And we're back
Aug. 30th, 2010 06:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bennet_7I finished/handed in my thesis a couple of weeks ago and since then I have been decompressing. This has involved sleeping in late, taking the time to cook elaborate meals, reading books with no other purpose than enjoyment, re-establishing contact with friends and family, and watching a lot of TV that I missed out on.
Here are my thoughts on various shows.
10 Things I Hate About You A-
The finale was shot before they found out that the show was canceled so there was a very annoying cliffhanger. But as the executive producer revealed that the next season would have involved both Kat and Bianca in love triangles (Bianca with Joey and Cameron *head desk*) I'm kind of glad that it ended here. It was a good little show and I shall miss it but in the words of Seth Cohen: "the triangle is not a friendly shape, okay? It's pointy, it's got sharp edges. Triangles hurt people." I hate love triangles with a passion.
Chuck B+
This is one of those shows that I like a lot but don't love. I'm not a shipper, I don't seek out fic, and I don't think about it when I'm not watching it. That being said, I was frustrated by the early eps of this season where they introduced new love interests for Chuck and Sarah because it seemed like a sloppy way to keep those two apart for the sake of tension when the show and the characters themselves have acknowledged that they love each other. The back half was a lot better in terms of writing their relationship well, but the plot line about the intersect felt rushed and condensed. The writers knew that they didn't have the time for that story - they should have told another one.
Community A+
My favourite new comedy of the season that I never talked about (writing a thesis is hard, yo'). I love the characters, the cast, the dialogue, the continuity, and the pop culture references. On the shipping front I am Britta/Jeff but Annie/Jeff don't bother me. I am appalled that Modern Warfare did not get nominated for best direction/writing at the Emmys. However, I am sure that Abed will make a thinly veiled reference to it next season under the guise of talking about other under-appreciated shows.
Dance Academy B+
This is something I've picked up in the past few weeks. It's actually an Australian series aimed at teens but not being part of the target demo has never stopped me before. Australia actually makes really good kids TV shows - they tend to be smart, witty, and handle the requisite teen *issues* with depth and understanding.
Now, Dance Academy is not the best I've seen but it's still very good. It's basically Centre Stage: Down Under but that's ok. The main character has bad technique but is a natural on stage, there's the "best goddamn dancer in theAmerican Ballet Academy National Academy of Dance. Who the hell are you? Nobody" - she has an eating disorder, the one who doesn't take it seriously, the older dancer who the main character has a crush on, the talented classmate who has a crush on her, and one of the guys might be gay. The acting is generally pretty good, with the main character being the weakest of the lot. However, she was 15 when they filmed and she can do this:
The dancing is really good. A lot of classical ballet, but also a fair amount of hip hop and contemporary. I'm hoping they make a second series.
Doctor Who A (docking a mark for the lizard people two parter)
I really love David Tennant but damn, I love Eleven more than Ten. Matt Smith is just excellent - I think he shows restraint when Tennant would have gone big in certain moments and I always like restrained acting. Plus, he has The Moff writing for him and The Moff wrote a compelling season long arc and a season finale that delivered on it without turning into an angst-fest (Steven, I forgive you for not writing a Press Gang reunion show, although that's not to say that I wouldn't still like a Press Gang reunion show). Love Amy, love Rory, love Amy/Rory, love the idea of unrequited Eleven/Amy, love River, hope we get to see the first meeting between the Doctor and River next series.
The Good Wife A
As much as I wish she would, I don't think Alicia's going to leave her husband anytime too soon. I now trust these writers quite a bit so I'm really looking forward to the next season.
How I Met Your Mother C-
How much did this show suck this year? So much. If ever a show needed an end date it would be this one. Still, I'll tune in next year in the hope that they lift their game.
Modern Family A
Wonderful. I like it best when they mix up the families and we get really odd pairings.
The Office C+
Another disappointing season from a long running comedy. The could have gotten more mileage out of the Jim-as-boss arc but instead they returned to the status quo too quickly. Again, I'll give the next season a chance but they really need to improve. Also remember when Jim said this?
Oh Jim. Sure it's more realistic for him and Pam to stay, but gosh do I want them to leave.
