Breaking Down the 2011 Television Season (Part 1)

In about a month, it'll be fall. So I'm finally getting off my tuchas and writing about some shows that began nearly a year ago. As a result, some reviews will be intentionally vague as my memory hasn't retained all the details for something that I last saw seven months ago.

This edition covers shows having ended after January 1st, when my last published recap took us up until, through early June 2011.

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30 Rock
(Season 5, NBC)
After a bit of a down year in season 4, Tiny Fey's baby rebounded this past year. They're still using sharp humor to cut through pop culture and they're obviously not afraid to bite the hand that feeds them with the constant prodding of Comcast stand-in, Kabletown. Alec Baldwin continues to be absolute perfection as Jack Donaghy, while I think they struck a better balance of utilizing their strengths as a show more often (Fey, Baldwin and Tracy Morgan) and toning down the presence of the quickly tiring roles of Kenneth and Jenna. It may not be quite as good as some of the other Thursday comedies on NBC these days, but it still has some quality laughs left in it.
B+

Archer
(Season 2, FX)
Wow, what a gem this animated wonder is. On the surface, it's a spoof of the espionage genre, taking to task the Bourne and James Bond franchises as well as Get Smart, among others. But more exacting examination displays the same reoccurring humor that Arrested Development rewarded its devoted fans with by carrying over jokes from previous episodes to new ones. As a result, the show continuously improves. Or at least has thus far.
B

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes
(Season 1, Disney XD)
This is a really fine adaptation of the Marvel Universe. Good for kids, but also developed with older audience members in mind as well. If the recent Marvel movies (Iron Man, Thor & Captain America) have whet your appetite for these characters and diving into the continuity of the funnybooks is too daunting, this is for you. And I think well-established fans of the comics will enjoy them too. I certainly did.
B

Big Love
(Season 5, HBO)
Sigh. This show lost me the previous season, and I grudgenly forced myself to watch this final string of episodes. Well, if you consider achieving three stars on every level of Angry Birds while listening to the last four or five installments as "watching," that is. Kinda amazing how nearly every character became unlikeable by the end. Frankly, it's not worth carving out the hours in your life to get through the remainder of the series if you haven't yet. I'm sure there's a good episode of "Real Housewives of Whatever City They're Doing That In Now" you could watch instead. Probably near the same sense of accomplishment would be had in doing so.
D+

The Chicago Code
(Season 1, FOX)
Shawn Ryan had a rough year in television. This and the wonderful FX show Terriers both got cancelled while he was at the helm. For a network police drama, The Chicago Code was pretty damn good. But it still seemed to utilize the usual tropes for police dramas on the big four. However, Jason Clarke, who I enjoyed on Showtime's Brotherhood a few years ago, stepped up his game to a new level here; he was unquestionably magnetic onscreen. It was also nice to see that Matt Lauria, who was so earnest on latter seasons of Friday Night Lights as farmboy Luke Cafferty, has some acting chops as well as a rookie officer. But beyond those two, there wasn't much to get excited about. I would've watched another season had it returned, but ultimately there was nothing much to lament with its departure.
B-

Community
(Season 2, NBC)
Simply put, this is the best comedy on television. POP-POP! There were some missteps, most notably the largely unfunny claymation Christmas episode that had so much potential. But overall, Community is just so angry. But it's intelligent with that furor, something far too uncommon among network comedies these days. One of my favorite example of this was when they showed how easy the Modern Familys and The Offices of today's television landscape are able to manufacture cheap laughs through the injection of interview scenes within the main narrative during the editing process. Of course, in this case I'm analyzing the show from a craft perspective as I watch, which you probably aren't. Not to worry, as you can watch the genre-spoof episodes with as much pleasure as I take in watching the often genius comedic scenarios unfold. The two-part season finale was especially amazing this year, simultaneously lambasting and giving a great big bearhug to the Western and Space Opera. Can't wait to see what they do with paintball next year.
A

Doctor Who [2005]
(Series 6.0, BBC)
The first half of this year's Doctor Who was, as far as I'm concerned, absolutely brilliant. Matt Smith continues to impress as the 11th incarnation of the Doctor. I think it's safe to say he's now surpassed Christopher Eccleston as my favorite Doctor. Yeah, really. And considering he's already partnered with Karen Gillan's Amy Pond -- without question my favorite companion -- there's little for me not to love about what direction the show has gone these past two years. Even Rory has been allowed to grow into a character I care about with constant displays of bravado in the name of Amy, unlike the hopelessly dull Mickey of previous seasons, who was essentially a flesh K-9 placed in the storyline for little more than comic relief. Continued kudos goes to Steven Moffat, who between the past two seasons of Doctor Who and the recent Sherlock miniseries, is quickly becoming the British equivalent of Joss Whedon. Only he might even be better. The second half of the season returns later this month.
A

