IJB's '04-'05 Season-End REVIEW: Part I (SUN-TUE)
The Next SCOTUS Nominee, Ian J. Ball
NOTE: Part II (WED-SAT) will be posted tomorrow.
Your best bet is just to pick out the shows you watch, and read those
reviews - few people read my whole dang review!
A summary of the grading scheme can be found at:
http://homepage.mac.com/ijball/grading-guide.html
THE SHOW REVIEWS:
-----------------
Reviewed shows are listed in the following order - starting with
Sunday shows, and going all the way through Tuesday shows.
SUN:
CHARMED (WBN):
Overall Grade for Season: C+
OVERVIEW:
I said in my Mid-Season Review that I thought "Charmed's" 7th season
was shaping up better than season #6, and I stand by that assertion.
Basically, I think the three things I liked about season #7 were the
storyarcs of, respectively, Leo (the long-suffering Brian Krause), Det.
Sheridan (Jenya Lano), and demon baddie Zankou (Oded Fehr, enjoying
himself with scenery-chewing). (Notice that none of those actually
involved the Halliwell sisters directly!?!) In addition to that, we got
a fun couple of episodes guest-stint from Billy Zane, and the return of
The Avatars in such a way that we probably won't have to see them again.
What this adds up was a passably enjoyable, if not particularly
engaging, season of "Charmed".
But, admittedly, this show is pretty much running on 'fumes' now, and
is nowhere near the level of quality of its heyday.
WHAT WORKED:
The positive developments with Leo that began in season #6 carried
into season #7... until they took away all of his powers towards the end
of the season, effectively neutering the character, esp. on a show like
this (see: what happened to the character of Cole when they temporarily
made him powerless back in season #4).
Zankou was a relatively fun villain who, unlike other villains in the
past, didn't wear out his welcome. And they generally handled the return
of Sheridan well, and did a slightly better job with Det. Morris (Dorian
Gregory) this season.
Also, despite what some others have I said, I really liked the way
they tied things together in the season finale - frankly, I truly wish
they had just ended it there: it would have been perfectly fine as a
series finale.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
Halliwells?... What Halliwells?! I honestly can't remember much of
what any of the three sisters did this season!
As mentioned in the Mid-Season Review, the guest stints early on by
Nick Lachey and Kerr Smith kind of seemed to be pointless, in
retrospect.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (my pick as #2 SHOW OF THE YEAR) (ABC):
Overall Grade for Season: A-
OVERVIEW:
For my #1 "new show" (which actually translates into "My #2 Show", as
"24" had already grabbed my #1 "Best Show" slot), it came down to "Lost"
vs. "Desperate Housewives", not surprisingly. In the end, "Desperate
Housewives" got the nod as the better show for two main reasons:
1) I felt "Desperate Housewives" did a better job in wrapping up
its first season storyarcs/mysteries, whereas "Lost" just 'pulled an
"X-Files"' by adding mystery upon mystery without really ever solving
anything. Whatever else you want to say about "Desperate Housewives",
you can't really say that.
2) Unlike "Lost", "Desperate Housewives" excelled at humor (where,
indeed, it has been submitted as a 'comedy' to the Emmys). "Lost", while
a good suspense series, was admittedly pretty humorous. "Desperate
Housewives", on the other hand, often excelled at humor even more than
drama.
Beyond these two points, the shows were pretty comparable. Certainly
both shows had great (large!) casts, and at this point I'd like to say
something about "Desperate Housewives'" ensemble of actresses. All 4
actresses on this show are excellent, including the oft neglected Eva
Longoria who (along with Teri Hatcher) was responsible for carrying most
of the comedy elements of the show, and managed the task very ably.
Along with Longoria, I tend to think Hatcher is similarly neglected for
carrying the "comedy" water (and, of the 4 actresses, is probably the
one most deserving of the Emmy). But that takes nothing away from Cross
or Huffman, who are similarly excellent.
