The Good Wife knows how to economize storytelling. If they don't need a character, they don't have that character. Case closed. (Heh, get it? Case closed? They're lawyers? I'll shut up now.)

SHAMELESS

Any and all US imports of British shows are met with extreme scrutiny and prejudice from this humble TV watcher. The same goes for animated shows being adapted to live action. In general, I simply don't see the point. In most cases, the original is by far the superior and a remake or adaptation seems unnecessary and counter-intuitive. It's with this bias in mind that I'm surprised at how much I grew to love Showtime's US adaptation of Shameless, a raunchy British program that I was honestly not too familiar with. To this day, I've only seen a couple of the episodes of the British series, but to my delight, the US adaptation took the principles of its predecessor, made the show its own, and made it really damn good. It took me a couple of episodes to really invest in the show, finding William H. Macy's character to be more of a hindrance than a celebrity draw, but as the show settled in and found its feet, it managed to craft interesting, complex characters whose interdynamics sucked me right in. At its heart, Shameless is about a family. For all of its dysfunction, and there plenty to go around, at the end of the day, the burdens and traumas they suffer makes them one of the closest knit families on TV. When you're that poor, that desperate, and that downtrodden, all you have is each other. The family simply has to work together just to survive. On a less dire level, I can relate. My family was by no means as bad off as the Gallagher clan, but it was very clear to all of us from a very young age that we don't have the luxury of bickering or fighting or holding petty grudges. We're all in this together, and a lot of the time, that's all we have. In speaking with other people, I'm constantly amazed at how well my family got along, how close we all were (and are), and how willing we are to give relatives money without any expectation of repayment. I always assumed all families were like that when I was a kid, but as it turns out, we were in the minority. Anyhow, with the Gallaghers, this hits home in a number of social, psychological, and financial ways. It was so heartbreaking to watch Fiona, the eldest daughter turned mother, trying to break free of all the responsibility, only to find that she simply couldn't. The last few episodes of the season were tremendous and showed how this kind of close-knit dependence on one another has its wonderful aspects and also its insidious underpinnings. Her siblings want her to go, they know she's paid her dues, but she just can't leave them. What started out as a raunchy dramedy that was trying too hard to be shocking quickly morphed into a searing character piece with the family unit as a whole being the most important single character of all. It's been gone for entirely too long and I can't wait for season 2 to premiere early next year.

**HONORABLE MENTIONS**


Alphas
It's a genre show, but it genuinely managed to put a new spin on an old routine. Most importantly for any genre show, it focused on the characters as much as the storyline, so that helped turn it into quite a quality program by the end of its first season.

The Chicago Code

Gone, but not forgotten. I'm not a huge fan of cop shows, but this one was excellent. It's ratings weren't spectacular, but they were steady and decent. This show really had Fox's once chance at any kind of dramatic critical acclaim, but they opted for poorly crafted CG dinosaurs and a bickering family that just refused to get eaten by them instead. Boo.

Nikita
Season 2 hasn't quite had the same focus or narrative drive as season 1, but this show is still a solid genre show that knows how to craft a spy thriller. Covert Affairs should take notice. This show is 15 times more entertaining and exciting on 1/10th the budget. Where Covert Affairs is so bland this year the background is more interesting than the story, Nikita takes what it has and makes the most of it.

Hell on Wheels
I'm... not entirely sure why I'm enjoying this show so much. Nothing... really... happens. But, I find I get swept up in whatever is happening on screen and I don't seem to mind that over the course of several episodes, we've basically built 10 feet of railroad and... ridden some horses? Whatever the reason, I'm digging it.

Boardwalk Empire
If my list above were a top 11, this would have made the cut. It made last year's list, but their second season took a lot time to really get me enthralled. I got several episodes behind because I just didn't feel very invested anymore, but once I got caught up, I could appreciate that in a number of ways, it was better than ever.

White Collar
Aside from Suits, this is really the only other USA network offering that I'm excited about. This last year the show hit quite a stride, and while there were some casting decisions I still can't believe, on the whole, this is a light, fun caper with enough depth to keep me eagerly anticipating its return next month. And then, of course, there's Matt Bomer, so it may as well be a freeze-frame for 42 minutes and I'd be just as pleased.

