This thread is, of course, not to reflect all of the multidinous shows starting which have their own threads. This is talking about where we are in our time-shifted universes. Which past seasons of which shows are catching your eyes? Or which late night shows catch your fancy and why?
Just anything that you are watching (on whatever medium you're watching it, and maybe state that, it would be interesting) that you want to comment on. Please be sure if there's already a thread for it that you comment in the appropriate place. This one is for everything else.
Thanks! (Took awhile for that last one to get to 500!) Enjoy! I look forward to your comments.
OK, I'll start. Watching last season's Heroes, "Villains". This whole thing with Sylar being nice and Elle bringing him peach pie is making me nauseated.
Bring back the mean, murderous killing Sylar. All this sweetsy poo poo is making me wanna puke.
Also, I really don't like the twist in this season of Heroes, where everyone bad is good and everyone good is bad. Blech.
And this whole parents kiling their children thing really needs to be set up much more than it is. They just sort of drop it in there. Unbelievable.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: MicheBel,
Don't get me started on "Heroes" last season. I like Zachary Quinto as a performer, but that character just-won't-go-away.
I'm giving this season another couple episodes to perk up and then I'm done. Nothing against the performers, for the most part. And the technical execution is strong. But how this show is conceived and written is stunningly hamfisted.
"Supernatural" and "Buffy" are two excellent examples of how to balance universe mythology and storyline continuity with basic storytelling.
And "True Blood" has struck an addictive balance between pulpy goodness and carry-over storylines. Even when they stumble, the good outweighs the bad.
There is a "Heroes" thread already so I don't want to hijack this anymore than I have.
On another topic entirely, "Real Time with Bill Maher" has been kick-ass lately. Except when he does the special interview shows, which fall inexplicably flat even when he is clearly a fan of the person.
Posts: 2734 | Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA | Registered: November 04, 2001
So, I'm trying to slog through the first season of Brothers and Sisters. Good grief. So much sibling crap, it's nauseating. Everyone in each other's business is codependent and unhealthy and not fun to watch.
Although Sally Field throwing a cake at Patricia Wettig almost makes the whole thing watchable. Almost.
Grey's Anatomy, "Love/Addiction" Although the connection about love and addiction was specious, and not really explained well, I do love a Debra Cahn script.
It's kinda funny watching now the end of the last season and the beginning of this one. It's so painfully obvious how badly they wanted Isiah Washington gone. And when Sandra Oh says, "He's never coming back is he?" I almost laughed out loud.
BTW, I think Sandra Oh is one of the worst actresses on television and I hate her on this show. She shows no emotion whatsoever.
Ellen Pompeo isn't far behind. Course, the character is written as an obnoxious self-absorbed biatch. I don't understand why they think we'd find that interesting. The whole show revolves around her, and I detest every moment she's on screen.
Really, I hated her (character) from the beginning, but from that part where she lets herself die and then they bring her back to life... ...certainly one of the lowest moments of this or any series... Any sympathy I had for her character, or caring what she's about died in the water that day.
And there is quite a difference between LOVE and addiction. They tried in this episode to portray Derek as being "addicted" to Meredith. I think he just loves her, straight up. Meredith doesn't deserve him at all.
This is truly the strangest show. I adore parts of it, and parts of it bug the crap out of me.
Gotta love Dianne Carroll though. What a star she is. Luminous and wonderful. Glad they brought her back, at least.
And no matter what anyone says, I love the George/Izzie storyline.
Originally posted by MicheBel: Grey's Anatomy, "Love/Addiction" Although the connection about love and addiction was specious, and not really explained well, I do love a Debra Cahn script.
It's kinda funny watching now the end of the last season and the beginning of this one. It's so painfully obvious how badly they wanted Isiah Washington gone. And when Sandra Oh says, "He's never coming back is he?" I almost laughed out loud.
BTW, I think Sandra Oh is one of the worst actresses on television and I hate her on this show. She shows no emotion whatsoever.
Ellen Pompeo isn't far behind. Course, the character is written as an obnoxious self-absorbed biatch. I don't understand why they think we'd find that interesting. The whole show revolves around her, and I detest every moment she's on screen.
Really, I hated her (character) from the beginning, but from that part where she lets herself die and then they bring her back to life... ...certainly one of the lowest moments of this or any series... Any sympathy I had for her character, or caring what she's about died in the water that day.
And there is quite a difference between LOVE and addiction. They tried in this episode to portray Derek as being "addicted" to Meredith. I think he just loves her, straight up. Meredith doesn't deserve him at all.
This is truly the strangest show. I adore parts of it, and parts of it bug the crap out of me.