Beyond this, most of the points I made in my Mid-Season Review of
this show still apply.
In addition, I detected no serious downward trend in the show's
quality as the show's first season progressed (a real concern with many
first-year shows - see, for example, "8 Simple Rules", which seemed to
use up most of its good ideas towards the beginning of its first season,
and quickly declined in quality). If there was any lessening in the
show, it was very slight indeed.
Which is my way of saying, unlike some coming sophomore shows who I'm
dreading, due to cast changes and the like, almost as much as I'm
anticipating ([cough] [cough] "Lost"! "Veronica Mars"! {cough] [cough]),
I'm still very much looking forward to season #2 of "Desperate
Housewives".
WHAT WORKED:
Having covered the female ensemble, let's take a second to give props
to the underappreciated actors on the show, esp. Steven Culp (as Rex Van
De Kamp), but also Doug Savant, Shawn Pyfrom and the appropriately
creepy Cody Kasch and Mark Moses.
Speaking of actors, there were a lot of great guest actors in this
show's premiere season, as well - Harriet Sansom Harris, Lesley Ann
Warren, Richard Roundtree, and Bob Newhart(!), etc.
As stated above, nice work on the pacing and eventual resolutions of
some the show's first season storyarcs. Also, nice work on the season
finale - esp. the surprise killing off of Rex Van De Kamp (Steven Culp).
Forget about Joss Whedon - is Marc Cherry the "new GOD"?!!
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
No real complaints, save perhaps that they don't give Edie quite
enough to do, nor develop her quite enough.
GREY'S ANATOMY (my pick as the MOST OVERRATED #1) (ABC):
Overall Grade for Season: C+
OVERVIEW:
The most annoyingly watchable show airing right now.
I knocked this show several times during Spring for being the most
"girly" show on the air right now (and, remember, the other contender
for that crown, CBS's "Judging Amy", is now gone from the broadcast
airwaves), and I still stand by that critique.
There is just not that much here for a "guy" to grab on to - the
female characters are all portrayed as "dominant", while the male
characters serve either as accessories (Patrick Dempsey's Dr. Derek
Sheppard), afterthoughts (Issiah Washington's Dr. Preston Burke), or
buffoons (T.R. Knight as George O'Malley and Justin Chambers as Alex
Karev). (Egads! Have I slipped into inverse Feminist Theory in this
review?!)
Beyond that, there's just enough on the medical side to make the
revolting 'soap' elements palatable (and I'm saying that, as a soap
fan!!), and Dempsey and Knight are just about sympathetic enough for me
to overcome my involuntary reflex to strangle the oh-so-precious!
oh-so-beautiful! oh-so-adorable! Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo, struggling
valiantly against an insufferable character) every time she's on screen.
Anyway, this is one of those shows I tend to watch in morbid
fascination just to see "how bad things can get". About the time that
Sandra Oh's Christina Yang discovered she was pregnant and Dr.
Sheppard's "wife" showed up, I pretty much had my answer.
WHAT WORKED:
Despite the "accessory-ness" of his character, Dempsey is an
appealing presence, as is Knight (no matter how many times the writers
try to passive-aggressively humiliate his character). In fact, most of
the cast comes off as effective (Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey,
the show's one seeming voice of reason, is a real treat). And the guest
stars are usually of high caliber as well.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
Eeewww. Where to start?
There are many reasons to knock "Grey's Anatomy", but I think the
tendency of this show to 'deify' its female characters (esp. the
precious Meredith Grey) is probably its worst inclination. It's
generally impossible to get into the "soapy" elements, when I'm so
pushed to despise Grey and Isobel Stevens (Katherine Heigl, seemingly
engaged with a character again, after taking a mental nap after
"Roswell's" first season) and even Yang, so much of the time.
MON:
LISTEN UP (CBS):
Overall Grade for Season: B-
OVERVIEW:
Pretty much the only sitcom I watched this season (well, I sometimes
watched "Still Standing", but I'd rather try and *forget* about that!),
"Listen Up" was one of the shows that took a lot of 'cheap shots' from
the "entertainment press", despite the fact that it was actually pretty
funny.
