I really really watch too much tv...
I was going to do the 30 days tv meme everyone is doing but I prefer made a little balance of the tv season instead - and damn, if I watch too much tv...
I will miss ...
Dollhouse I loved S2. the last episodes were a jewel after another. Episodes like Vows (s2ep1) or Belonging (s2ep4) i.e. the episodes about Whiskey, Topher and Sierra, demonstrate that if only the FOX had given to JW the time and opportunity to develop a show focused not only (or too much) on Caroline / Echo, perhaps we would have seen something else. The two "Epitaph" are my favorite episodes of the series (the first is probably one of the best hour of tv I've ever seen, it's perfect), I love that we had a proper finale. I will not miss the show Dollhouse but I will miss the characters of Dollhouse: above all Topher, Victor & Sierra (in all its forms) and that wonderful HBIC that is Adelle Dewitt.
Legend of the Seeker WHY? I'm still crying about the cancellation (kidding, LOL!) A series that did not take itself seriously: I mean, what series can have the hair (kalhan's) as one of the main characters? Or a supervillain in a red robe all the time? or made you side with the dominatrix torturing the main character? The fandom is absolutely hilarious and crackastick too...
I will not miss...
Heroes Obviously. No need to add more, I've ranted about it many times. I'll miss the fandom. I'll miss the wonderful fic writers, the hilarious metas, the arts, the vids and even the occasional wanks. As superkappa said, I will always be grateful to Heroes for the wonderful people I've met thanks to it. Love you all. :D
Flashforward The idea was great, the execution really really bad. Sitll I've watched it till the end, hoping against hope that the pilot wasn't just an exception.
Glee I enjoyed the first half, but when it came back, I couldn't watch more than 5 minutes of the first spring episode. I don't know why, It suddenly became boring to me. I want to watch the NPH/JW episode. I'll do sooner or later.
See you next year...
Friday Night Lights (s4) There are no words. This season was different from previous ones, the transition between beloved characters and the new one wasn't painless, but this series is SO GOOD that is impossible no to love almost everyone (J.D.? not so much ah ah) The Son, with a STELLAR performance from Zach Gilford, is one of the best of the whole 4 seasons of the series. Is a show that make me smile and cry and think and shows real people, with flaws and strength and everyone should watch it. One of the best season finale too.
Fringe (S2) Giving up the monster of the week for a little more of mythology, Fringe is finally the series I want to watch. In the second half of the season a couple of great episodes, with "Peter" as peak of the season.
Castle (S2) The writers have put themself in a corner a bit, IMHO. too much emphasis on the Will They Or Won't They thing, at the expense of light-hearted and cheerful tone of the first season. And what a waste using Michael Trucco that way! The season finale was the worst episode, Tick Tick Tick... and BOOM were the best episodes, I loved the vampire week one too.
Chuck (S3) as in Castle, too much soap opera sometimes, but still very enjoyable. I loved the last 6-episode-arc, I was bored to death by the first part, I was almost quit watching.
NCIS, Bones: I watch these show for the crime plot (and to get my weekly dose of some of the actors. sue me, I'm a fangirl :P). yes, I like the characters and their interaction, but I'm not interested in personal dramas. I'm a little disappointed with both shows. NCIS finale was one of the worst of the 7 seasons and I still have to watch most of Bones S5, I'm bored with it right now.
New and shiny!!!
Justified = the man with the hat #1. My mission right now is to make my flist watch Justified. It's the best new show of the season. It started like a procedural but changed and it ended with the perfect season finale. PERFECT. Every episodes has very high quality in every aspect: plot, dialogs, characterization, story and character development, attention to details and music and a wonderful stunning photography. Give it a chance. Just endure a couple of self-contained episodes in the beginning (in some way is like enduring FNL's S2, if you don't like cop show, but not that bad, I swear...) and you'll get to the great part.
White Collar the man whit the hat #2. I started to watch for the plot but I stayed for the plot, the funny and witty dialogs, the glamour, NY, the character's dynamic and I can't wait for the new season, I hope they don't change it. I'm glad Kate is dead. This is one of those show I don't need big season arc and personal subplots. Just give me Tim and Neal (and Moz and El and Diane etc etc) fighting crime.
Modern Family and Cougar Town MF is definitely fresh and original, CT after a not so brilliant start became a bit more focused on the dynamics between the group of friends than on "Cougar Jules" and became much more enjoyable and absolutely hilarious in some episodes. I must say in the end I loved CT more than MF.
