It’s been a busy few weeks, slowing my usually rampant listening, reading, and viewing efforts, but I have been able to check out a few things now and then:
- Said goodbye to Dollhouse, and finding I’m not particularly missing it. It was a weird, interesting show with moments of brilliance, but overall kind of a mess. The only thing I will truly miss is the versatile genius of Enver Gjokaj (Victor)…and, to a less degree, Amy Acker (Dr. Saunders) and Fran Kranz (whose character, Topher Brink, eventually became one of the show’s more intriguing figures). One has to wonder how this one would have turned out if they hadn’t been handcuffed by network execs. As always, looking forward to Joss Whedon’s next project!
- Started catching up on 24. It’s one of the shows that got me hooked on TV DVDs, but the press of time squeezed it out of my schedule, and I’m three seasons behind. Recently, I started in on season six, but it’s pretty weak — a bit too obvious, a bit too predictable, and the CTU team has never been blander. The completist in me is still slugging through it, slowly, but it feels kind of shark-jumpy. I’m hoping it rebounds.
- Checked out the pilot for Caprica. Beautiful-looking, well produced, and some interesting SF focus on AI, VR, etc. An attractive cast and nicely acted. But I found it kind of dull, and the later episodes are gathering figurative dust in our DVR queue. It occurred to me while watching it that I would have liked to see a show like it not set in the BSG universe.
- Downloaded album Pocket Fulla Nasty by Doug Johns, an impressive funk bassist. Lately, funk and funk-jazz tends to make a great first impression upon me, and then kind of get less interesting the more I listen to it. The same holds true here, I think. So I’m not sure the album will be on my heavy rotation, but there’s a lot of great songs and impressive bass-playing on it that I’ll be happy to have pop up on my iTunes shuffle now and then.
- Mostly keeping up with some casually watched shows: Leverage (loving it), The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Castle and White Collar (which isn’t quite living up to its early promise, but is still kind of okay).
Other than that, just following the Los Angeles Kings and (now with the NHL freeze) enjoying some of the Winter Olympics. Any shows I’m missing that I shouldn’t be?
Burn Notice – Seasons 1 & 2 are out on DVD. Season 3 just started on USA network on Thursdays. The main core of characters are played by Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Sharon Gless, and the one…the only…Bruce Campbell. Great chemistry between the actors with solid writing.
Haven’t heard much about it, Tom — I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip!
Abandon 24 Season 6 as it is widely considered the show’s worst (although this current season might rival it). Go on to Season 7 which has a great hammy villian in Jon Voight.
I went into season six forewarned that it was bad…oh well, there are definitely drawbacks to be being a completist!
At the top of my media consumption right now would be “best of 2009 speculative fiction lists.” I’m trying to make sure that everything people got excited about last year is covered by TagShadow. I just finished entering the locus recommended reading list and will make another pass to add more detail.
The upshot of this is that I’ve not been paying much attention to the TV that I do watch and my actual reading has dipped substantially. I feel exceedingly “meta” right now.
I did enjoy watching “Launch My Line” as one of the Experts works with NOVICA.