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Thread: 2009-2010 Television in Review

  1. #1
    I'm in the milk... Mara's Avatar
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    2009-2010 Television in Review

    Season finale time is finally behind us, except for a couple renegade shows that like to premiere in the summer, and so it's time to thoughtfully look back and realize that we watch too much damn television.

    Seriously. Take a walk or something.

    But it's so hard when we're in a mini-golden age of the boob tube, with some genuine quality being funneled through our sets, and shows are more accessible through the internet than ever before.

    So I'm going to be rating past television seasons for any show I watched that had a season premiere in either 2009 or 2010. (Some of them may seem long gone by now, but I'm going to count them as all being in the same year.) My rankings may seem top-loaded, and that's because these are shows I like. The ones lower down are often shows that I'm clinging onto for nostalgia or out of hope for a recovery.

    Please post your own rankings, since I'm sure there are two, maybe three shows on television that I'm not watching, and feel free to disagree insultingly with my opinions. Remember: this is the internet. You are never wrong.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  2. #2
    I'm in the milk... Mara's Avatar
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    Seasons with the same grade (i.e., B+) are comparable to one another. I'm just ranking them against each other for kicks.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  3. #3
    I'm in the milk... Mara's Avatar
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    Justified (Season 1)

    Grade: A

    Most television shows are a little unsure of themselves the first few episodes (and often, the first few years) while finding a comfortable tone and direction. "Justified" seemed to suffer from none of this unease, and was confident, subtle, and challenging from the very first hour.

    Timothy Olyphant plays Raylan Givens, a quiet-seeming U.S. Marshall who is seething below the surface and lashes out when provoked. After a morally questionable shoot-out in Miami he is transferred back to his home state of Kentucky where he is forced to confront his lingering demons, including decades-old grudges, his criminally-minded father, and his ex-wife.

    The supporting cast on this show is brilliant. Olyphant is a capable and attractive lead, but the show is really elevated by the talent supporting him. Of particular note is Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder, a character even more morally ambiguous and conflicted than Givens.

    The writing is also excellent. It stays away from easily definable characters and one-off plotting, instead winding subplots through multiple episodes and deepening and developing the characters over time. Very well done.

    How does next season look? Pretty damn good. It's been green-lit already, and the season finale offered some closure without actually resolving any of the major plot points. We can expect more of the same, and I'm not complaining.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  4. #4
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    Mad Men (Season 3)

    Grade: A

    I feel comfortable saying that this was the first season of Mad Men that I loved. Season 1 was a bit of an oddity, like peering the wrong way through a telescope at people living out their lives very far away. Season 2 was significantly less remote and moved away from being "about the sixties" and became more about Don, and Joan, and Peggy, and the individual people and characters instead of a time period.

    But season 3 just raised the bar beyond belief. The characters became less iconic and more realistic, and began to have some serious depth. I find myself liking Pete Campbell and wanting the best for him, even after he continues to behave despicably (like raping his neighbor's au pair.) Characters I dismissed as selfish and shallow (like Don and Roger) showed sensitivity and vulnerability, and characters that I had pitied (like Betty) finally started standing up for themselves.

    Plus, a man's foot was eaten by a lawnmower driven by a drunken secretary. That's beyond awesome.

    How does the next season look? There were several game-changing events in the last episode of season 3, and I'm extremely interested to see how they play out. I guess we'll know in a few weeks.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  5. #5
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Yeah, I really have no idea what direction Season 4 will take with the ad agency. Should be good.

    As far as Betty/Don, I'd say it's a pretty grim future, and the daughter will be the one that suffers the most.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  6. #6
    Montage, s'il vous plait? Raiders's Avatar
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    My quick rankings:

    Justified: A-
    Breaking Bad (minus season finale obv.): B+
    Psych: B+
    Castle: B
    White Collar: B
    Modern Family: B
    Burn Notice: B-
    Glee: B-
    Fringe: C+
    Chuck: D+

    I imagine Party Down will top this list but it's still got three more weeks so I'll exclude it.
    Recently Viewed:
    Thor: The Dark World (2013) **½
    The Counselor (2013) *½
    Walden (1969) ***
    A Hijacking (2012) ***½
    Before Midnight (2013) ***

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  7. #7
    Ain't that just the way EyesWideOpen's Avatar
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    Shows I watch:

    Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job! - A+
    Fringe - A
    Justified - A
    Better Off Ted - A
    The Inbetweeners - A
    30 Rock - A
    Lost - A-
    Parks and Recreation - B+
    Check It Out - B+
    Castle - B+
    Glee - B+
    Party Down - B- (I've only watched the first 6 or so that are available on instant watch)
    TV Recently Finished:
    Catastrophe: Season 1 (2015) A
    Rectify: Season 3 (2015) A-
    Bojack Horseman: Season 2 (2015) A
    True Detective: Season 2 (2015) A-
    Wayward Pines: Season 1 (2015) B

    Currently Playing: Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise (replay) (XB1) / Contradiction (PC)
    Recently Finished: Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (PS4) A+ / Life is Strange: Ep 4 (PS4) A / Bastion (replay) (PS4) B+

  8. #8
    nightmare investigator monolith94's Avatar
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    Breaking Bad – A

    that's all I watch, other than The Soup
    "Modern weapons can defend freedom, civilization, and life only by annihilating them. Security in military language means the ability to do away with the Earth."
    -Ivan Illich, Deschooling Society

  9. #9
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    Supernatural (Season 5)

    Grade: A

    This is secretly one of the best shows on television. It started off rather badly, with two middling-to-forgettable seasons, and then made some interesting choices in season 3. Then, suddenly, seasons 4 and 5 got really great.

    There were a number of important changes. Jenson Ackles has always been a decent actor, but Jared Padalecki started off wooden and blank. He's improved noticeably as an actor, which means that they can give his character more to do.

    They've also moved away from the monster-of-the-week plotting which led to some of the sillier moments. Instead, the show has been tackling increasingly complex meta-plots that are ambitious and interesting. Epic, even.

    Finally, it seemed like in the first few seasons they just kept casting pretty girl after pretty girl in minor roles to be killed off or written off almost immediately, with the two Winchester boys being the only constant. Now they're finally making use of some genuinely talented actors in recurring roles, including Misha Collins as Castiel (the best damn character on the show) and Mark Pellegrino as Lucifer.

    [Mark Pellegrino is on a record three shows that will be on this list. Go Mark go.]

    How does next season look? Hard to say. This season was supposed to be the last, so they pulled out all the stops in terms of plot. I mean... Lucifer was a character. Death was a character. Where do we go from there? Now that the show has been renewed once more, we have to ask: is there another season left in this story to tell?
    ...and the milk's in me.

  10. #10
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    Dollhouse (Season 2)

    Grade: A-

    After an uneven and atonal first season, the second season seemed to find its direction and momentum. The writing became more self-assured and ambitious, and instead of writing silly audience-grabbing plots, it abandoned itself to eventual cancellation and dared to give us confusing, challenging, and risky moves that paid off in spades. It was funny, frightening, and deeply moving.

    Unfortunately, although Dushku is a fairly capable actress, she was regularly outshone by the phenomenal supporting cast of the show, especially chameleon Enver Gjokaj as Victor. That man was amazing. I really, really wish he had been the main character.

    Whedon's darkest and most realistic show yet proves he is one of the most talented men working in television.

    How does next season look? Not gonna happen.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  11. #11
    Piss off, ghost! number8's Avatar
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    Why do I even bother trying to write my own? Mara, I'm just gonna publish yours again.
    Quote Quoting Donald Glover
    I was actually just reading about Matt Damon and he’s like, ‘There’s a culture of outrage.’ I’m like, ‘Well, they have a reason to be outraged.’ I think it’s a lot of dudes just being scared. They’re like, ‘What if I did something and I didn’t realize it?’ I’m like, ‘Deal with it.’
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  12. #12
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    Torchwood: Children of Earth (Season 3)

    Grade: A-

    I was so damn upset by the third "season" (actually a mini-series of five episodes) of this show that I practically swore never to watch another hour. Bastard Torchwood, why do you hurt me when I love you so much?

    Originally a spin-off of the wildly successful Doctor Who reboot, Torchwood was grittier, scarier, and sexier. It suffered from first-season-itis with some blisteringly awful episodes, but the second season became a genuine pleasure to watch. Still, it never shied away from killing off main characters. Many, many main characters. A bloodbath of main characters.

    And then there was Children of Earth, which was just brutal. Brilliant? Yes. Wonderfully written and acted? Yes. But just brutal.

    How does next season look? After rumors of an American remake (BOOOOOO) it looks now like BBC and Starz are going in on producing a new, more "international" next season. We shall see.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  13. #13
    I'm in the milk... Mara's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting number8 (view post)
    Why do I even bother trying to write my own? Mara, I'm just gonna publish yours again.
    No! Post, damn you!
    ...and the milk's in me.