Which isn't to say that it was "brilliant". But, for what is was, it
was a reasonably amusing entry in the family/workplace sitcom arena (it
was certainly superior to "Still Standing", and was probably stronger
than more recent "King of Queens", from what I've seen). It didn't merit
cancellation based on its ratings (which were about on par with lead-in
"Still Standing"), and certainly not based on "quality" (where it beat
"Still Standing" by a mile).
Ultimately, I won't miss this show much. But I will miss it.
WHAT WORKED:
Duh! Jason Alexander *was* the show, and he was funny. Also funny,
though perhaps used a little too much in the second half of the season,
was Daniella Monet as bratty daughter Lauren. Even Will Rothhaar, who
played son Mickey, was good, wisely underplaying his scenes.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
What I said in the Mid-Season Review still applies: " It's still a
family "sitcom", and I'm not sure how watchable it would be without
Alexander. As always, there's room for improvement - the show can
definitely get funnier."
24 (my pick as #1 SHOW OF THE YEAR) (FOX):
Overall Grade for Season: A-
OVERVIEW:
My pick for the best season of "24" since season #1, season #4
largely licked the problem of previous seasons - i.e. "24's" tendency to
be "uneven halves", intra-season (e.g. season #1: first half better than
second half; season #2: first two thirds better than last third); season
#3: second half *much*, much better than lowly first half).
Season #4, by contrast, ratcheted up the suspense, and managed to
keep it pumping all the way through the 24 episodes (perhaps only losing
a little momentum at the very end).
All of which marks season #4 as probably "24's" strongest season
since its first season. (And I think I revere season #1 more for being
"first", and demonstrating that "24's" series concept could work, than
for it being truly "brilliant".)
Not everything in the current season worked. Jack's detour into a
convenience store robbery was just too much (and sort of deadened the
action for two episodes). And the whole "Chinese" angle seemed like an
unnecessary add-on (though they'll pick up points for doing it, if they
keep with it into season #5). Also, I wasn't all that thrilled with
having Audrey around, and having William Devane (Secr. of Defense
Heller) and Logan Marshall-Green (Richard Heller) distractingly
disappear for good chunks of the season didn't help.
But I was just plumb *pleased* with season #4. Maybe airing the show
straight through from Jan. to May increases the appreciation of this
show.
No matter - when it comes season #4, I really have few complaints. It
cranked up the suspense, and never let up.
And that's why "24" is My #1 Show of the Year.
WHAT WORKED:
Season #4 kept suspense levels high, and nearly steady, throughout
the year.
Great to see a lot of the old regulars back: Reiko Aylesworth
(Michelle), Carlos Bernard (Tony Almeyda), and especially! the lovely
and talented Mary Lynn Rajskub (as the even more lovely and even more
talented Chloe O'Brian!!!).
Beyond that, there were some other good recurring additions - James
Morrison as the appropriately stoic Bill Buchanan, Roger R. Cross as
Curtis Manning, and Louis Lombardi as Chloe soulmate Edgar Stiles.
Great guest work from, variously, Shohreh Aghdashloo (Dina Araz),
Jonathan Ahdout (Behrooz Araz), Gregory Itzin (as twitchy Pres. Logan),
and Arnold Vosloo (as terrorist supervillain, and Jack-Bauer
nemesis-extraordinaire, Habib Marwan), and the always reliable Dennis
Haysbert (ex-Pres. Palmer) and Jude Ciccolella (as Chief-of-Staff Mike
Novick). I even thought Angela Goethals did a great job as crazy Maya
Driscoll (and Alberta Watson got better toward the end of her stint as
Erin Driscoll).
Plus: Mandy (Mia Kirshner) is back, and still alive!! YAY!!!
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
I wasn't all that enamored with the season finale (though the last
couple of minutes almost made up for it).
