How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) aired an hour-long midseason finale on Monday. Instead of writing a formal review, I thought I would write a reaction in which I rant about my thoughts after seeing the episode. Once again, I must give a SPOILER ALERT since the ending was a rather big one, so if you haven't seen the episode yet, please do not keep reading. Seriously. Stop now.
If you are still reading, this is your last warning to stop if you don't want to be spoiled.
First of all, this episode was probably my favorite in a while. At the very beginning of Part 1, Barney is jinxed at the bar, so he cannot speak until somebody says his name. It's this kind of childishness that I love to see in the gang, and we haven't seen it a lot in the last few seasons. This episode reminded me of the early seasons, which were the best of the series, so it was a nice return to form.
Now on to that ending: Barney proposes to Robin. I'm still not sure how I feel about the two of them together, although I did like their storyline this season. I also really liked the proposal scene, so I guess I'm okay with their relationship. What I liked most about the proposal was that it combined the new Barney with the old Barney. Although Barney has changed and is no longer the womanizer that he once was, making his proposal his last "play" was very smart move. It is definitely something that Barney would do. It also made a lot of sense because I wasn't entirely convinced by his relationship with Patrice. Barney's proposal to Robin was a clever twist (even though we knew their wedding was on the horizon), and it sets up what will surely be an interesting second half of the season.
Which brings me to my final point: the rest of this season. The creators are still in talks about whether this will be the last season. Personally, I hope it is. As much as I enjoy the show, I think it is time for them to wrap things up. We already know that Ted meets "the mother" at Barney's wedding, so now that Barney and Robin are engaged, 12 episodes is plenty of time to get us to that point. Adding another season would just drag things out more than necessary.
That's about all I have to say about the episode. It was a great one, so I look forward to the rest of the (possibly final) season to see where they go from here. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments, whether they're on the episode or where you want the season to go.
This blog will likely be dormant for the next few weeks since most shows are in hiatus until January. Therefore, I wish you all a Happy Holidays, and I'll see you (in a sense) in the New Year.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
'Revolution' Midseason Finale Review: A New Beginning
I haven't been writing about Revolution since the pilot because I watch each episode a day or two after it airs. Also, I haven't had very strong feelings about the show so far. It's definitely not the best show on TV, but I do enjoy it very much. That said, it still has a few kinks to work out, especially in the dialogue writing, but it has proven itself to be a success since it has gotten very strong ratings and decent critic reviews.
I did watch last night's episode live, and it was the show's midseason finale. This means we will not see the second half of the season until March. Therefore, I decided to write a review of the episode. I don't usually do this, but I am going to give a SPOILER ALERT because I want to address the episode's ending. So please, if you haven't seen the episode and would not like it to be spoiled, do not read this review until after you have watched it.
Knowing that this was the midseason finale, I was expecting an intense showdown between Miles (Billy Burke) and Monroe (David Lyons). The show has been building up to this moment ever since we found out that Miles used to be a commanding general in the Monroe militia, and the scene did not disappoint. After Miles takes out Monroe's soldiers, the two point guns at each other and have an intense face-off. In a scene of great acting by both Burke and Lyons, Monroe puts down his weapon and reminds Miles how they are like brothers and invites Miles to rejoin the militia. Miles puts down his weapon, but tells Monroe, "You're no the same person. ... We aren't brothers." He also says he's sorry he didn't kill Monroe the first time. The two then have sword fight which was great while it lasted. More soldiers come and Monroe tells them to kill Miles, but Miles is able to jump out of a window just in time. At first I was disappointed that nothing happened in the fight, but upon looking back, I realized that this was only the midseason finale, and we still have a whole half of a season for a resolution in the Miles-Monroe conflict. With that in mind, I think this scene was handled very well, and it provided a look into how each of them feels about their relationship.
Another great scene was when Charlie (Tracy Spiradakos) is reunited with her mother, Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell), after being thrown into the same cell. There wasn't much dialogue between the two, but through her facial expressions and body language, Spiradakos was able to portray the confusion, anger, and joy that Charlie must have been experiencing all at once. Spiradakos, in my opinion, has proven herself to be the right choice for this show. She still has a little farther to go to become a great actress, but she is doing a fine job so far.
As I mentioned in my introduction to this review, the writing needs a little work. Overall, I think the writers have been doing a great job in how they are progressing the plot, but some of the dialogue has been cheesy. For example, in this episode, when Rachel is being taunted by one of Monroe's henchmen, he says something along the lines of, "That daughter of yours is quite the little peach, and I could eat peaches all day." My friends and I immediately started laughing at how ridiculous that line was, so hopefully they can work on some of the dialogue. But like I said, the plot development has been good, and I still like the flashbacks. This episode didn't have many flashbacks, but the few that it did have provided insight into the relationship between Miles and Monroe. I especially liked the flashbacks to their childhood that were placed among their scenes together in the present. Given that there are fifteen years of untold story, I hope the writers can continue to make good use of the flashbacks to tell that story.
The last thing I want to address is the ending and where the show goes from here. I am very glad that the showrunners decided to have the gang rescue Danny and Rachel. This half of the season was all about them trying to rescue Danny, and while it was a fine first half, I wouldn't have wanted to see that plot in the second half. It seems that the rest of the season will focus on Monroe using the amplifier that Rachel built to power-up his army and "flex his muscles," showing everyone who has the power. What I would like to see more of is the other republics. They have been mentioned a few times so far, but I think a whole story arc involving the interactions between republics would be very interesting. Also, I am interested in how Charlie and Danny will interact with their mother, whom they believed was dead. We have already seen Rachel kill two people, so I wonder how that will affect her relationship with her children. In any case, I look forward to the second half of the season, as there is potential for a new beginning for both the show and its characters.
As always, feel free to leave your thoughts on the episode, the show as a whole, or where you would like to see it go from here.
I did watch last night's episode live, and it was the show's midseason finale. This means we will not see the second half of the season until March. Therefore, I decided to write a review of the episode. I don't usually do this, but I am going to give a SPOILER ALERT because I want to address the episode's ending. So please, if you haven't seen the episode and would not like it to be spoiled, do not read this review until after you have watched it.
Knowing that this was the midseason finale, I was expecting an intense showdown between Miles (Billy Burke) and Monroe (David Lyons). The show has been building up to this moment ever since we found out that Miles used to be a commanding general in the Monroe militia, and the scene did not disappoint. After Miles takes out Monroe's soldiers, the two point guns at each other and have an intense face-off. In a scene of great acting by both Burke and Lyons, Monroe puts down his weapon and reminds Miles how they are like brothers and invites Miles to rejoin the militia. Miles puts down his weapon, but tells Monroe, "You're no the same person. ... We aren't brothers." He also says he's sorry he didn't kill Monroe the first time. The two then have sword fight which was great while it lasted. More soldiers come and Monroe tells them to kill Miles, but Miles is able to jump out of a window just in time. At first I was disappointed that nothing happened in the fight, but upon looking back, I realized that this was only the midseason finale, and we still have a whole half of a season for a resolution in the Miles-Monroe conflict. With that in mind, I think this scene was handled very well, and it provided a look into how each of them feels about their relationship.
