Season Three-itis
Just like people sometimes show's have growing pains.
I have noticed a bit more grumblings around here then usual, so I going to throw out my observations on season 3, how we got here, and where we are going. Then maybe we can all rap about it. Consider this my State of the Show address.
How We Got Here:
Now many shows go through a period of struggle. Between seasons 2-4 there seems to be a loss of momentum or a loss of direction that leaves a show somewhat a drift.
Friends- Ross and Rachel got together in season 2. The will-they-won't-they dynamic was a driving force for the show up to that point. They explored the early honey moon phase of their relationship also in season 2. By Season 3 the writers seemed to be out of ideas for the happy couple so they started throwing in obstacles. Rachel gets a new job and we meet a plot device named Mark. Ross and Rachel struggle then eventually break up. Season 3 contained some of my least favourite episodes.
LOST- Season 3 opened by giving few answers but throwing a heck of a lot more questions. This seemed to stem from the fact that the show was a success, and with no cancellation in sight the writers had no idea how long they were going to have to stretch this thing out for.
Battlestar Galactica- By Season 2 the formula of the few remaining survivors of earth are stuck out in space and it sucks was starting to where thin. Questions were starting to rise as to where this thing was headed, you know besides earth. Unless something drastic was done there was going to be no momentum headed into season 3.
The Big Bang Theory- After a hit and miss Season 1, the show had a loyal following and one break out character. As the show found new and fun things to do with Dr. Sheldon Cooper, season 2 saw tbbt take off. The characters of Raj and Howard were flushed out, and the show capitalized on the wonderful comedic chemistry of Penny and Sheldon. However the formula of the show was about Two geeky roommates, their friends, and Leonard's crush and the girl next door. Season 2 saw the show become more of an ensemble, but with one break out star and we all know who that was. Now the show had to deal with the will-they-won't-they of L/P, that was a driving force of season 1 then sprinkled through season 2, and they needed something for Leonard to do. The perfect solution seemed to be to explore the L/P relationship. It returned them to the original formula and solved two problems. Except the relationship fell flat pretty much out of the gate; the original recipe just wasn't working. As we all have stated ad nauseum, L/P just do not have the chemistry to pull off a front burner relationship. So the show has left L/P in the background and anytime they bring them out it doesn't seem to work. Plus the show has never explained why the two are together other then the universe has forced it upon us all. On Friends we got to see Ross and Rachel fall in love and when they finally got together it was a pay off (I was never a big R/R fan and I still felt that it was a pay off). L/P are just there for some reason. Now we are left with a show that seems to be coasting and at a bit of a loss as to where it's going.
The Finale is the Thing...
Previously show's have gotten out of their funk by building on their positives, and throwing a big surprise into a season finale.
Friends- Fell back on will R/R get back together for season 3 and 4, being an ensemble show it was able to get through the tedium with other story-lines, like phoebe is pregnant with her brothers triplets. Season 4 ended with Ross saying Rachel's name at the altar, but there was a bigger surprise that had people talking the next day and drove the narrative for season 5. Monica and Chandler in bed together! Season 5 saw Monica and Chandler's relationship grow organically and led to wacky hi-jinx as the gang found out about them. They are one of the few TV couples where the story grew around their being together, and never had artificial road blocks or unnecessary break ups to create entertainment.
LOST- The show runners decided they needed an end point to better craft the story. With a better idea as to where the story was headed season 3 got stronger, and ended with what I can only describe as a balls to the wall finale. For those that gave up in season 3, I understand how the wackiness of the show isn't for everyone, but season 4 was right up there in strength with season 1. By switching to flash forwards the show was able to deepen the mystery but answer some questions.
Battlestar Galactica- Went with shocking the heck out of it's viewers and majorly shacking up the dynamics of the show. Season 2 ended with Baltar laying his head down on his desk, and then raising it up while the screen declared one year later. This led to a high octane third season that ended with an even bigger shocking finale.
