mid-season report

I know the blog world is all aflutter with end-of-the-year or beginning-a-new-year posts.  And I thought about it… quite a bit, really.  But for my entire life, the changing of calendar years has always been mid-year in the scope of my life.  That is what happens I guess when your mother is a teacher, then you spend 17 years in school and then choose a career in the academic world.  Even our fiscal year at work starts October 1, so we are currently starting Q2 for our annual planning/goals, etc.  So other than the fact that I wrote “2010″ on my rent check this month, not a lot is saying “new year” for me.

So instead of a “best of 2009″ post, I am going to write a mid-season report on what has been happening on some key shows on the ol’ teevee since September.  I will be using my rating system from an old post, so you may want to refresh yourself by clicking here.

New shows!

GLEE (6) - If you have had a conversation with me since the pilot premiered in May, you probably already know how I feel about this show. I find it utterly delightful and fun.  Who doesn’t adore Jane Lynch?  I am really wondering how we will all survive until April with no new episodes.  Hopefully they will come out with some fun web content to help us light the dark dark nights until it returns with new episodes and some amazing confirmed guest stars!

Accidentally on Purpose (5) – This may bump up to a 6 based on other things I am bumping down.  I recently got Caer addicted to this show.  I think it’s smart, funny and it manages to have annoying characters that I actually like (what?). It even manages to be about pregnancy (aka an impending child!) and I *still* love it.  Definitely a sitcom, but a very fast-paced and well done one.

[Davis, mixing a big bowl of batter] “Did you eat some of those special brownies I put in the freezer?”

[Zach, eyeing the big bowl of batter] “They aren’t in the freezer.  You are making them right now.”

[Davis, pausing and looking momentarily confused] “…  Okay, space and time police!”

White Collar (5) – I started watching this of course because it is starring Matthew Bomer (aka Bryce Larkin from Chuck), but it turned out to be a pretty solid little show.  A nice take on a cop drama and they have good cases that they solve in creative ways given Matthew’s role as a criminal-turned-FBI-consultant.  The fall finale was a really great example of how to get people coming back for more.  It’s getting a better timeslot when it comes back this month, but for people like me who just watch things on Hulu, it just means my queue will have it pending earlier in the week.

Three Rivers (3) – Bah.  This was canceled early and it deserved it.  I love Alex O’Laughlin and Katherine Moenning.  I even loved the concept of the show (every episode showed 3 stories — the story of a transplant patient, the story of the person who ends up a donor and the transplant team.  Three Rivers, get it?), but the execution fell flat on its face.  I hope Alex and Katherine find good projects to move on to.

Old Favorites!

How I Met Your Mother (3) – Oh, HIMYM, I just want to cry!  In all previous seasons this has been a very strong 6 for me.  I even went so far as to get N into it (and I don’t waste his time on just anything!), and then this season happened.  From the failed handling of Robin & Barney to the Marshall-obsessed-with-a-barrel story line, this season has been an utter failure compared to previous seasons.  There have been a couple bright spots in the murky waters (Barney in overalls?  That was pretty good), and I will absolutely be watching with 100th episode on January 11th (mostly because of the NPH musical number), but after that, it will officially be demoted.

Bones (6) – Bones this season gives me hope that HIMYM will bounce back.  Last season, Bones was very uneven.  Dropping story lines with little explanation (Angela and Hodgins? Zach didn’t kill the lobbyist?) or finishing out old storylines badly (the season 2 Gravedigger episode is one of the best episodes ever, but the conclusion in season 4? such a let down).  But this season they are BACK.  The emotional tension between Booth and Brennen is being handled so well, the cases are interesting and the subplots are really holding their own.  The rotating interns have stepped it up (even Daisy — who would have thought she could be a redeeming character??), and I always love when they bring Stephen Frye back.  He and John Francis Daley are awesome shrink-ing it up together.  Love love love.

Grey’s Anatomy (5) – This is another example of a show that has bounced back from a serious slump.  I think I said most of what I’ve been loving about this season in my previous post on the topic, so I’ll mostly leave it at that.  The only downside for me is Izzie.  She’s never been my favorite and now I am so tired of her, and I’m glad recent episodes haven’t harped much on her or even her absence (other than giving Justin Chambers some good acting moments with emotional depth).  I have a hard time imagining what will have to happen when Katherine Heigl returns from maternity leave for me to find Izzie redeeming.

Criminal Minds (5) – Upgraded from a previous 4 to a 5.  Did you see the 100th episode*?  I don’t think I’ve ever been more stressed out when watching a TV show.  But whoa, so so well done.  This season has gotten be actively delving back into past seasons to really get to know the characters better.  I think the biggest downfall on this show is that CBS doesn’t stream it anywhere.  Not on Hulu, not on the CBS website.  You can’t even buy them from iTunes!  I imagine this probably has to do with some weird liscencing restrictions, but it is really in their best interest to sort it out asap since most people I know watch their shows online now.  I doubt this show will ever become a re-watch level-6 obsession because of the accessibility restriction (and because it can be so stressful!).

*Note: This was the conclusion of a pretty long plot arc, so if you just jump into the show starting with this episode it might not quite hit the same level of stress with no back story.

Summary of the rest of TV?  Dexter had his most intense season yet; Gossip Girl survrived the move to college (and I really liked Hilary Duff’s character); House has been quite solid; I’m officially on board with The Big Bang Theory (start with season 2 if you want to like it); Community and Cougar Town ended up being quite funny; Dollhouse has been canceled (sorry guys, but I didn’t like Eliza Dushku in that role… I hope Fran & co find new projects soon though!); people still try to convince me to like The Office and 30 Rock (sorry, almost everyone in the world, those just don’t do it for me); I still feel pretty ambivilant about Flash Forward; and I’ve officially given up on Nip/Tuck (sorry Ryan Murphy — I’m still over-the-moon about Glee, though!).    I’m excited for the mid-season premieres (Chuck is back this month!) and am crossing my fingers really really hard that HIMYM pulls it together at least for the 100th ep.

Yep yep, I think that about sums it up!  Did I miss anything?  Do you violently disagree with me?  Are you going to try to convince me that I am soulless if I don’t love 30 Rock?

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