Two days ago, the season finale for Mad Men aired.
Two days ago, the season premiere for True Blood aired.
And so, I thought it would be a really apt time to begin a review of the TV shows I've watched in the past season. For a refresher, please go here. In this post, I will give a brief review of each show I've watched, dividing them into four categories:-
1. Will be Mad not to continue watching (You can see where this is going)
2. Will continue watching with minimal reservations
3. Will give it one more season
4. Will drop
Fairly straightforward. From the post linked above, I've watched the following shows this season, in no particular order:-
1. 2 Broke Girls
2. New Girl
3. Bones
4. Glee
5. Modern Family
6. The Big Bang Theory
7. How I Met Your Mother
8. South Park
9. Mad Men
10. Sherlock
11. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
12. True Blood
13. Community
Yes, I realise that's quite a lot of shows. How do I find the time? By reminding myself that everyone has 168 hours in a week and dividing the hours to ensure that I get to do everything I want to do is purely my own responsibility. So, y'know, if I have to give up sleep, or friends, well, hey, at least I was there when Eric Cartman solved his mania issues.
To further stress this 168 hours limit, I also watched some new shows mid-season, meaning I picked them up during the middle of the season and continued watching them after. The shows are:-
Game of Thrones (Seasons 1 and 2)
Why I watched it: Recommended by a trusted source.
Thoughts: It's really interesting if you like cunning plans, well-woven intricate plots, backstabbery and a general sense of, "No fricking clue what's going to happen next or who's going to screw over another person." The characters are quite compelling though the actors/actresses tend to overact a bit. There are a lot of good characters to throw yourself behind and there are loads of despicable ones to loathe (I have never before wanted to a child to die in a show. Game of Thrones changed all that). Unfortunately, the episodes can get a bit slow, and the various subplots the show has to pick up (given its multitude of characters) can make it a bit long-winded. Battle scenes are very few and far between as well.
Verdict: Will give it one more season. I was considering dropping it altogether but Episodes 9 and 10 of Season 2 changed my mind. I'll give it one more season.
Shameless (Seasons 1 and 2)
Why I watched it: I came across a link about the 10 best new TV shows. This was number 9. BUT, it had Emmy Rossum. Sold.
Thoughts: I really enjoy it. The Gallagher family is so messed up it's hilarious. If you look at that picture, beginning bottom right and going anti clock wise - Carl is a potential psychopath, Lip is a genius who's in love with a skank, Steve/Jimmy is a car thief masquerading as a Business School student, Fiona (Emmy Rossum!!!) is a low self-esteem chief household officer who works 3 jobs to keep the family together, Ian is an ROTC kid who's banging Steve/Jimmy's dad, Debbie is a precocious 11 year old who is obsessed about becoming a woman, Frank is the drunk loser dad, and Liam is a black kid who is actually the genetic kid of Frank and his white ex-wife Monica. There's never-ending stories with this. And, at the end of the day, the spirit of family keeps them chugging along. Heartwarmingly hilarious.
Verdict: Will continue watching with minimal reservations
Also, there's Laura Slade Wiggins (the actress who plays the skank that Lip is in love with):-
Suits (Season 1)
Why I watched it: Recommended by a trusted source.
Thoughts: First of all, Harvey Spector (the guy in the forefront) is the lawyer version of Don Draper, but maybe with a lesser aura of "I'm better than you" compared to Draper. It's a neat procedural, putting together the Don (see what I did there) in Harvey Spector and his Underboss protege in Mike Ross. Mike is essentially a conman who has an eidetic memory and a passion for law (though he doesn't have a Law degree) who convinces Harvey to take a chance on him. And then, they go on legal adventures together!
Verdict: Will drop (Nothing personal - I'm just choosing to drop all procedurals)
Okay, so those are the new shows - onwards to the not-so-new ones.
Category 1: Will be Mad not to continue watching
Mad Men (Season 5)
Thoughts: In terms of character development and putting normal people in ambiguous situations, probably the best season yet. Just bloody watch the show.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 7)
Thoughts: The funniest sitcom on television now. An overall better season than the last as well. It's always bags of fun watching 5 complete jerks trying to co-exist (and fail).
South Park (Season 16)
Thoughts: More Cartman-centric and Butters-centric episodes means better episodes. Truth be told, I prefer the 2nd half of Season 15, compared to this one but the Jewpacubra episode and the Cupid Cartman episode are fantastic. And we get some live action in the Ziplining episode. In any case, there's really no way I'm even considering dropping South Park.
Community (Season 3)
Thoughts: To me, some of the best stuff yet, culminating in what-I-think-is the greatest Community episode - Pillows and Blankets, a documentary-esque episode with a Civil War feel on the war between Blanketsburg and Pillowstown. Seriously. And then there's the awesome "Alternate Timeline" episode, which is also another all-time classic. 6 seasons and a movie.
Sherlock (Season 2)
Thoughts: You know what I think. Fuck The Hobbit.
Category 2: Will continue watching with minimal reservations
The Big Bang Theory (Season 5)
The best no-brainer sitcom there is today. A nice way to just relax after a long day. Good sense of familiarity. I think the show is getting a bit better with no real downside. A keeper.