The Event
(Season 1, NBC)
Granted, I stopped the pain and gave up on The Event at the season's midpoint, but based on what I sat through, this was one of the worst pieces of episodic crap I've ever seen. The showrunners appeared entirely clueless as to where the story was going. Now, I've been told by a couple of people with far more patience than I who watch the series until it concluded that it improved after I jumped ship. But even their explainations of what happened afterward sounded like what was once a 10-pound bag of catshit was now 8 pounds of catshit. As far as I'm concerned, that's still a hella-lot of catshit.
F

Friday Night Lights
(Season 5, Direct TV/NBC)
Without question one of greatest dramas ever to be aired on television. And it ended perfectly. Not much more I can say. Watch it. Treasure it. Then re-watch it.

Texas forever.
A

Fringe
(Season 3, FOX)
Fringe is another show that continues to improve. If there was anyone left calling it an X-Files clone at the start of the season, they can't do so in good conscience any longer. The show has now fully embraced its own mythology, rarely offering an episode that doesn't largely contribute to the grander storyline. That decision hasn't been good from a ratings perspective as it's hindered the addition of new viewers, but creatively it was the way to go, and I applaud them for it. Definitely the best sci-fi show being produced in America right now. I was surprised it got a fourth season, but happily so. Hopefully it thrives in the Friday Night Death Slot it was placed into at the end of last season, and then maybe those X-Files comparisons will be apt again, albeit for different reasons as the adventures of Mulder and Scully was the last show with success in that time slot.
A

Human Target
(Season 2, FOX)
The first season showed promise, but it clearly needed some tweaks. On the plus side, the producers recognized this, too. Unfortunately their answer to that was Mrs. Pucci, who has to be one of the worst additions to a cast since Oliver on The Brady Bunch. Obviously she was brought in to make the show more female-friendly, but I found her presence insufferable and ultimately ruined the show despite its fairly impressive television stuntwork. Good riddance.
C-

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And thus concludes part one of this installment. Part 2, featuring reviews of Modern Family, Justified and Star Wars: The Clone Wars among others, will arrive within the next week or so AS SOON AS YOU CLICK THIS LINK!

The Best of 2010 - The Year in Television

First off, my apologies if you were waiting for this final piece of my Best of 2010 trilogy. The holidays, work, intense procrastination, blah-blah-blah...
Second, writing about TV over the course of a calendar year is far more difficult than I realized it was going to be. It's simply not a natural time to do so. Most shows are in the middle of their current season at the moment, and if I get really technical about my analysis in this recap, I should take into account the second half of last season's episodes as well (which, because I'm a crazy person who thinks about this stuff too much, I do).
Anyway, on with the list.

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Terriers (FX)

This scrappy PI duo was the very definition of television bliss. Rarely does a show steadily improve over the course of 13 episodes the way Terriers did. The first three or so installments were nice, well-constructed hour-longs. You'd chuckle at the banter between Donal Logue and Michael Raymond-James, and be pleasantly surprised that the plotlines weren't too obvious as they proceeded to solve that week's case. But there was a little something bubbling up underneath these two men and their predicaments. Then around the end of end of that fourth episode, you realized these mofos just Veronica Mars-ed your ass. You had NO idea that was going down, and from then on out, they never stopped hittin' the pleasure buttons as you fell harder for every character on the show with each passing week.
But I'm one of the few who watched it, and now it's gone. I haven't been this disappointed in a show's cancellation since... well, Veronica Mars. Have no fear, however, new viewers. While Terriers only lasted one season, it at least ends in a way you can still go on with your life, as there is no insane cliffhanger and the majority of the key storylines are resolved in a satisfactory way during that last hour. If you're going to watch anything on this list, let it be Terriers.

Mad Men (AMC)

Another stellar season from the always excellent Mad Men. In it's fourth year, the show examined lowest points of multiple characters, none moreso than Don Draper, as our favorite ad agency struck out on it's own in a new business endeavor following the series-altering events of season 3. Don't worry, there's still plenty of drinking, smoking, bad-mothering, racism, sexism and skinny ties to go around. We're introduced to a litany of ladies vying for the heart of Mr. Draper (a great guessing game over the course of the season as to who he'll end up with), Lane's father, Peggy's lesbian friend, suave Glen, new bitch-faces from Pete, Roger begging, and Joan riding a bus. Not to mention an astronaut. Season 5 can't arrive soon enough.

