TV Ponderings
Nov. 23rd, 2010 06:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fyreSince I came back from a 3.5 week holiday in the land of J, I've had a lot of telly to catch up on, and mainlining shows has reminded what I both love and hate about them.
Castle
I love this show. Yes, there are weaknesses, and they can't quite decide if they're going for a will-they-won't-they thing with Castle/Beckett (I hope they don't. Pushing couples together has ruined too many shows), but on the whole, it is a solid show.
The things that really make this show for me, though, are the dynamics between Castle/family members, Castle/police team and just the banter. Plus, the fact that it's a script written by dorks for dorks, with so many injokes, means I will keep coming back to it. You can tell the cast are having fun, and that's a big thing. There's hardly an episode I couldn't watch again and again.
The Mentalist
I've been watching this since the first episode aired on UK TV. I was hooked from that final scene at the end of the pilot, intrigued by the way Simon Baker portrayed a man who appears to be all mischief and light, but - as that final scene shows - is wearing a mask that very, very rarely slips.
While I adore the team, Cho especially, and the various trouble Jane gets himself and them into, what this whole show boils down to for me is watching for those tiny, fragile moments when Jane's mask slips, and you see the devastated, broken, hollow, vengeful creature that is hiding behind the blue eyes and impish smile.
The issues with Red John, the dynamic between them when they faced off at the end of season two, left me utterly breathless. They are enemies, yes, but they've become part of each other, one the hunter, one the prey, and you. don't. know. which. I want to know what'll happen, who will come out on top, and I know and fear that if Jane does succeed, then he'll crush Red John only to replace him. Red John is breaking him apart, slowly but surely.
Tiger, tiger indeed.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
I started watching random episodes of this when there was nothing else on the telly, and to be honest, the only reasons I've stuck with it were Hodges, Wendy and Nick. Yes, we get it, one of you is a single mother, one of you collects bugs, one of you has a gambling habit etc. I think I may be in a tiny minority who don't like Catherine, Grissom, Sara or Warrick. They bored me silly. Sara only got tolerable after a year without her and she came back less annoying.
However, give me the labrats and I am a happy, happy camper. I love the episodes featuring them especially. My favourite CSI episode ever still remains Lab Rats. It's not only silly, but extraordinarily fun as well. ("No signs of sexual trauma!")
And yet, I still watch it. I care nothing about characters living or dying (except Nick, Hodges and Wendy (yes, I was devastated when she left)) and really, with the last season finale, I kind of wished for fatality, because really, how stupid do you have to be to go that close to a caged man and taunt him. Has Langston just NOT seen Silence of the Lambs?
I watch, I occasionally try to predict the killer, and I wonder the whole time why I keep watching. I suppose it's my junkfood TV. No good for me, but I'll watch it nonetheless.
CSI: New York
This one, on the other hand, I do like and enjoy a lot. I think it's because it's grittier and while some of the storylines are far-fetched, they seem a lot more palateable and plausible than in the original CSI.
Plus, I actually like the characters. Mr&Mrs Messer particularly. I loved them when they got together, and was so happy when they stayed together and happy. Actually, I quite like all of the characters. I'm reserving judgement on the new female character, whose name I can't recall, since she's still new and I'm trying not to lump her into the "I have a kid and it defines me" category with Catherine.
But yis. Given the choice, NY is my favourite of the CSI shows. Don't even get me started on the horror wot is Miami.
Merlin
This season got off to a slightly shaky start, but it really is pulling out the stops as we careen towards the finale. I love the fact that secrets are coming out all over the place, and that relationships are being tried, tested and put through the wringer. Queen of Hearts has leapfrogged way up in my favourite episode lists simply for Bradley and Colin's acting, to say nothing of Angel.
Given that it's a Saturday evening kids show, I don't really know how they'll be able to pull off the death of a main character, but I really can't see Uther lasting for the next 2 episodes. Arthur has at least 3 Knights in waiting, and they're pushing the fact he's ready for Kingship so much that I've got a feeling. There's an epic climax on its way and I haven't been so excited about a season finale for a long while (at least, unless you count Moff's evil cliffhanger between Pandorica and Big Bang, but I don't :P)
There are others, but for now, that'll do. I'm just finally up to date with them all :)
Castle
I love this show. Yes, there are weaknesses, and they can't quite decide if they're going for a will-they-won't-they thing with Castle/Beckett (I hope they don't. Pushing couples together has ruined too many shows), but on the whole, it is a solid show.