The aforementioned 'deadspots' in the season - the convenience story
robbery (esp.), but also the Chinese Consulate detour.
I didn't really buy Erin Driscoll as the CTU head - her incompetence
was pretty much *too* contrived.
The 'stopwatch' aspect of "24" has pretty much be thrown out the door
now - this was pretty much the case in season #3, and season #4 made no
attempt to make the 'real time' aspects any more realistic.
YOU KILLED 'HOTTIE' DEBBIE (Leighton Meester)! YOU BASTARDS!!
TUE:
NCIS (gets an HONORABLE MENTION) (CBS):
Overall Grade for Season: B
OVERVIEW:
In 2004-2005, this was unquestionably the most "enjoyable" of the
various 'procedurals'. In fact, it is "NCIS's" unique focus on humor and
intra-office group dynamics that lifts it above the other 'procedurals'
(contrast it with drab and super-serious "Cold Case", for example, and
see the difference!), and which is why "NCIS" rates an 'Honorable
Mention' from me.
And it's the group dynamics that are the key to this show - after
being a "Gibbs skeptic" (see my Mid-Season Review), I've come around on
the Mark Harmon character, and now concede he is key to the show's
success. Abby (Pauley Perette)? It goes without saying what a unique and
somewhat refreshing character she is, especially on a 'procedural'. And
I know he's controversial, but DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), and his
banter with, variously, Kate, "Probie" and Abby, were often the funniest
bits in the show. Also the show went to great lengths in season #2 in
attempting to dispel the 'talking point' among DiNozzo-detractors that
"not only is he an immature jerk, but he's also an incompetent agent" -
season #2 of "NCIS" definitely showed that DiNozzo was a good and
diligent agent.
Overall, season #2 seemed to me to be a significant improvement over
season #1 - it seems like the show fully found its footing this year
(adding things like the B&W 'flashforward' scene teasers after every
commercial break), and was watchable in every episode.
It's with sadness, then, that I report that I am very disappointed
that Sasha Alexander's Kate Todd is now gone from the show, replaced by,
among others, Lauren Holly, an actress I don't care for (in the
extreme!). Too bad. I'm going to miss this show, or at least miss what
it was in season #2.
And with FOX's "Bones" seemingly moving into the same 'funny
procedural' genre-space (and the same time period!), this show had
better watch its back.
WHAT WORKED:
The penultimate episode, "Swak", was maybe the best episode they've
ever done, and the shocking end to the season finale, "Twilight", was a
good shocker.
Snappy dialogue writing. Good cast chemistry.
Again, the DiNozzo-Kate banter was often the funniest part of the
show...
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
...Until it crossed the line in the episode "Conspiracy Theory", when
said banter went from "cute/harmless" into "creepy/disciplinary review
board" territory.
The episodic "cases" were often secondary to the show's intra-office
interaction, but in this show's case that's pretty much not a weakness.
GILMORE GIRLS (my pick as the MOST IMPROVED):
Overall Grade for Season: B-
OVERVIEW:
"Gilmore Girls" shares a pattern with "Smallville", though it's
"Smallville's" inverse - whereas "Smallville's" superior seasons tend to
be the even-numbered ones (seasons #2 & #4), the best seasons of the
"Gilmore Girls" are the odd-numbered ones (seasons #1, #3 & #5).
And 2004-2005 being season #5 of the "Gilmore Girls", that can only
mean one thing - this past year of the "Gilmore Girls" was actually one
of the good ones.
After the extremely disappointing and tedious season #4, the show
really had nowhere to go but up, I suppose. Season #4 was a series of
missed opportunities - esp. in regards to not exploring Rory's new life
at Yale (nor doing much in the way of separating Rory and Lorelai *at
all*, but this is ground I covered in last season's GG review). And
season #4 was further hampered by a number of 'distracters' as well
(notably Chris Eigeman's Jason and Milo Ventimiglia's Jess).
