it's time I was king now
I will possibly have yet more to say about last night's SPN, but I am still getting all teary when I think about it, and as I'm reading posts about it (and I am reading, even if I'm not really commenting much), so that will probably have to wait.
In the meantime... I've never done this before, but it seemed like a good idea the other night, so I started typing it up. I should explain that this is all based on my enjoyment of the shows listed, and also on my expectations of them. My expectations for, say, Supernatural (where I am happy with BOYS! EMOPORN! IMPALA! GUNS!), are not the same as they are for Friday Night Lights (where I expect a lot more), so of course, I am harder on the shows I expect more of.
Anyway.
Mid-season* report cards:
Pushing Daisies: A+
Exceeds expectations, which I did not think possible, given the hype surrounding this show before it aired. I was reluctant to watch, afraid it'd be too whimsical, but it's just whimsical enough, with a nice streak of the macabre cutting through the sweetness. I love all the characters, and their relationships. I don't know how long they can keep it up, but I'll keep watching.
Chuck: A
Exceeds expectations, possibly because I really didn't have any, and only watched the pilot 'cause my dad said it got good reviews and it came on before Heroes. Sweet, funny, moving, with interesting secondary characters and a light touch with the angst. The spy stuff is ridiculous, but that's not really why I watch.
Bones: A
Meets expectations. Always enjoyable, full of characters I love spending time with - even Brennan doesn't grate the way she used to. Booth is adorkable, and the squints have grown into a fine ensemble I care about.
Supernatural: B+
Meets expectations. Points off for the clunky start and some sloppy and off-key writing choices (Kripke, please find better ways to do exposition than making Dean inexplicably dumb, kthxbye), but I'm enjoying this season a lot. The widening and deepening of the world continues, and if the execution doesn't always live up to the concept, well, that's always been one of SPN's flaws. And it's still the best purveyor of pure emoporn on tv today. I almost bumped the grade up to A- after last night's emoporn extravaganza, but even last night's episode suffered from the same writing issues, so I didn't. But oh god, I love my show! And my show loves me!
The Office: B
Meets expectations. They're handling the Jim/Pam really well. The hour episodes were perhaps a bit oddly paced, and I still can't watch Michael most of the time, but they made me sniffly for Dwight, and the whole Darryl/Kelly thing is awesome.
Reaper: B
Meets expectations. It's funny and enjoyable, Ray Wise is spectacular and looks like he's having the time of his life, Sock and Ben are awesome, Gladys the DMV demon is enjoyable, and Sam has stopped whining so much. I am still unhappy at how they've kept the girls out of the main action, and how there isn't much in the way of character development going on. I also don't like how Ben is always the sidekick who's injured. Maybe I wouldn't notice it if he were white, but because he's not (which is one of the things I like about the show), I do.
House: B-
Meets expectations. Mostly enjoyable, though they've ladled House's misogyny on pretty thickly, and the Michael Michele appearances displeased me, but I don't think too much about it when I'm not watching it. Could always use more Cuddy and more Wilson.
Friday Night Lights: C
Below expectations. Admittedly, last season was one of the best television seasons I've ever seen, and I knew the show wasn't going to attain those heights again, but still. Separating Coach and Mrs. Coach was painful enough, but the dearth of Smash and Mama Smash (and the unexplained disappearance of Waverly), the break-up of Matt and Julie (and Matt's icky hookup with the home health aide), and the goddamn murder plotline put this season in a hole I don't think it'll be able to dig itself out of. The saving grace this season has been Tim Riggins, who has been spectacular while still being essentially himself.
Heroes: D
Below expectations. Only a handful of cool moments, and the adorableness of the Suresh-Parkman-Walker family, keeps this from failing utterly, but seriously? Seriously? There were so many BAD decisions made that I can't even begin to list them here, and I don't care enough to bother.
Bionic Woman: F
For the FAIL. not even scenery-chewing by Katee Sackhoff and the too-good-for-this-crap Miguel Ferrer could save this mess.
Life: Incomplete
I need to watch the whole thing. I've enjoyed what I've seen, though. I will catch up during the hiatus, I guess.
Ugly Betty: Incomplete
Again, I haven't seen it all. What I have seen I've enjoyed, though I find myself a lot less charmed by Betty/Henry than I think they want me to be.
