Test Pattern #12

America's Next Top Model (Cycle 18) - Cycle 18 seems to be the death knell for this long running guilty pleasure. The theme this time was "British Invasion" where Tyra pits British models against American girls. Unfortunately, the scale seemed a little tipped because all of the British girls had been on previous cycles of Britain's Top Model, while the Americans had little to no experience. Honestly, all though my picks came in the top three, this season was so boring, with really lame photo shoots. I think it may be time to pull the plug.

Community (Season 3) - This show seems to be particularly divisive amongst my friends - I enjoy the pop culture references and playing with genre conventions, even if the show doesn't really go anywhere with a plot. I think it's a shame that Dan Harmon, the showrunner is no longer attached.

Fringe (Season 4) - Who can even keep straight what is going on in this show anymore? In addition to the two worlds (ours and an alternate) now I believe we are supposed to keep at least two different timelines in mind. It's not that I don't like the show, because I definitely do, but I often have to consult with my roommate to work out logic, characters, plot, etc. because it does seem like the show expects you to have an excellent memory.

Game of Thrones (Season 2) - While not quite as good as the first season, things are still getting exciting in the 7 Kingdoms. Everyone wants Joffrey dead, Daenerys gets her dragons stolen for a time, Theon acts like an idiot, while Tyrion may have found his calling. Oh, and Jon Snow almost loses his virginity and Arya poses as a boy. War has broken out this season, and of course, winter is coming...

Girls (Season 1) - My favorite debut of the year caused quite an uproar online and amongst reviewers. The basic premise is that four girls live in Brooklyn. They are all white, 20-something, fairly educated, and definitely part of the "leisure class." The show gets criticized for its lack of diversity, but I think if you are honest when examining most people's close circle of friends, you will find a lot of homogeneity. I found this show incredibly relatable, being an aimless 20-something myself for a time. The friendships and even the relationships with the guys in the show are really truthful and sadly funny.  I'm glad it'll be back on in the Fall because I can't wait to spend more time with these ladies.
 
In Treatment (Season 2) - Now that Dr. Paul Weston is separated from his wife and being sued by a patient's family, he starts his practice up again in Brooklyn. He treats a middle-aged woman who used to be his patient 20 years earlier and regrets not settling down; a young woman with cancer; a boy whose parents are undergoing a divorce; and old man who starts out the CEO of a big company but stress and guilt force him to step aside; and Paul's own treatment with Gina where he is still dealing with his father issues and acting like quite the asshole in his sessions.

the Killing (Season 2) - When this show first started, it had a lot of promise and perhaps too many Twin Peaks  references, but I found myself attracted to the dynamic between the two detectives. This second season did little to redeem itself after the season 1 finale that left so many people feeling angry. I was willing to go along for the ride, but what was presented was a lot of fairly uninteresting red herrings, and B-plots that I could have done without. I guess they finally wrapped up the case this season, but its conclusion was far from satisfying.

Mad Men (Season 5) - The ladies are growing up, moving on, and getting what they want this season. I felt bad about "Fat Betty" and how much of a villain she has become, but am always interested in life through Sally's eyes, and am looking forward to seeing their mother/daughter relationship evolve. Don seems to have gained a bit of a conscience this season, but I think it's just because he's getting older, and he's starting not to fit in with mainstream society.

the Office (Season 8) - Why do I even keep watching this show? I'm not that into Robert California and found Nellie an even more irritating character. Jim and Pam may as well not exist...I really just want to see Kelly and sometimes Ryan, which is unfortunate, since I don't think either of them will be on the show much anymore.

Parks & Recreation (Season 4) - I think this was a really good season! Leslie running for office makes her even more of a stress case than ever, and I like Ben (Adam Scott) as her boyfriend. Ron and April always bring the straight-faced laughs and the secret hearts of gold. Tom and Ann as a couple is too weird, but I like them both so much individually that I'll allow it if it means they are still vital to the show.

30 Rock (Season 6) - Liz has a boyfriend - weird! Jack has a lot of sexual tension with Avery's mom and then she comes back from Korea. Kenneth is no longer a page - weird! There is not nearly enough Tracy in this season, and while there are certainly some funny episodes or gags, it's probably for the best that there is only one more season.

Veep (Season 1) - Started watching this on HBO streaming as a time killer.  The episodes are really short, but it took a few for it to find its stride. It's nice to see Buster Bluth again and Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a great comedic talent. Worth watching for a few hours.