Another great scene was when Charlie (Tracy Spiradakos) is reunited with her mother, Rachel (Elizabeth Mitchell), after being thrown into the same cell. There wasn't much dialogue between the two, but through her facial expressions and body language, Spiradakos was able to portray the confusion, anger, and joy that Charlie must have been experiencing all at once. Spiradakos, in my opinion, has proven herself to be the right choice for this show. She still has a little farther to go to become a great actress, but she is doing a fine job so far.
As I mentioned in my introduction to this review, the writing needs a little work. Overall, I think the writers have been doing a great job in how they are progressing the plot, but some of the dialogue has been cheesy. For example, in this episode, when Rachel is being taunted by one of Monroe's henchmen, he says something along the lines of, "That daughter of yours is quite the little peach, and I could eat peaches all day." My friends and I immediately started laughing at how ridiculous that line was, so hopefully they can work on some of the dialogue. But like I said, the plot development has been good, and I still like the flashbacks. This episode didn't have many flashbacks, but the few that it did have provided insight into the relationship between Miles and Monroe. I especially liked the flashbacks to their childhood that were placed among their scenes together in the present. Given that there are fifteen years of untold story, I hope the writers can continue to make good use of the flashbacks to tell that story.
The last thing I want to address is the ending and where the show goes from here. I am very glad that the showrunners decided to have the gang rescue Danny and Rachel. This half of the season was all about them trying to rescue Danny, and while it was a fine first half, I wouldn't have wanted to see that plot in the second half. It seems that the rest of the season will focus on Monroe using the amplifier that Rachel built to power-up his army and "flex his muscles," showing everyone who has the power. What I would like to see more of is the other republics. They have been mentioned a few times so far, but I think a whole story arc involving the interactions between republics would be very interesting. Also, I am interested in how Charlie and Danny will interact with their mother, whom they believed was dead. We have already seen Rachel kill two people, so I wonder how that will affect her relationship with her children. In any case, I look forward to the second half of the season, as there is potential for a new beginning for both the show and its characters.
As always, feel free to leave your thoughts on the episode, the show as a whole, or where you would like to see it go from here.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Arrow "Legacies" Review: A Break from the Norm
It's been far too long since my last post, and there are two reasons for that. 1) I've been quite busy the last month, so I haven't had much time to write. 2) For most of my shows, I don't watch them until the night after they air, so sometimes I feel like it's too late to write about them. However, I'm making an exception today because I watched Wednesday's episode of Arrow last night, and I thought it was a very strong episode and worth writing about.
First, I want to recommend this show to any of you who haven't been watching it. You don't need to be a comic book fan to enjoy it (although there are some nods to DC Comics, but those are irrelevant). Also, it's not your typical CW-style show. It has a darker tone and it isn't directed at teenage girls. It could easily be on any other broadcast network, and I would even go so far as to say it's better than some shows on the Big Four (CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC). Arrow is a great story of a man correcting the wrongs of his father and starting a new life as an entirely different person after five years of solitude. Plus, the action sequences are brilliantly shot and choreographed. So I recommend at least giving it a shot.
This episode, titled "Legacies," really showcases the supporting characters, especially Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell). So far in the series, Tommy has mainly provided comic relief and given a glimpse of Oliver's life before the island. However, in this episode we see a deeper side to Tommy and that he has feelings for Laurel (Katie Cassidy). He tries to win her over, but we can tell that she has reservations because of her past with Oliver. This sets up what will likely become a love-triangle. Donnell and Cassidy played those scenes very well and we can see via their acting the complications of their relationship. Also, although Laurel is ultimately supposed to end up with Oliver (at least according to comic canon), we can't help but be sympathetic for Tommy thanks to Donnell's portrayal.
Another supporting character that has gotten more screen time lately is John Diggle (David Ramsey). He is now working with Oliver in his fight against corruption, and it is great that Oliver has someone in whom he can confide (it also gets rid of the need for the voiceover, which was my biggest complaint from the pilot). Ramsey is one of my favorite actors on the show and Diggle one of my favorite characters, so I'm glad he has a larger role. In this episode, Diggle convinces Oliver to stop the Royal Flush Gang, a family of bank robbers loosely based on a group of the same name from the comics. Oliver is reluctant because he wants to focus on the task given him by his father, to stop the corruption of Starling City's wealthy, and finds street crime a distraction from that task. However, Diggle is able to convince him that by stopping the Gang, he is still saving the city.
I really like this plot because it provides a nice deviation from the plots of the previous episodes, in which Oliver takes down a corrupt billionaire every week. By giving Oliver a different motivation, we see a different side to him. However, the father of the family was a former employee of Oliver's father and got laid off, which led to the life of crime of his family. I have a problem with this because Oliver was atoning for the sins of his father, which means that his motivation was not as selfless as I would have liked. That said, this episode provided a bridge to what will hopefully happen in the future: Oliver stopping street crime.
The only other thing I want to say is my one issue with this episode. I didn't completely buy the scene in which a drunk Thea (Willa Holland) throws herself into Tommy's arms. It wasn't really the scene itself that bothered me but rather Holland's acting at that moment. I thought her drunkenness was a bit overdone, which is a shame because I thought Holland did great in her other scenes, especially those with Donnell. I understand that this is part of the character, but I thought Holland just overdid it this time.
Other than that, I thought this was one of the strongest episodes so far. And that's saying a lot because I thought every episode has been good so far. The show is off to an excellent start and I look forward to the rest of the season.
A few minor notes:
-Tommy invites Laurel to Coast City, which is the hometown of Hal Jordan, AKA the Green Lantern.
-The burger joint seen a few times in the show, including the end of this episode, is called Big Belly Burger, and that is taken from the comics, where it is a well-known burger chain.
-We see Felicity Smoak again in this episode. I really like her character, and I hope that she too becomes part of Oliver's team as the tech expert.
First, I want to recommend this show to any of you who haven't been watching it. You don't need to be a comic book fan to enjoy it (although there are some nods to DC Comics, but those are irrelevant). Also, it's not your typical CW-style show. It has a darker tone and it isn't directed at teenage girls. It could easily be on any other broadcast network, and I would even go so far as to say it's better than some shows on the Big Four (CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC). Arrow is a great story of a man correcting the wrongs of his father and starting a new life as an entirely different person after five years of solitude. Plus, the action sequences are brilliantly shot and choreographed. So I recommend at least giving it a shot.
