TV 2008/2009 Report Card

Featured TVPublished May 21, 2009 at 21:14 1 Comment

End of season round up! General review on some of the main shows I watched in the 2008/2009 season. Spoilers contained within.

Battlestar Galactica (Season 4.5) [A]

And thus comes the oddest show out there, yep out of everything BSG could be called I’ve opted for odd, why? Because the show which started this year with the most depressing episode of any TV show I’ve seen all season (and possibly of all time) ended its run with such an unexpected optimistic that I was more surprised by the happiness than any of the crazy shit that happened in between.

And crazy shit happened and then lots of nothing happened which was frustrating and depressing, and then favourite characters died *cries* and more crazy shit happened and then lots of wah the ship is dying wah Adama can’t let go of the ship/Roslin. And shit just what the hell is Starbuck.

Yes it was a confusing final run of episodes, either too much happened or nothing at all. Finding the balance was definitely hard but then the 3 part Daybreak happened and most things fell into place, well for me anyway I know others will disagree. Suddenly not getting a real explanation about Kara didn’t matter, it was knowing that someone was out there looking out for mankind and its Cylons frenemies. Finding a second Earth felt like the natural conclusion realising it was 200,000 years before our present day was very much omg wtf. But for me the greatest thing to happen with the storyline was the redemption of Baltar. I spent a lot of this season worried they wouldn’t conclude his story arc that maybe deep down he was a selfish git but no instead he was there to save Cylons and humans alike with Six by his side.

Favourite moment: The Shape Of Things To Come music begins. The Opera House vision finally makes sense. I cry my eyes out.

Being Human (Season 1) [A+]

The show you should all be watching, downloading whatever. Favourite new show of the 08/09 season and its home-grown! Since the success of Doctor Who and Torchwood the TV companies have been desperate to find another successful sci-fi/fantasy/horror show but I have been disappointed by the output so far (Primeval, Merlin, Demons, Robin Hood) until Being Human hit the screens. Dark, funny, and grounded in reality which makes a ghost, vampire and werewolf living together not completely ridiculous. Excellent characterisation, genuine scary moments and 3 central characters who get equal share of the storylines and are all likeable and flawed. It’s not scared to go down the dark route but mix in friendship and great music along the way. I am really anticipating season 2.

Favourite Moment – Annie getting all fierce on the vampires.

Dollhouse (Season 1) [B+]

I guess I was anxious from the start not in terms of whether I would like the show because I kinda knew I would but from the beginning it seemed doomed to one series which lends itself to a strange feeling of shall I dare to fall in love with a show that won’t come back? I did. Despite trying not to and the slow start but then episode six kicked in followed by a string of episodes that became less about Echo’s personality of the week and more important what the Dollhouse is. And are its owners completely evil or trying to do some good? I fell in love with the relationship of Sierra and Victor, with Mellie and Paul, with the strange way in which I liked Adelle despite her being in control of something so morally wrong its akin to rape. Those were the issues that began to become addressed, and despite what some people may think, this show is probably Joss most feminist. Anyway I fell in love and spent most of the finale quietly sobbing knowing I wouldn’t be seeing these characters again. Until a miracle occurred and somehow its back for a second season. Smaller budget but Joss now has stronger creative control and will be opting for the ‘man behind the curtain’ type episode rather than Echo becomes a backup singer ones. Awesomeness awaits.

Favourite Moment – The end of Needs when Echo leads everyone to their freedom, so beautiful if sad that it wasn’t actually true.

Fringe (Season 1) [B-]

Fringe started out okay, it wasn’t mindblowing and it certainly was a little too stand aloney episodes for my taste. There were on occasion stand out episodes or moments that made me think this show can potentially be awesome and I think that’s why I decided to continue with it. My patience has definitely been rewarded. I love how the show has gone from a little be sci-fi but mainly rooted in facts and pretty much a detective show by number (case of the week, central character with angst) to blatantly having alternative universes and weird shit happening to Olivia. It’s like when Lost decided to just be full out weird and time travel and have dead characters turn up on a weekly basis. I prefer shows to embrace sci-fi rather than pretend they aren’t really sci-fi no really honestly we aren’t. When they are.

Favourite Moment – Olivia and her freaky dreams. And any time the cow is around.