Parks and Recreation A+
Most weeks it was this and Community duking it out for the title of 'My Favourite Thing'. Parks improved so much in its second season, becoming an amazing show. I love all the characters so much (Ron F*ing Swanson! April! Andy! DJ Roomba!) but how great is Leslie Knope? So great. I love how feminist she is (Galentine's Day!!!), how much she cares about doing her job well and helping others, and how she is capable of having functioning romantic relationships. Truly, in the TV landscape, Leslie is quite novel. This is a great article on why Leslie makes for a better feminist and female role model than Liz Lemon of 30 Rock.
I'm really looking forward to the next season (and am gutted that they pushed it til January) because: Rob Lowe! Adam Scott! Sam Seaborn was my favourite character on The West Wing and Lowe had great comedic timing playing that character. So far I find him hilarious as Chris (running to the moon! You should hydrate!) so I really hope he sticks around. And if Party Down had to be canceled, I'm glad Adam Scott ended up on this show. He and Poehler have great chemistry and I think he'll probably be a better foil for the rest of the cast than Paul Schneider (I have loved Schneider in many things but they never really found the right use for him as Mark).
The Vampire Diaries A
This is another show that I have started watching since ceasing studying (look at that alliteration! Honours in English: it has value after all!). I initially avoided it like the plague when it started airing - it seemed to have come about simply to cash in on That Which Shall Not Be Named In This Blog, the vampire fad in general, plus I loathe love triangles with the fire of a thousand suns (I love hyperbole, though!). So when people started saying it was good, I figured that it was just trashy-good. And then more and more people started saying that it was legit-good, with plotting and narrative arcs and resolutions and stuff. Well, if there is one thing I like it's good story telling so I checked it out. And guys, it is really good!
It answers questions that the audience have. It maintains tension and suspense without (too many) cheap tricks. Story lines get resolved. Characters continue to be affected by traumatic events. The mythology is (mostly) believable (they do need to explain this vampire on-off switch for emotions, though. That I have a hard time buying).
On the shipping front, the fandom is overwhelmingly Elena/Damon (that is, Awesome Heroine/Bad Brother). I, just to be contrary, like Elena/Stefan (Awesome Heroine/(Relatively) Good Brother). Actually no, I just find Damon too bad (aka murderous abusive bastard) for my tastes and prefer Stefan's quiet charm and struggle to do good.
The feared love triangle, such a prominent part of the promotional materials for the show, doesn't really become a factor until the end of season 1. If it becomes the focus of season 2, they may lose me yet. But if they continue to tell good stories and use their talented ensemble cast well, I'll be around for a while.
So El-Jay, what's up?
Here are my thoughts on various shows.
10 Things I Hate About You A-
The finale was shot before they found out that the show was canceled so there was a very annoying cliffhanger. But as the executive producer revealed that the next season would have involved both Kat and Bianca in love triangles (Bianca with Joey and Cameron *head desk*) I'm kind of glad that it ended here. It was a good little show and I shall miss it but in the words of Seth Cohen: "the triangle is not a friendly shape, okay? It's pointy, it's got sharp edges. Triangles hurt people." I hate love triangles with a passion.
Chuck B+
This is one of those shows that I like a lot but don't love. I'm not a shipper, I don't seek out fic, and I don't think about it when I'm not watching it. That being said, I was frustrated by the early eps of this season where they introduced new love interests for Chuck and Sarah because it seemed like a sloppy way to keep those two apart for the sake of tension when the show and the characters themselves have acknowledged that they love each other. The back half was a lot better in terms of writing their relationship well, but the plot line about the intersect felt rushed and condensed. The writers knew that they didn't have the time for that story - they should have told another one.
Community A+
My favourite new comedy of the season that I never talked about (writing a thesis is hard, yo'). I love the characters, the cast, the dialogue, the continuity, and the pop culture references. On the shipping front I am Britta/Jeff but Annie/Jeff don't bother me. I am appalled that Modern Warfare did not get nominated for best direction/writing at the Emmys. However, I am sure that Abed will make a thinly veiled reference to it next season under the guise of talking about other under-appreciated shows.
Dance Academy B+
This is something I've picked up in the past few weeks. It's actually an Australian series aimed at teens but not being part of the target demo has never stopped me before. Australia actually makes really good kids TV shows - they tend to be smart, witty, and handle the requisite teen *issues* with depth and understanding.
