Friday, October 16, 2009

TV Times Update


Castle - This show has really grown on me. Is there a more appealing actor than Nathan Fillion? You know he is just playing himself. After many years and many failed TV series its nice to see him find success. He was my first choice to play Hal Jordan in the upcoming 'Green Lantern' movie. The best shows work because of the relationship between the leads and Castle and Detective Beckett are a great pairing. All I ask is that the producers keep them from being a couple. The playful banter they have now is so much more interesting than the declaration of love. All the conflict is taken from the show when that happens.

Hell's Kitchen - Still crazy after all these years. Its like boot camp for chefs with Gordan Ramsey as the Nazi they bring in to teach the enlistees the true meaning of pain and suffering. I want to look away but I can't. Kevin and Dave were very strong throughout the competition and deserved to be the final 2. Whoever won would be fine with me. Its Dave who had a broken wrist throughout the whole competition that was finally declared the winner.

Modern Family just gets better and better. The characters are slightly less crazy than those on 'Arrested Development' but both shows have the same sensibilities. The jokes come at you fast and free and everyone has something in their past that haunts them but in a funny way. Everyone on the cast is great and having Shelly Long appear on tonight's episode as the loopy ex-wife who ruined her ex-husband's wedding to a hot, younger, Latin chick was genius. Ending tonight's episode with everyone singing the teen girl's boyfriend's song was a classic. "I just want to do ya" is catchy.

Criminal Minds continues to be the very dark place I am drawn to every week. No laughs, few happy endings and a lot of 'hold your breath' moments. Tonight's episode was no exception. Three random killers murdering people with crowbars and filming their deeds made me feel uneasy and unsafe.

South Park started out as a simple story about a boy (Butters) paying a girl five dollars for his first kiss behind the school. What it became was a lesson in pimpin' with Butters getting credit for 'changing the game'. Effortlessly brilliant.

30 Rock started it's forth season like the third season never ended. One of the strongest comedies on the air is just as good as you remembered. We always expect Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey to be strong but they give as much attention to the minor characters as to the 'stars'. The key to Seinfeld's and Raymond's success was to give all the best lines to everyone around the star. It's a no fail formula I am glad this show has taken to heart.

Community and Parks and Rec have switched places in my mind. I found Parks to be nearly unwatchable last night. They are trying too hard for that uncomfortable feeling you get watching Michael on 'The Office' (another show that has jumped the shark for me - the show should have ENDED with Jim and Pam's wedding) only I am SO uncomfortable that I switched it off half way through. Community is funny only when they are not showcasing any of the regular class. The insane Chinese Spanish teacher is a riot but then I gotta watch Chevy Chase drag everything down. Has he ever been funny? Nope...NEVER! I need more quirky in this show and I feel like it doesn't know what it wants to be so I am not getting attached.

Glee had it's weakest episode this week. I am finding that I truly hate Will's wife and the idea that she and her equally unpleasant sister could convince a doctor to fake an ultrasound so that Will could remain fooled about his wife's pregnancy stretched credibility to the max. You only make Will look like a fool and create another unpleasant character in a show that has plenty of those to begin with. Entertain me, don't annoy me.

5 comments:

Artman2112 said...

damn boy, that's more TV show watching than i did all of last year!

Wings1295 said...

Castle is liked by my wife. I think it is okay, but doesn't draw me in as much.

Modern Family is hilarious! Loving it so far, and Shelly Long should be a permanent addition!

Criminal Minds is good stuff, but Hotch just is 'ugh'. He can go bye-bye anytime.

Been too long since I have seen South Park!

30 Rock is so odd that it is just damn fun!

Community has lost me, I think. Just blah about it.

Glee is great stuff, love the kids. The whole baby/Will's wife storyline needs to be ended, though. Too soap opera, and this show can be better than that.

Wandering Coyote said...

I gave Castle a good go last year when it premiered. I ADORE Nathan Filion and really would like him to be hugely successful, but I didn't like the show. I found the female lead was so cliche and annoying. Castle himself was OK, but the whole thing was just too cheesy and cliche for me.

I am so thrilled Dave won HK! I was rooting for him after Tenille got booted. That guy's got it going on.

And I realized in the finale that I've met the executive chef of Araxi - when I was on CBC's Test the Nation and he & I shared an elevator at our hotel the next day. Really nice guy!

What did you think of last night's Survivor?

I am totally in to SGU now!

Daniel Adams said...

Criminal Minds is one of only two shows that I watch on TV, it is dark and unsettling. Hotch is the best character on that show, very complex.
No way will Hotch leave, the show cannot afford to lose its best character.

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

Coyote - I too am lovin' SGU...humans lost in space with crappy things happening to them all the time is like my favorite sci fi theme. Watching Carlyle go Captain Ahab crazy is wicked interesting.

I was sad to see Ashley go. Seems that in a few weeks it will be nothing but a weiner fest since none of the women are getting any respect.