TV Sluttage
Nov. 29th, 2006 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatAfter torturing myself by watching fifteen minutes of Oprah, which reminded me of how tight my suites have gotten - one, which I bought in the spring, no longer fits, have decided to maybe try exercising (went on walk to get started), reading, and other activities in front of tube instead of *cough*eating*cough*. I blame television for my weight gain and need to eat. Stupid evil commercials. Yes, I've managed to regain the 25 pounds I lost before I got laid-off. Honestly, there are times I think it is true, TV will rot your brain.
Things learned this week:
1. Do not tell people you are writing a novel. They don't really care unless you are about to be published and they can read it.
2. Recruiters make lousey travel agents. (Found this out the hard way.)
3. Too much chocolat equals heartburn. Actually too much food period equals heartburn. Don't eat when you aren't hungry - one would think I'd have figured this out by now. But nope. Am dense.
4. Don't watch Oprah if you are feeling gloomy about yourself, it will make you want to throw things at the tv screen.
After watching Bones rip-off of The Blair Witch Project, which was actually more entertaining than it sounds - did my exercises during it, watched DayBreak which makes Lost feel like Masterpiece Theater in comparison. Daybreak just meanders and makes me miss Lost, which may be the point. (I can't watch Criminal Minds - lost interest in serial killers way back in the 90's when they were the "in" thing. Besides "Profiler" was better.) Then watched a 20/20 special entitled "Cheap in America" about charitable giving - which is more or less reaffirming what I already know. More you give more happy you are. People are greedy but also incredibly giving.
Watched following tv shows Daybreak, Bones, Studio 60, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Nip/Tuck, Heroes, Veronica Mars, and Grey's Anatomy. Also bits of House. (I keep forgetting it's repeated at 11pm on USA on Fridays - so keep missing the repeats.)
Studio 60 - this show is bugging me. I love the characters but am annoyed with the writing. I attempted to watch with family over the holiday. BIG MISTAKE. (Note: do not watch tv at holiday gatherings unless you can watch it in another room by yourself without problems, or you know everyone is into it and likes same show.) They hated it and thought it was stupid, and since the volume was turned down due to 2 year old sleeping in the other room - could barely hear it. Okay, I don't blame them for thinking it's stupid. Studio 60 has a couple of problems: 1) The show feels a bit TOO much like The West Wing or The American President in a television studio. We need a bit more "Sports Night" and a bit less "West Wing" here. Not that I don't enjoy the West Wing, loved it, but you can't take the West Wing formula and transplant it in a show about a sketch comedy series. 2) Way too much talking about what happened. ie. The dialogue is not progessing the plot so much as talking about the plot. Which is sort of boring. An example:Jordan is pregnant. Danny seems surprised. She doesn't want to tell him. Uhm okay. Why do I care? Why does Danny? Are they having a romance? Because not seeing it. What I see is Danny talking to Jack for fifty minutes about the ethics of television and how Jordan should keep her job because she is an ethical television prez who puts quality shows on the air. At any rate - preferred this week's episode to last week's. It feels less clever than it was originally. And how they've written in one character's personal situation seems sort of out of the blue. Again with the talking not the showing.
Heroes - is a well shot series. This baby doesn't require much attention to dialogue. It's more interested in visuals. Good thing too, since its dialogue tends to be uneven. Sometimes great, sometimes lacklustre. I enjoy it. Have fairly low expectations. And like not knowing what will happen next. My spoiler policy is more lax than most people's - for example, I don't consider the teasers that the creators and writers give in TV Guide true spoilers so much as teasers. Nor do I consider previews or trailers necessarily spoilers. I just don't want to know key plot points. ie. I don't mind knowing a character will die in an upcoming episode, just don't tell me which one. I like to guess.
