I've been neglectful in my commentary on my favorite TV shows this fall, so I've decided this week to give a summation of my feelings on these programs now that most of them are on break over the holidays.
The Big Bang Theory - This is quickly becoming one of my favorite sitcoms, which I know isn't saying much given the crop of comedies out there, but this show truly has become something special. To think that a year ago, I wasn't even watching it; I regret waiting so long to come on board. The writers have done a wonderful job fleshing out these characters. They're real people who still remain funny as well. And while the regular cast is great, I'd just like to add how much I enjoyed Sara Rue's recent arc as Leonard new girlfriend. I hope they intend to bring her back again as she's been a nice addition to the cast. My only concern is that the show doesn't turn into The Sheldon Show. He's had a lot of exposure thus far this season, which has been fine. But if the writers aren't careful, it could get out of hand. Still, this show consistently produces the laughs and is a great way to start the night.
How I Met Your Mother - The season has been a bit uneven so far. When it's on, it's as good as any other sitcom out there right now. But sometimes it flounders into sitcom cliches and cheap laughs, which is disappointing. I think the most frustrating thing is that most of the characters have been stuck in neutral for most of the season. I truly think the producers never thought the show would last this long. It's becoming particularly cruel to the fans to keep making us become invested in Ted's love interests only to learn they aren't the mother. They'll get to a point where they'll reveal the mother and the person won't be able to stack up against the previous contenders. On the plus side of things, I've liked how we've gotten to know more about Robin. Whenever they deal with her Canadian roots, it's comedy gold. Finally, I'm disappointed we've gone so long without Barney being slapped by Marshall. There have been a couple of great opportunities to do it that have already gone by. Let's hope the writers haven't forgotten about this plot detail.
Chuck - No sophomore jinx here as this show continues to be a fun romp. You can't really provide the show with a lot of superlatives, but the show is able to consistently entertain me, while naturally progressing their stories. I like how we're moving forward with the Fulcrum story and how they're getting closer to realizing Chuck is the intersect. I also think that the Chuck and Sarah relationship is progressing at the level it should. A lot of the fun of this show though comes from the surrounding cast of characters. Ellie and Awesome are just great and seeing more of the Buy More staff has been great; although Anna has been somewhat underutilized lately. The show has also had some great guest stars including Tony Hale's annoying Emmitt, Gary Cole as Sarah's con artist dad, and Reginal Veljohnson (Carl Winslow!!) showing up this week to play a cop who's also Big Mike's cousin. It may not be the best show out there, but it rarely disappoints.
Heroes: Oy, where to begin with this one. I could do a whole rant/post just on this show alone, but I'll try to be as succinct as possible. This show was all over the place this year from a narrative perspective and proved that it does not have the same caliber of people working on it than on a show like Lost when it comes to planning and storytelling. Each episode as a whole can be exciting to watch, but when you then look back and try to make sense of everything your head begins to hurt. There are just too many plot holes and continuity errors to ignore. In addition, it seems they can't seem to figure out what their audience wants. Characters that are cool or interesting are quickly killed off, while some of the dumbest characters ever written for television remain on the show 3 years later. Again, not to make comparisons to Lost, but when fans hated Nikki and Paulo, they were killed off and when they enjoyed Desmond and Ben, they found ways to make them a part of the regular cast. The one postive about Heroes is that they have set up their next chapter in a manner that seems like it could be an interesting plotline. Plus Bryan Fuller, one of the intelligent people working on the show back in Season 1, is back and helping to right the ship. The premise of the show remains solid, so if they can begin to figure out how to write compelling, episodic television, they may be able to win some of their fans back.
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