Now, Dance Academy is not the best I've seen but it's still very good. It's basically Centre Stage: Down Under but that's ok. The main character has bad technique but is a natural on stage, there's the "best goddamn dancer in the
The dancing is really good. A lot of classical ballet, but also a fair amount of hip hop and contemporary. I'm hoping they make a second series.
Doctor Who A (docking a mark for the lizard people two parter)
I really love David Tennant but damn, I love Eleven more than Ten. Matt Smith is just excellent - I think he shows restraint when Tennant would have gone big in certain moments and I always like restrained acting. Plus, he has The Moff writing for him and The Moff wrote a compelling season long arc and a season finale that delivered on it without turning into an angst-fest (Steven, I forgive you for not writing a Press Gang reunion show, although that's not to say that I wouldn't still like a Press Gang reunion show). Love Amy, love Rory, love Amy/Rory, love the idea of unrequited Eleven/Amy, love River, hope we get to see the first meeting between the Doctor and River next series.
The Good Wife A
As much as I wish she would, I don't think Alicia's going to leave her husband anytime too soon. I now trust these writers quite a bit so I'm really looking forward to the next season.
How I Met Your Mother C-
How much did this show suck this year? So much. If ever a show needed an end date it would be this one. Still, I'll tune in next year in the hope that they lift their game.
Modern Family A
Wonderful. I like it best when they mix up the families and we get really odd pairings.
The Office C+
Another disappointing season from a long running comedy. The could have gotten more mileage out of the Jim-as-boss arc but instead they returned to the status quo too quickly. Again, I'll give the next season a chance but they really need to improve. Also remember when Jim said this?
Because right now, this is a job. If I advance any higher, this would be my career. And if this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train.
Oh Jim. Sure it's more realistic for him and Pam to stay, but gosh do I want them to leave.
Parks and Recreation A+
Most weeks it was this and Community duking it out for the title of 'My Favourite Thing'. Parks improved so much in its second season, becoming an amazing show. I love all the characters so much (Ron F*ing Swanson! April! Andy! DJ Roomba!) but how great is Leslie Knope? So great. I love how feminist she is (Galentine's Day!!!), how much she cares about doing her job well and helping others, and how she is capable of having functioning romantic relationships. Truly, in the TV landscape, Leslie is quite novel. This is a great article on why Leslie makes for a better feminist and female role model than Liz Lemon of 30 Rock.
I'm really looking forward to the next season (and am gutted that they pushed it til January) because: Rob Lowe! Adam Scott! Sam Seaborn was my favourite character on The West Wing and Lowe had great comedic timing playing that character. So far I find him hilarious as Chris (running to the moon! You should hydrate!) so I really hope he sticks around. And if Party Down had to be canceled, I'm glad Adam Scott ended up on this show. He and Poehler have great chemistry and I think he'll probably be a better foil for the rest of the cast than Paul Schneider (I have loved Schneider in many things but they never really found the right use for him as Mark).
The Vampire Diaries A
This is another show that I have started watching since ceasing studying (look at that alliteration! Honours in English: it has value after all!). I initially avoided it like the plague when it started airing - it seemed to have come about simply to cash in on That Which Shall Not Be Named In This Blog, the vampire fad in general, plus I loathe love triangles with the fire of a thousand suns (I love hyperbole, though!). So when people started saying it was good, I figured that it was just trashy-good. And then more and more people started saying that it was legit-good, with plotting and narrative arcs and resolutions and stuff. Well, if there is one thing I like it's good story telling so I checked it out. And guys, it is really good!
It answers questions that the audience have. It maintains tension and suspense without (too many) cheap tricks. Story lines get resolved. Characters continue to be affected by traumatic events. The mythology is (mostly) believable (they do need to explain this vampire on-off switch for emotions, though. That I have a hard time buying).
On the shipping front, the fandom is overwhelmingly Elena/Damon (that is, Awesome Heroine/Bad Brother). I, just to be contrary, like Elena/Stefan (Awesome Heroine/(Relatively) Good Brother). Actually no, I just find Damon too bad (aka murderous abusive bastard) for my tastes and prefer Stefan's quiet charm and struggle to do good.
The feared love triangle, such a prominent part of the promotional materials for the show, doesn't really become a factor until the end of season 1. If it becomes the focus of season 2, they may lose me yet. But if they continue to tell good stories and use their talented ensemble cast well, I'll be around for a while.
So El-Jay, what's up?