Gotta love Dianne Carroll though. What a star she is. Luminous and wonderful. Glad they brought her back, at least.
And no matter what anyone says, I love the George/Izzie storyline.
This is such an interesting post since it goes so against the grain. I remember when the george/izzie storyline came about, and other than a few events that happened during the run, it was hated by most people it seemed, whereas people rarely say Sandra Oh is televison's worst actress, most would put her closer to best than worst on that scale.
I pretty much disagree with most of what you've said, but it's refreshing to here such a different take on Grey's.
However, I have to ask, what did you think about Sandra Oh in "From a Whisper to a Scream"? I can see one saying that she is overrated in that episode, but do you really think she didn't show any emotion? Or what about in "It's the end of the world/ As We Know It"? Or "No Man's Land", or "Make Me Lose Control", or "Owner of a Lonely Heart", or "Losing My Religion", or "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"? I thought she showed a ton of emotion in both obvious and subtle ways in those episodes. But really, do you not think she didn't show any emotion in either "From a Whisper to a Scream" or "Didn't We Almost Have It All"?
I do think that "From a Whisper to a Scream" is her best Grey's episode (from what I've seen so far).
Her emotion to me, mostly consists of (perhaps) getting a bit teary and staring at the sky.
For example, I just recently watched both the episode where she's getting married and the one where Burke left her and the mother returns to pick up his stuff. NOTHING. Nada. Zip.
It should be the biggest day of her life. Sure she's tough, hard-as-nails intern/doctor by day who is only concerned about her job, but THIS was her emotional day, when she shows that she loves someone, where she shows her softer side. NOTHING.
She's (for me) one of those actresses whose emotions as Dorothy Parker once said "run the gamut from A to B." And with Sandra Oh, that's probably pushing it.
I can't stand her storylines. I can't stand watching her. I did, however, I will say, like her quite a bit in Sideways. Not sure what the difference was.
But "closer to best"??? You must be joking?
Someone like Edie Falco, who when her character's mad you can tell she's spitting nails? Or someone like Alison Janney whose laughter can fill your heart with joy? Even people on her own show, I think Katherine Heigl is superb and I sobbed through all the Denny storyline. Chandra Wilson rocks my world, and both of those actresses I LOVE seeing on screen. They make it worth sitting through the Sandra Oh dreck for.
Even Sara Ramirez. I love her acting. She's intuitive, she's insightful, she makes you feel emotion.
Sandra Oh is like a dead lump on screen. Blech. I can't think of an actress in TV or film who bugs me as much as she does.
And the one who probably comes closest is Ellen Pompeo, but in her case, at least part of it is the crap they give her character to do/say. I will never ever feel for that character again after they let her willingly "die" and come back to life. Then she doesn't even get counseling or anything, she just goes on. It's dreadful. I hate her storylines.
But at least when she laughs you believe her.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: MicheBel,
Her emotion to me, mostly consists of (perhaps) getting a bit teary and staring at the sky.
For example, I just recently watched both the episode where she's getting married and the one where Burke left her and the mother returns to pick up his stuff. NOTHING. Nada. Zip.
It should be the biggest day of her life. Sure she's tough, hard-as-nails intern/doctor by day who is only concerned about her job, but THIS was her emotional day, when she shows that she loves someone, where she shows her softer side. NOTHING.
Christina doesn't think in terms of something being a "big day" and she doesn't get consumed with emotion as easily as Izzie would. Izzie is prone to big displays of emotion and would probably realize how big her day is. However, Christina doesn't get overwhelmed with emotion. For her, this is another day, one that she understands will change her life, but she is still trying to sort it out. She also feels things but doesn't need to contort her face in big ways, which is why her plea to cut something is so moving. Sandra Oh plays Christina's voice and eyes wondrously, because Christina doesn't like letting everyone know how she feels with her face.
Additionally, I think it's important to remember that Christina was only getting married for Burke, not necessarily because she liked the idea of marriage. And, with Meredith(the only person she is really comfortable enough with to let her guard down), she has a full emotional breakdown and you can read every thought she has as you watch the way she moves around the apartment and then her face.
We'll have to agree to disagree, but I really think Sandra Oh, by not showing every emotion, is playing her character in a more complex and interesting way. I think she understands who Christina is, and I suspect that if she played Christina how you want her to be played then we wouldn't have the emotionally disconnected Christina that we have, but another Izzie.
I really appreciate you giving me this viewpoint. I just could not see what others saw in her, and why she got nominated so many times. But I can kinda understand a bit now what others are seeing. I still don't agree, but I can kinda see what you're seeing.
Getting myself in the Halloween spirit, I've been watching Season 7 of The X-Files. By that point in the series, it was purely entertaining; Season 6 was the show's last truly great season.