Well, looks like there's only one show in this category. Moving on.
Category 3: Will give it one more season
Modern Family (Season 3)
Probably the biggest headache for me in terms of the category. On the one hand, it still has its moments. On the other hand, the episodes are getting really generic and there's minimal character development. Every week's episode feels like the previous week's one. Becoming a bit of a chore to watch. Definitely sliding down. But I'll keep it around just because I really like Phil Dunphy.
How I Met Your Mother (Season 7)
First of all, the show is becoming too batshit crazy. Second of all, Ted is actually a giant douche. Third of all, the show had to mess with my emotions by bringing Victoria back into play when we know she's not the mother. Fourth of all, it's about goddamn time we met the mother. One more season. Just to meet the mother.
Seriously, just one more season fellas. Not that whether I watch it or not really, actually matters, but, hey, I show no mercy when it comes to my TV lineup. Now, for the drops.
Category 4: Will drop
Bones (Season 7)
Let me put it this way. I downloaded the final 3 episodes of the season. I didn't watch a single one. Why? It felt like too much of a chore. This is when you know you gotta bail. I'm done with procedurals.
New Girl (Season 1)
Did not find it interesting or attention-grabbing. At all.
2 Broke Girls (Season 1)
Boring. As. Hell. With. Really. Stupid. Jokes. The answer to 2 and a Half Men.
True Blood (Season 4)
Here are some choice quotes from the person who introduced me to True Blood:-
"THANK FUCK. NEVER AGAIN WILL I WASTE A BANDWIDTH ON THAT SHIT."
"Trusted Source: and then I don't know what shit la...eric (Vampire Sheriff) has sex with his sister
me: eric has a sister?
Trusted Source: yeap. magically.
me: also a vampire?
Trusted Source: yeap
me: what are the fucking odds
Trusted Source: they fight and fuck like champions"
"and newlin comes back as a vamp AND gay......i don't even......WHAT IS THIS FUCKERY"
As you can see, my manners-challenged Trusted Source, the person who introduced me to True Blood is the one who's giving up True Blood. How can I continue to watch the show? But, one last time, for the road:
Glee (Season 3)
Look, I've been clear for a long time that Glee is batcrap crazy. And just when I thought it couldn't top itself, picture this. Main Character A knocks up Main Character B. They give up their baby for adoption to Teacher C. Teacher C is the biological mom of Main Character D, who she gave up for adoption. Main Characters A, B and D are all in the same high school. Teacher C is allowed to come and teach in that school. How in the hell does anyone ever allow this to happen?! Isn't there a giant red flag over, I don't know, YOU'RE ADOPTING THE BABY OF 2 STUDENTS AND YOU'RE THE BIOLOGICAL MOM OF ANOTHER! For fuck's sake. And the only reason I watched till the end of this season was because I wanted to see this crop of seniors graduate. It's the first batch to graduate and so, I had to stick it out to the end. But seriously. Screw this.
Two days ago, the season premiere for True Blood aired.
And so, I thought it would be a really apt time to begin a review of the TV shows I've watched in the past season. For a refresher, please go here. In this post, I will give a brief review of each show I've watched, dividing them into four categories:-
1. Will be Mad not to continue watching (You can see where this is going)
2. Will continue watching with minimal reservations
3. Will give it one more season
4. Will drop
Fairly straightforward. From the post linked above, I've watched the following shows this season, in no particular order:-
1. 2 Broke Girls
2. New Girl
3. Bones
4. Glee
5. Modern Family
6. The Big Bang Theory
7. How I Met Your Mother
8. South Park
9. Mad Men
10. Sherlock
11. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
12. True Blood
13. Community
Yes, I realise that's quite a lot of shows. How do I find the time? By reminding myself that everyone has 168 hours in a week and dividing the hours to ensure that I get to do everything I want to do is purely my own responsibility. So, y'know, if I have to give up sleep, or friends, well, hey, at least I was there when Eric Cartman solved his mania issues.
To further stress this 168 hours limit, I also watched some new shows mid-season, meaning I picked them up during the middle of the season and continued watching them after. The shows are:-
Game of Thrones (Seasons 1 and 2)
 |
| Boromir is back! |
Thoughts: It's really interesting if you like cunning plans, well-woven intricate plots, backstabbery and a general sense of, "No fricking clue what's going to happen next or who's going to screw over another person." The characters are quite compelling though the actors/actresses tend to overact a bit. There are a lot of good characters to throw yourself behind and there are loads of despicable ones to loathe (I have never before wanted to a child to die in a show. Game of Thrones changed all that). Unfortunately, the episodes can get a bit slow, and the various subplots the show has to pick up (given its multitude of characters) can make it a bit long-winded. Battle scenes are very few and far between as well.
Verdict: Will give it one more season. I was considering dropping it altogether but Episodes 9 and 10 of Season 2 changed my mind. I'll give it one more season.