The things that really make this show for me, though, are the dynamics between Castle/family members, Castle/police team and just the banter. Plus, the fact that it's a script written by dorks for dorks, with so many injokes, means I will keep coming back to it. You can tell the cast are having fun, and that's a big thing. There's hardly an episode I couldn't watch again and again.
The Mentalist
I've been watching this since the first episode aired on UK TV. I was hooked from that final scene at the end of the pilot, intrigued by the way Simon Baker portrayed a man who appears to be all mischief and light, but - as that final scene shows - is wearing a mask that very, very rarely slips.
While I adore the team, Cho especially, and the various trouble Jane gets himself and them into, what this whole show boils down to for me is watching for those tiny, fragile moments when Jane's mask slips, and you see the devastated, broken, hollow, vengeful creature that is hiding behind the blue eyes and impish smile.
The issues with Red John, the dynamic between them when they faced off at the end of season two, left me utterly breathless. They are enemies, yes, but they've become part of each other, one the hunter, one the prey, and you. don't. know. which. I want to know what'll happen, who will come out on top, and I know and fear that if Jane does succeed, then he'll crush Red John only to replace him. Red John is breaking him apart, slowly but surely.
Tiger, tiger indeed.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
I started watching random episodes of this when there was nothing else on the telly, and to be honest, the only reasons I've stuck with it were Hodges, Wendy and Nick. Yes, we get it, one of you is a single mother, one of you collects bugs, one of you has a gambling habit etc. I think I may be in a tiny minority who don't like Catherine, Grissom, Sara or Warrick. They bored me silly. Sara only got tolerable after a year without her and she came back less annoying.
However, give me the labrats and I am a happy, happy camper. I love the episodes featuring them especially. My favourite CSI episode ever still remains Lab Rats. It's not only silly, but extraordinarily fun as well. ("No signs of sexual trauma!")
And yet, I still watch it. I care nothing about characters living or dying (except Nick, Hodges and Wendy (yes, I was devastated when she left)) and really, with the last season finale, I kind of wished for fatality, because really, how stupid do you have to be to go that close to a caged man and taunt him. Has Langston just NOT seen Silence of the Lambs?
I watch, I occasionally try to predict the killer, and I wonder the whole time why I keep watching. I suppose it's my junkfood TV. No good for me, but I'll watch it nonetheless.
CSI: New York
This one, on the other hand, I do like and enjoy a lot. I think it's because it's grittier and while some of the storylines are far-fetched, they seem a lot more palateable and plausible than in the original CSI.
Plus, I actually like the characters. Mr&Mrs Messer particularly. I loved them when they got together, and was so happy when they stayed together and happy. Actually, I quite like all of the characters. I'm reserving judgement on the new female character, whose name I can't recall, since she's still new and I'm trying not to lump her into the "I have a kid and it defines me" category with Catherine.
But yis. Given the choice, NY is my favourite of the CSI shows. Don't even get me started on the horror wot is Miami.
Merlin
This season got off to a slightly shaky start, but it really is pulling out the stops as we careen towards the finale. I love the fact that secrets are coming out all over the place, and that relationships are being tried, tested and put through the wringer. Queen of Hearts has leapfrogged way up in my favourite episode lists simply for Bradley and Colin's acting, to say nothing of Angel.
Given that it's a Saturday evening kids show, I don't really know how they'll be able to pull off the death of a main character, but I really can't see Uther lasting for the next 2 episodes. Arthur has at least 3 Knights in waiting, and they're pushing the fact he's ready for Kingship so much that I've got a feeling. There's an epic climax on its way and I haven't been so excited about a season finale for a long while (at least, unless you count Moff's evil cliffhanger between Pandorica and Big Bang, but I don't :P)
There are others, but for now, that'll do. I'm just finally up to date with them all :)