Where Do We Go From Here:
While the third season has had more misses then season two there is still a lot of positive's to build on. Now some of the criticism I have seen around here is that the L/P DOA has left two of it's leads in the background. While I do agree with this, I think the end of season 3 and season 4 should focus on building more of an ensemble. I believe that they should do away with the three lead and supporting characters formula and balance out screen time between everyone. Some people here and The AV club have been calling for Bernadette to be added as a regular, and I could not agree more. How much fun could it be for the playboy of the group (in his own mind anyway) turning out to be the one member of the group in a stable relationship? Plus it opens up the story to explore Howard having to grow up and leave his mother. Bernadette has been one of the high points of the season. She dated Howard then became his girlfriend and everyone remembers that it happened, score one for continuity. Another high point has been more Raj and the Sheldon/Raj dynamic. Raj has moved past Howard in Sheldon's mind, and it's funny that they both worry about where they stand in Sheldon's favour. Howard seemed sad that Sheldon rejected his corn last night. I've also enjoyed seeing different duos like Howard and Leonard, and Bernadette and Penny. Of course any pairing up of Penny/Sheldon has been awesome from boob day to physics class. They should to continue to explore this duo (shocked I said that right). For Sheldon I would like Season 4 to start the slow as molasses character growth (I'm actually okay with going really slow here). Now Sheldon shouldn't be changed completely but I would like to see him grow up in season 4 a bit, no more Sheldon as a little kid.
How to Solve a Problem Like Leonard:
I think everyone agrees that the big miss of this season is L/P. I choose to believe that the writers are letting the relationship go on this long so that they can firmly run it into the ground with no hope of reviving it ever. Season 3 should see the burial of this relationship, which allows both characters to move on. For Penny in the short term I feel that they should focus on her career. She could land a couple of commercials or something. There are many working actors who are not world famous. She could get some steady work without becoming a celebrity. The biggest problem with Leonard is that for most of the season he has been a jerk. My favourite episode with him is when he went camping with Raj and Howard. He was actually relaxed and having fun, even before the cookies. I felt last night we got a bit of the old Leonard. He seemed genuinely concerned for Sheldon, and he seemed to have actually enjoyed himself at the roller disco with Howard and the girls. I feel after the breakup Leonard should stay away from dating for awhile and focus on his work and his friends. Season 4 could see a more appropriate love interest introduced after the half way mark.
In Conclusion:
The show is in a bit of a transitional rut. The show should focus more on a group ensemble dynamic and build on the natural chemistry that exists between the players. I feel that it has a lot of positives to build on, and even when it misses this is still one of the funniest shows on television. We the fans should roll with the punches for now. While it is fun to come on here and criticize and over-analyze (obviously), please do not get discouraged. Remember we love this show, and we love Penny and Sheldon, not just together but also as individuals.
I have noticed a bit more grumblings around here then usual, so I going to throw out my observations on season 3, how we got here, and where we are going. Then maybe we can all rap about it. Consider this my State of the Show address.
How We Got Here:
Now many shows go through a period of struggle. Between seasons 2-4 there seems to be a loss of momentum or a loss of direction that leaves a show somewhat a drift.
Friends- Ross and Rachel got together in season 2. The will-they-won't-they dynamic was a driving force for the show up to that point. They explored the early honey moon phase of their relationship also in season 2. By Season 3 the writers seemed to be out of ideas for the happy couple so they started throwing in obstacles. Rachel gets a new job and we meet a plot device named Mark. Ross and Rachel struggle then eventually break up. Season 3 contained some of my least favourite episodes.
LOST- Season 3 opened by giving few answers but throwing a heck of a lot more questions. This seemed to stem from the fact that the show was a success, and with no cancellation in sight the writers had no idea how long they were going to have to stretch this thing out for.
Battlestar Galactica- By Season 2 the formula of the few remaining survivors of earth are stuck out in space and it sucks was starting to where thin. Questions were starting to rise as to where this thing was headed, you know besides earth. Unless something drastic was done there was going to be no momentum headed into season 3.
The Big Bang Theory- After a hit and miss Season 1, the show had a loyal following and one break out character. As the show found new and fun things to do with Dr. Sheldon Cooper, season 2 saw tbbt take off. The characters of Raj and Howard were flushed out, and the show capitalized on the wonderful comedic chemistry of Penny and Sheldon. However the formula of the show was about Two geeky roommates, their friends, and Leonard's crush and the girl next door. Season 2 saw the show become more of an ensemble, but with one break out star and we all know who that was. Now the show had to deal with the will-they-won't-they of L/P, that was a driving force of season 1 then sprinkled through season 2, and they needed something for Leonard to do. The perfect solution seemed to be to explore the L/P relationship. It returned them to the original formula and solved two problems. Except the relationship fell flat pretty much out of the gate; the original recipe just wasn't working. As we all have stated ad nauseum, L/P just do not have the chemistry to pull off a front burner relationship. So the show has left L/P in the background and anytime they bring them out it doesn't seem to work. Plus the show has never explained why the two are together other then the universe has forced it upon us all. On Friends we got to see Ross and Rachel fall in love and when they finally got together it was a pay off (I was never a big R/R fan and I still felt that it was a pay off). L/P are just there for some reason. Now we are left with a show that seems to be coasting and at a bit of a loss as to where it's going.