Have decided that the writers of this series are into opposites - counters or dopplegangers. Frex: Sylar is sort of the dark doppleganger of Peter Martelli. Both want desperately to be heroes, but don't have their own power so much as absorb someone else's. Which is why Peter was able to fight Sylar without Sylar taking him out - Both are Ciphers. The difference between them is that Sylar didn't have a recognizable talent and took the talents of others destroying them in the process. While Peter has not control, he just absorbs, but does not destroy. The other person's keeps theirs. Peter is more of a mimic - mimicing or taking on the talents of whomever he comes into contact with. Sylar on the other hand removes what makes the other person unique and destroys them, using their talent for his own vanity. Then we have the two scientists: Chandra and Bennett. Chandra is looking for answers, for a way to help, to make things better because he lost his daughter - she died and she had the chromsome that makes people special. He wants to make her death matter. Bennett's daughter is alive, he loves her, but he's looking and searching to a)protect her, and b) to use the talents for his own ends. He's the anti-Chandra. Then there's Nikki/Jessica - the split personality girl with the father who destroyed her and caused the split - caused her to do whatever necessary to protect her kid, compared to Claire Bennett - the girl with the father who loves her, and would never hurt her.
Lots of pairings.
Sylar is one of the more interesting villians I've seen. Although I find the people surrounding Bennett equally interesting - Eden and Igor (or unnamed guy who does the cleaning). The show reminds me a great deal of the X-men comic book series, with shout-outs to other favorite series such as Watchman. The only character who tends to bore me is Chandra's kid Mohindre. Episodes that focus less on him and the psychic cop are more gripping for some reason.
This week's episode was great, much better than last week's which I found somewhat disappointing. I think part of it is Hiro - this character brings energy to it and humor which is needed.
I think the character they'll kill off is going to have to be someone who will change things - a character whose death progresses the story and causes a ripple effect. (Think Tara or Jenny on Buffy. Or Fred/Cordy/Doyle on Angel. Or even Lilah.) So what character's would cause that? Claire (unlikely - since that could have happened last week, also too much to do with her alive), Peter (same as Claire), Nathan (nope - too much potential and his death doesn't cause that much of a ripple) Leonard Roberts character (nope - no ripples), Copguy (nope - since I can barely remember his name), Mohindre (I wish, but unlikely), Bennett or HRG (nope), Nikki?(no ripples and already did that mislead) - this leaves Isaac (isn't he with Bennett and isn't his death foretold in the future already??), the lady cop (no ripples - also no powers and not major), Simone (unlikely to cause that many ripples - but her death might affect Peter...so this is a good possibility) but honestly? If I were Kring and I wanted to kill a character that would really cause a lot of pain and really push another character - it would be Ando. Ando is the one that would cause the biggest ripple in my opinion. Cause the most pain and anguish. That's who I'd kill. I'm hoping they don't but I can see it coming, because Ando's death is needed to make Hiro grow up.
I admit it. I am mainly watching the show for Hiro. LOL!
Desperate Housewives - it's a shame, just when I start liking the show again - it will go on hiatius then come back and be opposite The Dresden Files which premieres January 21 at 9pm on Sundays. Since unlike 90% of my flist, I cannot watch two shows at once. (No DVR and no VCR). I have to choose. And Dresden wins for now. I am a Harry shipper. I feel the same way about Harry Dresden that some people seem to feel about Harry Potter. (What can I say I have a weakness for dark, wellmeaning, heroic, rumpled guys who in their late 30's early 40's - Harry Potter is just too young for me.) That said, this week's Desperate was entertaining, so entertaining I regret missing last week's, but was watching Prime Suspect instead. I'm beginning to like Susan again - which was an accomplishment, and I no longer want to slap Gabriella and Lynette upside the head with a frying pan. Yes, progress. Plus three hunks: Dougray Scott, Kyle McLachlan, and James Denton. Now if they'll only bring Susan's ex-hubby back - I adored him.
Monday is going to get hard soon too. The Closer is coming back with a two hour movie opposite Heroes and Studio 60, I think. Am hoping NBC puts a Xmas movie on that night, so can watch The Closer.