Aside from my overall top shows of the year (and well-deserving honorable mentions), there were some other odds and ends and categories that I just had to include in my year-end review as well. Here are some random judgments and dubious distinctions...

Shows that Showed Signs of Recovery Only to Flatline Once Again:
  • Glee
    After the craptastic second season, I had pretty low expectations for season 3. When the season started off and seemed to have gained a slight grasp of continuity and storytelling, I was ready to put this in the Most Improved Show category... Until a few episodes ago when it all got shitty again. Seriously, that Christmas episode was even more painful than usual.

  • How I Met Your Mother
    Started off a bit better than expected, but then Lily and Marshall got pregnant, then Robin got pregnant, or didn't... oh, who the hell cares. It was awful either way.

Worst Hair and/or Clothes:

  • Robin (How I Met Your Mother)
    Apparently barrenness leads to hideous hair and horrible wardrobe choices? That's all I can guess, because why else would they make her look that way?

  • The Entire Cast (Parenthood)
    Okay, maybe not the entire cast, but I think it's safe to say they hit critical mass about 3 characters back. When you hit 80%, is there any real reason to split hairs? (Heh, get it? Oh lord, that pun was almost as bad as Haddie's permed bangs... sorry about that.)

  • Dr. Reid (Criminal Minds)
    Not going to lie, he's the reason I started watching the show. His look and persona were a huge part of the draw. Now he has this unfortunate fuzzy, choppy something or other on his head and it just takes the charm away...

  • Rachel (Glee)
    The storytelling wasn't the only casualty during season 2...

Best Chemistry:
  • Damon and Elena (The Vampire Diaries)
    A lot of real-life couples fall flat on screen, but these two totally sizzle. Seriously, that (fully-clothed) scene where he ran his hand along her ribs was sexier than some of the most explicit sex scenes I've seen.

  • Eli and Kalinda (The Good Wife)
    They may not be sleeping together (that I know of... that would be kind of awesome, actually), but the rapport between Alan Cumming and Archie Panjabi is completely irresistible. Eli's chemistry with just about anyone is giggle-worthy and fabulous, but with Kalinda, he sees a true peer. He doesn't bullshit her the way he does other people and she doesn't try to manipulate him the way should would someone else. The professional courtesy is hilarious and undeniable.

  • Nolan and Tyler (Revenge)
    These two are both so conniving, so manipulative, and so driven that it's hard to know just what to make of them as a pair, but one thing is for sure, their chemistry is sexy as hell. Although Tyler might claim otherwise, I'm guessing they're both about a 3 on the Kinsey scale, so anything goes. Their couple portmanteau is "TyleNol" by the way, which is just about the best I've ever seen.

Speaking of Magnetism on Screen, Here are My Irrational TV Crushes of 2011:
  • Robb Stark (Game of Thrones)
    It took me a while to really connect with the show, but his presence among the cast was never an equivocal one.

  • Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)
    Aaron Paul is such a tremendous actor that yes, I kinda sorta really adore a murderer/drug dealer. I mainly just want to give the guy a hug. He certainly needs one.

  • Harvey Specter (Suits)
    As I mentioned above, I'm a little surprised by this one, but Gabriel Macht is just beautiful and he manages to make a slick, corporate, 1 percenter unbelievably sexy.

  • Johnny Iuzzini (Top Chef: Just Desserts)
    Love him. Aside from being talented, charming, and easy on the eyes, he's a bit of a gay icon and he's totally fine with that (even though he's straight). That wins him a hell of a lot of points in my book. Rather than being threatened by attention from the gay community, he embraces it. WIN.

  • Seymour Birkoff (Nikita)
    I know, I know, of all the beautiful people on that show, I'm in love with the snarky computer nerd. That's just how I roll. Not that Michael or Owen or Ryan or anyone else isn't a winner, but my heart belongs to Birkoff.

  • Nikita (Nikita)
    Okay, it belongs to Birkoff or Nikita. It's a toss-up. Maggie Q is amazing. She simply could not be any more fabulous. Or badass. Or gorgeous. Could I be her when I grow up? Pretty please? Ooh, or Kalinda!

  • Hardison (Leverage)
    It's a mid-level show, to be sure, but Hardison makes it all worth it. He's far and away the best part of the show and certainly the easiest to look at.

