TV roundup--spoilers.
Oct. 17th, 2010 04:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tenayaImpressed with:
Last week's Glee, Grilled Cheesus :Glee has always been goofy and light, but this episode was beautiful. Kurt's grief was so well done, as was Sue's back story with about her sister. The whole exploration of religion and how some find strength in it and how others are annoyed and distressed by having it pushed at them. That was really, really well written. And 'Grilled Cheesus' has got to become a new noun now in American slang.
SPN's Weekend at Bobby's:LOVED IT! I've always like Bobby and found this ep really fun and well done. JA did a few director tricks but they worked out for the most part. I still don't like Sam being so off; it makes me feel like there will be a reveal later on about how this isn't Sam or something.
The Mentalist, Red Carpet Treatment:So well done! It took me a while to place the widower as the father of the cheerleader in Heroes. He was wonderful. It was so unsettling as I couldn't decide whether he was evil or innocent--and the truth was a bombshell, particularly with the parallels with Jane. At my local fannish meeting, there was a spirited debate during the summer as to where Jane would end up. Would he still kill Red John when he finally finds him (even if it costs the lives of some of his team) or does the show document his growth as he leaves behind his single minded obsession and rejoin the living. I still can't decide which I believe. Sometimes he does seem to be allowing himself to move past and other times, he is still firmly on tract for revenge at any price.
Bill Maher really surprised me on the last latest show. During his new rules, he had this weirdly reasoned out premise that started with Brett Favre and his sexting scandal. How an entitled white dude is the only one that would think anyone else would want to see a picture of his penis. But in the past, our culture was owned by white men and they are going a little crazy now that they are seeing their position eroding with a black President, a woman Secretary of State, and this year for the first time the birth of white babies is in the minority column. This is why they think the country needs 'restoring.' That white men are the only ones solidly in support of candidates like Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnell (women and minorities don't like 'em.) He called them MILF's and said white men liked them because they represent something they miss dearly -- the traditional idiot housewife. It's certainly an interesting point of view.
Enjoying:
House--a lot more than I thought I would. I thought House/Cuddy would be boring and annoying but it's actually quite watchable. Color me surprised.
Castle still delights. It's the first show I catch up on.
The Good Wife also continues to surprise me. It is so well written. I find myself quite liking the campaign manager. And Colinda is deliciously mysterious.
Top Gear always makes me chuckle. I can't imagine how the Reliant Robin wasn't recalled immediately. I think the boys are getting along better this year; last year I felt there was tension, like they had been together too long and were getting irritated with each other.
Criminal Minds has been stressed by the casting change. I hear there will be more Reid this year. I think that's a good plan. We've had more of his backstory than anyone else's but it's been ignored now for a few years. It's time to revisit it.
Still on trial: Undercovers, Hawaii Five-O. Both are pretty to look at but really need less polish and more heart. I like all the actors on Five-0 but find all the !ACTION! annoying. The stuff with Dano and his daughter is very nice though.
Gave up on or haven't even watched: Nikita, Defenders, Blue Bloods (no interest, no interest, not enough free time to try it.)
And then there's SG:U. I've a friend that cried at the end of the episode where the shuttle craft crashed on that planet and that one crewmember was pinned and dying. I had the opposite reaction. My hackles actually rose up (and there's no doubt you have hackles when you feel them bristle!) If I was a crew member under Col. Young, I would be certain that it's only a matter of time before he either gets everyone killed or kills them himself. Really? Suffocating a dying man? That's a terrible way to die and by doing it without witnesses it's comes off as murder. I spent some time trying to decide how O'Neill or Sheppard would have handled it. Yes it was a bad situation and no, you don't want to leave a mortally wounded man to die alone and undefended on a strange planet (where he could linger in pain or be eaten alive.) IMHO, I think O'Neill and Sheppard would have had others there, would have cut the guy and let him bleed out and let the dying man be comforted by his shipmates.
Having said that, I think the show is better than last last year, but by now, I am weary of the characters. Even those I had liked I don't now. When I have to watch everything that was Tivo'd during my work stretch, SG:U is the last one in the cue. I'm watching one now. Oh. Aliens. Okay, Lou Diamond Phillips is being pretty cool right now. :::sigh::: Nevermind.
ETA: Merlin! How could I forget that? I've been loving it. Merlin seems to be coming into his own; he was very powerful tonight in fighting the Sidhe. I'm glad they were able to save the princess (but why is she a princess if her dad's a lord? Oh, nevermind! Why high heels? Why anything?!) And why is Uther so down on love being an element in a marriage. What about his love for Igraine? Or has guilt increased her worth in his memory? Anyway, while I love me a stern Uther, I thought he should have been more supportive and less authoritative about the marriage.
I'm not enamored with how villainous Morgana has become. She has totally switched polarities and there is no room in her for anything but nastiness now. And I wasn't too happy with Gwen in this. First off, I don't really get a sense of any chemistry between Arthur and Gwen. But Gwen and Lancelot do have chemistry. Arthur is young, handsome, brave and good; who wouldn't be smitten with him? Gwen comes off as having a crush on Arthur, where as she was head over heals with Lancelot. I really think she would have shown more character to quit making eyes at Arthur when she knows she loves Lancelot. I don't care for how they've set up that triangle, but I guess Gwen is always going to come off badly by marrying Arthur but then betraying him with Lancelot.
Anyway, loved the return of the Sidhe. And have I mentioned how I love looking at the horses in this show? Magnificent!
