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Tv
This week on (my) TV computer:
(posts containing actual spoilers for any eps of this season are under a cut, the rest is spoilerfree (or at least there are no more spoilers than you'd find in a general show description.)
Heroes
For the moment, I'm watching Heroes. With Smith cancelled, Eureka on Hiatus and Friday Night Lights not working for me, my TV schedule leaves me enough room for Heroes. Problem is, I don't think it's good TV. I enjoy it (parts of) it, I like the cheerleader girl, the comic book hero and the reasonable brother (yes, the politician. I go for men with power and suits, this shouldn't be a surprise to those of you who follow this journal regularly). The show is well filmed, pretty pictures and great effects. Technically, there is nothing wrong with the show. The dialogues, well, it's called Heroes and the script seems to be a comic book, so complaining about the lack of good dialogue would be silly.
And yet, I cannot help but feel that this is all some cheap trick, the creation of a Hero for everyone, to capture us all. The geek who reads comics, the cheerleader who isn't like the others, the woman who can't handle her life, the black sheep in the family, and finally the scientist without superpowers, who will doubtlessly turn out to be a real life hero sooner or later. Probably later, as I see many many seasons of this coming on, seasons in which we will learn more about the lives of our beloved Heroes, without ever getting closer to The Big Secret.
The whole concept of the show reminds me of Lost, and I hate Lost. But it took the frantic viewing of most of the first season of Lost for me to find out that I hate it, so I'll probably need some more time with Heroes, too.
Actually, I take it back, that I said this isn't good TV. This is excellent TV, this is the optimum use of the medium TV as an episodic and returning movie, with ever knew cliffhangers, the stories of many characters that are slowly woven together, shots and cuts that would never be used on the big screen, one big mystery that keeps everyone glued to the screens, while it is at them same time so easy to understand that you can start watching the show at every moment without being lost, and finally, endless possibilities of marketing. This is the stuff that the dreams of the networks are made of, and as such, it is excellent TV.
But I really doubt the network bosses would watch it themselves.
Studio 60
This week's episode was better than last weeks, with the copyright story acting as a frame for the rest. I liked the Matt/Harriet scenes, they have a great timing in delivering their lines, and I love Josh, of course. I always love Josh. The two writer guys made me go WTF. I don't like them, I wish they'd have been fired.
I still don't think I'll ever warm up to Jordan (is that even her name?). Too arrogant while pretending to be nice. She's supposed to be a strong woman who is very good at her job and has worked hard to get where she is, someone who is willing to stand up for the show while at the same time being able to make business decisions that might affect its contents. That's how her role is written, IMHO. But you can tell that the actress has no experience being that kind of woman, and she is still trying to figure out how someone like this would behave. I honestly think they would have done better putting someone in this role who is a bit older, someone who has other worries than "is my hair okay?" and "OMG my skin feels horrible, what do I look like, what will the others think?". Not knowing anything about the actress, this is what I think she is like, just by seeing her stumbling through her scenes without any real self-confidence.
I'd be more than happy if she could convince me otherwise.
I know, I sound critical about the show, you are probably all wondering why I watch it. But this is the kind of show that I like to be critical about. It's made by someone who in my opinion is a master of the genre, so I cannot help but question and analyze why the show works for me or not. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy it, no, I enjoy it probably even more because of it. As I said last week, it has enormous potential, but it also seems immature compared to The West Wing or Sports Night. I don't know how or why, but I'll figure it out.
And then there is of course the actual humour part of the show, which, uhm, I have no idea. Is it supposed to be funny? Is it supposed to be unfunny? Is it some kind of humour that I don't get (political humour is very different in different countries)? I just don't think it's funny. I can see where it's supposed to be funny, but it really really isn't. That joke they "stole"? Not funny.
I feel like I am being made fun of with these jokes.
NCIS
Review with thinky thoughts and screencaps is here.
The Unit
Not so thinky thoughts are here.
Veronica Mars: My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
I like it. I really like this show. It's exactly the right mix between mystery, teenage drama, soap opera, crime and action that is necessary to make me a devoted fan. Okay, maybe not os devoted, since I am not really interested in fanfic or meta for Veronica Mars, but I'm a devoted viewer. Consequently, I have nothing intelligent to say about this ep except that I liked it.