*I know it could all the season we get in many cases. I am trying not to think about that.
***
Good lord, the phones are busy this morning! What the hell?
***
In the meantime... I've never done this before, but it seemed like a good idea the other night, so I started typing it up. I should explain that this is all based on my enjoyment of the shows listed, and also on my expectations of them. My expectations for, say, Supernatural (where I am happy with BOYS! EMOPORN! IMPALA! GUNS!), are not the same as they are for Friday Night Lights (where I expect a lot more), so of course, I am harder on the shows I expect more of.
Anyway.
Mid-season* report cards:
Pushing Daisies: A+
Exceeds expectations, which I did not think possible, given the hype surrounding this show before it aired. I was reluctant to watch, afraid it'd be too whimsical, but it's just whimsical enough, with a nice streak of the macabre cutting through the sweetness. I love all the characters, and their relationships. I don't know how long they can keep it up, but I'll keep watching.
Chuck: A
Exceeds expectations, possibly because I really didn't have any, and only watched the pilot 'cause my dad said it got good reviews and it came on before Heroes. Sweet, funny, moving, with interesting secondary characters and a light touch with the angst. The spy stuff is ridiculous, but that's not really why I watch.
Bones: A
Meets expectations. Always enjoyable, full of characters I love spending time with - even Brennan doesn't grate the way she used to. Booth is adorkable, and the squints have grown into a fine ensemble I care about.
Supernatural: B+
Meets expectations. Points off for the clunky start and some sloppy and off-key writing choices (Kripke, please find better ways to do exposition than making Dean inexplicably dumb, kthxbye), but I'm enjoying this season a lot. The widening and deepening of the world continues, and if the execution doesn't always live up to the concept, well, that's always been one of SPN's flaws. And it's still the best purveyor of pure emoporn on tv today. I almost bumped the grade up to A- after last night's emoporn extravaganza, but even last night's episode suffered from the same writing issues, so I didn't. But oh god, I love my show! And my show loves me!
The Office: B
Meets expectations. They're handling the Jim/Pam really well. The hour episodes were perhaps a bit oddly paced, and I still can't watch Michael most of the time, but they made me sniffly for Dwight, and the whole Darryl/Kelly thing is awesome.
Reaper: B
Meets expectations. It's funny and enjoyable, Ray Wise is spectacular and looks like he's having the time of his life, Sock and Ben are awesome, Gladys the DMV demon is enjoyable, and Sam has stopped whining so much. I am still unhappy at how they've kept the girls out of the main action, and how there isn't much in the way of character development going on. I also don't like how Ben is always the sidekick who's injured. Maybe I wouldn't notice it if he were white, but because he's not (which is one of the things I like about the show), I do.
House: B-
Meets expectations. Mostly enjoyable, though they've ladled House's misogyny on pretty thickly, and the Michael Michele appearances displeased me, but I don't think too much about it when I'm not watching it. Could always use more Cuddy and more Wilson.
Friday Night Lights: C
Below expectations. Admittedly, last season was one of the best television seasons I've ever seen, and I knew the show wasn't going to attain those heights again, but still. Separating Coach and Mrs. Coach was painful enough, but the dearth of Smash and Mama Smash (and the unexplained disappearance of Waverly), the break-up of Matt and Julie (and Matt's icky hookup with the home health aide), and the goddamn murder plotline put this season in a hole I don't think it'll be able to dig itself out of. The saving grace this season has been Tim Riggins, who has been spectacular while still being essentially himself.
Heroes: D
Below expectations. Only a handful of cool moments, and the adorableness of the Suresh-Parkman-Walker family, keeps this from failing utterly, but seriously? Seriously? There were so many BAD decisions made that I can't even begin to list them here, and I don't care enough to bother.
Bionic Woman: F
For the FAIL. not even scenery-chewing by Katee Sackhoff and the too-good-for-this-crap Miguel Ferrer could save this mess.
Life: Incomplete
I need to watch the whole thing. I've enjoyed what I've seen, though. I will catch up during the hiatus, I guess.
Ugly Betty: Incomplete
Again, I haven't seen it all. What I have seen I've enjoyed, though I find myself a lot less charmed by Betty/Henry than I think they want me to be.
*I know it could all the season we get in many cases. I am trying not to think about that.
***
Good lord, the phones are busy this morning! What the hell?
***