Last week's Glee, Grilled Cheesus :Glee has always been goofy and light, but this episode was beautiful. Kurt's grief was so well done, as was Sue's back story with about her sister. The whole exploration of religion and how some find strength in it and how others are annoyed and distressed by having it pushed at them. That was really, really well written. And 'Grilled Cheesus' has got to become a new noun now in American slang.
SPN's Weekend at Bobby's:LOVED IT! I've always like Bobby and found this ep really fun and well done. JA did a few director tricks but they worked out for the most part. I still don't like Sam being so off; it makes me feel like there will be a reveal later on about how this isn't Sam or something.
The Mentalist, Red Carpet Treatment:So well done! It took me a while to place the widower as the father of the cheerleader in Heroes. He was wonderful. It was so unsettling as I couldn't decide whether he was evil or innocent--and the truth was a bombshell, particularly with the parallels with Jane. At my local fannish meeting, there was a spirited debate during the summer as to where Jane would end up. Would he still kill Red John when he finally finds him (even if it costs the lives of some of his team) or does the show document his growth as he leaves behind his single minded obsession and rejoin the living. I still can't decide which I believe. Sometimes he does seem to be allowing himself to move past and other times, he is still firmly on tract for revenge at any price.
Bill Maher really surprised me on the last latest show. During his new rules, he had this weirdly reasoned out premise that started with Brett Favre and his sexting scandal. How an entitled white dude is the only one that would think anyone else would want to see a picture of his penis. But in the past, our culture was owned by white men and they are going a little crazy now that they are seeing their position eroding with a black President, a woman Secretary of State, and this year for the first time the birth of white babies is in the minority column. This is why they think the country needs 'restoring.' That white men are the only ones solidly in support of candidates like Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnell (women and minorities don't like 'em.) He called them MILF's and said white men liked them because they represent something they miss dearly -- the traditional idiot housewife. It's certainly an interesting point of view.
Enjoying:
House--a lot more than I thought I would. I thought House/Cuddy would be boring and annoying but it's actually quite watchable. Color me surprised.
Castle still delights. It's the first show I catch up on.
The Good Wife also continues to surprise me. It is so well written. I find myself quite liking the campaign manager. And Colinda is deliciously mysterious.
Top Gear always makes me chuckle. I can't imagine how the Reliant Robin wasn't recalled immediately. I think the boys are getting along better this year; last year I felt there was tension, like they had been together too long and were getting irritated with each other.
Criminal Minds has been stressed by the casting change. I hear there will be more Reid this year. I think that's a good plan. We've had more of his backstory than anyone else's but it's been ignored now for a few years. It's time to revisit it.
Still on trial: Undercovers, Hawaii Five-O. Both are pretty to look at but really need less polish and more heart. I like all the actors on Five-0 but find all the !ACTION! annoying. The stuff with Dano and his daughter is very nice though.
Gave up on or haven't even watched: Nikita, Defenders, Blue Bloods (no interest, no interest, not enough free time to try it.)
And then there's SG:U. I've a friend that cried at the end of the episode where the shuttle craft crashed on that planet and that one crewmember was pinned and dying. I had the opposite reaction. My hackles actually rose up (and there's no doubt you have hackles when you feel them bristle!) If I was a crew member under Col. Young, I would be certain that it's only a matter of time before he either gets everyone killed or kills them himself. Really? Suffocating a dying man? That's a terrible way to die and by doing it without witnesses it's comes off as murder. I spent some time trying to decide how O'Neill or Sheppard would have handled it. Yes it was a bad situation and no, you don't want to leave a mortally wounded man to die alone and undefended on a strange planet (where he could linger in pain or be eaten alive.) IMHO, I think O'Neill and Sheppard would have had others there, would have cut the guy and let him bleed out and let the dying man be comforted by his shipmates.
Having said that, I think the show is better than last last year, but by now, I am weary of the characters. Even those I had liked I don't now. When I have to watch everything that was Tivo'd during my work stretch, SG:U is the last one in the cue. I'm watching one now. Oh. Aliens. Okay, Lou Diamond Phillips is being pretty cool right now. :::sigh::: Nevermind.
ETA: Merlin! How could I forget that? I've been loving it. Merlin seems to be coming into his own; he was very powerful tonight in fighting the Sidhe. I'm glad they were able to save the princess (but why is she a princess if her dad's a lord? Oh, nevermind! Why high heels? Why anything?!) And why is Uther so down on love being an element in a marriage. What about his love for Igraine? Or has guilt increased her worth in his memory? Anyway, while I love me a stern Uther, I thought he should have been more supportive and less authoritative about the marriage.
I'm not enamored with how villainous Morgana has become. She has totally switched polarities and there is no room in her for anything but nastiness now. And I wasn't too happy with Gwen in this. First off, I don't really get a sense of any chemistry between Arthur and Gwen. But Gwen and Lancelot do have chemistry. Arthur is young, handsome, brave and good; who wouldn't be smitten with him? Gwen comes off as having a crush on Arthur, where as she was head over heals with Lancelot. I really think she would have shown more character to quit making eyes at Arthur when she knows she loves Lancelot. I don't care for how they've set up that triangle, but I guess Gwen is always going to come off badly by marrying Arthur but then betraying him with Lancelot.
Anyway, loved the return of the Sidhe. And have I mentioned how I love looking at the horses in this show? Magnificent!
