Talkin' Television

I really don't spend that much time writing about television on here, do I? Which is weird, considering not only how much time I spent watching it but how much time I spend figuring out how I can spend time watching it between everything else I juggle. And yet, I love television just as much as books, movies, and comics. After all, just like the aforementioned, television is just a different medium for storytelling, and that is a craft I fell in love with a long time ago. So while things at worth are almost distressingly slow, why not take a few moments to talk about a few shows that have had their beginnings and endings in recent months, and see what sucked and what didn't.

What Sucked:

The Messengers. I admit, I was psyched about this new CW show, because it features things like angels and the Rapture, and that is a topic that has been all in my wheelhouse for a good two decades now. Imagine my disappointment when the first episode ended and absolutely nothing about it left any sort of impression with me. I couldn't remember character names or relationships or anything. And admittedly, my mind checked out a bit as soon as I saw JD Pardo, formerly of Revolution "fame" pop up. He's just awful. This was definitely a miss for the CW. But it's not all bad for them (and not just because I already watch six shows on that damn channel...)

What Didn't Suck:

iZombie. Proving that zombies aren't over yet, this show, a complete 180 from The Walking Dead, might be just as good in its own way. It's funny as hell, it's got a good cast that interacts well together, and, if you'll forgive the inherit puns, it's got brains and heart. And the lead, Rose McIver, is cute as all get out. If I wasn't at work, I'd look up a pic to post to prove it. The basic premise is that she's a zombie who works in the coroner's office and eats brains of murder victims, which gives her flashes of how they died so she can help her cop partner solve their case. Meanwhile, she tries to figure out how she became a zombie and just what is going on with the increasing amount of undead around. It's basically a mashup of Tru Calling, Veronica Mars, and Walking Dead, but better than two-thirds of its parts.

What Sucked:

Someday someone is going to look at the meteoric way this show's popularity and quality fell apart. It won't be me, though, I don't care enough anymore (although I do have some theories: the change in direction between the third and fourth season being one, and Cory Monteith's death being another), but I did watch the show from the beginning. At times it was great, at times it was awful, but it was almost always funny. The final episode, which was a ridiculous mix of flashbacks and flashforwards, was just stupid, and it took away from organic endings the characters deserved. Y'know, except for the ones they ignored completely. I was glad to see this show go.

What Didn't Suck:

Easily the best television adaption of a comic book ever. It was perfectly cast, from Matt Murdock right on down to Foggy Nelson, also known as Fulton Reed from the Mighty Ducks. Vincent D'Onofrio, however, bears singling out in his role as Wilson Fisk, who is just amazing. The realism the show shows in dealing with its plot, characters, and action, while still being a superhero show and embracing the things that come with it, is fantastic. It's no surprise that this was the lead off for Marvel's Netflix division, and that it's already been renewed for a second season. It's got me very excited for the rest of Marvel's Netflix plans.

I had initially planned for each of these to get their own entries, but I don't have that kind of time, and at this rate by the time I got to them it would be less than timely. I mean, Glee ended over a month ago. I'll try from this point on to be more on my TV game, but I'm not making any promises.

Besides, do any of you really care anyway?