Community (NBC)

For my money, there's nothing more consistently funny on the airwaves than Community right now. In particular, the second half of the first season was amazing episode after amazing episode. The ensemble half-hour is at it's best when parodying classic genres, whether it be post-apocalyptic warfare, zombie infestation, space exploration, or the American mafia to name a few. I sell this show to friends and family by saying Chevy Chase is great in it, which he is. But really, he's the one I look forward to least. Community is comedy gold. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Friday Night Lights (DirecTV/NBC)
Of all the shows that are tricky to review based on it's scheduling, none pose more of a problem than FNL. Season 4 originally aired on DirecTV at the end of 2009, and then re-aired on NBC in the spring of 2010. Season 5 is in mid-swing on DirecTV currently, but most of you won't have access to it until NBC airs it later this year. Fortunately, any way you look at it, great television was aired in 2010 from Friday Night Lights. Season 4 was perhaps the show's strongest, and season 5 thus far has been no slouch. Despite its flaws (none of the kids seem to know what a text message is, and there's almost zero Latinos present in an entire Texas summon me to write such lofty claims, but this one does. I'm sorry that season 5 will be its last.

Justified (FX)

Based on characters from the great Elmore Leonard, Justified expertly combines well-scripted crimes, quirky characters and an Old West mentality in a modern setting, and is without question one of the highlights in television over the past year. After reading a lot of other reviews on the show from critics, there seemed to be a consensus that Justified was uneven at the outset of its first season and then improved steadily as it concluded. I suppose they're right, but I enjoyed it immensely right out of the gate. Great one-liners, intense glares and gunfire are never in short supply. I found myself rooting for the villains just as often as I was the heroes, which is no small feat. Season 2 starts in February.

Fringe (FOX)

Is this the best sci-fi show on television? Well, there are some other very strong contenders for that title at the moment (who have all made my Others Worth Your Time list after the jump), but I think the answer is yes. The second half of last season really threw the show into a new realm of awesome, and season 3 has only improved upon that high level. As dueling universes continue to battle, wrapping an already complexly wound mythos even tighter, Fringe is surpassing previous seasons work both in terms of storytelling and acting. Anna Torv in particular has excelled in this two-Earth format, displaying a range in her ability she'd never been given opportunity to explore previously. FOX has moved the show to Fridays in 2011, traditionally a timeslot where good science-fiction such as Firefly and Dollhouse have been sent out to pasture. However, the network execs say they believe it can be a longtime staple, ala The X-Files at that position on the schedule. Time will tell.

Louie (FX)

This harsh, often provocative new comedy from Louis C.K. plays up his existence as an aging, out-of-shape comic through his daily life, whether it be encountering obsessed fans, his family or the women he hopelessly attempts at dating. It's unconventional structure, sometimes tossing out as many as four loosely connected stories, may be a turn off to some, but I appreciate the subtlety he utilizes by constructing each of the vignettes into a cohesive episode. As I enter my 30s, many of these topics on the show hit pretty close to home, sometimes uncomfortably so. But I'm sure that's the point. The show's humor is rooted in truth -- philosophically, if not in actuality.

Lost (ABC)

Like it, love it, or loathe it, the final season of Lost was both memorable and entertaining. Personally, I've teetered back and forth whether I was actually satisfied by its conclusion. Regardless, it was an engaging end to a show many of us have labored with for years, and in my opinion was one of the best of the year.

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After the jump, my pick for Television Series of the Year is revealed, as well as some other extras.

Grading the 2010 Television Season Thus Far

As I've let the Lost finale marinate in my mind these past few days, I've been contemplating why we watch TV. For me, it's more than just passing the time. A finely-crafted, serialized story is probably the most enjoyable form of art I can think of. A great movie is a wonderful feat, but I prefer the evolving tales of a group of characters since it allows extensive exploration of plot and character if done well. Since there are just so many damn good shows on right now, I've felt the need to analyze and discuss them here on the site. All of that is a long way of saying that this week's Lost made me want to assess each show I watched since 2010 began.
It feels odd only looking at the shows which have just recently ended even though most began back in the fall, but I had to have a cut-off point. Plus, I know I loved shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm this year, but too much time has passed for me to properly rate them after nearly six months time has passed. As a result, anything that concluded before 2010 will be ignored.

