Here is me introducing a weekly piece (that hopefully you will be able to read weekly assuming I don’t get lazy) where I discuss all the TV I’ve been watching. I’ve always been looking for a way to incorporate the hours of television I’ve been watching alongside the awe inspiring film critiques and discussions posted here.
The feature will be broken into two segments: 1. Weekly Chapters – where I discuss week to week episodes of TV shows that are ongoing and I’m enjoying (and hopefully you as well); and 2. The DVR Chronicles – where I discuss a show that I’ve recently spent my time catching up on that was aired previously and I’ve finally felt needed some time of mine.
So enjoy and make sure to let me know in the comments what you feel about not just this brand spanking new feature, but also your feelings on the shows I’m discussing (and sometimes not discussing). Also, I imagine it goes without saying to be weary when reading discussions on each show. If you aren’t up to date I will take no responsibility for spoilage.
Weekly Chapters
South Park – S14E01 – Sexual Healing (aired: 17/03/10)
This week in South Park they decide to deal with the very hot topic of sex addiction. I can’t help but remind myself that Matt Stone and Trey Parker and just geniuses. I’ve taken a long break from South Park. I don’t think I’ve watched an episode of the show since the hysterical Bono episode. And to come back this season to see that they’ve kicked off with a bang on the Tiger Woods topic it’s almost unimaginable that they’ve gone 13 seasons and haven’t become a parody of themselves yet. Gotta love that they’re still killing Kenny.
Scrubs – S09E13 – Our Thanks (aired: 17/03/10)
As one of the biggest fans of Scrubs I come with much dismay to say that I’m sad to see that state of the show now. The show has always had its ups and downs but generally I’ve always enjoyed it. This season started out horribly but it has grown into its own. Lucy, and the rest of her gang, just doesn’t match up to its predecessor (i.e. JD and Elliot). However the show remains relatively funny whenever they decide to focus on characters from the original seasons, like Turk & Dr. Cox. This episode however wasn’t the greatest but will definitely fill your time till next week when I can hopefully get a better than average episode next week. Please let the Mahoney & Drew relationship not plague this show forever, just keep on the hate jokes for me.
30 Rock – S04E15 – Don Geiss, America and Hope (aired: 18/03/10)
30 Rock is a show that for a long time I had ignored. Until after much annoyance from Douglas (and after the shows 10 billionth award at the Globes) I decided to catch up and I loved it. However, the show for me has lost a lot of steam for me in this 4th season. There have been only a few really hilarious moments this season that have been truly memorable (I’m looking at you Jon Hamm hallucination). This episode I’m forced to deal with Jack deal with his position in the corporate structure after NBC was bought by Kabletown. I mean it is kind of funny to have Jack make fun of LA (even though I don’t know anything about these places really) and Jack explaining that the damn nightlight was invented only to tap into the market of those people who weren’t using electricity while they were asleep. But overall and wishy-washy episode. I’m not digging Michael Sheen’s (The Damned United) cameo in the show right now, hope he’s done his arc now.
Community – S01E18 – Beginner Pottery (aired: 18/03/10)
Community has truly grown on me from its premiere to now. I started out thinking that the only good thing about the show was its teachers (Senor Chang) and the comedic duo of Abed and Troy, but now I’ve come to love each character for their own merits. However I think I’ve come around to realise that my initial assessment may have been spot on. This show is still a great show, but with this episode where Abed and Troy were relegated to the background for the episode. I mean, I didn’t even get my wonderful ending skit with Abed and Troy being awesome, yes I loved it when they did Bert and Ernie. Jeff tried his best to carry the episode but in the end it ended leaving me with a foul taste in my mouth about it all.
How to Make it in America – S01E06 – Good Vintage (aired: 21/03/10)
I’ve still not made up my mind whether I like this show or hate it for its inability to actually reach me on any level. It sometimes has me laughing because it’s a kind of comedy about pretty much real people in NYC hustling and trying to get their new business venture off the ground. The characters seem fun enough like you would want to be friends with them and hang out and have a great time in real life, but as far as TV personalities and people I want to revisit each week it’s just not doing it for me. The only thing keeping me going is that it’s an HBO show, and I have my personal bias towards the station. They make great shows and I always like to give them a season or so to really wow me, and since the show isn’t something that I’m actively hating I keep tuning in each week. The episode itself was mediocre, like the season so far, and it just has me going ‘meh’ the entire time.
United States of Tara – S02E01 – Yes (aired: 22/03/10)
It’s the season premiere of one of my favourite new shows from last year. We reenter Tara’s life and her family months from where we left and now she’s finally back on her meds. She hasn’t been going all crazy for a while and everything is going fine. But it won’t stay that way for long obviously, or we wouldn’t be watching. This episode features a guest appearance by Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy) as the cute chick who works at the bar. It’s a nice reintroduction to this world and nice idea for the writers to deal with what does Tara do once the meds stop helping and the ‘alters’ come-a-knocking and I can’t wait to see how everything unfolds but for now that’s all it is.
How I Met Your Mother – S05E18 – Say Cheese (aired: 22/03/10)
As bad as this episode of my recently made favourite sitcom ever I can’t help but like it for its few small moments. Like I love how for some odd reason the show happens to center around a character’s birthday the same week that is my birthday. Also, I love the running gag of Barney’s inability to take a bad picture and Robin’s efforts to get one of the Barnacle. I even like the pose that Barney is always in, it’s so Barney-like to be in that pose. So a bad episode, but not without good points.
LOST – S06E09 – Ab Aeterno (aired: 13/03/10)
Here is a show that I’ve spent the last month catching up and have finally reached current LOST status. Since Season 5 when the writers introduced this crazy time travel idea and we were allowed to see the island over the years one thing that definitely popped up in my mind as a massive question is how Richard never seems to age. Well finally we are given the backstory of Richard as how he came to the island and why he never ages. At the same time Hugo continues to make himself be one of the most relevant of the candidates it seems. This episode is a shining light for me this season because it did what I’ve been saying the writers need to be doing. Ignore this alternate universe where the plane lands in LAX and pay attention to what is important, i.e. this whole candidacy thing and the John Locke problem. We get closer to figuring out exactly what John Locke is and we start to ask ourselves, “who should be president of the island?”
2. The DVR Chronicles
Mad Men Season 3
I’m a massive fan of the show. It’s one of those that went past me and I didn’t even notice. This week Season 3 came out on DVD and BluRay and I got the opportunity to catch up. So far I’ve only completed a little over half of the season but it remains fantastic. Don remains to be one of the most cool characters that you know is a sleaze but at the same time can’t help but love him, Peggy Olson seems to have finally hit a point in her career at Sterling Cooper that she may finally be a bit too ambitious, even without the gender issue, and Pete remains to be one of the whiniest most annoying accounts men I have ever had to put up with. It’s great just to hang out with this office, and I hope that one day when I get a job my office will be just as fun to hang out in.
The Sterling Cooper crowd this season must have to deal with the worries of the agency’s restructuring after they were bought by a larger British establishment. Don must finally come to the terms of someone higher that Mr. Cooper, the eccentric man on the top floor. At the same time the Drapers are expecting another in the family and also handling the issue of Betty’s aging father who eventually moves in with them so they can keep a close watch on them. In short, watch this show if you’re not already.
What did you watch this week?