Shameless (Seasons 1 and 2)
 |
| Meet the Gallaghers |
Thoughts: I really enjoy it. The Gallagher family is so messed up it's hilarious. If you look at that picture, beginning bottom right and going anti clock wise - Carl is a potential psychopath, Lip is a genius who's in love with a skank, Steve/Jimmy is a car thief masquerading as a Business School student, Fiona (Emmy Rossum!!!) is a low self-esteem chief household officer who works 3 jobs to keep the family together, Ian is an ROTC kid who's banging Steve/Jimmy's dad, Debbie is a precocious 11 year old who is obsessed about becoming a woman, Frank is the drunk loser dad, and Liam is a black kid who is actually the genetic kid of Frank and his white ex-wife Monica. There's never-ending stories with this. And, at the end of the day, the spirit of family keeps them chugging along. Heartwarmingly hilarious.
Verdict: Will continue watching with minimal reservations
Also, there's Laura Slade Wiggins (the actress who plays the skank that Lip is in love with):-
 |
| She's 24, I promise. |
Suits (Season 1)
 |
| That's a $2000 suit for you. |
Thoughts: First of all, Harvey Spector (the guy in the forefront) is the lawyer version of Don Draper, but maybe with a lesser aura of "I'm better than you" compared to Draper. It's a neat procedural, putting together the Don (see what I did there) in Harvey Spector and his Underboss protege in Mike Ross. Mike is essentially a conman who has an eidetic memory and a passion for law (though he doesn't have a Law degree) who convinces Harvey to take a chance on him. And then, they go on legal adventures together!
Verdict: Will drop (Nothing personal - I'm just choosing to drop all procedurals)
Okay, so those are the new shows - onwards to the not-so-new ones.
Category 1: Will be Mad not to continue watching
Mad Men (Season 5)
 |
| Notice how Don is the only one in between panes... |
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 7)
 |
| The very definition of 'busting balls' |
South Park (Season 16)
 |
| The boys going ziplining. Hilarity ensues. |
Community (Season 3)
 |
| This episode is actually called "Pillows and Blankets" |
Sherlock (Season 2)
 |
| I genuinely like Molly. |
Category 2: Will continue watching with minimal reservations
The Big Bang Theory (Season 5)
The best no-brainer sitcom there is today. A nice way to just relax after a long day. Good sense of familiarity. I think the show is getting a bit better with no real downside. A keeper.
Well, looks like there's only one show in this category. Moving on.
Category 3: Will give it one more season
Modern Family (Season 3)
Probably the biggest headache for me in terms of the category. On the one hand, it still has its moments. On the other hand, the episodes are getting really generic and there's minimal character development. Every week's episode feels like the previous week's one. Becoming a bit of a chore to watch. Definitely sliding down. But I'll keep it around just because I really like Phil Dunphy.
How I Met Your Mother (Season 7)
First of all, the show is becoming too batshit crazy. Second of all, Ted is actually a giant douche. Third of all, the show had to mess with my emotions by bringing Victoria back into play when we know she's not the mother. Fourth of all, it's about goddamn time we met the mother. One more season. Just to meet the mother.
Seriously, just one more season fellas. Not that whether I watch it or not really, actually matters, but, hey, I show no mercy when it comes to my TV lineup. Now, for the drops.
Category 4: Will drop
Bones (Season 7)
Let me put it this way. I downloaded the final 3 episodes of the season. I didn't watch a single one. Why? It felt like too much of a chore. This is when you know you gotta bail. I'm done with procedurals.
New Girl (Season 1)
Did not find it interesting or attention-grabbing. At all.
2 Broke Girls (Season 1)
Boring. As. Hell. With. Really. Stupid. Jokes. The answer to 2 and a Half Men.
True Blood (Season 4)
Here are some choice quotes from the person who introduced me to True Blood:-
"THANK FUCK. NEVER AGAIN WILL I WASTE A BANDWIDTH ON THAT SHIT."
"Trusted Source: and then I don't know what shit la...eric (Vampire Sheriff) has sex with his sister
me: eric has a sister?
Trusted Source: yeap. magically.
me: also a vampire?
Trusted Source: yeap
me: what are the fucking odds
Trusted Source: they fight and fuck like champions"
"and newlin comes back as a vamp AND gay......i don't even......WHAT IS THIS FUCKERY"
As you can see, my manners-challenged Trusted Source, the person who introduced me to True Blood is the one who's giving up True Blood. How can I continue to watch the show? But, one last time, for the road:
 |
| Deborah Ann Woll is still lovely as hell. |
Look, I've been clear for a long time that Glee is batcrap crazy. And just when I thought it couldn't top itself, picture this. Main Character A knocks up Main Character B. They give up their baby for adoption to Teacher C. Teacher C is the biological mom of Main Character D, who she gave up for adoption. Main Characters A, B and D are all in the same high school. Teacher C is allowed to come and teach in that school. How in the hell does anyone ever allow this to happen?! Isn't there a giant red flag over, I don't know, YOU'RE ADOPTING THE BABY OF 2 STUDENTS AND YOU'RE THE BIOLOGICAL MOM OF ANOTHER! For fuck's sake. And the only reason I watched till the end of this season was because I wanted to see this crop of seniors graduate. It's the first batch to graduate and so, I had to stick it out to the end. But seriously. Screw this.
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