Premiere week report card (Monday night)

Heroes: I've been mildly entertained and intriqued by the storylines that have kicked off their fourth season. However, this show's problem has never been creating interesting storylines, it's been being able to follow through on them. If they once again go off on tangents or drop plot points in favor of their lame attempts to create mood and atmosphere then I will finally throw the towel in on this show. I think the thing that this show needs is a sense of purpose. These are the most lazy, self-serving 'heroes' I've ever seen. They need a rallying cry akin to season 1's 'Save the Cheerleader, Save the World' mantra that they can all be a part of and work towards as the season progresses. B-

How I Met Your Mother: I've been very disappointed in this show thus far this season. The season premiere, in particular, was underwhelming. I don't care for the Barney/Robin pairing at all and I think it takes away the allure of both of their characters in favor of an 'aww' storyline. That's what Marshall and Lily are for, why neuter these other two characters? And as for Ted, I haven't enjoyed his professor storyline thus far. Maybe I'm sensitive since I'm in that profession, but everything thus far has seem cartoonish and unrealistic. This show can be so much more and has been settling for ordinary sitcom laughs lately. C

The Big Bang Theory: Thank goodness for this show or else HIMYM's subpar efforts would be really disappointing. This show continues to rock, as all the characters are fully developed and each bring something unique to the table. Of course, Sheldon continues to be the funniest character in any sitcom these days. As for the Penny/Leonard pairing, as long as they commit to a status for them, I'll be fine with it. It's when you bring in the on again, off again element that I start getting annoyed. If they want them together, then follow the Jim and Pam model. And if not, that's fine too because we can continue to just watch Penny find her inner nerd, which can be just as, if not moreso funny. A-