Chuck

Chuck, We Need To Talk

Can you come here a minute, Chuck? We need to talk. Yes, it’s as bad as you think it is. Sit down and let me get this off my chest before I lose my nerve.

This isn’t working. I’m sorry, Chuck. It’s you, not me. I can’t go on in this relationship anymore. It’s obvious that things are going nowhere and I really need a show that appreciates my sensibilities and that is able to grow with me. I’m all the way over here in season four and I feel like you’ve never really left season two. I come home after a long day’s work and turn on the television, only to find the same old schtick that I’ve seen before. If I wanted “same old,” I would have purchased an older season or watch Undercovers instead. But that’s not on on Mondays, so that leaves me with what? Weeds? Sure, I’ll only watch a half hour of television to relax in the evening. Maybe I’ll fill the rest of my night crying into a vodka bottle while listening to The Magnetic Fields.

But I digress.

I feel like we’re not in this together anymore. I wanted to see Casey have a larger arc involving his daughter. The promise of that excited me in ways I’ve not felt since you gained the Intersect 2.0 or when I found out that Scott Bakula was going to be your dad. Seeing a new side to an otherwise one dimensional character felt so right.

Or how about Morgan and the Buy More story arc. Here’s a character that started off nothing more than the comedic relief of this show. He was the idiot that served to lighten the mood when the spy stuff got too intense. With the most recent season, I expected to see him take more of an important role and come into his own. Hell, you promised me that this would happen last season when he became an official operative and started going on missions with you.

What? Hold on. Neighbor yelled something about spoilers. Give me a sec. I’ve got to reply. HOW ABOUT YOU WATCH THE SHOW WHEN IT AIRS, HUH?! MAYBE THEN YOU WOULDN’T BE SPOILED. WHORE. Can you believe that? It’s like they wait to watch things on DVD or something.

Where were we? Oh yeah. Us.

We had all this potential together. What happened? What went wrong?

Wait. I know what went wrong. You went back to HER. You decided that you wanted to spend all your time with Sarah, making your petty squabbles the main focus of the show. Instead of letting me get to know your friends better, you made this all about you. Do you realize how much it hurt watching the most recent episode and realizing that things would never progress between us? It was like a slap in the face, Chuck.

No. I won’t hear it. Don’t tell me that you can change. It’s too late. I just…I…I think you should go.

My Week In TV: Oct. 3-9

Here we are with another solid week of television. The only major thing for me was that I dropped Undercovers from my “watch” list in preparation for The Walking Dead coming up at the end of this month. As much as I enjoyed the episodes of Undercovers that I watched, it just wasn’t as engaging for me as the other shows and was getting to be kind of a chore to watch. Not a slight on the solid work that goes into the show, but it’s just not for me.

Boardwalk Empire: S1 x 03 – Broadway Limited ★★★★☆

Another strong episode, with solid writing and character development. Perhaps the most interesting character in this episode agent Alden, pictured above and played by Michael Shannon. His doubled efforts to catch the bad guy are evident here, giving us a rather intense scene in a dentist’s office. It’s this scene juxtaposed with a comically mundane home life that shows off the great character work in this show.

Chuck: S4 x 03 – Chuck Versus The Cubic Z ★★★☆☆

This episode is a step down from the previous. It’s nice that they’re keeping the Chuck’s Mom story arc drawn out, but this lacks much of the heart of the second episode and I found myself more interested in Morgan’s bumbling attempts at managing a Buy More than yet another boring foray into Chuck and Sarah’s relationship. Frankly, I’m not sure how much more of them I can take. Let them simmer for the rest of this season, please.

Community: S2 x 03 – The Psychology of Letting Go ★★★★☆

While not as laugh out loud hilarious as episode two, this episode has heart and as such is a very good episode. Three solid episodes in a row? I’m blown away. Still not sure why this show has low ratings.

Fringe: S3 x 03 – The Plateau ★★★★☆

Kudos to the Fringe writers for being able to balance both the overall story arc and monster-of-the-week. Very rarely can shows pull this off and yet here it’s masterfully done. Because of this, all the incidental characters get the proper time and attention required to make picking a side difficult. Perhaps the strongest stylistic choice so far in this season has been sticking to one universe per episode. Now we’ve essentially got two Fringe divisions working on two sets of cases that we’re weaving in and out of. Essentially, this has evolved the monster-of-the-week style and taken it to new and interesting heights. As always, can’t wait for next week.