I know you are all thrilled to know, that's why I'm telling you.
CSI+Supernatural
Haven't watched these two yet. I'm fighting with myself if I will even continue watching Supernatural. I still think it's a bad show, and I won't go near the slash fandom if you paid me a million euro. I've saved some gen fic to my HD, but I can't be bothered to read it. I really am not interested in the fandom at all, slash or no slash, and I don't like the show much, so why, why do i still watch it?
Because it's pretty. Because Jared and Jensen are very pretty and they drive a pretty car, and the lighting and make-up makes them even more pretty, plus, sometimes they are handcuffed and thrown on police cars (not often enough, though). See, I am trying to delete the first season from my HD, but then these images of Jensen and Jared delivering bad lines in dark rooms with weapons in their hands cross my mind, and I just cannot get myself to delete it. I'm ashamed of being so shallow.
CSI, however, which I had already decided not to watch this year, surprises me by being rather good, and I'm looking forward to this week's ep, which should be complete in ten minutes. Yay!
Men in Trees
She should sleep with the brother. I would.
Numb3rs
Colby was back, thank god, I was worried thatCharlie had tied him to his bed as his love slave something had happened to him. Loved the Don/Colby scenes. Loved Don being pissed, and Colby reminding him that he had crossed a line as well in the Crystal case. Of course, what Don did was wrong, what Colby did was wrong and stupid, but there's a tiny part of me that wants to understand him. The guy saved his life, he trusted him. He honestly believed that he was one of the good guys who had made a mistake by sleeping with the chinese spy. Of course, that was stupid, but a tiny part of me understands it. The bigger part says that he should have gone to Don, should have explained the situation. Don would have kept it confidential, he would have checked the guy out without destroying this career. But Colby didn't trust Don enough to do it, and that's what makes this episode really interesting:
Colby's lack of trust, Don getting pissed that he can't trust Colby, but also that Colby didn't trust him, and then Colby reminding him of crossing the line with Crystal and Edgerton. Is that why Colby doesn't trust him?
Trust was also the main theme in the other story line, between Charlie and Larry, who had some nice lines that made my Charlie/Larry heart happy. Otherwise, I didn't care too much about the whole paper thing.
Still, overall enjoyable ep, and definitely better than the one from last week.
(posts containing actual spoilers for any eps of this season are under a cut, the rest is spoilerfree (or at least there are no more spoilers than you'd find in a general show description.)
Heroes
For the moment, I'm watching Heroes. With Smith cancelled, Eureka on Hiatus and Friday Night Lights not working for me, my TV schedule leaves me enough room for Heroes. Problem is, I don't think it's good TV. I enjoy it (parts of) it, I like the cheerleader girl, the comic book hero and the reasonable brother (yes, the politician. I go for men with power and suits, this shouldn't be a surprise to those of you who follow this journal regularly). The show is well filmed, pretty pictures and great effects. Technically, there is nothing wrong with the show. The dialogues, well, it's called Heroes and the script seems to be a comic book, so complaining about the lack of good dialogue would be silly.
And yet, I cannot help but feel that this is all some cheap trick, the creation of a Hero for everyone, to capture us all. The geek who reads comics, the cheerleader who isn't like the others, the woman who can't handle her life, the black sheep in the family, and finally the scientist without superpowers, who will doubtlessly turn out to be a real life hero sooner or later. Probably later, as I see many many seasons of this coming on, seasons in which we will learn more about the lives of our beloved Heroes, without ever getting closer to The Big Secret.
The whole concept of the show reminds me of Lost, and I hate Lost. But it took the frantic viewing of most of the first season of Lost for me to find out that I hate it, so I'll probably need some more time with Heroes, too.
Actually, I take it back, that I said this isn't good TV. This is excellent TV, this is the optimum use of the medium TV as an episodic and returning movie, with ever knew cliffhangers, the stories of many characters that are slowly woven together, shots and cuts that would never be used on the big screen, one big mystery that keeps everyone glued to the screens, while it is at them same time so easy to understand that you can start watching the show at every moment without being lost, and finally, endless possibilities of marketing. This is the stuff that the dreams of the networks are made of, and as such, it is excellent TV.