  • Mitchell (Being Human UK)
    Goddamn, he's beautiful. Yeah, yeah, he slaughtered a train full of people... Still beautiful. Sometimes, it's what's on the outside that counts.

  • Paulo (The Borgias)
    Okay, I admit his hair is not doing him any favors, but that's what you get when you're cast in a period piece. That said, Luke Pasqualino will always be Freddie to me and that's really all it takes. My darling Freddie (sob). Love him. Unfortunate historically-accurate haircut and all.

  • Nolan (Revenge)
    He may not be the most conventionally attractive guy on the show, but for me, personality, character, and intelligence count for about 80%. Being a 3 on the Kinsey scale certainly doesn't hurt either.

  • Tim Gutterson (Justified)
    His character is pretty much the exact opposite of what I would ever really want, but I just adore him. Seriously, a law enforcement officer with a history in the military? Yikes. And yet, his manner is so appealing and his demeanor so chill, I just can't help myself.

  • Jai Wilcox (Covert Affairs)
    Sure it took me an entire season to stop calling him Mohinder, but that in no way diminishes the pretty. It's a very attractive cast in general (you know, as opposed to all those shows with ugly people), but he takes the cake. Not that he'd be able to eat it, but still. It may be a boring show, but the scenery is nice.

  • Damon (The Vampire Diaries)
    No list of TV crushes would be complete without Damon Salvatore making an entry. It's a plain and simple fact that's beyond reproach or argument.

Well, kiddies, I think that's it for me this year. I'm hoping to be less of a slacker as the new year begins, but I excel at not giving a shit. We'll see. Happy viewing!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Awesome Sauce

October is usually a pretty slow month for me in terms of this blog. After the deluge of shows in September, things cool down considerably in October, right along with the weather. Oh, and there's the small matter of me being worn out and weary from September. The fact that no one actually reads this blog is also a minor factor.

It seems my laziness comes with consequences. Having given Revenge only a good-ish review of the pilot, that's the impression that seems to have stuck with the few out there who read this. Being so very "meh" about life in general led me to neglect my television watching duties and I never got around to mentioning that that show is actually pretty damn delectable. As such, I feel it's necessary to recount the awesomeness of some of my shows, starting with, of course...

