TV recap

Although I have comments regarding PMBR, I will save them for tomorrow or later this week. Similarly, I will reserve comment on next week's two cent raise in stamps and the idea of the "forever stamp." And Basso's admissions regarding the cycling doping scandal are just sad for the sport. In the meantime, however, I want to do a quick recap on tv shows, since Lost has now been renewed for three more (short) seasons.

So, here is a quick recap of my top shows on TV that are worth watching:

Top 4 (in no particular order):
Jericho on CBS: I wrote an entry about this show a while ago and predicted that it would do well. The long and the short of it is that the civilized world as we would know it has been destroyed by a series of nuclear bombs and the town of Jericho, Kansas and its surviving citizens are struggling to piece together exactly how to keep functioning.

Over the past few episodes, it has become partly a story of what happened and partly a story of what should happen next (as far as society as a whole). The latter story has become the focus of the show as of late, focused on the town of Jericho, and is pretty entertaining television. The finale looks pretty cool - the short of it is that the town of Jericho and its neighboring town of New Bern are about to go to war, as I would expect would eventually happen in a real life situation. The entire season is still available online through the CBS Innertube website; I would say that this is probably one of the top two new television shows currently on television.

Heroes on NBC: If Jericho is the best new show, Heroes is second by less than a length. While I have given this show a lot of slack in earlier reviews, I think the plot has definitely solidified and focused over the past few episodes. While I'm not a huge fan of their whole time traveling idea (and also because I think the show has created an unresolvable paradox), it is entertaining and the group of friends that I watch it with have declared it the superior Monday night show (passing 24, which has and after this season will have dropped off my list). In true comic book fashion (remiscent of Unbreakable), the remaining episodes will finally pull all of the Heroes together and good with face off with evil in one explosive finale.

I believe that next season is supposed to be an entirely new storyline with some carryover characters (which may or may not come together by mid-to-late season), and I think that's a gutsy idea (that I hope works out for the show). Too many shows have become too involved; perhaps a regular changing of the guard is a good thing.

Lost on ABC: While I had my doubts about this show after the start of season 3, it certainly has picked up the pace over the past few weeks. The backstory (or at least part of it) regarding the Others is finally going to happen in the next episode and maybe by season's end we'll see something never before seen on television. I only hope that Season 4 doesn't introduce another section of the plane that we somehow overlooked. Things I'd like answered: Rousseau's backstory with regard to Alex. Wasn't she born on the island? I am just not clear as to how Rousseau's pregnancy and the mysterious illness that started to kill her crew off fits into the big picture. And how will they explain Walt aging three years in three weeks? Hopefully the writers have good answers to these questions, and they are answered next season.

I regularly read EW's write-up about the show after the fact and while I feel that Jensen's writeups border on intentional misdirection, I do agree with his assertion that the story has taken it up a notch. Three more seasons may be asking a lot, and I hope that ABC takes it back to the Wednesday 9 PM timeslot. I guess the idea of having the finale as a movie is out if there will be a season 6.

The Office on NBC: This show is possibly the funniest show on television. There are unbelievable amounts of quote-able lines that appear in most episodes. It takes two or three episodes to sort of get into it, but it is definitely something anyone could just pick up and start watching. Plus, it's Pam and Jim storyline is much more entertaining than Ross and Rachel.

Bottom 3 and losing ground quick:
My Name is Earl on NBC: While this show had a great first season, they must have changed writers or something because this season sucked. The good thing is that it exposed me to the Office. Maybe the Office will take over its timeslot next season and NBC will come up with something even funnier for the 8:30 timeslot.

24 on Fox: While I stand by my earlier convictions that seasons 2 and 4 were the best, this season is just a continuation of last season's mismash of action and executive incompetence. While I did appreciate the fact that President Clinton announced that he enjoyed watching 24, the show has gotten too slow and too far-fetched, even for someone who loves action-adventure shows like this one. I had to be talked into watching 24 this season; that mistake will not be repeated if it is picked up again next season. The mistake the writers made was pretending to fake Jack Bauer's death at the end of whatever season that was. Not sure how this show can be saved; perhaps it should not be.

Boston Legal on ABC: While I enjoy the show solely for its humor value, I wish someone would come up with a blog about how they would object and rebut any of the ridiculous arguments that are spewed out on this show. I will finish up this season and call it a series. I do like some of David E. Kelley's work; hopefully whatever the next series he does will be get back to what makes a tv show good: character development. I can only hope that he is somehow involved with Supreme Courtships, but I highly doubt it.

That's it. The saving point to all of this is that once these shows are over, I have no excuse for not studying for the bar.

Tags: abc, nbc, cbs, fox, lost, the office, heroes, jericho