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24 
(Season 8, Fox)
Decent ending to a show that should've bowed out a few years ago. I know there's a movie in the works, but this felt rather uninspired for a series finale. This year, the show tried to pull new twists and brought back some old villains, but I think we've all become desensitized to everything 24 has thrown at us at this point after eight days. On a side note, I don't think they really ever topped that absolutely insane decapitation early in season 2.  C

30 Rock 
(Season 4, NBC)
Part of me wants to chastise them for using so many high-profile guest stars and instead focus on more great shenanigans for Jack and Liz, but when they come up with ways to use Jon Hamm, James Franco and Julianne Moore as they did, I have to remind myself to just enjoy the ride instead. Don't need to see Matt Damon again though. Best part of the show is still Alec Baldwin, who slays me each week.  B+

Big Love 
(Season 4, HBO)
I have never hated a main character of a show the way I despise Bill Henrickson right now. Part of me feels I should hate His power trips are purely for self glory; I don't buy this testament bull for a second. The politics angle struck me as unnecessary as it unfolded, but the end result has set up season 5 to have some truly extreme hardships for that family on the horizon. And, man, did I miss Roman this year. They got rid of him too soon. Although the result was more Alby, which I found to be fascinating storyline.  B-

Caprica 
(Season 1, SyFy)
Sadly, Caprica was not as great as I hoped it'd be. There's certainly room for it to improve, but measuring up to it's parent show, Battlestar Galactica, is probably not going to happen. Technically, season one hasn't concluded, which is fortunate since it's midseason finale was only mildly exciting. However, the sooner we all stop wishing it to be BSG, the better.  B-

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After the jump, see the other 11 shows I covered that recently wrapped up.

TV Tweets: April 5 - 25

So, yeah. I've been slacking. Hope to be back on track again, so here's three weeks worth of tweets for ya. I'll try to make it snappy.

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April 7th [Breaking Bad, Lost, Parenthood]

Has there ever been a show with more intentionally self-destructive people than #BreakingBad? No, #AsTheWorldTurns does not count.

Breaking Bad -- home to bald bad-asses.

Skylar is the obvious one to hate for what she's been up to...but Hank! Hank, who seemed so disposable the first time he appeared on screen as the annoying brother-in-law in season one is such a brilliantly complex character. I don't think it'd be possible to predict what has happened to him. This show blows my mind each week, and I'm particularly enjoying how they've given us some flashbacks this season to fill in the blanks, however minor they might ultimately prove to be.

Is it possible not to love the Desmond episodes? Toss in some Daniel Faraday, and it becomes a sure-fire, can't miss 45 minutes.

There can never be too much Desmond, which is why they don't give us enough of him.

Desmond getting his awesome on.

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After the jump, I discuss the uncomfortable sexual chemistry going on in Parenthood, what not to do during an episode of Fringe, the vampires, werewolves and ghosts (oh my!) on Being Human, why you can sue me over Glee, and add to the praise already hailed upon Treme.

TV Tweets: March 29 - April 4

As always, you can follow me at LowBrowJon to get my digital declarations, as well as other LBM updates.

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April 3rd [Fringe]

Thank you, sir; may I have another? JJ must've decided to get involved in TV again; first Richard Alpert & now Walter-nate Bishop. #Fringe

I think it's safe to say this week was the best episode thus far of Fringe. Many of the same aspects that made Lost so fantastic two weeks ago were accomplished here as well, primarily getting real answers about these great characters. The main difference being that these answers have laid the foundation for many more plotlines since we now have a concrete history base to move forward upon instead of being a piece to wrap up the massive narrative puzzle of Lost. I wish they'd have given us some of that info earlier, but we're getting it now. And John Noble certainly was at the top of his game this time out.

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After the jump, read up on the dreamers and schemers of How To Make It In America and the new crew for Doctor Who.

TV Tweets: Feb. 8 - 14

As always, you can follow me at LowBrowJon to get my latest asinine allegations, as well as other LBM updates.

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Feb. 8th [LOST, Fringe]

I may regret saying this, but I'm enjoying the execution of the alternate realities on #Fringe way more than on #Lost right now.

There's plenty of time for LOST to correct this, but I am not enjoying these flash-sideways. If it turns out that they are the final "reality," I'll feel incredibly cheated. Those showrunners best not negate the first five seasons with this bull. Meanwhile, Fringe is hinting at not just two realities, but a full-blown multiverse and handling it well. However, just as LOST could remedy their parallel-universe conundrum, Fringe still has plenty of time to ruin theirs.


