Catching Up: March 6, 2013

After a month of new airings, we seem to be fully entrenched in repeats this month, with a few new episodes sprinkled here and there.

The Following

I finally sat down and watched the first six episodes this weekend. I wasn’t sure I was going to keep watching, but I like to give a new show a couple of episodes before I make a decision (unless I can’t get through the first twenty minutes). And now I am kind of hooked and wondering how this is all going to play out.

Fox gave the show a second season pickup and I am imagining that it will center around Ryan Hardy (played by Kevin Bacon) getting a new pacemaker. Seriously he is really pushing that little appliance to the max, really seeing how much it can take.

I find Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) intriguing. I know I am supposed to hate on him, but he is a charming sort of character and I really love seeing how he pulls in his followers.

The writing on this show is incredible, if not a bit scary. I am sure a lot of research was done into serial killers and cults and that is where a lot of this comes from, but some of it comes from their minds and that is disturbing.  I point you to a scene in which Jordy, the hapless prison guard who slaughtered three girls and then got caught was easily coerced into giving up some information and the subsequent scene where he committed suicide. By choking himself with the bandaging on his shoulder. Seriously, he ripped off the bandages with his teeth and forced himself to swallow, thus causing him to choke and asphyxiate. Creatively creepy.

I also have to know what Emma’s role is going to be with Joe at the compound now. And I have to try and figure out if anyone else in the FBI is a follower.

The Following is kind of reminiscent of 24 in a way. A season long case that while doesn’t play out in real time like 24 did, feels like they tackle a day an episode.

Dallas

Well the powers that be made it happen. They made “Who Shot JR” 2.0 and I am pleased. I long felt like that was the only way they could send off JR Ewing. Such an epic piece of television drama, there was no other way to do it. And yes, I realize we did not see JR being shot, but we heard the gunshots and we know that is how this is going to play out.

I am anxious to see who returns next week for JR’s funeral. I have read that the eulogies by Sue Ellen and Bobby require tissues to be at hand. I would like to say that I am not affected by such things, but I am a girl and an emotional one at that, so there is no doubt in my mind that tears will be free flowing on Monday evening.

I am hoping that the person who shot JR is not some day player who hasn’t played into the show. That would disappoint me.

NCIS

I must say that this show is getting harder and harder to watch. When I first started waning, I thought it was because they just shifted their focus to terrorism and there is enough of that without adding even more. But that’s not it. The show isn’t as much fun as it was. The humor is lacking and when it is there it feels forced. I haven’t noticed as many movie references from Tony and Abby seems so whiney. I loved her character in the beginning, she was quirky, smart and fun, but now she is a bit to juvenile and really annoying. They stopped writing the Zivaisms that I grew to adore. And then McGee lost all of his naivety when he lost all that weight.  Plus now they are trying to shove Dornegut (sic) down our throats and I am just not having it.

I did enjoy the few episodes with the Assistant Director, but now Vance is back and I have never been a fan of his.

The cases stopped being interesting as well. I watched last night’s episode and knew early on who the copy cat killer was. It was no fun.

Like CSI, I have to think that this show has run its course and should be wrapped up nicely with a bow and shelved.

Body of Proof

I really don’t have much to say about this show. I watched the first season and it was enjoyable enough. I didn’t watch much of the second season. I didn’t see the finale and was surprised it was renewed.

I decided to watch since they cleaned house in the actor department and brought in some fresh blood, no pun intended. I like Mark Valley and I really like his character (at least through two episodes).

I do not like Jeri Ryan. I think she is an awful actress and I just cannot get behind that character at all. It feels like they didn’t have a blonde character and just created this role for her. She adds absolutely nothing to the series. Nothing!

Are you using this down time to catch up? Or do you even need to? I watch a lot of hockey and am a bit thankful for the run of repeats just so my DVR doesn’t fill up. I also like DVR for the simple fact that I can fast-forward through commercials! Hit the comments and let me know what you are watching. 