In fact, season #5 initially picked up that worrisome trend by
bringing back perpetual 'hanger-on' Dean (Jared Padalecki) for a good
chunk of the beginning of season #5. (This is why season #5 doesn't
quite get to the 'B' level, even though the show picked up soon after;
it also explains why I knocked the show at the time of my Mid-Season
Review.)
But pick up it did. Once Dean was gone, the show finally delved more
into *Rory's* experience at Yale, etc. (Lorelai, having finally gotten
her inn off the ground was mercifully relegated this season to mostly
interacting with Luke (Scott Patterson), one of the few relationships
where she doesn't come off as insufferable.)
The show made further smart adjustments as well - the characters of
Logan (Matt Czuchry) was a welcome addition to the show, Kirk was used
more sparingly this year (a little of him goes a *long* way), and the
whole Stars Hollow portion of the show in general was used to better
effect. (Even Lane has a somewhat interesting character arc in season
#5.)
All in all, the show seemed to have found its footing again, and I
very much liked the season finale, which promised to set Lorelai and
Rory at each other's throats for a while, and as a drama-fiction
"conflict" junkie, I couldn't be more pleased. (Of course, whether ASP &
co. will actually *follow through* on that is an open question.)
Come to think of it, considering how incredibly uneven this show has
been throughout its run, maybe I shouldn't get my hopes up too much on
season #6...
WHAT WORKED:
Alexis Bledel, as Rory, was really fabulous this season: Rory was up!
Rory was down! Rory was all around! I really think Bledel was a large
part of why this season was as good as it was. Also, good to great (as
always) were Kelly Bishop, Edward Herrmann and Scott Patterson. (Also,
special kudos to Melissa McCarthy (as Sookie) who really 'brought it'
this year.)
Indeed - even Lauren Graham, Keiko Agena and Sean Gunn didn't bug me
(as much) this season.
Matt Czuchry's Logan was a good and needed addition to "Gilmore
Girls", recapturing the 'magic' they had lost when Chad Michael Murray's
Tristan left the show.
Loved the 'Rory arc' - can't wait to see where they go with it.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
Was it my imagination, or was Liza Weil not around as much this year?
As a "Paris fanboy", I'd like to see more of her.
This show wasted some dramatic momentum at the start of the season
with the Dean stuff.
HOUSE (my pick as #4 SHOW OF THE YEAR) (FOX):
Overall Grade for Season: B+
OVERVIEW:
"House" was knocked for being overly 'formulaic' earlier in the
show's first season - i.e. every episode went like clockwork: House
doesn't care about patient's apparently commonplace illness, changes his
mind, then he and his team make 2 incorrect diagnoses/treatments, before
getting it right and saving the day on the third try.
As the season went on, the show began to move away from this rigid
episode structure (most radically, in the show's penultimate episode,
"Three Stories", which instead of being built around a patient was built
around a teaching class), even going so far as to add Chi McBride as a
new hospital owner for 5 episodes (a move most people came to view as at
least somewhat of a mistake).
In any case, this show seemed to get better and better as it went
along. We learned more about not only House, but also his three
students, and even Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and Wilson (Robert Sean
Leonard) to an extent.
Bottom line: This is a great *looking* show (sets are cool, lighting
is bright, etc.), built around a highly fascinating character, staffed
with solid supporting players, all ensconced in a series of highly
interesting (and highly esoteric) medical 'mysteries'.
It's no wonder than this show has become a "hit".
WHAT WORKED:
Hugh Laurie! Duh!! - There's a reason he got my vote for the "Best
Drama Actor" RATTY (which he went on to win!). The supporting cast,
especially Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer, are also quite good. As
is the impressive guest cast list (all the people I mentioned in the
Mid-Season Review, plus Sarah Clarke, Joe Morton, Marin Hinkle, John Cho
(in a rare dramatic performance), Currie Graham, and of course Sela
Ward).
In short, the character of House himself is never boring...
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
...even if the occasional case may be.