This episode, titled "Legacies," really showcases the supporting characters, especially Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell). So far in the series, Tommy has mainly provided comic relief and given a glimpse of Oliver's life before the island. However, in this episode we see a deeper side to Tommy and that he has feelings for Laurel (Katie Cassidy). He tries to win her over, but we can tell that she has reservations because of her past with Oliver. This sets up what will likely become a love-triangle. Donnell and Cassidy played those scenes very well and we can see via their acting the complications of their relationship. Also, although Laurel is ultimately supposed to end up with Oliver (at least according to comic canon), we can't help but be sympathetic for Tommy thanks to Donnell's portrayal.
Another supporting character that has gotten more screen time lately is John Diggle (David Ramsey). He is now working with Oliver in his fight against corruption, and it is great that Oliver has someone in whom he can confide (it also gets rid of the need for the voiceover, which was my biggest complaint from the pilot). Ramsey is one of my favorite actors on the show and Diggle one of my favorite characters, so I'm glad he has a larger role. In this episode, Diggle convinces Oliver to stop the Royal Flush Gang, a family of bank robbers loosely based on a group of the same name from the comics. Oliver is reluctant because he wants to focus on the task given him by his father, to stop the corruption of Starling City's wealthy, and finds street crime a distraction from that task. However, Diggle is able to convince him that by stopping the Gang, he is still saving the city.
I really like this plot because it provides a nice deviation from the plots of the previous episodes, in which Oliver takes down a corrupt billionaire every week. By giving Oliver a different motivation, we see a different side to him. However, the father of the family was a former employee of Oliver's father and got laid off, which led to the life of crime of his family. I have a problem with this because Oliver was atoning for the sins of his father, which means that his motivation was not as selfless as I would have liked. That said, this episode provided a bridge to what will hopefully happen in the future: Oliver stopping street crime.
The only other thing I want to say is my one issue with this episode. I didn't completely buy the scene in which a drunk Thea (Willa Holland) throws herself into Tommy's arms. It wasn't really the scene itself that bothered me but rather Holland's acting at that moment. I thought her drunkenness was a bit overdone, which is a shame because I thought Holland did great in her other scenes, especially those with Donnell. I understand that this is part of the character, but I thought Holland just overdid it this time.
Other than that, I thought this was one of the strongest episodes so far. And that's saying a lot because I thought every episode has been good so far. The show is off to an excellent start and I look forward to the rest of the season.
A few minor notes:
-Tommy invites Laurel to Coast City, which is the hometown of Hal Jordan, AKA the Green Lantern.
-The burger joint seen a few times in the show, including the end of this episode, is called Big Belly Burger, and that is taken from the comics, where it is a well-known burger chain.
-We see Felicity Smoak again in this episode. I really like her character, and I hope that she too becomes part of Oliver's team as the tech expert.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
'Arrow' Pilot Review: Meet the Emerald Archer
Last night The CW aired the pilot of its new show Arrow. The show follows the life of DC Comics superhero Green Arrow (although here he simply goes by Arrow) in his early years. This is The CW's second superhero show, the first being Smallville, which finished its run in 2010.
In the pilot, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), a rich twentysomething who had spent most of his time partying, is finally rescued after spending five years on an island after a shipwreck that killed his father and the sister of Oliver's (now ex-) girlfriend Dinah "Laurel" Lance (Katie Cassidy). Oliver returns to find Starling City corrupted, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He dons a green hood and a bow and arrow to save the city from corruption. Meanwhile, he is hunted by Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne).
One aspect that was created for the show is Oliver's family. In the comics, both of Oliver's parents are dead, and he has no siblings. In the show, however, Oliver's mother Moira (Susanna Thompson) is alive, and Oliver has a younger sister Thea (Willa Holland), whom Oliver has nicknamed Speedy. (If you're familiar with the Green Arrow comics, you know how important this nickname is. If not, and you want a peek at what may happen later in the series, look up Speedy on Wikipedia.) Also in the picture is Moira's new husband Walter Steele (Colin Salmon), Oliver's best friend Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), and Oliver's new bodyguard John Diggle (David Ramsey). As you can see, there are many supporting characters, each, I'm sure, with their own role in the overarching story. Some roles are hinted at by the end of the episode, some may be guessed by those who know the comics, and some have yet to be revealed. Hopefully the writers can make good use of all of these characters.
Speaking of the writers, the men behind the show, Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Marc Guggenheim, did a great job with this episode. The dialogue was strong, and I like that they are using flashbacks to show Oliver's time on the island. My only complaint is Oliver's voice-over that they used throughout the episode. For some reason, it didn't seem to fit in some instances. I think I can get used to it, though, provided that they use it mainly in the flashback sequences, during which it is likely that Oliver will be the only character and there will be little to no dialogue. In any case, the voice-over writing could be sharper.
The acting was solid all around. I especially liked Amell and Cassidy, and I think the two have great chemistry. Throughout the series, Amell will have to play many different versions of the same character: the Oliver on the island, fighting to survive; the Oliver who interacts with his friends and family, hiding his secret; and Arrow, fighting crime in Starling City. After seeing the pilot, I think he will do a fine job. Cassidy's Laurel is a legal aid, so she represents the legal side of the war against corruption. Cassidy successfully portrays Laurel as both a powerful woman and an emotionally conflicted girl who just found out her ex-boyfriend, who was cheating on her with her sister, just came back from the dead. Blackthorne also stood out as the head detective in the Arrow case. I have a feeling that in the foreseeable future, Det. Lance will stop at nothing to catch this vigilante, and Blackthorne hinted at this through his acting in the pilot. The rest of the supporting cast did a fine job. No one else really stood out, but I don't have any complaints either.
Arrow might be my favorite show of the new season, not only because I am a comic book fan, but also because it was executed so well. I look forward to learning about Oliver's time on the island and how these characters will interact. Also, I'm excited to see what DC characters will be incorporated into the show (one of which was clearly hinted at very early in the episode). I have high hopes for this show, so hopefully in future episodes it can deliver as well as it did last night.
In the pilot, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), a rich twentysomething who had spent most of his time partying, is finally rescued after spending five years on an island after a shipwreck that killed his father and the sister of Oliver's (now ex-) girlfriend Dinah "Laurel" Lance (Katie Cassidy). Oliver returns to find Starling City corrupted, so he decides to take matters into his own hands. He dons a green hood and a bow and arrow to save the city from corruption. Meanwhile, he is hunted by Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne).