No Ordinary Family S1 x 02 – No Ordinary Marriage ★★★☆☆

I feel weird when I make some kind of criticism about a show and then in the next episode those criticisms get addressed. Such is the case with the second episode of No Ordinary Family. The characters were written stronger, and the episode itself was by and large a “learning the rules” episode, which is perhaps my favorite part of any super hero origin story. I still wasn’t sold on the villains until the very end. If they stick with this touch of dark, I think we might be in store for an interesting arc.

Terriers: S1 x 05 – Manifest Destiny ★★★★☆

The end of the Lindis arc. Not sure how I feel about this not playing out to the end of the season, but after this episode I’m not entirely sure they could have gone much farther with it anyway. Still getting some strong character work overall, and it’s an interesting watch.

Weeds: S6 x 07 – Pinwheels and Whirligigs ★★★☆☆

This is a pretty chill episode in a series of rather frenetic and stressful episodes, and as such it loses some of the bite that’s made it really awesome so far. This is probably for the best. Looks like there are some investigators on the case of the murdered politician, so things could heat up quite a bit in the episodes to come. The highlight of this episode was the scene pictured above. You’ll know when you see it as you will probably share the same grimace I had throughout.

My Week In TV: Sept. 26-Oct. 2

Overall, this was a good week for television. The only rough gem is a new show that started this past week.

Boardwalk Empire: S1 x 02 – The Ivory Tower ★★★☆☆

This is clearly the episode AFTER the episode that Martin Scorsese directed. It pretty much lacks all the directorial flair and style of the pilot, but still remains interesting and engaging. I just wish this episode had kept that little “something extra” as the style suited the story very well.

Chuck: S4 x 02 – Chuck Versus The Suitcase ★★★★☆

Compared to the season opener, this episode is a breath of fresh air. Chuck is his usual geeky/goofy self, and everyone else gets a chance to shine. It’s what every episode should be by default, and this one in particular gives me hope that the rest of the season is in good hands. Of course, there’s still time to ruin everything.

Community: S2 x 02 – Accounting For Lawyers ★★★★★

They make it look easy. My gut hurt before the teaser even finished. Every other show on the Thursday comedy lineup needs to take note: Community is the one to beat. I am in love with the Troy/Abed credits sequence from this episode. Also, Drew Carrey is rather striking nowadays.

Fringe: S3 x 02 – The Box ★★★★★

By the time you reach the end of this episode, you’ll be wishing it was next week already. This show continues to get better in each andevery aspect, from the way they handle the main arc to the standalone episodes. Anna Torv (Olivia Dunham) shines in this episode, pulling off alternate-Olivia with a subtlety and nuance that you never would have guessed possible in season one. Note to all: Do not eat dinner during this episode.

No Ordinary Family S1 x 01 – Pilot ★★☆☆☆

I’m surprised this show got picked up from this pilot alone. The premise is strong, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The best parts of the episode can be found in the commercials for it, leaving only one scene in particular to surprise viewers. The hook of having the husband and wife in counseling isn’t very well thought-out and by the end of the episode I don’t buy that any therapy is needed at all. That’s not to say this is a complete pan. TV shows have rough starts all the time. I just hope things pick up speed as the season progresses. Note to network: saw that turn a mile away. Re-think your reveals.

Terriers: S1 x 04 – Fustercluck ★★★★☆

This is a solid episode and manages to further the main arc in an interesting way. I’ve been getting a little wary up to this point because the show has lacked much direction, but with this episode it’s apparent that something is going down. I’m interested in where this goes. Would be cooler if Olivia Williams was in this again. Shame she was only a guest.

Undercovers: S1 x 01 – Pilot ★★★☆☆ :: S1 x 02 – Instructions ★★★☆☆

Apparently people have the notion that Undercovers is supposed to be this deep and engaging spy series that has the layers of an onion and makes you think. Folks, this is the diet coke of spy shows and it’s a mistake to get any kind of pissed off when you don’t get the depth you’re looking for. This is light and it’s easy to watch. The leads are attractive and have amazing chemistry, and the side characters are goofy and pop in with accurate comedic timing. I’m not sure I’ll stick with it past episode three, personally, but if you want to lightly nom on some spy action, this is the show for you!

