This is the sound of my brain rotting
I've managed to catch bits of a few TV shows this season, so here's a short rundown of my thoughts.
Heroes
I'm delighted by the decision to start a few months down the road--it puts our protags in all new places, including shirtless in a shipping crate in Ireland. But who hasn't ended up there at some point? So far, it's as interesting as last season with the bonus of the characters having a history together. It's like watching six shows at once, so even if I don't like West or Peter's new squeeze, I know we'll be seeing something new in a couple minutes anyway. Plus, Nathan is alive, I mean I can't say a word against that, even though he appears to have grown an entire gorilla on his chin.
Moonlight
The main character and the love interest both bored me silly, and I couldn't stand the relentless self-referential nature of the vampire discussions. WE KNOW WHAT VAMPIRES ARE, THANKS. "You know some people find them sexy?" says the reporter, wrinkling her nose. Yes, I do, because I haven't lived in a box for five years and am aware that paranormal romance is pretty much the hottest-selling genre these days. Get over yourself, show. You're not that clever.
I will give Moonlight one thing: they've done what John Carpenter's Vampires couldn't do (despite the promises on the box cover) and presented a depiction of a vampire that was actually fresh and interesting: the 300-year-old yuppie power broker Joe. I'd watch Joe run around talking on his cell phone and drinking blood from a wine glass all day long. He's something different. It's that dopey private eye I can't stand.
Chuck
I only managed to catch the back half of this last night, more's the pity, and I enjoyed it, but mostly it just made me sad for Firefly. I'm not going to go out of my way to tune in, but if it happens to come on I wouldn't turn it off.
Journeyman
This is the second week in a row where I've started this out only to get too tired to finish it. The opening credits are just stellar, the main character is very watchable, and while I can't call it nostalgic per se, it's fun to watch for pop-culture touchstones in the background. It's certainly not a bad show--just one that can't seem to hold my interest. Part of the problem may be my perception (remember, I never finished an episode) that the overarching plot has something to do with the Journeyman's reconnecting with his presumed-dead fiancee. I can't get into that conflict. If he gets the girl, that's adultery. If he doesn't, that's unsatisfying. Since I can't root for either ending, I can't really care how it ends. Plus, since we know his wife used to date his brother, it's set up for double adultery!
And one blast from the past....
Twin Peaks
Gosh, that show is just right up my alley. I can see why it became a cult hit--and also why it faded so fast, because with the resolution of Laura Palmer's murder I'm in no hurry to keep going. It has a ginormous cast. Probably a third of them are certifiably insane, another third is made of murderers, attempted murderers, or people who hire murderers, and the other third is just weird. Special Agent Dale Cooper is just a revelation. It's paranormal-ish, it's got complicated relationships between colorful characters, and it made me hungry for pie. A winner all around.
Anyone else dipping their toes into this season of network TV?
Heroes
I'm delighted by the decision to start a few months down the road--it puts our protags in all new places, including shirtless in a shipping crate in Ireland. But who hasn't ended up there at some point? So far, it's as interesting as last season with the bonus of the characters having a history together. It's like watching six shows at once, so even if I don't like West or Peter's new squeeze, I know we'll be seeing something new in a couple minutes anyway. Plus, Nathan is alive, I mean I can't say a word against that, even though he appears to have grown an entire gorilla on his chin.
Moonlight
The main character and the love interest both bored me silly, and I couldn't stand the relentless self-referential nature of the vampire discussions. WE KNOW WHAT VAMPIRES ARE, THANKS. "You know some people find them sexy?" says the reporter, wrinkling her nose. Yes, I do, because I haven't lived in a box for five years and am aware that paranormal romance is pretty much the hottest-selling genre these days. Get over yourself, show. You're not that clever.
I will give Moonlight one thing: they've done what John Carpenter's Vampires couldn't do (despite the promises on the box cover) and presented a depiction of a vampire that was actually fresh and interesting: the 300-year-old yuppie power broker Joe. I'd watch Joe run around talking on his cell phone and drinking blood from a wine glass all day long. He's something different. It's that dopey private eye I can't stand.
Chuck
I only managed to catch the back half of this last night, more's the pity, and I enjoyed it, but mostly it just made me sad for Firefly. I'm not going to go out of my way to tune in, but if it happens to come on I wouldn't turn it off.
Journeyman
This is the second week in a row where I've started this out only to get too tired to finish it. The opening credits are just stellar, the main character is very watchable, and while I can't call it nostalgic per se, it's fun to watch for pop-culture touchstones in the background. It's certainly not a bad show--just one that can't seem to hold my interest. Part of the problem may be my perception (remember, I never finished an episode) that the overarching plot has something to do with the Journeyman's reconnecting with his presumed-dead fiancee. I can't get into that conflict. If he gets the girl, that's adultery. If he doesn't, that's unsatisfying. Since I can't root for either ending, I can't really care how it ends. Plus, since we know his wife used to date his brother, it's set up for double adultery!
And one blast from the past....
Twin Peaks
Gosh, that show is just right up my alley. I can see why it became a cult hit--and also why it faded so fast, because with the resolution of Laura Palmer's murder I'm in no hurry to keep going. It has a ginormous cast. Probably a third of them are certifiably insane, another third is made of murderers, attempted murderers, or people who hire murderers, and the other third is just weird. Special Agent Dale Cooper is just a revelation. It's paranormal-ish, it's got complicated relationships between colorful characters, and it made me hungry for pie. A winner all around.
Anyone else dipping their toes into this season of network TV?