One aspect that was created for the show is Oliver's family. In the comics, both of Oliver's parents are dead, and he has no siblings. In the show, however, Oliver's mother Moira (Susanna Thompson) is alive, and Oliver has a younger sister Thea (Willa Holland), whom Oliver has nicknamed Speedy. (If you're familiar with the Green Arrow comics, you know how important this nickname is. If not, and you want a peek at what may happen later in the series, look up Speedy on Wikipedia.) Also in the picture is Moira's new husband Walter Steele (Colin Salmon), Oliver's best friend Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell), and Oliver's new bodyguard John Diggle (David Ramsey). As you can see, there are many supporting characters, each, I'm sure, with their own role in the overarching story. Some roles are hinted at by the end of the episode, some may be guessed by those who know the comics, and some have yet to be revealed. Hopefully the writers can make good use of all of these characters.
Speaking of the writers, the men behind the show, Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Marc Guggenheim, did a great job with this episode. The dialogue was strong, and I like that they are using flashbacks to show Oliver's time on the island. My only complaint is Oliver's voice-over that they used throughout the episode. For some reason, it didn't seem to fit in some instances. I think I can get used to it, though, provided that they use it mainly in the flashback sequences, during which it is likely that Oliver will be the only character and there will be little to no dialogue. In any case, the voice-over writing could be sharper.
The acting was solid all around. I especially liked Amell and Cassidy, and I think the two have great chemistry. Throughout the series, Amell will have to play many different versions of the same character: the Oliver on the island, fighting to survive; the Oliver who interacts with his friends and family, hiding his secret; and Arrow, fighting crime in Starling City. After seeing the pilot, I think he will do a fine job. Cassidy's Laurel is a legal aid, so she represents the legal side of the war against corruption. Cassidy successfully portrays Laurel as both a powerful woman and an emotionally conflicted girl who just found out her ex-boyfriend, who was cheating on her with her sister, just came back from the dead. Blackthorne also stood out as the head detective in the Arrow case. I have a feeling that in the foreseeable future, Det. Lance will stop at nothing to catch this vigilante, and Blackthorne hinted at this through his acting in the pilot. The rest of the supporting cast did a fine job. No one else really stood out, but I don't have any complaints either.
Arrow might be my favorite show of the new season, not only because I am a comic book fan, but also because it was executed so well. I look forward to learning about Oliver's time on the island and how these characters will interact. Also, I'm excited to see what DC characters will be incorporated into the show (one of which was clearly hinted at very early in the episode). I have high hopes for this show, so hopefully in future episodes it can deliver as well as it did last night.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
'Elementary' Pilot Review: Is There Room for Another Sherlock?
It's been a pretty busy week, so I'm a little behind in my TV. But I did watch the Elementary pilot, so here's my review.
Elementary is a new drama on CBS and a modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. In this adaptation Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) has been sent to New York by his father to recover from his drug problem. His father hires Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) as a live-in sober companion. Holmes spends his time as a consulting detective for the NYPD.
Miller plays Holmes with all the usual traits and eccentricities. He is able to deduce things about people just by looking at them. He also has little regard for people's feelings. Miller did a fine job portraying these traits, which are common in Holmes adaptations. What surprised me, though, was that toward the end of the episode, Holmes was, at times, a bit more sentimental, something we don't always see in a Sherlock Holmes story. Miller did a great job in these scenes, proving that he was the right choice for Holmes.
We got to know Watson fairly well in this episode, as Holmes deduced that she used to be a surgeon by looking at her hands. A background plot line involved Watson's past and led to those sentimental moments toward the end. I thought Liu did a decent job as Watson, but I found her to be a little dry at times. However, I think that as episodes go on, she will get better. I think my problem may be with the fact that they are using a female Watson. One of my favorite things about the Holmes stories is the bromance between Holmes and Watson, so it was odd seeing a female as a character who becomes Holmes's best friend. I fear that the writers may be tempted to create romantic tension between the two, and I hope they resist that temptation. I think this show will work best as long as the two characters become friends and nothing more.
Speaking of the writers, I thought the writing in this episode was very strong, especially in the dialogue between Holmes and Watson. Now I must bring up BBC's Sherlock, which has some of the best writing on any TV show that I watch. Elementary's writing was not as good as Sherlock's, but it held up pretty well. I think they can make his deductions slicker and some of the other dialogue smoother, but the Holmes-Watson dialogue is good so far. I was pleasantly surprised.
Being a CBS procedural, the plot was quite predictable. But other than that, I thought this was a strong pilot. Although I don't usually like procedurals (with a few exceptions), I will try to keep up with Elementary since I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. However, it will not be very high priority, so don't expect me to write about it a lot.
If you watched the pilot, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Elementary is a new drama on CBS and a modern adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. In this adaptation Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) has been sent to New York by his father to recover from his drug problem. His father hires Joan Watson (Lucy Liu) as a live-in sober companion. Holmes spends his time as a consulting detective for the NYPD.
Miller plays Holmes with all the usual traits and eccentricities. He is able to deduce things about people just by looking at them. He also has little regard for people's feelings. Miller did a fine job portraying these traits, which are common in Holmes adaptations. What surprised me, though, was that toward the end of the episode, Holmes was, at times, a bit more sentimental, something we don't always see in a Sherlock Holmes story. Miller did a great job in these scenes, proving that he was the right choice for Holmes.
We got to know Watson fairly well in this episode, as Holmes deduced that she used to be a surgeon by looking at her hands. A background plot line involved Watson's past and led to those sentimental moments toward the end. I thought Liu did a decent job as Watson, but I found her to be a little dry at times. However, I think that as episodes go on, she will get better. I think my problem may be with the fact that they are using a female Watson. One of my favorite things about the Holmes stories is the bromance between Holmes and Watson, so it was odd seeing a female as a character who becomes Holmes's best friend. I fear that the writers may be tempted to create romantic tension between the two, and I hope they resist that temptation. I think this show will work best as long as the two characters become friends and nothing more.
Speaking of the writers, I thought the writing in this episode was very strong, especially in the dialogue between Holmes and Watson. Now I must bring up BBC's Sherlock, which has some of the best writing on any TV show that I watch. Elementary's writing was not as good as Sherlock's, but it held up pretty well. I think they can make his deductions slicker and some of the other dialogue smoother, but the Holmes-Watson dialogue is good so far. I was pleasantly surprised.
Being a CBS procedural, the plot was quite predictable. But other than that, I thought this was a strong pilot. Although I don't usually like procedurals (with a few exceptions), I will try to keep up with Elementary since I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. However, it will not be very high priority, so don't expect me to write about it a lot.
If you watched the pilot, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Premiere Week Roundup
I almost did it. The only premiere that I didn't get to this week was Elementary (and the ones I put in bold, but those don't count), so once I watch it, it will probably get its own post. Also, I wanted to write this post before the end of the weekend, so I will review tonight's premiere(s) (most importantly, Homeland) within the next few days.