Test Pattern #7 - Part 1

OMG! I have been watching so much tv! On top of that, everything that I have been watching as it airs along with the shows that I watch via my computer, are all coming to an end. Hence "Part 1". I'll try to have the second part out later this week...

Big Love (Season 4 & 5) - These two seasons were definitely the weakest of the entire series. The truth is, I just don't really care about Bill's political ambitions. Also, the loss of Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton) is a loss of a great villain. I mean, Albee is pretty despicable, but he so clearly hates himself, while Roman was full of delusions of grandeur. Nikki's daughter from her first marriage also joins the mix and creates some predictable drama of her own. Barb starts questioning the role of females in their church. Margene gets too into QVC and New Agey products...a really disappointing development for her character. Ben still struggles to keep it in his pants and is always too self-righteous to ever actually sympathize with him. Speaking of slutting it up, Rhonda is back for a bit. Nikki starts dressing normal. Bill's parents get old and even crazier. Sarah and Scott finally escape Utah. Also, not really into the new opening title sequence for these seasons. All in all, I enjoyed my time with the Hendricksons, even if I don't really like the path the show takes in the end.

Friday Night Lights (Season 5) - I always knew it would be a tearful goodbye with Coach Taylor and Dillon, Texas. I can't even claim that this season is that great. Julie is acting like an idiot in college. Tim Riggins spends most of the season in jail. Luke and Becky have some tension, but really nothing much happens to either one of them. Tammy as usual kicks ass at her job, even without support from the rest of the school. Vince learns the hard lesson that nobody really likes you when your head gets too big. For me, this show has always been it's strongest when the stories focus on Riggins or Matt Saracen. Their presence is sorely missed, but I am so thankful for a real conclusion to this show....a show that really more people should watch if they are into great dramas, small towns, or heart.

Fringe (Season 3) - Season 3 is all about the two universes, and the relationship between Olivia and Peter. Fake Olivia spends some time in our universe, while our Olivia is stuck in the alternate universe. Holes begin developing between the two places, and these provide the background for any "monster-of-the-week" episodes that even happen this season. For the most part, I love this season for how crazy and how serialized it gets. I can't imagine jumping into this show now...you need so much backstory from the past two seasons. That being said, if anyone has invested in this show so far, I can't imagine them being disappointed.

Mildred Pierce (HBO miniseries) - I loved the original Mildred Pierce film and I love Todd Haynes' visual aesthetic, so it's really no surprised that I enjoyed this 5-part retelling of this story of a woman who may be lucky in business, but maybe refuses to see how the people closest to her are the most terrible. These scenes are lush and deliberate. Kate Winslet is lovely, and Evan Rachel Wood plays a great spoiled brat Vida. It's beautiful to watch and still so scandalous to entertain.

Parks and Recreation (Seasons 1-3) - This is the first year that I have diligently been watching Parks & Rec as it airs. I had seen lots of episodes from the past two seasons, but when Netflix offered Season 1 & 2 to watch instantly, I knew it would be a good use of my time to revisit and fill in the gaps. I really like Tom and all of his sleaziness and slang, and am really glad that he got an actual love interest if only for a short time. Ron Swanson is a treat as the straight-man. Donna downing two shots at once is pretty great every time. April is a true favorite...also incredibly straight-faced and angsty and just fucking hilarious. I'm not really sure what Ann's purpose is any more on the show, but Rashida Jones' is so pretty that I don't even care. Watching Mark Brandanowitz transform from local playboy to square was an enjoyable transformation, but I have to say that his departure made way for the welcome addition of the ever upbeat Chris (Rob Lowe) and my current crush Ben (Adam Scott). Leslie is goofy and the perfect heart of this show. It's easy to recognize that this series has become the true star of NBC's Thursday night.

Party Down (Season 1 & 2) - More Adam Scott love! Failed writers, actors, musicians, and comedians unite while working for a catering company. Each episode is a different gig ranging from funerals, to Young Republican meetings, to orgies, and even Steve Guttenberg's birthday. Ron's meltdown is amazing, as are the gags about his giant cock (and the beginning of the use of "cramzi"). The dynamic between Kyle and Roman is really great - one-sided hatred (but deep down sympathy). Lizzy Caplan isn't even the worst as Casey. Just a really funny show and a shame that it couldn't last longer.

RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 3) - Finally someone not black wins! The campier version of ANTM (which is already pretty campy) brings back an all new group of drag queens. Even though I predicted win, place, and show really early in the season, I still appreciated that it wasn't too clearcut who would actually win the whole thing (last season was lacking some serious tension with a clear frontrunner). Loved having Chloe Sevigny and LaToya Jackson as judges.