Also, with Ward coming on recurring for season #2, "House" will have
to watch out for the trap of becoming too 'soapy', with House, Stacy
Warner, and the ever-eager Dr. Allison Cameron forming a potentially
distracting 'triangle'.
VERONICA MARS (my pick as #5 SHOW OF THE YEAR) (UPN):
Overall Grade for Season: B
OVERVIEW:
Originally I was going to rate "The Tribe" as My #5 Show of the Year
- but through a series of events (namely, a weak season ending, and my
bumping of "The Tribe's" season #5 review until later), and a late surge
by "Veronica Mars" (its penultimate episode "A Trip to the Dentist"
probably sealed the deal), and VM moved on up to #5.
Which is my way of saying that, after being a late adapter to VM (I
only picked it up around episode #6, and finally saw the pilot episode
some weeks later), I ultimately was impressed by this show. Now, maybe
not as impressed by this show as some - but impressed, nonetheless.
What set "Veronica Mars" apart, in my estimation, was its attention
to its storyarc - events and revelations were well 'paced out' over the
course of the season, pretty much every question was answered, and the
penultimate episode and the season finale tied everything together.
(Contrast VM's story seasonal story-development with the haphazard way
either "The O.C." or "One Tree Hill" developed (or, rather, *didn't*)
over the course of their seasons).
Elevating all of this further is the outstanding effort Kristin Bell
has put into her work as Veronica Mars (again, Kristin Bell got my "Best
Drama Actress" RATTY vote, and went on to win the thing); it's a total
*joke* that Bell wasn't nominated for an Emmy - she was clearly the best
actress of the season. And, assisting Bell ably was Enrico Colantoni
(another RATTY winner!) as Veronica's dad, Keith Mars.
Now, with season #1's mystery solved, and a whole new slew of
characters being added to season #2, I'm not as sanguine that "Veronica
Mars" will be as successful this Fall. But what a satisfying ride season
#1 was!
WHAT WORKED:
As above - Bell & Colantoni were both excellent in their role. Also,
Jason Dohring (as Logan Echolls) grew on me as the season progressed.
And several of the guest stars (obviously, Amanda Seyfried as Lilly Kane
and Corinne Bohrer as Lianne Mars were great, and Alona Tal as Meg was
pretty good too, but there were others) were good to excellent, as well.
Also, as above, I generally laud the careful development of year #1's
storyarc/mystery over the course of season #1.
Additionally, some individual episodes were quite good in their own
right (I particularly liked "Mars vs. Mars", "Betty and Veronica" and
"M.A.D.").
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
Some of the acting was good, some was not so good - Percy Daggs III
as Wallace Fennel only ever struck me as just "OK", while Teddy Dunn as
Duncan Kane never even struck me as that (and, of course, Francis Capra
is clearly too old to play "Weevil"). And while Harry Hamlin (as Aaron
Echolls) was generally good/chilling, I think he went way 'over the top'
in the season finale, which marred (pun intended!) that episode
somewhat. Similarly, I think they went for "marketing gimmicks" with
some of the guest casting (e.g. Alyson Hannigan as Trina Echolls seemed
designed to generate publicity, and was never really necessary to the
show's proceedings...).
Also, some individual episodes were just OK to disappointing (I
remember being particularly disappointed by the ending of "Clash of the
Tritons") - some of the episodic cases just weren't that interesting.
As I said in my Mid-Season Review, VM tended to *look* cheap (e.g.
lighting, camera filter, DV stock) - it was the least expensive show
this past season, and it showed. One result of this (along with,
perhaps, some questionably casting) was that it was often difficult to
recognize or tell apart some of the recurring guest cast, which
sometimes made following things confusing.
--
CNN, FNC, MSNBC - I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP!!
"It is a decision of the Supreme Court... So this is almost
as if God has spoken." - Nancy Pelosi (on KELO), 06/30/05
http://homepage.mac.com/ijball/TV-Blog/