Weeds: S6 x 06 – A Shoe For A Shoe ★★★★☆

Shane Botwin. The kid has had tremendous growth as a character these past six years and it shows. This episode neatly wraps up everything that went down in the previous one and gives us the right amount of closure. Odd that things are starting fresh from this point on since this is half-way through the season, but I imagine more trouble is on it’s way. Perhaps the strongest point of this show and this episode even is the extent in which Nancy has really lost her way and how it’s made her a much weaker person overall. I wonder if she’ll ever be able to recover what she had from way back in the Agrestic days.

My Week In TV: Sept 19-25

The Fall television season has begun and I decided to watch a few more shows this year than I did last. I think last year it was a grand total of three, and even then I watched those rather inconsistently. This year I’ve decided to check out some newcomers. We’ve got a Martin Scorsese led series on HBO, an FX original about private investigators and a show about a husband and wife spy team. Usually I’m not one to jump into a series until fans have developed for it, but this year is about doing things different and being adventurous. I’m also returning to a few shows from last year, but we’ll see how long some of those last as their writing remains a bit spotty at best.

Without further ado, I’d like to share with you my thoughts for this first week of television.

Boardwalk Empire: S1 x 01 – Boardwalk Empire ★★★★☆

Martin Scorsese directed this season opener and it shows. If you liked his previous films, you’ll like this. The episode opens and closes with an iris in on Steve Buscemi’s character and from there we’re taken into the gangster scene of that era. Michael Pit from The Dreamers stars in this as well, and we get a brief look at the burgeoning mob scene in Chicago, and Al Capone getting his start. Lots of promise. I’m definitely on board for the season at this point.

Chuck: S4 x 01 – Chuck Versus The Anniversary ★★☆☆☆

Chuck is a show that’s severely plagued by inconsistent writing, but what it lacks in that department it makes up for in heart. The show keeps it’s characters honest, even if it has no idea what to do with them. Such is the case with the season four opener. The revelation of Linda Hamilton as Chuck’s mother is a nice touch, but the rest of the episode is boring and Chuck seems to be stuck in this feedback loop of “I gotta lie to everyone and waffle on being a spy between every commercial break.” I hate to do this to a show, but I give season four at least two more episodes to get a handle on the writing. After that, I think I’ll wait out the DVD release.

Weeds: S6 x 05 – Boomerang ★★★★★

It’s nice to see characters getting their just desserts, especially in a show about bad decisions. This episode is the culmination of way too many bad choices and in Nancy’s dilemma we finally see some of the humanity that she’s lost in previous episodes. Granted, they’ll probably wrap up the cliffhanger neatly in the next episode, but it’s nice to have a little bit of time to wonder what will happen to the Newman family.

Terriers: S1 x 03 – Change Partners ★★★☆☆

The pilot for Terriers was a strong one. Two blue collar ne’er-do-wells go into the private investigation business “unofficially” while their lives crumble apart around them. Seems like a strong premise and one that could develop into a strong show. Now that I’m three episodes in, I’m starting to wonder if this won’t take the Justified route for me and get continually less interesting as things progress. There’s no real arc to speak of within these episodes and this episode could have done with WAY more Olivia Williams than it got. Next week promises something bigger, so we’ll see. Losing interest.

Community: S2 x 01 – Anthropology 101 ★★★★☆

Community hit me like a blast of fresh air last year. The Office had grown stale for me and 30 Rock had long since lost my interest (just didn’t have exciting guest stars or something). Coming into this new season I’ll admit my expectations were a bit high. Thankfully, the laughs came in right around the 20 second mark for me. A strong episode that manages to be funny and continue with the Winger / Brita arc. Also, Betty White.

Fringe: S3 x 01 – Olivia ★★★★☆

I couldn’t help but yell at my TV a few times with this season opener. The arc seems to be progressing naturally and at the same time building toward something. By the end, I’m still at the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next. I can’t help but wonder at how this show has grown in just two seasons from a REALLY flat sci-fi monster of the week series with bad acting to an engaging sci-fi drama with characters we can really get behind and root for. Major props on this episode for being able to make the taxi driver a well-developed and likable character. Looks like we’ll be seeing more of him too, which is nice. This is easily the best sci-fi show on currently, maybe even since BSG (first couple of seasons).

Filed Under: Didn’t Get To Watch

Undercovers: S1 x 01 – Pilot ☆☆☆☆☆

Forgot to watch this, and therefore can’t really give my thoughts. I’ll check it out with the second episode next week and let you know. Did you see it? What are your thoughts? I liked the movie Mr. And Mrs. Smith and I’m getting that vibe from this show.