REVENGE
My friend at work seemed to take away a rather more negative critique of the pilot than I had intended in my review, but that might just be revisionist history. The pilot wasn't perfect or anything, and it's a night-time soap after all, but I enjoyed it. Based on my new love of the show,
I could very well be misremembering my initial impressions. Whatever the case, this show has gotten good. The first few episodes had a "revenge caper of the week" aspect that gave me pause. Sure it's fun and all to watch Emily eviscerate her foes in creative ways, but I couldn't help but think, "Geez, at a person a week, she better have about 87 people she needs revenge on or this show won't even make it a season..." I had high hopes that the more week-to-week elements would come together at some point, but feared that the writers might be taking the "procedural" to new levels. Much to my delight, not only did everything start to come together last week, but it came together in a nail-biting, awesomely soapy, devious, twisty way. I was initially a little worried about Emily Van Camp's ability to carry a show like this and a character like hers, but she's absolutely wonderful in the role. The whole show is insane, so her cool, calm iciness is a wonderful grounding element and also a lovely foil for the hot-blooded nutjobs all around her. She's been playing the long con for a long time and now it's all coming together... with disastrous results. In last week's episode, elements from all the revenges she'd had so far came together to bite her in the ass and nearly expose the whole gambit. It's a deliciously tense soap opera that I have been sucked into hook, line, and sinker. Because it's a soap, it's wonderfully over the top and outrageous. Will it be winning a ton of Emmys? Probably not (even though many of the actors do a really lovely job). But that doesn't mean it isn't a hell of a lot of fun. The writers have a plan and as a viewer, I can tell. They clearly figured things out before they started filming, unlike so many other shows that just simply spiral out of control. This show is focused and has a season endpoint in mind (as evidenced by the opening sequences of the pilot). Jessica and I just went back and rewatched the the first part of the pilot and it's a hell of a lot more intriguing now that we know who everyone is. If you're watching the show, go online and rewatch the first 10 minutes or so. And if you're not watching, get caught up. It's malevolent fun. In all honesty, it's the only new pilot that I'm this invested in. I'm enjoying Pan Am well enough, Ringer seems to be getting better, Prime Suspect is pretty good... but really, Revenge is the winner so far of the new fall slate. I've only seem one episode of Once Upon a Time though, so stay tuned. Parting thoughts for those of you who watch the show? I can't remember his name on the show, but that friend of Daniel's? Yeah, methinks he's secretly in love with Daniel and that he's not actually wealthy at all. Con artist all the way. I think a con artist knows a con artist when he/she sees one and that's why he and Emily are about to explode. That and, of course, the fact that Emily is dating the man that he loves. Muahahahaha! So good. So soapy. Yes, please.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but this show is so freaking fantastic I can barely stand it. For anyone out there still holding onto the always erroneous assumption that this is a Twilight rip off, allow me to once again disabuse you of that notion. TVD is not a cheesy, tacky, predicable tween romance of a show. It's just a kick-ass supernatural show, plain and simple. Okay, so it's not plain and simple at all, really. This show covers an insane amount of ground at a breakneck pace, but somehow, they totally pull it off. It never feels forced or lame. It just feels awesome. And thrilling. And surprising around every corner. And it just keeps getting better. Seriously, the first two seasons were fantastic. The third season is even better. They have brought their A-game in a big way. Even if you think you might know what's about to happen, you don't. Just accept it. You'd think after 50 something episodes of twists and turns that they'd surely have run out of road by now, but no. Best of all, they tie all the storylines and characters and supernatural creatures together in such a way that no one gets left out in the cold and you pretty much have to be invested in everyone and everything because they all affect each other in equal measure. With True Blood, good lord, you could completely forget about half the characters on the show and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. With TVD, even if you think something might be inconsequential, it probably isn't. Last season got a little convoluted toward the end, but pulled itself together. So far in this season? The storytelling is tighter than ever and the Originals are even more awesome than I ever could have expected. Now they just need to pull that effing dagger out of Elijah's chest and thing will really reach a zenith. There have always been characters that I cared about less than the others, but holy hell, nowadays, even Matt is kind of interesting. Truly remarkable. Oh, and the new Elena? Much improved. Speaking of Elena, how insanely hot was that scene between her and Damon in the gym when he was showing her the way to stake a vampire? Holy shit! Those two have some insane chemistry, I tell you what. (It seems the practice they get off screen is doing nothing but good...)

THE GOOD WIFE
You know that dead horse that I was beating with TVD? Well, here's that horse's sister. Also heading into it's third season, The Good Wife is just as delectable as ever. After as insane and explosive as last season was, I'm not sure I can say it's better now than then, but it's at least on par, which is pretty damn fantastic. TGW knows how to write characters and knows how to reinvent people and storylines in a way that always keeps you on your toes. Kind of like TVD, you may think you know where something is headed, but you don't. Even the most seemingly innocuous B-plot totally matters. In this last episode, brilliantly titled "Marthas and Caitlins", Alicia is giving the ostensibly random task of selecting a new employee. She opts for the Martha (and I think we all have an idea in our heads what a "Martha" is like) over Caitlin (again, it's impossible not to have a preconceived notion here), but later finds out that Caitlin is David Lee's niece, who is given the job for that very reason. It might seem like the show is simply highlighting nepotism in the workplace, but they always pull storylines together that affect the characters on a deeper level. As it turns out, this isn't simply a throwaway arc or random instance, Alicia was the "Caitlin" when Will got her the job. Will had to hire Caitlin because David Lee helped him get Alicia over the more qualified "Martha". OUCH. The payoff was brilliant. What's more, I'm hearing rumor that Martha will be back at some point in a big way. Prediction? She and Alicia will be squaring off in the courtroom and Martha will be out for blood. So awesome. Also this last week, we got to see more of the unbelievably satisfying and delightful interactions between Eli and Kalinda (that these two never paired up before is a travesty) and we also got to see Alicia and Cuddy bond (sort of). Drunk Alicia is one of my favorite Alicia's, and even though I'm sure Cuddy has some evil up her sleeve (or was she wearing it on her sleeve?), it's always incredibly refreshing to see people in fiction interacting in a way that isn't juvenile or annoying. Cuddy and Alicia are at odds, but they're adults, and they act like it. Well, most of the time. I know TGW has a reputation out there for being a show for old women (Dear Happy Endings, not only does this show appeal to more than just old women, but it's funnier than your show, even though it's a drama, so maybe you should back off), I've turned a number of people onto this show from a wide range of demographics and they all love it as much as I do. It is, quite simply, the best show on network TV.