Now I'm going to briefly review the seven premieres that I watched this week. I will sort them by network, and I will give each of them a rating out of five.
CBS
How I Met Your Mother:
It has yet to be confirmed whether this season of HIMYM will be its last. I, for one, hope that it is because the show has lost steam the past couple of seasons. That said, the premiere was strong and brought Ted closer to the mother than ever before. I look forward to seeing how all the clues they have dropped since the beginning tie together in the end (if it is indeed the end).
Rating: 3.5
Hawaii Five-0:
This premiere was very intense. It picked up exactly where the finale left off, and it definitely delivered. I was somewhat disappointed by parts of last season, so I hope this season will remain as strong as it began. There is plenty of story to tell this season. Chin has suffered a loss, Danny is in a legal battle with his ex-wife, and Steve just found out his mother is not dead after all. Here's hoping they can maintain these story lines while delivering the intensity that they showed in the premiere.
Rating: 4
The Big Bang Theory:
Last season's finale was one of the best of the series, so I was slightly disappointed by this premiere. Howard argues with his mother, Leonard's relationship with Penny is awkward, and Raj is lonely...so nothing new (except that Howard is arguing from space). The only advancements we seem to be making are in the relationship between Sheldon and Amy. The two have a date night which is, in a word, interesting. The episode was still funny, but the plot was dry. I hope the writers can pick it up this season.
Rating: 3
Person of Interest:
Like The Big Bang Theory, last season's finale was amazing. Unlike The Big Bang Theory, this premiere did not disappoint. With Finch kidnapped, Reese must proceed on his own, which is an interesting new dynamic. My only request for this season is more flashbacks so we can delve deeper into the characters' pasts. In this episode, we see into the past of the machine, which has more or less become another character. I am very interested to see where they go with this season and how quickly Finch is rescued.
Rating: 5
FOX
New Girl:
FOX aired two episodes of New Girl on Tuesday, and they were both hilarious. I won't dwell too much on this premiere because all I need to say is that the show is hilarious and if you aren't watching it, you should be.
Rating: 5
ABC
Modern Family:
Although the story lines aren't always the most original, this show has some of the most consistently funny writing. The premiere was no exception. It was interesting how they handled this episode. It picked up right where the finale left off, where most sitcoms do a time jump to coincide with when the episodes are airing. At the end of the episode, there was a time jump to a few months later. I thought that was handled nicely. Finally, Ed O'Neill was amazing in this episode and proved that he should've won the Emmy last week.
Rating: 4
Last Resort:
I was actually quite surprised by this pilot. It was very well done, but I have some worries about it. A lot of characters were introduced, so I hope that they can develop them well. Also, it seems that this show will either be really good or will drop in quality fast since the pilot was so intense. Lastly, I hope they find a good way to use Autumn Reeser's character because I like her, but some of her scenes seemed out of place. I really look forward to the rest of this season.
Rating: 4.5
Wow. That ended up being a lot longer than I wanted it to be. I think it's safe to assume I won't be doing any more of these all-encompassing posts. I know these reviews were not very detailed, but I'll try to do detailed reviews for some future episodes. For now, excuse me while I massage my fingers.
Now I'm going to briefly review the seven premieres that I watched this week. I will sort them by network, and I will give each of them a rating out of five.
CBS
How I Met Your Mother:
It has yet to be confirmed whether this season of HIMYM will be its last. I, for one, hope that it is because the show has lost steam the past couple of seasons. That said, the premiere was strong and brought Ted closer to the mother than ever before. I look forward to seeing how all the clues they have dropped since the beginning tie together in the end (if it is indeed the end).
Rating: 3.5
Hawaii Five-0:
This premiere was very intense. It picked up exactly where the finale left off, and it definitely delivered. I was somewhat disappointed by parts of last season, so I hope this season will remain as strong as it began. There is plenty of story to tell this season. Chin has suffered a loss, Danny is in a legal battle with his ex-wife, and Steve just found out his mother is not dead after all. Here's hoping they can maintain these story lines while delivering the intensity that they showed in the premiere.
Rating: 4
The Big Bang Theory:
Last season's finale was one of the best of the series, so I was slightly disappointed by this premiere. Howard argues with his mother, Leonard's relationship with Penny is awkward, and Raj is lonely...so nothing new (except that Howard is arguing from space). The only advancements we seem to be making are in the relationship between Sheldon and Amy. The two have a date night which is, in a word, interesting. The episode was still funny, but the plot was dry. I hope the writers can pick it up this season.
Rating: 3
Person of Interest:
Like The Big Bang Theory, last season's finale was amazing. Unlike The Big Bang Theory, this premiere did not disappoint. With Finch kidnapped, Reese must proceed on his own, which is an interesting new dynamic. My only request for this season is more flashbacks so we can delve deeper into the characters' pasts. In this episode, we see into the past of the machine, which has more or less become another character. I am very interested to see where they go with this season and how quickly Finch is rescued.
Rating: 5
FOX
New Girl:
FOX aired two episodes of New Girl on Tuesday, and they were both hilarious. I won't dwell too much on this premiere because all I need to say is that the show is hilarious and if you aren't watching it, you should be.
Rating: 5
ABC
Modern Family:
Although the story lines aren't always the most original, this show has some of the most consistently funny writing. The premiere was no exception. It was interesting how they handled this episode. It picked up right where the finale left off, where most sitcoms do a time jump to coincide with when the episodes are airing. At the end of the episode, there was a time jump to a few months later. I thought that was handled nicely. Finally, Ed O'Neill was amazing in this episode and proved that he should've won the Emmy last week.
Rating: 4
Last Resort:
I was actually quite surprised by this pilot. It was very well done, but I have some worries about it. A lot of characters were introduced, so I hope that they can develop them well. Also, it seems that this show will either be really good or will drop in quality fast since the pilot was so intense. Lastly, I hope they find a good way to use Autumn Reeser's character because I like her, but some of her scenes seemed out of place. I really look forward to the rest of this season.
Rating: 4.5
Wow. That ended up being a lot longer than I wanted it to be. I think it's safe to assume I won't be doing any more of these all-encompassing posts. I know these reviews were not very detailed, but I'll try to do detailed reviews for some future episodes. For now, excuse me while I massage my fingers.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Prelude to Premiere Week
The 2012 fall TV season is upon us. While some shows have already premiered, the vast majority of shows start this week. This means that I have a very difficult task ahead of me: watching a large number shows in the little free time that I have. That said, I would like to warn you that most of my posts from here on out will likely be at least a day or two after the shows they are about air. I will do my best to watch some shows live if I can, in which case I may write a post that night, but don't expect many of those. Also, I may end up grouping shows together to save time. Lastly, my plan for this first week is to wait until I have watched everything and do one post with short reviews for everything. Then, in the weeks that follow, I will probably do more focused posts.
