Whatcha Bleedin' Watchin'?

[No-Personality]

Just started Season 2, so I can't say what's changed or improved yet, but the show has definitely hit a stride of excellence for me to keep watching. Though I think the characters have been a little scattered. Most nostably Jenna literally vanishing for about 5 or so episodes. Took me awhile, but I finally "like" Tracy. Can't say the same for Liz, Jack, Kenneth, Jenna, Pete, the writing staff, etc. But, the important thing is how often it feels like the writing is aiming for childish humor. Which it was for quite awhile. It seems a lot of shows start this way and jump off from there, I hope this one won't be turning back that way again. Not perfect, though. Not yet. I thought the way they structured Liz and Floyd was probably weak and more focused on whatever humor they could milk out of the webcam chat static for something actually happening in their relationship; which they didn't need, since the whole Trip to Cleveland scene was great on its' own. Too often a show tries to keep a character single for cheap jokes or plot convenience and I don't really think it's funny. Or necessarily realistic. The show has a lot of what feels like non-commital issues, things it hasn't figured out how to handle yet. Like Jack dropping topical bombs. Liz does it too but with Jack, you almost don't know where it comes from. Implying that he had a relationship with Condoleeza Rice does not explain how much he means it when he nonchalantly calls Liz a "godless, glassy-eyed Clintonista." Those are fighting words, not "aww, but we're all still one great big family" affectionate ribbing.

But the show's getting better.

Also, been juggling a few more Jems - season 3 - and I have to say that the Jerrica character is turning into a mockery of whatever made her likable, intelligent, or stable in the best of the previous episodes / seasons. I'm somewhere in episodes 6-8 and in the episode where they perform at an old temple with the Stingers band trying to break up Jem and Rio, Jerrica is flipping her friggin' wig- big time. The episode will begin and she's shouting at Rio for only paying attention to Jem. Which he isn't. And all along, the show has been about (well, among other things) her guilt from hiding her secret identity as Jem from him. So, as her bandmates have explained to her numerous times... it's her own fucking fault for not telling him the truth. She had an option and decided to never tell him. I've been told that she doesn't either. The last episode of the last season will come up and she never tells him. Forget that she tells the President of the United States in one earlier episode and was careless enough to let Raya see her change before she was even accepted into the band. The show is at times a very focused, smart, and ambitiously no-nonsense view on some emotionally serious subjects (though usually it's just a matter of them not using insulting stylistic embellishments to make their points, they often do it with good dialogue and no pandering, ala, let's say- Saved by the Bell's "I'm So Exc-iiiiii-ted!" episode). Other times, it's a silly but very funny, heavy-handed soap opera with cartoonishly over-the-top supervillainry (examples including Techrat's absurdly ahead-of-their-time inventions) which is combated with Jem's actual superpowers. This has been shooting for the middle, which is just silly and lacks both guts and "outrageous" fun. Which the show usually is. Basically... I think it needs more Misfits. And certainly more Eric Raymond. (Remember, this is still the first time I'm rewatching it since the 80's.)

Oh yeah, and I rewatched a hefty amount of Nostalgia Chick episodes on YouTube. (To avoid the ads which play havoc on my very shitty personal computer. Hell, every time I watch Lupa or Hagan, I already have to Log Off, Restart, and sometimes even clear all cookies in an attempt to try and get this fucking thing to play Netflix more smoothly. As often as I can circumvent this hassle, I take it.)

[Nel_Annette]

Baldwin's character is the only thing I've ever liked about 30 Rock. I don't know what it is, the others in that show feel almost... cartoonish. I can't stand it.

[No-Personality]

Well, it is... kind of a silly comedy. I can't think of a mainstream television comedy in years where the characters didn't feel cartoony most of the time.

[Avaitor]

Yeah, I do think one of the biggest problems with 30 Rock is how silly and just plain unsympathetic the characters can be sometimes. Or most of the time. Even in the most recent episode, when Jack's mom dies, he doesn't really seem to take it in any way other than as an attempt to one-up her with the best epitaph ever.

Parks still remains my favorite of the modern NBC shows since it can still be plenty silly, but there's also room for shades of depth and actual character development too.

[Pharass]

Lately, I've been watching the first season of Big Love and I have to say that this show is great so far and might well end up being one of my favorites, but I'll reserve final judgment until I've finished season one. I have to say though, that while the Hendrickson's and their various problems as they try to make their polygamy work, are interesting to watch, the character I'm most intrigued by is the show's main villain: Roman Grant. Harry Dean Stanton does an excellent job portraying him and he's already one of the most sinister villains I've seen in a TV-show.

I also finished season 3 of Dexter today. I must say that this season was not on the same level as the previous two. I thought Miguel was a good villain (much better than Lila, whom I frankly found annoying) and liked his friendship with Dexter, but I just didn't care about anything else: Not about the skinner, or the various romance subplots, or anything really. That said, I'll keep watching the show and I'm looking forward to see John Lithgow in season 4.

[Avaitor]

So I'm getting season 1 of The Wire for sure for Christmas, and I was able to pick up a used copy of season 4 for cheap used for when I'm up there.

I'm about to get into this show, finally.

[Avaitor]

Well, it took 10 episodes, but they finally name-dropped The Apartment. in Mad Men. A good use, too.

I'm almost 100% sure that this is the show's biggest influence.

[Avaitor]

The West Wing is now on Netflix. I know what I'm watching after I'm done with The Wire and catch up with Mad Men.

[Foggle]

The West Wing is now on Netflix.

Like, streaming? Fuck yes. Finally.

[Avaitor]

The West Wing is now on Netflix.

Like, streaming? Fuck yes. Finally.

Yep! Now all I need is for ER to stream, at least up to where Anthony Edwards left, and I have a set TV schedule for a good while.

[Grave]

I don't really watch much these days outside of what's on USA, HGTV, DIY, ESPN, ESPN2. Food Network and the Cooking channel. Right now I'm watching ESPN First Take. I like seeing Stephen A. Smith get after Skip.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I mainly watch stuff like HGTV, ID, BIO, and occasionally the family channel (usually for reruns) and that's about it.

[Grave]

I also forgot to mention that I watch Ghost Adventures too, which is currently on my tv right now. I find this stuff very funny, especially seeing the reactions.

Computer-wise, I'm watching a compilation of SSF4 matches. High-level play are very entertaining.

[Avaitor]

I got into some cash by doing odd jobs for my elderly neighbors, enough to pick up season 2 of The Wire while it's on sale. I have one more disc of the first season to finish before I get there, though.

One thing's for sure about the show- it has a killer soundtrack. Love the combination of jazz, classic rock and good hip-hop!

[Foggle]

Season 2 of The Wire has been just as good as the first so far! Albeit for different reasons.