Summer TV...
ok, so I get to play about an hour a day with TV. I'm late watching most things (usually at least the week after it airs, but sometimes I remember and I'm like two days later). Which means staying off tumblr for TeenWolf (and sometimes Suits), and not necessarily remembering who posted what on their journals about certain eps (so i haven't been commenting).
BUT, tonight, by a crazy mix of stars or whatever, I am all caught up. So, some spoilery thoughts.
This whole season has been drama turned up to 15, and I'm not a big fan. I loved how they handled Jessica's learning about and dealing with Mike, but after that I've been reeling from emo hit after emo hit, and to be honest couldn't muster up even a grimace at the news Mike recieved at the end of the last episode. I mean, it was pretty predictable from the standpoint of Granny-comes-to-work, and also, why oh why oh why is he moving her into an apartment if she needs full time care??? I did like the flashbacks a little bit, but they did character development that showed us next to no surprises (hey, Mike wanted Jenny first but didn't get her? NO REALLY????? Harvey was once less secure than he his now???? REALLY???) There have been little moments that I've liked this season, but overall probably not one I'd rewatch just because everything has been so bloody dramatic. Also, the Donna we were presented with in season one wouldn't freak out and SHRED EVIDENCE in season two - not after having been with Harvey for long enough to see how he can bury dead bodies. This is *why* she leaves the intercom on. And while I actually love seeing her have more of an emotional role, I'm kind of pissed that it was one where she was fired and then brought back in the space of a couple of episodes for crazy shit.
And anyone who tells me it's because this is how the law really is, I've got news for you - THIS IS NOT. at all. I confirmed it with the lawyers I know and grew up with. However, I did think it was fun TV. But with the angst-o-meter turned up so high I'm not feeling the fun so much anymore.
This season would have been much better had it actually, I dunno, found a way to maintain doing 'case-fic' style episodes in between the angst arc (or monster of the week episodes - my buffy lingo is showing). When it becomes all drama arc it's like I'm being punched in the face over and over. Not fun.
Also it made absolutely *no* sense to have Harvey go to his dad's grave two weeks ago (i mean narrative sense) except to give make him sympathetic when his other actions have been incredibly harsh. Don't get me wrong, Gabriel Macht in a nice sweater can pull off looking mournful all he wants, oh my gods he can, and do it better without speaking than anyone (comparing him finding out about his dad with Mike finding out about Grammy was like night and day - Patrick Adam's didn't *quite* cut that).
Jessica's character transformation has *really* bothered me. I know she's the one who supposedly taught Harvey all the tactics he uses, but last season I felt like Harvey had kind of gone beyond her training and been his own kind of cuts-it-very-close-to-the-line-without-going-over-it (and that it was Jessica who taught him where the line was). This season they seem to be turning her into the woman who taught him how to *cross* those lines (hello bullying old college judge past the point of recognition, etc). That's not the kind of exceptional I thought she was talking about when she was staring Mike down.
I'm watching the end of the season to see how they wrap it up, and assume they're going to cliffhanger the whole thing in some annoying way since that's what they did this season. I'm hoping I'll be proved wrong but from the teaser for next week I think it is going to be a choppy, emotionally confusing, and angst for angst's sake ride.
Ok, so White Collar, as opposed to Suits, seems to actually be, sort of, figuring it's arc out in a good way. For some reason though I'm not as invested in it as I was last season... maybe I never thought Neal would actually get on that plane. I'm glad the boys are back together, but can't help but think this show is more fanfic fodder than anything else - I mean they kind of blew their wad with the nazi sub.
Teen Wolf, my crack among crack.