Test Pattern #4

America's Next Top Model (Cycle 14) and RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 2) - These are essentially the same show...lots of make-up, photo shoots, eliminations, etc. The end of ANTM was pretty anticlimatic since you knew who was almost certainly going to win four or five episodes before the finale. On the drag race, there was a similar lack of excitement because the front runner from the very beginning never got knocked off her throne. Lastly, I just wanted to mention that Season 1 of RuPaul is vastly better than this second season. The prizes may be jankier, but the contestants were much more creative and almost anyone from last season's top five could have beaten anyone on this season.  

Breaking Bad (Season 3) - This has to be my current favorite show. Walter and Jesse are still making meth and still having to ward off members of the cartel. The DEA is mostly out of the picture this season, but the drama with Skylar and with their employer has skyrocketed. I'm still impressed by how good this show looks and it's almost impossible to not get sucked into the action, even when it gets totally over the top.

Fringe (Season 2) - I never regularly watched X-Files growing up, but I am pretty sure that Fringe is the modern equivalent. There's some sexual tension between the two main characters Olivia and Peter, both of which are part of the "fringe unit" of the FBI and investigate unusual or supernatural homicides, events, etc. I did not see all of the first season, but it seems like the show has really hit its stride during this second season. The episodes can mostly stand alone, but there is a really interesting overarching plot involving Peter and an alternate universe.

Glee (Season 1) - So, I know many people treat this show like a guilty pleasure. I for one have never felt too guilty about it. Sure the acting can be bad, or the songs can fall into cringe territory, but I think this show does have a lot of heart. At times the social agenda can be a little overbearing, but I love the teenage drama, and several episodes made me get a little misty. Sue Sylvester's insults are a treat and performance of "the Boy is Mine" are standouts.

Homicide (Season 3, 4, & 5) - This show is so good. Basically Law and Order with less time in the courtroom and better characters. I still have a season and a half before I finish the entire series, but so far seasons 3 and 5 have been my favorites. In season 3, three of the detectives are shot at and critically wounded when they go to the wrong address. That season also addresses the suicide of one of the detectives. In season 4, Frank Pembleton's stress finally takes its toll. Seasons 4 and 5 focus a lot on Luther Mahoney, a drug kingpin, and the frustrations regarding not being able to make any charges stick to him. Season 4 also brings about the new detective Kellerman, and Season 5 introduces Medical Examiner Julianna (played by Michelle Forbes aka Maryann from True Blood and Admiral Cain from Battlestar Galactica). 

Justified (Season 1) - Timothy Olyphant plays Raylan Givens, a U.S. Marshall that might be a little trigger-happy. For a while, Raylan shoots someone in every episode, each time the shooting is "justified." A central part of the story is that Raylan has been stationed in his home state of Kentucky against his wishes. His father often falls on the opposite side of the law, as do any former friends. Unfortunately the women in this show are a little irritating. Ava in particular. I like his ex-wife Winona, especially her wardrobe, but even she is a little lame. Apparently, white trash is kinda in as far as television is concerned. 

the Office (Season 6) - The Office is something that I definitely only watch out of habit these days. The tension is long gone. I'm so bored with Pam and Jim and their baby, and I miss the days when Michael was actually kinda a jerk...now he's just too nice. Kathy Bates is good most of the time, but I really wish more time was spent with the supporting characters. I miss Kelly and Angela and Kevin. Plus, I'd like to know what happened to Ryan now that he dresses like a full-fledged hipster instead of the bleach-tipped imbecile from last season. 

30 Rock (Season 4) - By far the weakest season yet, but still has its moments of hilarity. Mainly I think the show could have been much better had they done the following: 1.) Gotten rid of Julianne Moore much sooner...that Boston accent was terrible. Actually, I'm not a big fan of the Avery character either. I miss Salma Hayek. 2.) Spent way less time with the Wesley "Future Husband" plot line. 3.) Spent way more time with TRACY! 

Treme (Season 1) - David Simon's return to the screen after the Wire probably came with unreasonable expectations. This series is set in New Orleans, just months after Katrina. Since it is David Simon, the characters are great, but I found myself having two regular complaints. 1.) Too much music. I know N.O. is a music town, but sometimes close to a third of the show is just performances. 2.) Related to too much music is the feeling that the plot barely exists or progresses. For the most part there aren't very tangible conflicts. The main problem is LaDonna's search for her missing brother, and probably the second most visible problem is the tumultuous relationship between Annie and Sonny. Things admittedly picked up towards the end of the season, and I look forward to what lies ahead.