What I want to do now is provide you with a list of which premieres I plan on watching this week. The shows in bold are ones that I'm not sure if I will watch and will probably only watch if I have time. All times are Eastern.
Monday 9/24
How I Met Your Mother (CBS 8:00)
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS 10:00)
Tuesday 9/25
New Girl (FOX 8:00)
Ben and Kate (FOX 8:30)
Vegas (CBS 10:00)
Wednesday 9/26
Modern Family (ABC 9:00)
The Neighbors (ABC 9:30)*
Thursday 9/27
Last Resort (ABC 8:00)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS 8:00)
Person of Interest (CBS 9:00)
Elementary (CBS 10:00)
Sunday 9/30
Family Guy (FOX 9:00)
Homeland (Showtime)
666 Park Avenue (ABC 10:00)
*I don't really have any desire to watch The Neighbors, but I think I might watch the pilot just to see how ridiculous it is. If you haven't heard about it, you can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_iJy5auBko
So that's what I have ahead of me this week, not to mention the few other shows that have already premiered. Wish me luck, and happy viewing!
What I want to do now is provide you with a list of which premieres I plan on watching this week. The shows in bold are ones that I'm not sure if I will watch and will probably only watch if I have time. All times are Eastern.
Monday 9/24
How I Met Your Mother (CBS 8:00)
Hawaii Five-0 (CBS 10:00)
Tuesday 9/25
New Girl (FOX 8:00)
Ben and Kate (FOX 8:30)
Vegas (CBS 10:00)
Wednesday 9/26
Modern Family (ABC 9:00)
The Neighbors (ABC 9:30)*
Thursday 9/27
Last Resort (ABC 8:00)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS 8:00)
Person of Interest (CBS 9:00)
Elementary (CBS 10:00)
Sunday 9/30
Family Guy (FOX 9:00)
Homeland (Showtime)
666 Park Avenue (ABC 10:00)
*I don't really have any desire to watch The Neighbors, but I think I might watch the pilot just to see how ridiculous it is. If you haven't heard about it, you can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_iJy5auBko
So that's what I have ahead of me this week, not to mention the few other shows that have already premiered. Wish me luck, and happy viewing!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
'Revolution' Pilot Review: Power Struggles
On Thursday I went to an advanced screening of the pilot of the the NBC show Revolution. I'll try not to spoil the episode for those who haven't seen it, but if you want to watch it before reading this, you can watch it at nbc.com/revolution.
Overall I was very impressed by the pilot. I had high hopes that it would be good but was unsure whether it would deliver. By now you probably know what the show is about, but I'll give a brief summary anyway. Fifteen years after a mysterious blackout, humans must survive without cars, batteries, and anything electronic. Firearms have been outlawed, which explains the sword fighting and crossbows seen in the promos, and militias have risen under the mysterious General Monroe.
The show is centered on Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos), daughter of Ben Matheson (Tim Guinee) who seems to know something about the blackout. Charlie's brother Danny (Graham Rogers) is taken by militia leader Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) after Ben is killed. With his dying breath, Ben tells Charlie to go to Chicago to find his brother Miles (Billy Burke), who will know how to find Danny. Charlie takes on this mission, accompanied by Ben's girlfriend Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips) and his friend Aaron (Zak Orth).
Almost all of the actors gave great performances. Both Esposito, coming off of an outstanding season of Breaking Bad, and Burke were great in their respective scenes. I look forward to seeing more of them, and hopefully they will share some scenes soon because I would love to see them face off. I was especially surprised by Spiridakos's performance. I was not expecting her to convince me as the young heroine, but she did. Hopefully she can keep it up in the episodes to come. The last performance I want to mention is that of Orth, who provides the comic relief in the show. He had some good one-liners in this episode, so I hope the writers can use him well.
I have to give credit to Jon Favreau (director of the first two Iron Man movies), who directed this episode. He did a fantastic job, but I worry that he may have set the bar too high for future directors. We'll see how they do, but I hope that Favreau comes back at some point, provided that the show continues.
Which leads to my final point: the future of the show. As most hardcore TV fans know, NBC has been struggling with getting dramas off the ground, especially high-concept ones like this. The Event was a massive failure, and Awake, though a great show in my opinion, failed to find an audience. I believe that what this show needs is great character development, something that The Event lacked. The pilot did a decent job at giving us insight into what is driving the characters, but there is still room for improvement. If the writers can make us care about the characters, while simultaneously provide us with an engrossing mystery, I believe the show will succeed.
Revolution is off to a very fine start. I look forward to the rest of the season and hopefully future seasons. There is so much story to tell and so many characters to flesh out, so the people behind the show have a lot of work ahead of them. Here's hoping they can create a show that can reel in viewers and last more than one season. If you're interested, tune in Mondays at 10/9c starting on September 17.
Overall I was very impressed by the pilot. I had high hopes that it would be good but was unsure whether it would deliver. By now you probably know what the show is about, but I'll give a brief summary anyway. Fifteen years after a mysterious blackout, humans must survive without cars, batteries, and anything electronic. Firearms have been outlawed, which explains the sword fighting and crossbows seen in the promos, and militias have risen under the mysterious General Monroe.
The show is centered on Charlie Matheson (Tracy Spiridakos), daughter of Ben Matheson (Tim Guinee) who seems to know something about the blackout. Charlie's brother Danny (Graham Rogers) is taken by militia leader Tom Neville (Giancarlo Esposito) after Ben is killed. With his dying breath, Ben tells Charlie to go to Chicago to find his brother Miles (Billy Burke), who will know how to find Danny. Charlie takes on this mission, accompanied by Ben's girlfriend Maggie (Anna Lise Phillips) and his friend Aaron (Zak Orth).
Almost all of the actors gave great performances. Both Esposito, coming off of an outstanding season of Breaking Bad, and Burke were great in their respective scenes. I look forward to seeing more of them, and hopefully they will share some scenes soon because I would love to see them face off. I was especially surprised by Spiridakos's performance. I was not expecting her to convince me as the young heroine, but she did. Hopefully she can keep it up in the episodes to come. The last performance I want to mention is that of Orth, who provides the comic relief in the show. He had some good one-liners in this episode, so I hope the writers can use him well.
I have to give credit to Jon Favreau (director of the first two Iron Man movies), who directed this episode. He did a fantastic job, but I worry that he may have set the bar too high for future directors. We'll see how they do, but I hope that Favreau comes back at some point, provided that the show continues.
Which leads to my final point: the future of the show. As most hardcore TV fans know, NBC has been struggling with getting dramas off the ground, especially high-concept ones like this. The Event was a massive failure, and Awake, though a great show in my opinion, failed to find an audience. I believe that what this show needs is great character development, something that The Event lacked. The pilot did a decent job at giving us insight into what is driving the characters, but there is still room for improvement. If the writers can make us care about the characters, while simultaneously provide us with an engrossing mystery, I believe the show will succeed.