The Finale is the Thing...
Previously show's have gotten out of their funk by building on their positives, and throwing a big surprise into a season finale.
Friends- Fell back on will R/R get back together for season 3 and 4, being an ensemble show it was able to get through the tedium with other story-lines, like phoebe is pregnant with her brothers triplets. Season 4 ended with Ross saying Rachel's name at the altar, but there was a bigger surprise that had people talking the next day and drove the narrative for season 5. Monica and Chandler in bed together! Season 5 saw Monica and Chandler's relationship grow organically and led to wacky hi-jinx as the gang found out about them. They are one of the few TV couples where the story grew around their being together, and never had artificial road blocks or unnecessary break ups to create entertainment.
LOST- The show runners decided they needed an end point to better craft the story. With a better idea as to where the story was headed season 3 got stronger, and ended with what I can only describe as a balls to the wall finale. For those that gave up in season 3, I understand how the wackiness of the show isn't for everyone, but season 4 was right up there in strength with season 1. By switching to flash forwards the show was able to deepen the mystery but answer some questions.
Battlestar Galactica- Went with shocking the heck out of it's viewers and majorly shacking up the dynamics of the show. Season 2 ended with Baltar laying his head down on his desk, and then raising it up while the screen declared one year later. This led to a high octane third season that ended with an even bigger shocking finale.
Where Do We Go From Here:
While the third season has had more misses then season two there is still a lot of positive's to build on. Now some of the criticism I have seen around here is that the L/P DOA has left two of it's leads in the background. While I do agree with this, I think the end of season 3 and season 4 should focus on building more of an ensemble. I believe that they should do away with the three lead and supporting characters formula and balance out screen time between everyone. Some people here and The AV club have been calling for Bernadette to be added as a regular, and I could not agree more. How much fun could it be for the playboy of the group (in his own mind anyway) turning out to be the one member of the group in a stable relationship? Plus it opens up the story to explore Howard having to grow up and leave his mother. Bernadette has been one of the high points of the season. She dated Howard then became his girlfriend and everyone remembers that it happened, score one for continuity. Another high point has been more Raj and the Sheldon/Raj dynamic. Raj has moved past Howard in Sheldon's mind, and it's funny that they both worry about where they stand in Sheldon's favour. Howard seemed sad that Sheldon rejected his corn last night. I've also enjoyed seeing different duos like Howard and Leonard, and Bernadette and Penny. Of course any pairing up of Penny/Sheldon has been awesome from boob day to physics class. They should to continue to explore this duo (shocked I said that right). For Sheldon I would like Season 4 to start the slow as molasses character growth (I'm actually okay with going really slow here). Now Sheldon shouldn't be changed completely but I would like to see him grow up in season 4 a bit, no more Sheldon as a little kid.
How to Solve a Problem Like Leonard:
I think everyone agrees that the big miss of this season is L/P. I choose to believe that the writers are letting the relationship go on this long so that they can firmly run it into the ground with no hope of reviving it ever. Season 3 should see the burial of this relationship, which allows both characters to move on. For Penny in the short term I feel that they should focus on her career. She could land a couple of commercials or something. There are many working actors who are not world famous. She could get some steady work without becoming a celebrity. The biggest problem with Leonard is that for most of the season he has been a jerk. My favourite episode with him is when he went camping with Raj and Howard. He was actually relaxed and having fun, even before the cookies. I felt last night we got a bit of the old Leonard. He seemed genuinely concerned for Sheldon, and he seemed to have actually enjoyed himself at the roller disco with Howard and the girls. I feel after the breakup Leonard should stay away from dating for awhile and focus on his work and his friends. Season 4 could see a more appropriate love interest introduced after the half way mark.
In Conclusion:
The show is in a bit of a transitional rut. The show should focus more on a group ensemble dynamic and build on the natural chemistry that exists between the players. I feel that it has a lot of positives to build on, and even when it misses this is still one of the funniest shows on television. We the fans should roll with the punches for now. While it is fun to come on here and criticize and over-analyze (obviously), please do not get discouraged. Remember we love this show, and we love Penny and Sheldon, not just together but also as individuals.