Posts: 2447 | Location: MA | Registered: June 16, 2005
"The Job" Wow. Jenna Fishcer should have won the emmy. The show should have won the emmy (i watched most of season 3 this week). This really was a fantastic year of television that was funny and emotionally deep. I think it's a lot better than the second season, and I really believe that the season finale shows that beautifully. Everything worked so well, I loved the scene where Jan drops her stuff on the way out, Michael removing himself from consideration for the job, and of course Jenna Fischer's face at the end of the episode.
Originally posted by Moviemjk102: Getting myself in the Halloween spirit, I've been watching Season 7 of The X-Files. By that point in the series, it was purely entertaining; Season 6 was the show's last truly great season.
You know... I never really got into The X-Files. They air on SyFy almost every night but I've still yet to see some of the core seasons. Maybe one day I'll spend a month getting through the whole series or something. It's one of those show I know I'd probably love since I like a well-written mystery and I adore Gillian Anderson ever since Bleak House so I should give it a go sooner than later. Yay/Nay?
Although I HAVE seen that excellent Peter Boyle episode where he played that lonely psychic. I'm assuming it's the first appearance he did. I also saw that awesomely creepy COPS hybrid episode from 2000-ish. And I barely saw the first movie, one very late night, a couple years ago.
Changing gears not so completely--
My bf and I have been catching up on Lost because 1) he'd never seen a single episode and yet LOVES sci-fi so I made it my duty to make him a fan and 2) it would be a nice fresher for me since the final season is just around the corner. We started in late August and we're up to the beginning of season 5 now. I let him speed through season 1 online and we watched seasons 2, 3 and 4 through dvds.
Couple notes: I liked season 4 a helluva lot more on second viewing and I'd forgotten that "The Shape of Things to Come" is such a breathless piece of actor showcasing (Michael Emmerson at his very best) that it now sits comfortably in my top 20 Lost episodes of all time list. I'd also forgotten how beautiful the scene in one of the later episodes of S4 (I think it was the first or second part of "There's No Place Like Home") where the Oceanic 6 are reunited with their loved ones at the airport. The music in that particular moment brought it to a whole other level, it was so emotional and grand. This show would simply not be the same without Michael Giacchino's gorgeous score.
Also, I still want my Libby episode! Both Ana Lucia and Eko got two each but Libby was such an enigma, she deserved some explanation besides being crazy, sad and giving Desmond her boat. And Charlotte too! I'm not reaching for the stars here but I would be nice to get further explanation on those two ladies.
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Posts: 1189 | Location: Phoenix, AZ | Registered: May 08, 2003
I'd also forgotten how beautiful the scene in one of the later episodes of S4 (I think it was the first or second part of "There's No Place Like Home") where the Oceanic 6 are reunited with their loved ones at the airport. The music in that particular moment brought it to a whole other level, it was so emotional and grand. This show would simply not be the same without Michael Giacchino's gorgeous score.
Lost does those big grand sweeping cinematic moments like no other show on television does. It often has the feel of a big budget epic film (like "The English Patient" or "Titanic"). I really think Lost is one of the most Cinematic shows on television.
Since the start of this semester I've been going through the whole series of Buffy, I just watched Season 4's premiere "The Freshman".
While the episode itself is great, Season 4 along with Season 6 are the two weakest seasons of a great series. But it is worth getting through Season 4 just to watch Season 5.
On a note. "Graduation Day, Pt. 1" and "Graduation Day, Pt. 2" possibly be may one of the best episodes of any TV show. I feel their underrated. While of course "Becoming" is better...there is no doubting "Graduation Day"'s greatness.
Posts: 809 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: September 25, 2008
I'd also forgotten how beautiful the scene in one of the later episodes of S4 (I think it was the first or second part of "There's No Place Like Home") where the Oceanic 6 are reunited with their loved ones at the airport. The music in that particular moment brought it to a whole other level, it was so emotional and grand. This show would simply not be the same without Michael Giacchino's gorgeous score.
Lost does those big grand sweeping cinematic moments like no other show on television does. It often has the feel of a big budget epic film (like "The English Patient" or "Titanic"). I really think Lost is one of the most Cinematic shows on television.
How about the direction and editing of the finale? Remember the scene where the freighter is about to land and Desmond is shouting, "there's a bomb, no, don't land!", then there is a quick cut to Michael freezing the bomb and then a quick cut to the everyone rushing around after the freighter that has landed off-screen? Here it is.
Can't wait to start the new season that's waiting on my TiVo for me.
...certainly one of the lowest moments of this or any series... Any sympathy I had for her character, or caring what she's about died in the water that day.