Nip/Tuck - boring me. The show seems to be meandering without much direction. The only character I'm still interested in is Christian at this point and barely. Scean mopes and whines. Julia took off (because the actress is taking care of her daughter in England - who had to have multiple surgeries for a leg problem). And the Kimber/Matt relationship is just dull. I'm missing seasons 1 and 2. The show jumped the shark I think in Season 3 and hasn't come back since.
Grey's Anatomy enjoyable fluff show. I call it my comfort show. I like the characters. I enjoy the writing. And it works for me. This past week's episode moved me and worked partly because it focused almost completely on Christina, George, and to an extent on Izzy/Alex. Less Meredith/McDreamy the better. Christina pulls me in each week. I loved her dilemma and how well and realistically it was written. Demonstrating how surgeons protect each other often to the detriment of patients. Forgetting patients are people. Becoming so self-involved and into their career paths and those of their loved ones and friends, they forget they are working on a human being not a file.
20/20 program makes me think I need to locate another volunteer project to work with soon.
Things learned this week:
1. Do not tell people you are writing a novel. They don't really care unless you are about to be published and they can read it.
2. Recruiters make lousey travel agents. (Found this out the hard way.)
3. Too much chocolat equals heartburn. Actually too much food period equals heartburn. Don't eat when you aren't hungry - one would think I'd have figured this out by now. But nope. Am dense.
4. Don't watch Oprah if you are feeling gloomy about yourself, it will make you want to throw things at the tv screen.
After watching Bones rip-off of The Blair Witch Project, which was actually more entertaining than it sounds - did my exercises during it, watched DayBreak which makes Lost feel like Masterpiece Theater in comparison. Daybreak just meanders and makes me miss Lost, which may be the point. (I can't watch Criminal Minds - lost interest in serial killers way back in the 90's when they were the "in" thing. Besides "Profiler" was better.) Then watched a 20/20 special entitled "Cheap in America" about charitable giving - which is more or less reaffirming what I already know. More you give more happy you are. People are greedy but also incredibly giving.
Watched following tv shows Daybreak, Bones, Studio 60, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Nip/Tuck, Heroes, Veronica Mars, and Grey's Anatomy. Also bits of House. (I keep forgetting it's repeated at 11pm on USA on Fridays - so keep missing the repeats.)
Studio 60 - this show is bugging me. I love the characters but am annoyed with the writing. I attempted to watch with family over the holiday. BIG MISTAKE. (Note: do not watch tv at holiday gatherings unless you can watch it in another room by yourself without problems, or you know everyone is into it and likes same show.) They hated it and thought it was stupid, and since the volume was turned down due to 2 year old sleeping in the other room - could barely hear it. Okay, I don't blame them for thinking it's stupid. Studio 60 has a couple of problems: 1) The show feels a bit TOO much like The West Wing or The American President in a television studio. We need a bit more "Sports Night" and a bit less "West Wing" here. Not that I don't enjoy the West Wing, loved it, but you can't take the West Wing formula and transplant it in a show about a sketch comedy series. 2) Way too much talking about what happened. ie. The dialogue is not progessing the plot so much as talking about the plot. Which is sort of boring. An example:Jordan is pregnant. Danny seems surprised. She doesn't want to tell him. Uhm okay. Why do I care? Why does Danny? Are they having a romance? Because not seeing it. What I see is Danny talking to Jack for fifty minutes about the ethics of television and how Jordan should keep her job because she is an ethical television prez who puts quality shows on the air. At any rate - preferred this week's episode to last week's. It feels less clever than it was originally. And how they've written in one character's personal situation seems sort of out of the blue. Again with the talking not the showing.