Now, I have to say that the Jail-house episode (I think it was three from the end, but maybe second to last?) was actually the one that blew the top of my head off. This is a show that angsts about its own angst every episode so I don't really mind that the arc is completely arcing into cray cray territory. I LOVE that Peter is back as some weird borderline-helpful elder-of-the-pack post psychosis. I'm confused by Scott and all of his deals with Allison's grandfather, but I think that's because Scott was confused too. I was kind of delighted that Scott's mom found out (and I was hoping Stiles' dad would too, but damnit, maybe next season), and that things just went *apeshit* that ep. That being said the season ender was way too fragmented for me - it's like they can't quite deal with the ensemble cast right or something and honestly probably needed another episode to work in the new 'Alpha pack' big bad instead of the way they did it. And even though the whole Kenima (Kanima? I have no idea) thing was also predictable-ish (yay for the love of a good woman!! lolz!!) it was kind of awesome to see two werewolves impaling poor Jackson just so we could get our requisite t-shirless man time.
the only thing that bugged was Allison's transformation. It was FAR too fast and too easy, considering how invested she'd been in Scott before that. I know they wanted/needed to do it so they can do the Scott/Allison slash Allison is going to kill Scott tension stuff, but ... too fast. And I LOVED Stiles' whole therapy session oh my gods (again, that one episode just rocked my socks).
Oh True Blood, will you ever learn?
I thought this season has the potential to be less cracky, but then they brought the faires back. I hate the fairies. TRULY hate the fairies. HATE THEM SO MUCH. If I could, I would let Russel Edginton eat them all in one fell swoop so they would never ever ever come back. Also the whole Bill-turning-into-a-sadistic-bastard is, well, at least a change of pace, even if it doesn't really make *sense* they've given us enough mystical whatcha hoosits to explain it away, I suppose.
The thing still making me happy though is Pam. I *hated* the whole whore-house backstory (seriously guys? she was supposedly some french woman running out into the night to meet her lover - why on EARTH did you need the whorehouse trappings?) but love almost every single moment she is on screen. And the whole Jessica/Tara friendship thing I think is actually stupidly cute - the three of them can just be my vampires ok?
I assume, since there's one episode left I'm sure it will descend into the lamest shit ever (why fairies, why, why, why?????? and why if you had them did they ahve to be like these? what about dark, awesome, evil fairies?? not weirdly fluttery glitter faries, BLEH. Even Charlaine Harris' fairies are like 1000000000 times more awesome than you horrible horrible genie clad sparly pants faries).
and, well, there you have it, some thoughts.
also posted to dreamwidth | you can reply here or there | um, but don't worry, i'm still an lj girl
BUT, tonight, by a crazy mix of stars or whatever, I am all caught up. So, some spoilery thoughts.
This whole season has been drama turned up to 15, and I'm not a big fan. I loved how they handled Jessica's learning about and dealing with Mike, but after that I've been reeling from emo hit after emo hit, and to be honest couldn't muster up even a grimace at the news Mike recieved at the end of the last episode. I mean, it was pretty predictable from the standpoint of Granny-comes-to-work, and also, why oh why oh why is he moving her into an apartment if she needs full time care??? I did like the flashbacks a little bit, but they did character development that showed us next to no surprises (hey, Mike wanted Jenny first but didn't get her? NO REALLY????? Harvey was once less secure than he his now???? REALLY???) There have been little moments that I've liked this season, but overall probably not one I'd rewatch just because everything has been so bloody dramatic. Also, the Donna we were presented with in season one wouldn't freak out and SHRED EVIDENCE in season two - not after having been with Harvey for long enough to see how he can bury dead bodies. This is *why* she leaves the intercom on. And while I actually love seeing her have more of an emotional role, I'm kind of pissed that it was one where she was fired and then brought back in the space of a couple of episodes for crazy shit.
And anyone who tells me it's because this is how the law really is, I've got news for you - THIS IS NOT. at all. I confirmed it with the lawyers I know and grew up with. However, I did think it was fun TV. But with the angst-o-meter turned up so high I'm not feeling the fun so much anymore.
This season would have been much better had it actually, I dunno, found a way to maintain doing 'case-fic' style episodes in between the angst arc (or monster of the week episodes - my buffy lingo is showing). When it becomes all drama arc it's like I'm being punched in the face over and over. Not fun.