Aside from those three, there are some returning favorites that bring me joy (Nikita still kicks ass and Castle always makes me smile), but those three are the real standouts right now. I'll keep you posted.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

TV Review: Revenge

"This is not a story about forgiveness..."

In case the title of the show was too subtle, ABC's latest drama Revenge establishes the premise right out of the gate. Thanks! It's fortunate because the rest of the pilot was more than a little murky...

Which isn't to say that it wasn't good. I imagine that the writers and producers were so knee-deep in mystery and intrigue that they couldn't view it through fresh eyes and had a hard time putting in elements that the audience would need in the right order. Or, they simply wanted the audience to be a little confused. Either way, it was slightly irksome, but ultimately came together in the end. Sort of.

Revenge stars Emily Van Camp as a woman whose life was destroyed when she was a child and who is now hellbent on puppies. I mean revenge. She returns to the Hamptons, which near as I can tell is like colonial Australia for wealthy nogoodniks, where she puts plans into motion to destroy those who ruined her life. Although the pilot fails to lay out this web of intrigue in any particularly elegant way, by the end of the pilot it has been established that her father's friends and colleagues did some bad things and set up a web of lies and deceits that put her father in prison for their crimes. Said father died some time prior to the beginning of the pilot, leaving a box of journals and letters to daughter, explaining his innocence and expressly telling his daughter to choose forgiveness. Spoiler alert. She doesn't.

The pilot opens with a line from Confucius which states, "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves." I positively can't stand it when a show starts off with the definition of a word, like, say, "revenge," but to start off with this quote gave the pilot a nice literary flavor that really set the stage. The concept for this show is very loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo, so it struck a nice tone. This series will clearly err more on the side of soapy thriller than a literary classic, but even if it borrows an element here and an element there, you could hardly ask for better source material. That said, I'm not sure how this concept will play out as an entire series, potentially spanning several seasons. If they play their cards write, they'll reinvent the show season to season rather than dragging out the base concept until the end of time.

The show focuses on Emily Thorn nee Amanda Clarke, played by Van Camp, who has grown up and is now unrecognizable to the obscenely wealthy backstabbers she knew as a child. The pilot flashes back and forth between her childhood, now now, and five months prior to now now. Along with that, there are child versions of various characters, different time frames to keep track of, and numerous characters, all of whom are interconnected to everyone else on the show in different, very important ways. It was a lot to keep track of and my family and I found ourselves a tad lost on several occasions, usually along the lines of, "Wait, so was that the same guy as before? Wasn't he married to that blonde woman?" I can see where this show had a hell of a lot to establish right off the bat, but it got a bit tiresome. Like I said, by the end I felt like I had a pretty firm grasp on who was who and how each person was related to everyone else, but it was a lot to take in. Were this a classic novel, we'd be 287 pages in by now, not 43 minutes. Had the pilot been crafted in a more elegant way, I think it all would have flowed together seamlessly, creating a complex web of intrigue for viewers to explore. As is, they created a web, but I kind of just felt like I got stuck in it. As the weeks progress, I'm sure it will all crystallize, but the pilot just felt a little to clunky at times and like it missed opportunities in others.

Foibles aside, I'm genuinely intrigued by this show, its premise, and the promise of twisty, naughty, knotty things to come. Again, it's hard to see how a concept like this will last for years and years, but if they play their mythology right, it could certainly keep me entertained for quite some time. The basic concept holds a lot of appeal for the gossip-mongering, vengeful side of me and I truly enjoyed watching the smirk break out on Emily's face when the pieces of her plan came into focus. While the pathos aspect has the potential to be quite riveting in its own right, the quite at the beginning tells me that the show will be examining not just the tawdry twists and turns of revenge, but the personal toll it takes as well. I'm as intrigued to see how this treacherous path affects our heroine as I am to see which rich bitch bites the big one next. I'm not entirely sure Van Camp can pull off the emotional range needed for such a role, but she did a nice job in the pilot and held her own on Everwood as well. She's truly the anchor of the show and acts as the viewer's window into this twisted mess, so she better be ready to bear the weight of the show on her shoulders. This is her story and its success or failure is hers to claim. I, for one, definitely hope she pulls it off.