But I really doubt the network bosses would watch it themselves.
Studio 60
This week's episode was better than last weeks, with the copyright story acting as a frame for the rest. I liked the Matt/Harriet scenes, they have a great timing in delivering their lines, and I love Josh, of course. I always love Josh. The two writer guys made me go WTF. I don't like them, I wish they'd have been fired.
I still don't think I'll ever warm up to Jordan (is that even her name?). Too arrogant while pretending to be nice. She's supposed to be a strong woman who is very good at her job and has worked hard to get where she is, someone who is willing to stand up for the show while at the same time being able to make business decisions that might affect its contents. That's how her role is written, IMHO. But you can tell that the actress has no experience being that kind of woman, and she is still trying to figure out how someone like this would behave. I honestly think they would have done better putting someone in this role who is a bit older, someone who has other worries than "is my hair okay?" and "OMG my skin feels horrible, what do I look like, what will the others think?". Not knowing anything about the actress, this is what I think she is like, just by seeing her stumbling through her scenes without any real self-confidence.
I'd be more than happy if she could convince me otherwise.
I know, I sound critical about the show, you are probably all wondering why I watch it. But this is the kind of show that I like to be critical about. It's made by someone who in my opinion is a master of the genre, so I cannot help but question and analyze why the show works for me or not. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy it, no, I enjoy it probably even more because of it. As I said last week, it has enormous potential, but it also seems immature compared to The West Wing or Sports Night. I don't know how or why, but I'll figure it out.
And then there is of course the actual humour part of the show, which, uhm, I have no idea. Is it supposed to be funny? Is it supposed to be unfunny? Is it some kind of humour that I don't get (political humour is very different in different countries)? I just don't think it's funny. I can see where it's supposed to be funny, but it really really isn't. That joke they "stole"? Not funny.
I feel like I am being made fun of with these jokes.
NCIS
Review with thinky thoughts and screencaps is here.
The Unit
Not so thinky thoughts are here.
Veronica Mars: My Big Fat Greek Rush Week
I like it. I really like this show. It's exactly the right mix between mystery, teenage drama, soap opera, crime and action that is necessary to make me a devoted fan. Okay, maybe not os devoted, since I am not really interested in fanfic or meta for Veronica Mars, but I'm a devoted viewer. Consequently, I have nothing intelligent to say about this ep except that I liked it.
I know you are all thrilled to know, that's why I'm telling you.
CSI+Supernatural
Haven't watched these two yet. I'm fighting with myself if I will even continue watching Supernatural. I still think it's a bad show, and I won't go near the slash fandom if you paid me a million euro. I've saved some gen fic to my HD, but I can't be bothered to read it. I really am not interested in the fandom at all, slash or no slash, and I don't like the show much, so why, why do i still watch it?
Because it's pretty. Because Jared and Jensen are very pretty and they drive a pretty car, and the lighting and make-up makes them even more pretty, plus, sometimes they are handcuffed and thrown on police cars (not often enough, though). See, I am trying to delete the first season from my HD, but then these images of Jensen and Jared delivering bad lines in dark rooms with weapons in their hands cross my mind, and I just cannot get myself to delete it. I'm ashamed of being so shallow.
CSI, however, which I had already decided not to watch this year, surprises me by being rather good, and I'm looking forward to this week's ep, which should be complete in ten minutes. Yay!
Men in Trees
She should sleep with the brother. I would.
Numb3rs
Colby was back, thank god, I was worried that
Colby's lack of trust, Don getting pissed that he can't trust Colby, but also that Colby didn't trust him, and then Colby reminding him of crossing the line with Crystal and Edgerton. Is that why Colby doesn't trust him?
Trust was also the main theme in the other story line, between Charlie and Larry, who had some nice lines that made my Charlie/Larry heart happy. Otherwise, I didn't care too much about the whole paper thing.
Still, overall enjoyable ep, and definitely better than the one from last week.