Also it made absolutely *no* sense to have Harvey go to his dad's grave two weeks ago (i mean narrative sense) except to give make him sympathetic when his other actions have been incredibly harsh. Don't get me wrong, Gabriel Macht in a nice sweater can pull off looking mournful all he wants, oh my gods he can, and do it better without speaking than anyone (comparing him finding out about his dad with Mike finding out about Grammy was like night and day - Patrick Adam's didn't *quite* cut that).
Jessica's character transformation has *really* bothered me. I know she's the one who supposedly taught Harvey all the tactics he uses, but last season I felt like Harvey had kind of gone beyond her training and been his own kind of cuts-it-very-close-to-the-line-without-going-over-it (and that it was Jessica who taught him where the line was). This season they seem to be turning her into the woman who taught him how to *cross* those lines (hello bullying old college judge past the point of recognition, etc). That's not the kind of exceptional I thought she was talking about when she was staring Mike down.
I'm watching the end of the season to see how they wrap it up, and assume they're going to cliffhanger the whole thing in some annoying way since that's what they did this season. I'm hoping I'll be proved wrong but from the teaser for next week I think it is going to be a choppy, emotionally confusing, and angst for angst's sake ride.
Ok, so White Collar, as opposed to Suits, seems to actually be, sort of, figuring it's arc out in a good way. For some reason though I'm not as invested in it as I was last season... maybe I never thought Neal would actually get on that plane. I'm glad the boys are back together, but can't help but think this show is more fanfic fodder than anything else - I mean they kind of blew their wad with the nazi sub.
Teen Wolf, my crack among crack.
Now, I have to say that the Jail-house episode (I think it was three from the end, but maybe second to last?) was actually the one that blew the top of my head off. This is a show that angsts about its own angst every episode so I don't really mind that the arc is completely arcing into cray cray territory. I LOVE that Peter is back as some weird borderline-helpful elder-of-the-pack post psychosis. I'm confused by Scott and all of his deals with Allison's grandfather, but I think that's because Scott was confused too. I was kind of delighted that Scott's mom found out (and I was hoping Stiles' dad would too, but damnit, maybe next season), and that things just went *apeshit* that ep. That being said the season ender was way too fragmented for me - it's like they can't quite deal with the ensemble cast right or something and honestly probably needed another episode to work in the new 'Alpha pack' big bad instead of the way they did it. And even though the whole Kenima (Kanima? I have no idea) thing was also predictable-ish (yay for the love of a good woman!! lolz!!) it was kind of awesome to see two werewolves impaling poor Jackson just so we could get our requisite t-shirless man time.
the only thing that bugged was Allison's transformation. It was FAR too fast and too easy, considering how invested she'd been in Scott before that. I know they wanted/needed to do it so they can do the Scott/Allison slash Allison is going to kill Scott tension stuff, but ... too fast. And I LOVED Stiles' whole therapy session oh my gods (again, that one episode just rocked my socks).
Oh True Blood, will you ever learn?
I thought this season has the potential to be less cracky, but then they brought the faires back. I hate the fairies. TRULY hate the fairies. HATE THEM SO MUCH. If I could, I would let Russel Edginton eat them all in one fell swoop so they would never ever ever come back. Also the whole Bill-turning-into-a-sadistic-bastard is, well, at least a change of pace, even if it doesn't really make *sense* they've given us enough mystical whatcha hoosits to explain it away, I suppose.
The thing still making me happy though is Pam. I *hated* the whole whore-house backstory (seriously guys? she was supposedly some french woman running out into the night to meet her lover - why on EARTH did you need the whorehouse trappings?) but love almost every single moment she is on screen. And the whole Jessica/Tara friendship thing I think is actually stupidly cute - the three of them can just be my vampires ok?
I assume, since there's one episode left I'm sure it will descend into the lamest shit ever (why fairies, why, why, why?????? and why if you had them did they ahve to be like these? what about dark, awesome, evil fairies?? not weirdly fluttery glitter faries, BLEH. Even Charlaine Harris' fairies are like 1000000000 times more awesome than you horrible horrible genie clad sparly pants faries).
and, well, there you have it, some thoughts.
also posted to dreamwidth | you can reply here or there | um, but don't worry, i'm still an lj girl