Along with Van Camp, the supporting cast is quite strong, with each cast member embracing his/her role and running with it. In spite of the somber tone of the concept, I got the feeling the show knows deep down that it's a soapy drama at heart and opted not to take itself too seriously. Or at least to try. The cast is expansive (although at the rate they're going, it will likely be pared down in no time--poison will do that), so only a few got serious screentime in the pilot, but they all did a serviceable job at least and quite a nice job at best. Madeline Stowe, in particular, plays the ice queen with devilish delight, banishing her onetime best friend without a second thought. That said, it was hard to keep the no-name actors straight from place to place, time to time, relationship to relationship, so some of the story aspects lost some of their punch. I almost wish they had cast some more familiar faces. It was very easy to keep Connor Paolo straight in my head. Random J. Boatowner? Not so much. Again, that should improve over time and if I can force myself to pay better attention than I have lately. There were a lot of distractions going on when I watched this, so there's a fair chance it was very logically and clearly laid out and I was just too distracted to notice.

The pilot established a lot of people and relationships, sparking more than a little intrigue, but it also left a lot of up in the air. The fact that Emily's late father was played by James Tupper, an actual name, tells me that we'll be seeing a lot more flashbacks in the future which should help fill in the holes over time. In the original pilot, he was played by Marc Blucas, so while I don't exactly have a poster of Tupper over my bed or anything, he's a vast improvement over Blucas. Unless of course Emily's father was known for sucking the life out of a room, in which case, losing Blucas was a serious blow to the series. I'm hopeful this show goes about filling in the wholes and exposing people and motives in an effective way. Handled with kid gloves, this could be an intriguing journey through past, recent past, and present to figure out just how Emily ended up at her engagement party while her fiance was being murdered on the beach. The show bookended recent past (5 months ago) with now now, showing us where things will end up in 5 months time, then going back to fill in the blanks. As much as I loathe the "3 days earlier" trope, in this instance, I think it will prove to be most effective. The audience doesn't know if Emily's engagement is for real, if she fell for her enemy's son, if she was in on the murder, or a combination of all three. Her face is inscrutable as her fiance's murder is relayed to the crowd, so we genuinely don't know what she knows or what hand she may have played. In terms of revenge destroyed the one seeking it, I think this set up the series in a thought-provoking and titillating way. I can't say for sure how the show will get back to now now, but I'm intrigued enough to want to find out.

All in all, the pilot certainly had some issues, but I quite enjoyed it overall. I'm still skeptical about turning this concept into a multi-year series, but I've thought that about a lot of shows that have gone on to entertain me for ages. At the end of the day, reservations aside, this is a highly serialized drama, not some crap procedural, so even with its flaws, it gets a lot of points in my book. I'm really hoping it all comes together because it has a hell of a lot of potential. "Coming together" depends on a hell of a lot of variables, but a little luck, Revenge could turn into quite the twisted thriller and maybe even a psychological examination of what payback brings to the, uh, payer-backer. You know what I mean. Come on, Van Camp! You can do this!

In short, it's a total guilty pleasure with more than a few soapy elements, but that's just fine with me.

Pilot Grade: B-

Thursday, June 23, 2011

ABC Pilots 2011: Volume 1 (fall dramas)

Just when you thought NBC was the only major network with major problems, along comes ABC which had nearly as horrendous a development slate last year and a very real problem with aging serieseseses like Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. Brothers & Sisters finally bit the dust, and it's looking like GA and DH will soon follow. Bearing that in mind, ABC really needs some hits this fall to replace the dinosaurs. Their new slate has some promising pilots, but ABC's schedule doesn't exactly lend itself to hit-making these days, so even the best and brightest are likely to struggle.