  14. #14
    Piss off, ghost! number8's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Mara (view post)
    No! Post, damn you!
    I was kidding. I'm obviously a way better writer than you. Hiss. *claw*
    Quote Quoting Donald Glover
    I was actually just reading about Matt Damon and he’s like, ‘There’s a culture of outrage.’ I’m like, ‘Well, they have a reason to be outraged.’ I think it’s a lot of dudes just being scared. They’re like, ‘What if I did something and I didn’t realize it?’ I’m like, ‘Deal with it.’
    Movie Theater Diary

  15. #15
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    Doctor Who (Season 5)

    Grade: B+

    This is the only show with a season that hasn't wrapped yet, so I suppose my grade may change as it unfolds. Matt Smith is the third Doctor since the series rebooted in 2005, and had to follow up the phenomenal David Tennant. I was nervous. But Smith has been more than capable, and I may be a little bit in love with him.

    Amy (the new companion) is a little more of an enigma. She's beautiful and somewhat manipulative, flighty and brave. She's assertive with the Doctor almost to the point of insubordination. They have good chemistry, but she's not my favorite companion.

    The stories this season have been very earth-specific, but not necessarily England. They've been going to some beautiful international locations to shoot, which makes this one of the best-looking seasons so far, despite the supposedly slashed budget. I'm curious to see where they go.

    How does the next season look? They're not giving up this cash cow any time soon. I assume we'll have Matt around for a few more seasons at least (yay!)
    ...and the milk's in me.

  16. #16
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    Lost (Season 6)

    Grade: B+

    In the final season of this television juggernaut, I think it's important that we take a look back. Lost changed things. Lost made up new rules about what could and could not be done on television. Lost was a genre-bending, mind-blowing, endlessly fascinating enigma, and I'm grateful for that. I'm happy to be challenged.

    And love it or hate it, the final season did not shy away from loading on the mysteries and twists and convolutions. Personally, I feel satisfied with the way it ended. Was it the best ending ever? No, probably not. Was it the way I would have ended it? No, because for some reason they never gave me that job as head writer that I obviously deserved. But as a viewer and a fan, I'm happy.

    How does next season look? That was the last season, but they'll be trying to hoist inferior rehashes of it on us for years.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  17. #17
    ZOT! Adam's Avatar
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    of the shows I watch

    Party Down gets a solid B+ so far
    Mad Men gets a maybe not as solid B+
    30 Rock gets a B, even though it finished very strongly
    The Office was blah with a few quality episodes, maybe a C+
    SNL gets a lazy C, but there were definitely some pretty inspired bits this year
    and Parks and Rec was the best - it gets an A-

    Dunno if you're going back this far, but It's Always Sunny gets a B+, Curb Your Enthusiasm also gets a B+ and Bored to Death gets a D

    Also kinda wanna start watching Breaking Bad again, but I haven't had the hours. The first two seasons got a bit too lame or hokey at times for my taste, but it was still goofy fun and I'll say again that it's the best-looking show in the history of television

  18. #18
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    True Blood

    Grade: B

    True Blood is one of those rare shows that the more insane it gets, the more we like it. It has no intention of being taken seriously, so we as an audience don't have to feel bad for loving every minute of the southern-gothic-vampire-magic-sexy-silly nonsense. If the summary of season three was "Sookie finds out she had a lost-long twin sister named Swoosie who is a vampire, pixie, and has the mystical ability to grow sunflowers out of her ears, and who has kidnapped Bill in an effort to get him to build her a time-traveling machine so she and her half-alien-half-robot lover can go back in time and molest Eric as a teenager" and I would be like, "Okay, sounds cool. I'll be there."

    It's that kind of show. And season 2 did not disappoint. Tons of sexy Eric? Check. Jason is an idiot? Check. Maryann is a badass? Check. Eggs is annoying and can't act and why oh why does he keep getting work? Fine, that was a misstep. But overall, fantastic season.

    How does next season look? I guess we'll find out, won't we?
    ...and the milk's in me.

  19. #19
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    Glee (Season 1)

    Grade: B

    High marks for originality, but can we please, please work on consistency? Some episodes are nothing but manic, frantic joy from beginning to end, and some are barely watchable. Some of the song choices are inspired, and some are silly, over-produced nonsense. Sometimes the sad and poignant moments work beautifully, and other times it's forced and trite.

    But, overall, a solid first season from this unusual little animal. The characters are well-cast and likable, the music is toe-tapping, and the mixture of silliness and sincerity is working out surprisingly well.

    How does next season look? Hard to say. The show practically had a sophomore slump after a simple hiatus. How will it survive an entire summer? These kids also have to grow up and graduate, which may make long-term stories problematic.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  20. #20
    Moderator Dead & Messed Up's Avatar
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    I'm trying to think of what I watched with regularity.

