I’ve been catching up on all sorts of shows lately, so I thought I’d just wrap up some thoughts on some of what I’ve been watching:
Burn Notice
I think Michael Westen got his groove back. I absolutely adored Season 1. I enjoyed individual episodes in Season 2, but as a whole it left me feeling sort of meh.
But the bickering between Sam and Fiona, the weekly escapades of being a good guy, the decreased emphasis on the overarching mythology (c’mon, we have enough of that with Lost and BSG), Michael’s MacGyveristic tendencies and the goofiness of Sam’s love life (right now, I’m watching the scene where Sam is trying to talk to the lady of his dreams while taking down a bad guy) – nevermind Michael’s mom (Sharon Gless is totally awesome).
All of that adds up to a weekly 40+ minutes of goofy enjoyment.
And Romo Lampkin as a bad guy? Love it.
Fringe
OK, it’s J.J. Abrams, so I was bound to love it.
But the show has my favorite character currently on television – Dr. Walter Bishop.
The man opens his mouth and I laugh. The other week, I recall, someone said something about needing to cut someone open. His response: “Oh goodie, I love to cut.” Or something along those lines.
I giggle almost as much during Fringe as I laugh out loud during 30 Rock.
The whole underlying mythology? I can take it or leave it. I can’t expend that much mental energy on more than one J.J. Abrams special at a time, and Lost is taking up more than its share these days.
What I really like about the show is that even though there’s this mythology, each week can be taken in and of itself. It’s as close as I come to enjoying a procedural. Granted, it’s a procedural that involves the ability to enter someone else’s consciousness and other weirdness, but that’s par for the course with me.
Life on Mars
While I do wonder about the reason Sam’s back in 1973, I watch each week for Harvy Keitel and Michael Imperioli. Keitel’s cop is my second-favorite character on television these days, behind only Dr. Walter Bishop (see Fringe, above).
And Imperioli’s 1970s sexist pig is a joy to behold. Loved it when Annie basically saved his life this week. And Annie’s relationship with Sam is super-cute, too.
Brothers & Sisters
Loved it the first season.
Second season, started to wane.
This season? Pretty much over it, but I still watch most weeks. Dunno why. Can’t help it. Must stop.
Flight of the Conchords
If you’re not watching this show, you are missing one of the funniest things ever on television. “Too Many Dicks on the Dance Floor” almost rival’s last year’s “HipHopOpotamus v. the Rhymenoceros.”
Please, for the love of all that’s holy, just watch this show.
agreed about Life on Mars. I was telling some friends about the show and possibly my favorite line ever said on a tv show. Harvey Keitel talking about the first time he saw his wife “she was the type of woman God made when Mrs. God wasn’t looking”.
None of my friends had seen the show but they all said the same thing, the time travel didn’t interest them they just wanted to see Harvey Keitel and Micjael Imperioli as cops in the 70′s.
@Mark – I loved that line, too. They are just so awesomely cast. It almost (almost) makes up for the fact that Harvey Keitel bared his ass in the movie “The Bad Lieutenant.”
Agreed. Burn Notice is finally back to what made it fun again. (And Romo was indeed awesome!)
Walter on Fringe is definitely pure awesome. I wish he could be in every show, lol.
Okay, I’ve never watched Flight of the Conchords … but will check it out now.
@Steph – That’d be great if we could get Walter Bishop cameos on every show, especially the ones that make no sense. Can you imagine him with Doc Cottle, about to operate on Anders? hahahahahahaha
I’m glad I’m not the only one to think Burn Notice has its groove back., too…
@Donna – Oh, I promise you’ll like it. If you liked those clips I linked to, it’s a no brainer.
[...] said before that the show’s totally worth watching just for Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli. I wish [...]