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

The holiday break has ended and shows begin returning this week. I still have twelve hours of unseen programming on my DVR, my hopes of getting through it this past week/end was thwarted by my inability to concentrate or care.

I toyed around with blogging about what I have dropped, but really it is not that lengthy of a list. The only show that I was watching that I dropped was Revenge. I didn’t see the first season, but heard rave reviews. I caught one of those special catch-up episodes and began season two. It just didn’t feel that great to me. Then I started reading reviews and it seems that a lot of people think season two definitely filled out the sophomore slump role. I ditched it right around the Thanksgiving episode. I am not a fan of flashbacks! Well with the exception of Revolution. Take note Scandal. Take note.

I caught up on Private Practice which all seemed to be out of sequence. I think it happened right around Super Storm Sandy and just never quite got back on track. I know why I stopped watching this. I really don’t like Kate Walsh (never mind that she always sounds like she has a sinus problem). And the other characters lack life. I’m about 97% certain that I won’t watch the last few episodes, maybe catch the very last one. This show should have been gone a few years ago.

I am caught up on Castle and am finding it enjoyable again. I kind of got off track last season, late last season, but am back on board.

Nashville is definitely a bubble show for me. I just feel like they threw too much into season one. I think that the campaign should have been put off until at least the second season. They should have rounded out those characters a bit more, let us really get to know them before throwing that storyline at us. Some of it seems to move so fast and some of it moves so slow. I really would not be surprised to see this not get a pick up.

I am still trying to catch up on Flashpoint, Elementary and CSI.

I finally watched the fall finale of Revolution. I don’t know why it took me so long. I think in part it was delaying it, having something to look forward to. It was a good episode. I forgot how much I missed Billy Burke! I just adore his character.

I am also caught up on Arrow. There is something about that show that I just can’t quite turn off. I am thinking that it might turn into one of those shows that is like The Vampire Diaries. I didn’t much care for the first season, but held on and it paid off. I am hoping Arrow is the same way. I still cannot watch an episode of Beauty and the Beast. Ugh.

There are some shows coming up in mid-season premiers that I plan on tuning into.

First up, the Kevin Bacon thriller, The Following on Fox. I have been looking forward to this for a while now. I really love Kevin Bacon and this looks very intense.

I am anxious to see what changes Body of Proof has made. I didn’t watch most of the second season, but plan on tuning in because it is going to be practically a whole new cast. Waiting to see if there is more drama and grit.

1600 Penn is on my list. I watched the pilot and was so so on it. I think parts of it were funny, but there were some parts that was very much “really?”. I’ll give it a few episodes.

Deception premiers tonight. It doesn’t look that good really, just from the first few clips. I get that feeling that it won’t last. They might air all they have filmed, but not much beyond that. Again, that is just my gut feeling from the first few clips. I will have a better view point after the pilot.

The Carrie Diaries. I am so torn. Part of me wants to watch, but part of me is not on board with that. I think they did a huge disservice to the Sex and the City franchise when they made the second movie, which was a huge disappointment and total head scratcher. I didn’t read the book by Candace Bushnell so I really don’t know how she wrote young Carrie. It doesn’t look like it follows what was said/done in the HBO series. Yeah, just really can’t figure out if I want to tune in. Another reason is I am getting a little tired of all the teen set that The CW is all about. I get they are a younger network, but they need to try and stretch their demo a little.

And that is pretty much what is on my plate, along with my regular viewing preferences.

Things will be changing big time in my viewing hours with the recent announcement of the end of the NHL Lockout. Well maybe. It all depends on how much the cable company offers Center Ice for. I am not paying full price for half a season. That is not acceptable at all. I imagine that will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. I feel like the NHL should offer it for free. That would never happen, but it would be nice. Or at least deeply deeply discount it. More than half off is acceptable, anything more and it will require a lot of thought and analysis.

So what are you looking forward to in the second half of the prime-time season? Hit the comments and let me know.