After canceling everything but Body of Proof and Happy Endings, ABC has a lot of new shows for the coming year. As with all the other networks, some of the promising options are being held till midseason, but ABC has a good foot forward this fall, Charlie's Angels notwithstanding. Oy.

Here's how the schedule is stacking up for fall (new shows are in caps and the times are Eastern Time):

MONDAY
8/7c Dancing with the Stars
10 pm Castle

TUESDAY

8 pm LAST MAN STANDING
8:30 pm MAN UP
9 pm Dancing with the Stars Results Show
10 pm Body of Proof

WEDNESDAY
8 pm The Middle
8:30 pm SUBURGATORY
9 pm Modern Family
9:30 pm Happy Endings [new time slot]
10 pm REVENGE

THURSDAY
8 pm CHARLIE’S ANGELS
9 pm Grey’s Anatomy
10 pm Private Practice

FRIDAY
8 pm Extreme Makeover: Home Edition [new time slot]
9 pm Shark Tank [new time slot]
10 pm 20/20

SUNDAY
7 pm America’s Funniest Home Videos
8 pm ONCE UPON A TIME
9 pm Desperate Housewives
10 pm PAN AM

They've made some peculiar scheduling choices, I must say... Placing new thriller Revenge after a block of comedies seems like a odd move to me and having new show Charlie's Angels anchor the night on Thursdays rather than feeding off a Grey's lead-in is a bit perplexing. I guess Grey's is in even more trouble than I thought. It's an interesting strategy... whatever it may be.

At any rate, here are the dramas slated for fall:

REVENGE

Description: Stars Emily Van Camp (Brothers & Sisters), Connor Paolo (Gossip Girl), Nick Wechsler (Roswell), Josh Bowman (Make It or Break It) and others. Mike Kelley (Swingtown) wrote the script and will executive-produce.



First Impressions: When the new slate was initially announced, this show had a different, less interesting promo. Based on the new one, I have to admit I'm intrigued. This show is billed as a modern spin on The Count of Monte Cristo, a book I loved, so if they can do the story even partial justice, they're probably in the right ballpark. It's not a literal enough translation to be annoyed by any heavy-handed or missing parallels, it seems, so hopefully they capture the spirit of the thing and play off the beats from the book without pulling everything. I'll cop to being an Everwood fan, and even though Amy was fairly annoying on the show, Emily Van Camp brought as much likability to an unlikable role as she could. I'm not sure she has the gravitas to carry a series like this, but I'm hopeful. The supporting cast looks solid and is populated by the kind of actors you recognize, but don't remember their names. Marc Blucas will only be sucking the life out of every scene in flashbacks, so that's a big help. All in all, I'm not sure how this will work as a multi-year series, but its base concept, at the very least, has me interested. I assume that once the The Count of Monte Cristo elements have been revealed a whole host of other mysteries and scandals will rise up (assuming the show has long enough to get there), but it's hard to tell. It'll be interesting to see how long they draw out the reality of her identity at the very least. With a reputable source material for the foundation of the show, hopefully the writers will have enough of a guide that they can really pull this off and keep the soap opera elements in check. So far, I'm in.


CHARLIE'S ANGELS


Description: Stars Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights), Rachael Taylor (Grey's Anatomy), Annie Ilonzeh (General Hospital), Ramon Rodriguez (The Wire). Original series producer Leonard Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Smallville's Miles Millar and Al Gough are all producing.



First Impressions: As much as I loved Friday Night Lights and want to give Minka Kelly the benefit of the doubt, this completely unnecessary reboot looks like a substance-less waste of time. I point this out in case "Executive Producer Drew Barrymore" didn't tip you off the probable quality of the show. As with Hawaii Five-O before it, this show appears to be a lot more concerned with looking cool than with telling a good story. It's a cast of beautiful people in a fabulous location with lots of guns and car chases and explosions and crap... which is a set-up that appeals to a whole lotta people. I can see where this show could do pretty well, because there are a lot of viewers out there who are looking for this kind of thing, but I seriously doubt I'll make it past the pilot. I can see where programming that is easy to watch and requires no effort whatsoever has a certain appeal. Sometimes you just don't want to have to try. I get it. But for me, not trying at all generally equals not caring at all. Even my lowest commitment shows tell a good story, even if I don't have to work very hard to watch. From the trailer alone, I'm already bored with this tired routine and the cheesy dialogue. At least Hawaii Five-O has Scott Caan to bring some actual depth and acting ability to the table. Minka, I love you dearly, but this just isn't the role for you, methinks. I honestly don't even want to screen the pilot, I'm not going to lie. I will, of course, but not without bias. I have my fingers crossed that this is secretly excellent, but I'm not holding my breath.