Caprica and V I will give both another possibility next season, Caprica because I love BSG, and I really want to know more about BSG worlds, I really miss the ships, though. And I loathe the whole cult thing. V. My problem with V is that... we need more people in the resistance. the visitors agenda is terrifying, but they are not. some story are really really flat. and there's really some bad casting going on. I won't spoil my flist but really, why they cast that particular actor/actress? And again. You got Micheal Trucco. And you waste it that way?
And last: The Good Wife. I don't like legal dramas, unless they are over the top like Ally McBeal. I may fast forward some of the court scenes (I can't help - not my cup of tea) but the rest is good. Really really good. I love Kalinda. Some one on my flist watch it?
Conclusion: a good tv season and despite the invasions of cop and legal dramas, still a lot of serials I liked.
****You need a break? The Lord of the Ring meet the WORLD CUP... and the annoying vuvuzela: ****
Click to view
Ok, if you are still reading, one more thing: I kept thinking why I was (very or little) disappointed by a lot shows lately, and I come up with a list of thing I dislike or make me angry or roll eyes or have negative reaction:
1) Keep the drama out of my procedurals. I like the serialized show more than procedurals. I love stuff happening, horizontal plots, waiting 1 week to see what's going to happen etc. I like (crime) procedurals too , but I watch it for the *crime* not for the *drama* part. I just want to watch my favorite characters solve crime. Negative example: Castle, Ncis.
2) Strong women =/= Uptight Bitches or Emotionally Frigid or One of the Boys. women are human being. just like men. Can kick ass and take names and still have emotions and flaws and be feminine or compassionate or anything that made them a 3 dimensional human being. See: Cara and Kahalan in LOTS. Alicia Florrick in TGW. Adelle DeWitt in Dollhouse. Kara Thrace and Laura Roslin in BSG.
Corollary: why on earth every policewoman in tv is an orphan (and almost every time, her mother is death and has a fucked up relationship with her father?). Even Kate Becket in Castle couldn't escape the "tragic past" background. *rolles eyes*
3) Keep religious cults out of my shows. Unless is done like in True Blood s2 (i.e. absolutely over the top and nobody can take it seriously) I'm not interested. see Dark Angel s2 debacle, BSG s4 and Caprica
4) When their story arc is done, kill him/her off.. Characters that survived their story arc and became insufferable: Sylar (Heroes), Gaius Baltar (BSG). Positive example: Papà Bartosky and Brian Larkin in Chuck. Unless you gave those character some realistic development: perfectly done in Justified with Boyd Crowder.
5) Don't make me care more about the actor than the character (somehow related to #4) - It's when I start thinking "I hope they kill off the character so the actors can try and found better shows". See ZQ in Heroes and at some point MW in Ncis S6/S7. I don't want to see my favorite actors doing/saying idiotic thing. or cringe-inducing thing. I don't want to see them waste their talent.
6) Cut the Cheesy!I hate (HATE) the single tear of doom: real people don't cry that way. the slow motion to emphasize the angst? make me laugh (see Nathan death scene in Heroes). Over dramatic music, often make me laugh, too.
7) I'm a continuity whore. someone got shot in the previous episode? I want to see the consequences. no magic healing. unless is Claire Bennet or Peter Petrelli or Sylar or.. you got it.
8) Men and Women can be friends! and they can work together! I swear, I've seen it! Leave the shipping factor to the fandom. I don't want to see it on my show. I'm tired of the "Will They Or Won't They" trope. One of the reason I can't wait for J.J. Abrams's Undercover is that, yes, they are married, we can get the spy action part without the UST, hallelujah!
9)Don't mix/change genre. Again, unless is done as in Justified, that slowly shifted from police procedural to a more serialized format, I hate when the premise of the show is changed. See Heroes from normal people discovering powers to the Petrelli Soap Opera, or FNL s2 fail. or Dark Angel S2 monster of the week format or... Where is the Naval Investigation part in NCIS nowadays?
10) Show, don't tell. Part of the reason the Kate arc story in White Collar failed was that they keep telling us she was Neal True Love(TM), but they didn't really show that. Positive example: Eric and Tammy Taylor in FNL. They don't tell us how much they love each other. they show us how supportive are with each other.
OPS. Long entry is long. Sorry!