Heroes - is a well shot series. This baby doesn't require much attention to dialogue. It's more interested in visuals. Good thing too, since its dialogue tends to be uneven. Sometimes great, sometimes lacklustre. I enjoy it. Have fairly low expectations. And like not knowing what will happen next. My spoiler policy is more lax than most people's - for example, I don't consider the teasers that the creators and writers give in TV Guide true spoilers so much as teasers. Nor do I consider previews or trailers necessarily spoilers. I just don't want to know key plot points. ie. I don't mind knowing a character will die in an upcoming episode, just don't tell me which one. I like to guess.
Have decided that the writers of this series are into opposites - counters or dopplegangers. Frex: Sylar is sort of the dark doppleganger of Peter Martelli. Both want desperately to be heroes, but don't have their own power so much as absorb someone else's. Which is why Peter was able to fight Sylar without Sylar taking him out - Both are Ciphers. The difference between them is that Sylar didn't have a recognizable talent and took the talents of others destroying them in the process. While Peter has not control, he just absorbs, but does not destroy. The other person's keeps theirs. Peter is more of a mimic - mimicing or taking on the talents of whomever he comes into contact with. Sylar on the other hand removes what makes the other person unique and destroys them, using their talent for his own vanity. Then we have the two scientists: Chandra and Bennett. Chandra is looking for answers, for a way to help, to make things better because he lost his daughter - she died and she had the chromsome that makes people special. He wants to make her death matter. Bennett's daughter is alive, he loves her, but he's looking and searching to a)protect her, and b) to use the talents for his own ends. He's the anti-Chandra. Then there's Nikki/Jessica - the split personality girl with the father who destroyed her and caused the split - caused her to do whatever necessary to protect her kid, compared to Claire Bennett - the girl with the father who loves her, and would never hurt her.
Lots of pairings.
Sylar is one of the more interesting villians I've seen. Although I find the people surrounding Bennett equally interesting - Eden and Igor (or unnamed guy who does the cleaning). The show reminds me a great deal of the X-men comic book series, with shout-outs to other favorite series such as Watchman. The only character who tends to bore me is Chandra's kid Mohindre. Episodes that focus less on him and the psychic cop are more gripping for some reason.
This week's episode was great, much better than last week's which I found somewhat disappointing. I think part of it is Hiro - this character brings energy to it and humor which is needed.
I think the character they'll kill off is going to have to be someone who will change things - a character whose death progresses the story and causes a ripple effect. (Think Tara or Jenny on Buffy. Or Fred/Cordy/Doyle on Angel. Or even Lilah.) So what character's would cause that? Claire (unlikely - since that could have happened last week, also too much to do with her alive), Peter (same as Claire), Nathan (nope - too much potential and his death doesn't cause that much of a ripple) Leonard Roberts character (nope - no ripples), Copguy (nope - since I can barely remember his name), Mohindre (I wish, but unlikely), Bennett or HRG (nope), Nikki?(no ripples and already did that mislead) - this leaves Isaac (isn't he with Bennett and isn't his death foretold in the future already??), the lady cop (no ripples - also no powers and not major), Simone (unlikely to cause that many ripples - but her death might affect Peter...so this is a good possibility) but honestly? If I were Kring and I wanted to kill a character that would really cause a lot of pain and really push another character - it would be Ando. Ando is the one that would cause the biggest ripple in my opinion. Cause the most pain and anguish. That's who I'd kill. I'm hoping they don't but I can see it coming, because Ando's death is needed to make Hiro grow up.
I admit it. I am mainly watching the show for Hiro. LOL!
Desperate Housewives - it's a shame, just when I start liking the show again - it will go on hiatius then come back and be opposite The Dresden Files which premieres January 21 at 9pm on Sundays. Since unlike 90% of my flist, I cannot watch two shows at once. (No DVR and no VCR). I have to choose. And Dresden wins for now. I am a Harry shipper. I feel the same way about Harry Dresden that some people seem to feel about Harry Potter. (What can I say I have a weakness for dark, wellmeaning, heroic, rumpled guys who in their late 30's early 40's - Harry Potter is just too young for me.) That said, this week's Desperate was entertaining, so entertaining I regret missing last week's, but was watching Prime Suspect instead. I'm beginning to like Susan again - which was an accomplishment, and I no longer want to slap Gabriella and Lynette upside the head with a frying pan. Yes, progress. Plus three hunks: Dougray Scott, Kyle McLachlan, and James Denton. Now if they'll only bring Susan's ex-hubby back - I adored him.