Revolution is off to a very fine start. I look forward to the rest of the season and hopefully future seasons. There is so much story to tell and so many characters to flesh out, so the people behind the show have a lot of work ahead of them. Here's hoping they can create a show that can reel in viewers and last more than one season. If you're interested, tune in Mondays at 10/9c starting on September 17.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
My Most Anticipated New Fall Shows
It's been quite some time since my last post, but, summer TV being what it is, there hasn't been much to say. Plus, I've been busy getting ready for and moving into college, so I haven't had much time. So today I figured I would do another list, this time of the new fall shows that I'm most excited for.
1. Revolution (NBC)
If you watched the Olympics, you probably saw the promos for this show many times. Taking place 15 years after a mysterious event rid the world of all electricity, this show promises to be the most complex of the new season. Early buzz has been that the pilot was very good, which makes me even more excited. However, NBC has a poor track record when it comes to high-concept shows like this one (see: Awake, The Event, My Own Worst Enemy), so we'll see how far this one goes. I am going to the advance screening of the pilot here in Boston on Thursday, so expect a full review this weekend. In the meantime, I believe you can watch the pilot on YouTube.
Premiere: September 17 at 10:00 (all times are Eastern time)
2. Arrow (The CW)
As I briefly mentioned in my first post , I am a big DC Comics fan, so when I heard that a show about the Green Arrow was in development, I was quite excited. This pilot has also been praised by both critics and fans who saw it at Comic-Con. The show is most likely an attempt by The CW to get back the male viewers that they lost when Smallville ended, which is a fine plan, as long as the show is good. The show-runners have promised that other DC characters will show up in the series, so I will definitely be tuning in to this one.
Premiere: October 10 at 8:00
3. Last Resort (ABC)
I don't know much about this show except that it's about a submarine crew that refuses to follow an order to attack a country and are then considered enemies of the United States. I have no clue where the show will go from there, but, based on the concept and the generally good marks given by critics, it could become the network's most popular drama since Lost, provided that subsequent episodes don't drop in quality.
Premiere: September 27 at 8:00
4. Elementary (CBS)
This is the show about which I am the most skeptical. Centered around Sherlock Holmes, who moves to New York to solve crimes, it is sure to be a hit with the normal viewers of CBS procedurals. However, for people like me who are fans of Sherlock, it will inevitably be compared to the excellent BBC show. The oddest thing about the show is the casting of Lucy Liu as Dr. (Joan) Watson. It's an interesting twist, but I'm not sure how it will play out to the Holmes fans. I will definitely check it out, but the pilot is really going to have to hook me in order for me to continue watching.
Premiere: September 27 at 10:00
1. Revolution (NBC)
If you watched the Olympics, you probably saw the promos for this show many times. Taking place 15 years after a mysterious event rid the world of all electricity, this show promises to be the most complex of the new season. Early buzz has been that the pilot was very good, which makes me even more excited. However, NBC has a poor track record when it comes to high-concept shows like this one (see: Awake, The Event, My Own Worst Enemy), so we'll see how far this one goes. I am going to the advance screening of the pilot here in Boston on Thursday, so expect a full review this weekend. In the meantime, I believe you can watch the pilot on YouTube.
Premiere: September 17 at 10:00 (all times are Eastern time)
2. Arrow (The CW)
As I briefly mentioned in my first post , I am a big DC Comics fan, so when I heard that a show about the Green Arrow was in development, I was quite excited. This pilot has also been praised by both critics and fans who saw it at Comic-Con. The show is most likely an attempt by The CW to get back the male viewers that they lost when Smallville ended, which is a fine plan, as long as the show is good. The show-runners have promised that other DC characters will show up in the series, so I will definitely be tuning in to this one.
Premiere: October 10 at 8:00
3. Last Resort (ABC)
I don't know much about this show except that it's about a submarine crew that refuses to follow an order to attack a country and are then considered enemies of the United States. I have no clue where the show will go from there, but, based on the concept and the generally good marks given by critics, it could become the network's most popular drama since Lost, provided that subsequent episodes don't drop in quality.
Premiere: September 27 at 8:00
4. Elementary (CBS)
This is the show about which I am the most skeptical. Centered around Sherlock Holmes, who moves to New York to solve crimes, it is sure to be a hit with the normal viewers of CBS procedurals. However, for people like me who are fans of Sherlock, it will inevitably be compared to the excellent BBC show. The oddest thing about the show is the casting of Lucy Liu as Dr. (Joan) Watson. It's an interesting twist, but I'm not sure how it will play out to the Holmes fans. I will definitely check it out, but the pilot is really going to have to hook me in order for me to continue watching.
Premiere: September 27 at 10:00
Sunday, August 19, 2012
'Luther' Review: How Crime Dramas Should Be Done
At a recent family gathering I was talking to my uncle about TV. He recommended BBC's Luther, saying, "It's almost as good as Sherlock." Naturally, I had to check it out on Netflix, and I'm extremely glad that I did.
Luther stars Idris Elba, whom you may know as Charles Miner on The Office, as DCI John Luther, who must confront his personal issues along with his murder cases. Sounds like every other crime drama on TV, right? That's why I was skeptical at first, as I am not usually a fan of police procedurals. However, Luther takes the genre and brings it to a new level with some very interesting cases, to the point that the show resembles a thriller film. That, along with Elba's great acting as the temperamental detective, make this show worth watching.
The show also features one of the most intriguing television characters I've seen since Lost's Ben Linus: Alice Morgan, played to perfection by Ruth Wilson. In the pilot episode, Alice is suspected of murdering her parents. She becomes a regular character in the series, as she and Luther develop an...odd relationship. I wish I could say more about Alice Morgan, but I don't want to spoil the most intriguing aspect of the show.
All in all, Luther is a must for fans of crime dramas, thrillers, or British TV. All ten episodes are on Netflix, and a third season of four episodes has been commissioned and will likely air in 2013. Check it out, then come back and tell me what you think.
Luther stars Idris Elba, whom you may know as Charles Miner on The Office, as DCI John Luther, who must confront his personal issues along with his murder cases. Sounds like every other crime drama on TV, right? That's why I was skeptical at first, as I am not usually a fan of police procedurals. However, Luther takes the genre and brings it to a new level with some very interesting cases, to the point that the show resembles a thriller film. That, along with Elba's great acting as the temperamental detective, make this show worth watching.