    Community - A-
    Party Down - A-
    Parks & Rec - B+
    Lost - B+

    For what it's worth, I was working through a lot of series I'd missed out on. X-Files's early seasons, BSG, Breaking Bad, Brisco County.

    There's so much goddamn TV.

  21. #21
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Oh yeah. Curb Your Enthusiasm... That gets a C-.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  22. #22
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    Castle (Season 2)

    Grade: B

    The biggest problem with the first season of this cheery, unassuming crime comedy-drama is that it kept trying too hard to force things that were happening naturally. You don't have to force Nathan Fillion to be charming: he already is charming. You don't have to keep reminding us that Stana Katic is beautiful: we have eyes. You don't have to write stilted dialogue and awkward situations to show us that the leads have chemistry: we're already feeling it. Just relax.

    And, luckily, the second season did just that, for the most part. They're letting the relationship between the leads develop organically, and they're letting the minor characters become more interesting and fleshed-out. It's fine entertainment.

    My main criticism of the show isn't something I would necessarily want changed; it's unambitious. The plots (murders) are introduced and resolved by the end of the episode. There are very few metastories. It's a serial. It's practically a procedural. And I'm just not really a fan of those types of shows.

    But why change a good thing? It's a nice show, and perhaps pushing it to be more than that would just be inviting failure. But a tiny part of me wishes that season three would step in and just blow us all away.

    How does the next season look? More of the same. Romantic tension and murders.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  23. #23
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    Better Off Ted (Season 2)

    Grade: B

    The best comedy on television this season was also the most ignored and the quickest canceled. Some jokes worked better than others, but no other show had me giggling as hard as this one.

    The show benefited from a stong ensemble cast, with Portia De Rossi standing out as the barracuda boss and the nerd-couple Phil and Lem as brilliant, low-self-esteem scientists. Inventive and gleeful, there was not a single episode where I didn't bust out laughing at some point.

    Not only was it canceled, they won't even air the last couple of episodes. This one just never caught on, and I'm pretty annoyed about it.

    How does next season look? Not gonna happen. All we can do is pray for a DVD release to see how the whole thing ended.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  24. #24
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    White Collar (Season 1)

    Grade: B

    Just as much as any romantic pairing, the success of this show rested on the chemistry between the two leads. If it worked, it would be a compelling show. If it didn't, it would crash and burn.

    Luckily, it worked.

    The ridiculously handsome and charming Matt Bomer plays the ridiculously handsome and charming Neal Caffrey, con-man, thief and forger, who strikes a deal to aid the FBI to better pursue his own agenda. Tim DeKay plays his partner, a sarcastic but brilliant agent, dedicated family man, and ambitious worker.

    The show mostly gets by on charm, and it has oodles of it. The sets, locations and costumes and striking and attractive. The plots are tricky and interesting. The leads are loyal and likable. It's a lot of fun.

    Again, though, we run into the problem of being somewhat unambitious. The metastory of Neal's search for Kate the Bland wasn't very interesting.

    How does next season look? If it turns into Search For Kate 2.0, I'm going to be bored. But if that story takes some turns and gets darker and more complex, I'm going to like it a lot.
    ...and the milk's in me.

  25. #25
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    Friday Night Lights (Season 4)

    Grade: B-

    Friday Night Lights may be the most realistic show on television. Actors appear without make-up and with very little professional lighting. Some of the actors are unattractive, or made to seem less attractive. The show is practically unscripted, allowing the actors to improvise realistic-sounding conversations based around larger plot points. The setting (Texas) is bleak and dusty. This isn't filmed on a Hollywood backlot pretending to be Ohio, or Kentucky, or Connecticut. This is middle America, right here. The problems that the characters have are the problems that every American family has.

    Loosely built around high school football seasons, the plot is actually about small-town people looking to survive either by staying or by leaving, and what happens when they can't do either. This presents an usual problem, as the characters graduate and leave every year, and new people need to be introduced.

    This season they shook things up even more. Instead of coaching the well-funded and successful Dillon Panthers, Coach Taylor is moved over to the poorer, more diverse, more despairing East Dillon, where he needs to rebuild his team from the ground up. The new characters introduced are interesting and solid, and the old ones that have stuck around (like good ol' Tim Riggins) are growing up and finally figuring out what they need to do to be adults.

    How does next season look? We're losing a couple of major characters to graduation (and possibly prison) so the show will need to continue on the new fresh blood and the tried & true Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.
    ...and the milk's in me.

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