Damn, It's Been A Hell Of A Week For TV Around The Cave Of Cool - Part I

 

I try to give all new shows at least a three episode try but there are some I will never watch that many times. Can someone please tell me how the ABYSMAL Mysteries of Laura got a SECOND SEASON?? I shouldn't ask because UNDER THE FREAKIN DOME is already in season 4. That still stuns me.

 

 

Gotham - I need to be convinced to finish watching season one and start with season two. I don't know why a show about a young Jim Gordon did not connect with me but there you have it. I like all the actors involved from their previous work and the story of a young Bruce Wayne is just the kind of thing I wish for and bitch about all the time. Maybe I needs me a binge.

Survivor - always solid entertainment. This year the show is populated by contestants who have been on the show once before but NEVER won it all. That is an interesting twist. Like Big Brother I love watching how people act while put under pressure. Everyone has their breaking point and in there I find entertainment. I peek in on Dancing With The Non Stars, Bachelor and Bachelorette so that I can mock them intelligently. Though I do like Miss Bindi Irwin this year on Dancing. She is all kinds of energy and personality on the dance floor. I am so glad she grew into that monkey face she had as a child. That is what good karma rewards you with.

Cops - the first and still the greatest reality show on television. You can't write this stuff and it's a beautiful thing to watch when the camera captures a golden moment, or a tazing, which I admit to loving more than I should. 50,000 volts of temporary non-fatal human suffering makes me laugh. I am a terrible person.

How To Get Away With Murder - very smartly written murder mystery that was a blessing to me last year. Thirteen episode seasons in the way to go. Half the work for twice the pay off because in a story like this you need to trim the fat. It has to be lean and mean and this show certainly was. I still had doubts about many things by the end of that first year that I needed to check back into. Framke Janssen is on the show now. 'nuff said. She's alright and the end of the first episode of season two is something I didn't expect. Emmy winner Viola Davis is amazing as the heart and soul of this drama. A show you want to pay attention too because it rewards the long time viewer each episode. This is how you do mystery and murder on TV. Setting a soapy lawyer drama in a law school and you got a winner already but film it in this way with this storytelling technique and you have must-see TV.

The Last Ship - is the greatest thing Michael Bay ever did because I suspect he just put his name to the production for a price and walked away because both seasons have been spectacular and he has no experience with that kind of quality filmmaking. It's a great drama on board a navy ship during a time in crisis that never forgets that there are human beings experiencing these horrible things. I love how the crew of the Nathan James use their superior training and leadership to overcome any obstacle. They believe in and support each other. This is how I wish America really was. It's the America of myth. Eric Dane is very good as the Captain with the weight of the whole world on his shoulders but he makes me believe he could solve many a world crisis if he and his crew were real and were set loose on some of this world's enemies. Plus there is still no cooler name for a ship than the Nathan James, except for maybe the Roger Young, Dawn Treader, or Nautilus. I admit to holding onto the last episode of season two because I can't let go of the crew just yet.

Project Runway - Tim Gunn is the best. Mentor and Guru but still a teacher at heart. The wisest and most gentle man on TV. I once watched him critique superhero costumes with entire sincerity. He took the fashion seriously. He walks the talk and can back up his opinions with experience. It's nice to find an example to follow. Heidi Klum still dazzles me and she doesn't push it too much that she is a fashion icon - which she is. She is very powerful and I love the combination of these two personalities along with the designers who always make the show interesting. Half way through season 14. I still don't have a favorite because there is a lot of talent this cycle. The only show were survival is matched by the extra stress of having to actually PRODUCE a garment each episode. That is always interesting to me. I love the design process.

Narcos - Am really trying hard to get into this one but even episode two seemed like a chore. The most interesting thing I learned is that Pablo Escobar has so many billions in cash in small bills that he has a problem storing it. The rats got to at least 2 billion that was lost forever by some estimates. That's the hardest part of the drug business. How do you covert the small bills to larger assets? Assets with long time value. That is the stuff I was most interested in with this series. How do the drugs get out and how the money get spent. At what point can you no longer buy enough things?