Monday is going to get hard soon too. The Closer is coming back with a two hour movie opposite Heroes and Studio 60, I think. Am hoping NBC puts a Xmas movie on that night, so can watch The Closer.
Nip/Tuck - boring me. The show seems to be meandering without much direction. The only character I'm still interested in is Christian at this point and barely. Scean mopes and whines. Julia took off (because the actress is taking care of her daughter in England - who had to have multiple surgeries for a leg problem). And the Kimber/Matt relationship is just dull. I'm missing seasons 1 and 2. The show jumped the shark I think in Season 3 and hasn't come back since.
Grey's Anatomy enjoyable fluff show. I call it my comfort show. I like the characters. I enjoy the writing. And it works for me. This past week's episode moved me and worked partly because it focused almost completely on Christina, George, and to an extent on Izzy/Alex. Less Meredith/McDreamy the better. Christina pulls me in each week. I loved her dilemma and how well and realistically it was written. Demonstrating how surgeons protect each other often to the detriment of patients. Forgetting patients are people. Becoming so self-involved and into their career paths and those of their loved ones and friends, they forget they are working on a human being not a file.
20/20 program makes me think I need to locate another volunteer project to work with soon.
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no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 04:27 am (UTC)I'm agreeing w/you on Studio 60 & Heroes, it helps them that there is nothing else I find interesting on Mondays.
Right now I'm watching the Bones/Blair Witch...(I'm on the West coast so it is only 8:30 now) and I thought it was stupid at the beginning, but I'm getting into it. There is some subtle humor, and besides I am really getting attached to the characters.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 05:41 am (UTC)Wed is a bit of a dead night at the moment.
Yep, I gave up on Studio 60 the monday prior to Thanksgiving - got completely lost with all the rambling dialogue which I couldn't make out. It was convoluted and somewhat stupid. So turned the tv off about twenty minutes before it was over and as far as I can tell from the recaps, didn't miss a thing. This week's episode was actually much better. Less pointless dialogue. Although I found the jumping back and forth in time a tad confusing and difficult to follow. Yes, let's play games with narrative format instead of just trusting the story, make our audience pay attention to us. Will say this - the gimmick kept me from getting too bored, but it also made it difficult for me to care about what was happening onscreen.
When you play with narrative gimmicks - you should make certain that it is going to progress the story and the characters in some way not just make your viewers crazy. Whedon was a master at this - with Hush, Restless, and The Body. Sorkin? Really should stop playing games.
But like I told maeve below, I like the show, it just BUGS me. It could be amazing, if the writer would just stop showing off and/or using it as his personal soap box. I critique because I care. Damn Sorkin. ;-)
David E. Kelly seems to have gotten past his self-righteous/show-off stage (I think he learned his lesson when the network almost kicked him to the curb doing the Practice) because Boston Legal was quite amusing. It's a complete send-up of every legal show on TV. Made me laugh quite a bit last night and Sunday. Ghod I love James Spader.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 07:36 am (UTC)And I agree: James Spader is amazing on Boston Legal, very dry and bizare at the same time. I am really enjoying that show (and as an old Buffy fan: you gotta respect that body count!).
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 02:44 pm (UTC)Dead Like Me reminded me a great deal of Wonderfalls, had a similar structure. Girl who feels she has no purpose and is mostly selfish, is handed a purpose by fate and forced to help others whether she wants to or not. Except Wonderfalls was a tad more agnostic regarding religion.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 11:17 pm (UTC)I'm glad that cancelled shows don't just disappear now days, I'm glad I can go back and watch the DVDs, and see what I missed.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 05:24 am (UTC)I haven't been able to get into 30 Rock - and it does not help that it is opposite one of my favorite tv shows at the moment, Grey's. As you've probably guessed - not a fan of situation comedies. Rare that I like them.