Feb. 11th [Chuck]

#CHUCK fans, I know you're angry, but don't you see not watching your low-rated show on purpose will only kill it? http://bit.ly/bopR7O

After the few times I've watched Chuck, I've determined it's not for me. But I can identify with its small, rabid following wanting its two main characters to hook up, especially considering the very real possibility that it fails to get a renewal for a third season. The comments section for a post at What's Alan Watching? (linked in the tweet) started a firestorm in Chuck fandom this past week, calling for those dissatisfied with Chuck and Sarah each pursuing other people romantically to watch the show via Hulu or DVR rather than the normal airtime on NBC (sucks to be you, Lana Lang). The rather obvious flaw in this plan is that the Chuck ratings will drop, and I feel a network suit is more likely to cut its loses with the show rather and cancel it than merely bring it back just in the hopes that it strikes gold by pandering to its tiny, furious audience. Back to the drawing board, kiddos.


Feb. 12th [Friday Night Lights]

It's amazing that #FridayNightLights can still keep me in suspense with those end-of-the-season games on the fourth go-round.

Season 4 ended quite well, with plenty of issues lingering for the next football season in Dillon, Texas. There's a lot I want to say about the season and show as a whole, so keep an eye out for a special post on FNL, hopefully later in the week.


Feb. 14th [Breaking Bad]

Heard too many good things, so I finally started up #BreakingBad last night. More drama than I was expecting, but some good crime scenarios.

I finished the seven-episode first season of last night, and violence, hilarious and gut-wrenching all come to mind. Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) is a high school chemistry teacher who resorts to making crystal meth with a former student in order to provide for his family amid a laundry list of impending life complications. This show alternates between laugh-out-loud comedy to touching poignancy with bursts of gunplay and fisticuffs inbetween. Cranston's Walt White utilizes his knowledge of the periodic table for acts of crime and dubious heroism simultaneously. Another fine piece of AMC programming. You'll probably see more of my thoughts on the show when season 3 starts up next month.

TV Tweets: Jan. 12 - 17

As always, you can follow me at LowBrowJon to get my latest waking wonderments, as well as other LBM updates.

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Jan. 12th [Big Love]

• Dang. Somehow I forgot about what happened to Roman last season. #BigLove

Really I just watch this show in hopes it spins off into The Lois and Wanda Crazy-Lady Hour. You listenin', HBO?
(Warning: Google-imaging "big," "love," and a woman's name is only recommended when at home, and then only at your own risk.)

Jan. 16th [Fringe]

• Two eps of #Fringe aired this week. One was very blah, other was kinda meh even though Astrid had her big fro back. Better luck next week.

The first created much confusion amongst the Fringe faithful and a text-message fight with a friend of mine. It turned out to be an unaired episode from last season. Good job of giving us no explanation, FOX. The second of the week was largely unremarkable, though clearly better on an individual level than a lot of what we got in season 1, after the early-week reminder.

Jan. 17th [Powers]

• RT BRIANMBENDIS FX's John Landgraf confirms Brian Michael Bendis's Powers still under consideration for series treatment http://tinyurl.com/y93vv2y

Obviously, there's nothing to see yet, but any news about adapting Powers into a TV show is great news in my book. For the uninitiated, Powers is a police procedural comic book set in a world with rampant superpowers by Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming. Kinda like NYPD Blue meets Heroes before it completely sucked and forced me to stop watching (sorry; Heroes rant over).

Dream casting: Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) as Deena Pilgrim. Jon Hamm (Mad Men) as Christian Walker. Hamm will never happen, but I'll hold out hope that Sackhoff could.FX is a great network for it to land on since they take a few more risks than most. This could really make a great television show, so I hope it happens.
[This retweet was courtesy of the official, real, actual Brian Michael Bendis]

TV Tweets: Oct. 5 - 12

As always, you can follow me at LowBrowJon to get my latest QWERTY contemplations, as well as other LBM updates.

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Oct. 5th [Mad Men]

• "By golly, you are an indecently lucky man." -- Conrad Hilton

Every time he comes on screen, I want Don to screw him over somehow so friggin' Paris will never exist. Then I realize I'm only watching TV and calm down. Sort of.

Oct. 6th [Curb Your Enthusiasm]

• What WAS Christopher Walken doing on that boat anyway? http://bit.ly/4cIAEw

I can only imagine how funny this line would've been if I had known about it beforehand, and I was on the floor when it was delivered. Check out the link to find out more.

Oct. 9th [The Office]

• Very disappointed that The Office parodied the Chris Brown wedding dance thing, even though they mocked it to make it seem less lame.

I actually re-watched this ep again tonight. That wedding rehearsal dinner speech is now officially the second-most, eye-stabbingly awkward sequence ever put on film (after that answering machine debacle in Swingers, of course).

Oct. 10th [Fringe]

• Fringe finally gives answers! And in typical JJ Abrams fashion, those answers only created more questions.