The show also features one of the most intriguing television characters I've seen since Lost's Ben Linus: Alice Morgan, played to perfection by Ruth Wilson. In the pilot episode, Alice is suspected of murdering her parents. She becomes a regular character in the series, as she and Luther develop an...odd relationship. I wish I could say more about Alice Morgan, but I don't want to spoil the most intriguing aspect of the show.
All in all, Luther is a must for fans of crime dramas, thrillers, or British TV. All ten episodes are on Netflix, and a third season of four episodes has been commissioned and will likely air in 2013. Check it out, then come back and tell me what you think.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Introduction and Top 5 Shows
So here it goes. My very first post on my very first blog. I figured I'd use this post as an introduction to the blog and the person behind it.
I can't tell you when my love of TV started. What I can tell you is that over the past five years or so, I've followed so many shows, I can't even count them all. Believe me, I've tried counting them on a few occasions and failed miserably. It has gotten to a point where while most people dread the end of summer, I welcome it because it means that the fall TV season is starting soon. So I've finally decided to do something productive and start a blog where I can ramble on about my favorite shows, while simultaneously work on my writing skills. See? TV can be good for you.
Now before I get angry comments in the future, let me warn you that, while I watch a lot of shows, I don't watch all of them. That means I may not write about your favorite show. Believe it or not, there are some shows that I don't like and refuse to watch. That said, I am always open to new TV shows, so if you would like to recommend a show to me, please do. All I ask is that you make a case for it, and perhaps recommend a certain episode that would get me hooked. If I get around to watching it, I just might write a review.
Now to the fun part. I decided to include in this introduction post my 5 favorite TV shows of all time along with a brief description of why I like them.
5. Smallville
While this may not be the most well-made show, it holds a special place in my heart. This show, about a teenage Clark Kent before he becomes Superman, sparked my fascination in DC Comics. It took the well-known comic book characters and created a whole new universe around them. Like any show that lasts 10 years, it had its bad seasons, but overall it told a great coming-of-age story with one of the country's most famous characters.
4. Psych
This show, about a fake psychic detective, is, in my opinion, one of the most consistently funny shows on TV. The jokes are very well-written, and the chemistry between the two leads, James Roday and Dulé Hill, is undeniable. In recent seasons, the show has focused on themed episodes, including the acclaimed Twin Peaks episode. The upcoming seventh season will include a musical episode, which promises to be great, especially since the actors have already proven that they can sing.
3. Suits
Now in its second season, Suits has proven to be one of the most smartly-written shows on TV. The pilot episode includes one of my favorite scenes in any pilot ever, in which Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory, convinces big-shot lawyer Harvey Specter to hire him as an associate at New York's most prestigious law firm. This season has raised the stakes exponentially, and every episode so far has been phenomenal. If I had to suggest only one show to catch up on, it would be a tough choice between this and...
2. Sherlock
This one just barely beat out Suits for number 2. While Suits may be more fun, Sherlock is more well-written and well-acted. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are great as the famous pair of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The great thing about this show is that each episode is 90 minutes, so each one is like a whole movie. The bad thing is that each season is only three episodes, with about a year between seasons. But that is easily overlooked because of how good the show is and how much plot is fit into those three episodes.
And that leaves my favorite show of all time...
1. Lost
Lost is easily my favorite show for a number of reasons. First of all, it created a mythology that transcended the show and engaged fans worldwide. Secondly, and more importantly, it succeeded at something with which many shows struggle: character development. From the very beginning, Lost made us care about the characters by providing flashbacks in every episode to various characters' lives before the crash. Say what you will about the show not answering all of the questions that it raised, but one thing it never lost track of was what the show was ultimately about: the characters.
Thus ends my list and introduction. Sound off in the comments with your thoughts or your own top 5. And if you like what you read, please subscribe, follow, share, tweet, or whatever it is that you do.
I can't tell you when my love of TV started. What I can tell you is that over the past five years or so, I've followed so many shows, I can't even count them all. Believe me, I've tried counting them on a few occasions and failed miserably. It has gotten to a point where while most people dread the end of summer, I welcome it because it means that the fall TV season is starting soon. So I've finally decided to do something productive and start a blog where I can ramble on about my favorite shows, while simultaneously work on my writing skills. See? TV can be good for you.
Now before I get angry comments in the future, let me warn you that, while I watch a lot of shows, I don't watch all of them. That means I may not write about your favorite show. Believe it or not, there are some shows that I don't like and refuse to watch. That said, I am always open to new TV shows, so if you would like to recommend a show to me, please do. All I ask is that you make a case for it, and perhaps recommend a certain episode that would get me hooked. If I get around to watching it, I just might write a review.
Now to the fun part. I decided to include in this introduction post my 5 favorite TV shows of all time along with a brief description of why I like them.
5. Smallville
While this may not be the most well-made show, it holds a special place in my heart. This show, about a teenage Clark Kent before he becomes Superman, sparked my fascination in DC Comics. It took the well-known comic book characters and created a whole new universe around them. Like any show that lasts 10 years, it had its bad seasons, but overall it told a great coming-of-age story with one of the country's most famous characters.
4. Psych
This show, about a fake psychic detective, is, in my opinion, one of the most consistently funny shows on TV. The jokes are very well-written, and the chemistry between the two leads, James Roday and Dulé Hill, is undeniable. In recent seasons, the show has focused on themed episodes, including the acclaimed Twin Peaks episode. The upcoming seventh season will include a musical episode, which promises to be great, especially since the actors have already proven that they can sing.
3. Suits
Now in its second season, Suits has proven to be one of the most smartly-written shows on TV. The pilot episode includes one of my favorite scenes in any pilot ever, in which Mike Ross, a college dropout with a photographic memory, convinces big-shot lawyer Harvey Specter to hire him as an associate at New York's most prestigious law firm. This season has raised the stakes exponentially, and every episode so far has been phenomenal. If I had to suggest only one show to catch up on, it would be a tough choice between this and...
This one just barely beat out Suits for number 2. While Suits may be more fun, Sherlock is more well-written and well-acted. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are great as the famous pair of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The great thing about this show is that each episode is 90 minutes, so each one is like a whole movie. The bad thing is that each season is only three episodes, with about a year between seasons. But that is easily overlooked because of how good the show is and how much plot is fit into those three episodes.
And that leaves my favorite show of all time...
Lost is easily my favorite show for a number of reasons. First of all, it created a mythology that transcended the show and engaged fans worldwide. Secondly, and more importantly, it succeeded at something with which many shows struggle: character development. From the very beginning, Lost made us care about the characters by providing flashbacks in every episode to various characters' lives before the crash. Say what you will about the show not answering all of the questions that it raised, but one thing it never lost track of was what the show was ultimately about: the characters.
Thus ends my list and introduction. Sound off in the comments with your thoughts or your own top 5. And if you like what you read, please subscribe, follow, share, tweet, or whatever it is that you do.
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