But I will state, from the little I saw of 30 Rock - it had potential.
Unfortunately it is also beset with problems - Tracy Morgan was arrested recently in NYC for DUI twice. The ratings keep dipping.
Don't get me wrong - Studio 60 I'm enjoying off and on. The third or fourth (whichever focused on the copyright joke) was my favorite. And this past episode did have a few great moments - there's a scene dealing with writing that is just, well, perfect. Another scene about people who can't tell a joke to save their lives that made me giggle. So it's uneven. If you know anything about how the tv industry works Studio 60 will make you laugh at times. Also comfort you with the knowledge that you are not in it.
Some things Sorkin nails on the head, when he's not busy lecturing us on the latest political issue. Like I said, uneven. And certainly not for everyone.
They are however - FINALLY - moving away from the Christian jokes and more towards the biz of writing, so there's hope.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 05:55 am (UTC)I think that's the case for quite a few viewers and yeah, Oprah and Dr. Oz can be both interesting and infuriating. I usually just catch the last 10 minutes waiting for the local news to come on and if the topic is interesting than I go snoop on her website.
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 02:54 pm (UTC)Ando
Date: 2006-11-30 09:32 am (UTC)Sylar is so flawed in that he only wants to be special, and if someone else is special he loses out. The big loser!
Now, Claire's dad is running some sort of agency under the paper factory, so does or has Claire ever fit into a plan of his somehow?
Rufus
Re: Ando
Date: 2006-11-30 03:16 pm (UTC)It's probably Leonard Roberts character or Issac. I know for a fact that it is not Hiro or Peter. I'm hoping it's not Nathan - because he's the other character I'm watching the show for. And it can't be Nikki or Claire (because then they would only have one female heroe and well, that is a problem - plus they killed one this past week already - Charlie. Plus there's still too much they can do with both alive.) Simone is possibility - except she's less heroic than Ando and somewhat selfish. Mohindre is one too, but would anyone care? Outside of maybe the audience and his family in India? Plus they need him to explain the science bit and as a counter to HRG. The cop? Yeah, I can see that - but again who is going to care? No ripples. Eden? Not a hero. The silent guy? Not a hero.
Course, like I said, it depends on what your definition of a hero is.
[Do you know the answer already because you hunted down the spoiler? If so, don't tell me and don't answer this. I don't want to know. One of the things I've been enjoying about tv lately - is the not knowing what will happen next - the surprise. ]
Agree on Sylar. Fascinating character though. Not quite what I'd expected.
And clearly one that Chandra inadvertently created by his insensitivity.
I think they answered how Claire fit in with her father's operations a while back - when Bennett explained that she was the child of two people he'd been experimenting on/working with. He'd pushed them too far and Claire was left behind - the result. Now what was unclear was whether she was the product of his experimentation with them or just orphaned because of it? At any rate he adopts her partly out of guilt and partly out of a desire to protect and the whole poject deal. Or so he said in a prior episode. And he's always known about her potential - since she was a baby and had the chromosome disorder that had her hosptialized, which is sooo similar to Chandra's daughter.
I think he was involved in the agency before Claire showed up, that Claire was the direct result of his work with said agency, and that his loyalty to that work is in question because of Claire. He's done things he shouldn't to protect her - things that may be outside the scope of the agency. That's my guess. I think Claire is Bennett's achilees heel and possibly his saving grace. The question is what will happen when Claire figures out what Bennett is doing, that he lied about her biological parents (who are dead possibly because of him and his actions) and that he's known about her abilities or potential to develop them since she was born? That could cause a huge rift.
Re: Ando
Date: 2006-12-01 12:23 am (UTC)Rufus
no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 04:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-30 05:16 pm (UTC)