posted
I recently bought the first season of Justified.
But I watched the first 2 or 3 episodes and was kinda bored. I went in expecting something like The Shield, and instead got something closer to NCIS.
I like all of the creative team behind it though so just wanna know from people if the tone of it is gonna change/improve in the future?
From: Australia | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
I would say the first season of Justified gets continually better and around episode 7 or 8 (can't remember specifically when) it really takes off into full gear. Season 2 is even a whole level better than Season 1 from the get-go.
The Shield remains a contender for my all-time favorite TV show ever. I just rewatched all 7 seasons in the winter (my wife for the first time) and was blown away again by how good it was.
Sons of Anarchy is probably the closest thing on TV to the Shield these days. Which makes sense since the head writer of the Shield (Kurt Sutter) is the head writer / producer of Sons. Just be warned, the subject matter of Sons is as heavy--and gut-wrenching--as the Shield. But the quality is immense.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Blacula, when we first started watching Justified I remember thinking "Why is this so lauded?" It seemed like a decent procedural, but nothing more. Then the season slowly builds, and sucks you in (especially once they bring Walt Goggins back). By the end of the season it had transformed into a "pretty good" show. Noe, every episode of Season 2 has been of superior quality so far.
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
ok ... 'cause I bought season one as well ... and I'm having a hard time getting through it.
hmm, I think its ok but, a bit slow or something.
I think I'll give it another go tonight!
From: Ninja Land | Registered: Nov 2004
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
I tend to watch lots of mindcandy USA shows like Burn Notice, White Collar, etc., so I started watching Suits pretty much on cruise control, and I'm finding the witty banter is really engaging. Season one is a little drier, I think, as they are still finding their footing, but the lead attorneys executive assistant, Donna, is hilarious. She has rigged the intercom in his office to always be on, so that she is always listening in on his private meetings, which makes her invaluable, in that she always knows exactly what he needs, even before he calls for it.
The banter between the lawyers associate and his elderly grandmother, who gives classic lip and doesn't appear nearly enough (which is probably what keeps it so fresh when she does appear), is also very fun.
Anyone else addicted to the various USA shows?
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
I never gave USA a chance until the aforementioned Suits sucked me right in. I don't follow it religiously as I do some other shows but I love watching it whenever its on, for all the reasons Set mentions. Fantastic cast, clever dialogue and just awesome chemistry on screen between a variety of cast members. I do plan to eventually get the seasons and do a full-on watch through.
Since I got hooked on Suit, I started trying to give some of the other shows a try. The one I've settled on, though I've only caught episodes here and there, is White Collar. It's got my all-time favorite television crush, Hillarie Burton, though she doesn't appear nearly enough (60 minutes an episode is my preferred amount ). But the series really shines with two of my favorite factors: clever / ingenous plots and fantastic camraderie / friendship between the leads.
Like Leverage on TNT, another clever and well-done show, what's nice about these shows is they are by no means 'light' but they aren't super-heavy either. Yet, they also are superior to the rather run of the mill fare the main networks produce. Very entertaining.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Since I got hooked on Suits, I started trying to give some of the other shows a try. The one I've settled on, though I've only caught episodes here and there, is White Collar. It's got my all-time favorite television crush, Hillarie Burton, though she doesn't appear nearly enough (60 minutes an episode is my preferred amount ).
She's very pretty, but I think Elizabeth Burke is a much more interesting character, and Diana is both beautiful and, at times, snarky, which is cool.
quote: But the series really shines with two of my favorite factors: clever / ingenous plots and fantastic camraderie / friendship between the leads.
The trust issues get a little stale, after a while. It feels like whenever they get too chummy, there's a contrived situation that pits them against each other, again, and it's getting old.
It reminds me of a bad vampire romance show I used to watch called 'Kindred the Embraced,' in which an uncle and his niece start out pretty much every episode at odds, because she's all rebellious, and he's all over-protective, and then, by the end of the episode, they've worked it out, and then, next week, bang, character reset, and they're right back at it, as if last week didn't happen.
On the other hand, it kinda makes sense with White Collar, because both of the leads are extremely intelligent men who are utterly convinced that they are smarter than the other, and that their choices are going to be better / more effective / more 'right' than the others choices. They talk a good fight about respecting each others abilities, but neither one of them is willing to share control of a situation, or is comfortable letting the other pull his weight.
I get that it's useful for maintaining a certain type of 'trust issues' drama (and that, given the scary levels of competence of the two characters, any situation in which they are firing 100% in synch on might get handled too quickly!), but the character regression annoys me.
The banter is great, 'though.
Of the other USA shows, Covert Affairs is kinda fun, Burn Notice rocks (Bruce Campbell!), Fairly Legal is utterly infuriating (see a supposedly smart character naively screw up every single week, and somehow win anyway, usually by exploiting her friends!), Psych is very fun (although the kids watch it more than I do), Common Law is new, but looks like it's gonna be fun and Royal Pains is a guilty pleasure that I only watch for Divya.