Heroes (Season 3)[B - When it was great : F when it failed]

Still kind of pains me to think about it but here are some brief thoughts which I promise won’t end in a rant. Okay well I won’t promise because that’s a lie. I genuinely thought it started out okay, first couple of episodes I was fine with but it’s when the retconning started that things started going to the shits. So Elle knew Gabriel before right? Sure, of course, yeah, right. Oh and let’s play the bring back a favourite character and give them 5 minutes of screen time before killing them off game shall we? And lets completely disregarded Maya completely, even though she could’ve had a really good revenge storyline, imagine her and Mohinder teaming up to bring Sylar down? Much more convincing that Clairebear and her trauma bullshit.

Ok I’m going to stop now because it will just be a Heroes rant entry, needless to say they had potential with both volumes and whilst Fugitives was definitely an improvement on Villains this show is way past its glory days only 3 seasons in. Not good.

Favourite moment – Mohinder pounding into Sylar. Oh Mylar

Lost (Season 5)[A]

Aka the most heart wrenching, headfuckery show on TV! After deciding to become a full out wtf sci-fi show this season went into my favourite narrative device, time-travel! (Not even Heroes overusing time travel will stop me from loving it)

Back and forth through time on the island, and between the real world drama (lmao Hurley hot pocket attack!, Sayid being a pretty assassin, yawn Kate lost Aaron for 1 minute, oh noez the Jack beard!, don’t trust Widemore Sun!) and the island madness (Sawyer is not impressed by time travel, Daniel is a damn cute adorable nerd, oh noez lots of red shirt deaths, wtf 1950s, wtf 1970s, omg Jin is alive, omg young adorable Danielle, oh damn charlotte, oh holy hotness Richard, aww young Ben!).

And then the finale happened and as a person who never has trouble following Lost, like all the previous craziness I’ve just accepted, now I’m having to try and comprehend real Locke being dead (wtf) and a white screen which could be so many things (did they change time? are they now in 2007, will Sayid survive, is Juliet alive?) Just who the hell is Not-Locke?? (I think Smokey)

Lost continues to blow my mind which but now I am incredibly anxious at how it’s all going to end in just 17 episodes? It better not be like BSG when there were way too many episodes of Adama staring at the ship falling apart than actual explanations!

Favourite moment – Hurley relating Miles father issues to The Empire Strikes Back.

The Office (Season 5)[A]

It’s kind of hard to review a comedy show, needless to say it’s as funny as ever and I loved the breakaway Michael Scott Paper Company storyline.

Favourite moment – Aww the end of the season, Jim/Pam ftw!

Pushing Daisies (Season 2)[A]

Is there a more delightfully joyful show around? I don’t think so but apparently audiences don’t like to be brought happiness via love, crack deaths and pie. Such a shame because Pushing Daisies really built on the greatness of the its short season 1 and gave its fans the joy we wanted. I think it was a real victim of the writers’ strike, the huge gap between seasons made the mostly clueless viewing public forget about this gem and so the ratings dwindled. It worries me when something quirky and unique gets cancelled because its happened too many times before and pretty soon we will be left with cop shows and super serious sci-fi.

Favourite moment – Pretty much everything on the show, I miss you show

Sarah Connor Chronicles (Season 2)[C+]

Oh show in a way its cancellation was partially it’s on fault. It was too deep, too character driven, too slow in the way it told the story for the public to ever accept it. Terminator screams action not 4 episodes dealing with Sarah’s messed up mind. So it had its ups and downs but the saddest thing is, it finally got there in the last ten minutes of the finale I felt as if this show could really be the special something it deserved to be. One of my favourite season finales this year and such a waste of potential. Season 3 could’ve been amazing, a whole new level of wonderful but now we will never see that.

Favourite moment – Toss up between the opening of episode one and the closing of the finale.

Supernatural (Season 4)[A]

I was a little let down that the season picked up with Dean getting out of Hell after 4 months, I wanted some epic Sam goes into the depths of Hell to pull Dean out storyline but then the budget for SPN barely stretches past the use of a couple of classic rock songs per season so I understand why they didn’t go that route. I was completely blown away however when the decided to introduce angels onto the show. I think it’s one of the best creative decisions they have made. The arrival of Castiel and the ‘end of the world Lucifer is going to rise plotline’ brought so much to the series. Lots of Dean doubting himself, Sam going increasingly towards the dark side, crazy craziness. Really I hope they stick to the plan of 5 seasons only because I think they could really need next year with a bang. More angels please!

Favourite moment – Sam explaining Wincest to Dean, ahh 4th Wall totally broken.

Tags: being human, dollhouse, fringe, heroes, lost, pushing daisies, sarah connor chronicles, supernatural, the office