ONCE UPON A TIME


Description: Stars Jennifer Morrison (House), Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love), Lana Parrilla (Swingtown), Robert Carlyle (Stargate Universe) and others. From from Lost scribes Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz who will produce and write.



First Impressions: Um, wow. VERY intrigued. I can't quite tell if this is going to be an amazing and beautiful exercise in literary structure or a disaster, but count me in either way. From what I've heard from people who've seen the pilot, it's definitely the former. I loves me a good fairy tale and this looks like a theatrical blend of fantasy and reality told in a stylized way. It kind of has a Pushing Daisies bent to it, but with a darker lining. Unlike Grimm, NBC's stab at the the blurring of lines between the real world and the storybook, I think Once Upon a Time will actually pull it off. While Lost certainly had its ups and downs, no one can argue that it didn't play with convention in a successful way, so with any hope, the creative team really brings their A-game and makes this work. The cast is excellent, with erstwhile House underling Jennifer Morrison and the always delightful Ginnifer Goodwin (taking a break from her SYTYCD run) at the helm. It'll be nice to see Morrison in a role that doesn't suck. She's a wonderful actress, but often misused or underused. Goodwin is a pure delight anyway you slice it and already looks like she was plucked from a fairy tale, so, win-win. I'm more willing to suspend disbelief and go with a concept than a lot of viewers out there, so I can see where this show might struggle, but if it can find a core following, I think it's going to be a whimsical, fascinating, and exhilarating ride (those sword fighting scenes looks stylish and exciting). If nothing else, this is a concept that I haven't ever seen before, so even if it has problems, at least it's not another crime procedural or medical drama. It's anchoring the night on Sunday, so it might be in for a challenge, but here's hoping. Why ABC is having these new show up first for the evening, I simply don't understand. Not that they have any returning shows that would really do this show a ton of favors, but even Grey's is better than nothing.


PAN AM

Description: Stars Christina Ricci (Monster), Michael Mosley (Justified), Kelli Garner (My Generation), Jonah Lotan (CSI: NY) and others. Jack Orman (ER) wrote the pilot and will executive-produce with Tommy Schlamme (The West Wing), who is also directing the pilot.



First Impressions: I think I speak for everyone when I say, "Holy shit, that's Christina Ricci?!" Wow, unrecognizable. With that out of the way, this looks like a much more successful foray into a Mad Men-ish vintage setting than NBC's The Playboy Club. So, after these last two reviews, I think the moral of the story is, both ABC and NBC picked a lot of similar-ish set-ups, but ABC's invariably look more promising. The big difference here is that the creative team totally speaks to me here. I was a quite the ER devotee and Tommy Schlamme is an absolute pro. At first blush, I thought this would be a light, soapy romp set in the 60's, but the trailer portends a lot more depth and intrigue. In just the two-minute promo, it raises a lot of questions and social issues, ranging from the rights and roles of women in the 60's to international espionage to the overall experience and security of flying. As with any period piece, setting a show in a different era gives the writers a different rubric within which to work. It's sets up different rules and restrictions and makes the narrative seem fresher. The creative team seems to be having a lot of fun with the concept without sapping it of substance. At the same time, the cast seems very solid and gives a lot of strong female actresses an interesting set-up to work with. My only concern would be the apparent lack of minority actors involved. I'd be more critical, but based on the profession at hand and the era they're in, it makes sense. There won't be any male flight attendants either. Anyway, this looks a lot better in execution than it did on paper. I'm not sure it's the kind of thing that will be a firestorm in the ratings department, but it should certainly appeal to the same demo as Desperate Housewives, so that should prove an effective pairing (that is, assuming anyone still watches DH--I'm hearing this will be the last season though, so maybe that will spark more interest). I'm not saying this will be a perennial favorite for me, but it looks like a true contender for fall.