Registered: Aug 2006
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posted
SO I'm doing my usual "giving a try" to shows on Network TV that look interesting.
The main thing that sticks out to me is that even though the four networks have huge budgets, they can never seem to quite get it totally right. Almost all of the shows on CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox have a certain amount of cheesiness to them that should not really be there. This wasn't the case a few years ago: when House and Lost and a few others debuted, there wasn't anything cheesy about them. Even shows that never made it like Life on Mars didn't have that cheese-factor. But lately, these last two years or so, it's like every show has an element of not willing to go "all the way". It's hard to put into words what I mean.
The three shows that I'm checking out so far are:
The Mob Doctor which so far is one of the better new shows. The acting is very good, and it has a quiet intensity that I like. In a way it's a medical procedural drama meets pure crime. Which is basically the only way I'll like a medical procedural drama. The set-up is firmly planted for when things go tits-up, and that should be entertaining / nerve-wracking to watch.
Revolution is a pretty good sci-fi type show. But this is the one that really has the "cheesiness" problem that I reference above. There are some really good moments so far (the lead character Charlie killing the warden in the latest episode at the end) but every episode is jam-packed with cliches, weak over-acting, lame coincidences and unbelievable dialogue. This show is rife with potential...but it really needs to get over these problems for me to take it seriously. And the nerdy millionaire character with the glasses? C'mon. Dial down the cliche-ness PLEASE.
Vegas debuted last night and its jam-packed with actors that I love, first and foremost being Michael Chiklis whose run on the SHIELD ranks up there with the all-time great acting jobs in TV history. Dennis Quad, Carrie Ann Moss (from the Matrix) and Jason O'Mara (from the American Life on Mars and the cancelled Terranova) also round out the cast and all are very solid. Quaid does a bit too much over-acting in the first episode but O'Mara is awesome, and Moss was impressive. (As an aside, Moss looked simply stunning! I don't care how much older she is than me. ) The show has a great high concept that is based on a true story: 1960 Las Vegas with a cowboys versus gangsters larger theme and a mystery / cop procedural episode to episode theme. There's a lot there that could please a lot of people. The only problem is the aforementioned "cheesiness factor" which isn't quite as bad here as in Revolution, but its there is small doses and needs to be cut out immediately. And considering how many movies and television shows have dealt with mobsters and casinos, they have to be very careful not to tread into cliche terriroty. So far, though, this could be the best of the bunch.
Also, one of my favorite comedies, New Girl, started out great last night. Hilarious all the way through on both episodes. The other two series rounding out that two hour block, The Mindy Project and Ben and Kate are not really for me, but they actually were better than I expected--both being pretty good. All the other new comedy shows look like absolute shit to me, particularly Go On and The New Normal. I've also always found Modern Family to be atrocious.
As I always say though, the very best shows on television can be found on AMC, FX, HBO and Showtime. That's where the good stuff is. And as previously mentioned in this thread, USA is producing some pretty good stuff too (and Leverage on TNT is good as well).
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
I'm kind of enjoying Revolution, though it's definitely got a "Haven't I basically seen this all before?" problem.
Didn't get a chance to watch Vegas last night, but I'll check it out later online.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
We gave "Last Resort" a try last night. My wife is a big Scott Speedman fan since he was on "Felicity," and you can't go wrong with Andre Braugher. It was pretty decent, although it seemed in a big hurry to throw a lot of characters on screen in one hour. There's a whiff of "Lost" about it, maybe just it jumps right into the action (although there was about 15 minutes of preamble unlike Lost.)
I'm not sure it's something that's going to have legs though. So many shows these days just beg to have one good year and then stop, especially genre shows.
From: Douglasville, GA | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Yeah, "Last Resort" definitely has potential, but it felt like they were trying to cram too much into an hour premiere. Interested in seeing where it goes, however.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Though I'm a red blooded American male, I find Sofia Vergera to be the most annoying thing on planet Earth. The problem with a Latina Marylyn Monroe is, Marylyn Monroe in general is the most annoying thing on planet Earth.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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). But the series really shines with two of my favorite factors: clever / ingenous plots and fantastic camraderie / friendship between the leads.![[Love]](graemlins/love.gif)
) The show has a great high concept that is based on a true story: 1960 Las Vegas with a cowboys versus gangsters larger theme and a mystery / cop procedural episode to episode theme. There's a lot there that could please a lot of people. The only problem is the aforementioned "cheesiness factor" which isn't quite as bad here as in Revolution, but its there is small doses and needs to be cut out immediately. And considering how many movies and television shows have dealt with mobsters and casinos, they have to be very careful not to tread into cliche terriroty. So far, though, this could be the best of the bunch.
