Episode TV, according to recent popular criticism, seems to have fallen out of favor. From my perspective, however, there are a few shows really worth catching. admittedly this is a lot easier if you have a DVR so you can see shows on later than you stay up or that are opposite shows you also enjoy. I wanted to list them here so that others (if anyone actually reads my blog) can watch them and decide for themselves.
Chuck (Mondays 8 PM NBC)
This show, in its 3rd season, is the story of a nerdy but likeable Nerd Herd (think Geek Squad) college dropout that has gotten caught up in what must seem like a dream spy adventure game. I was hooked on this show after the first episode of season one. Season 2 was not as good, but still watchable. After a breathtaking rescue of the show itself (thanks to loyal Subway customers), season 3 has taken off like a rocket. They almost blew it with the first episode back in January, but quickly course corrected and now seem destined to set even higher standards. There are about 8 or 9 more shows to go before this season ends. You can also watch earlier episodes online or on-demand from cable. Seasons 1 & 2 are on DVD and Blu-ray.
Burn Notice (USA)
Season 3 concluded a week ago or so. You’ll have to find ways to watch this online, although USA is known to persist these episodes in odd time slots, but it’s hit-and-miss. Michael Westen was a spy (ours) for some aspect of US intelligence. At the beginning of season 1, we learn that he was just “burned” (de-commissioned) owing to some unpleasant occurrences attributed to him. Being burned means that he’ll be watched continually by other agents and is in danger from lingering aspects of his former career. He has two “friends”, a mother and a brother who figure in various ways to either help him, become endangered themselves and need his help or various combinations and permutations of the above. Even though this sounds underwhelming, the kicker in most episodes is a guest villain that poses such a significant threat that the story comes together nicely.
I was a latecomer to Burn Notice. Only started watching during the first half of season 3 last summer. Like many of the USA series, they spilt up their seasons. Burn Notice starts their season in June running till September; the second half starts in January and runs until March. I was so excited about Burn Notice that I immediately picked up Seasons 1 & 2 on DVD and watched them almost non-stop until I was caught up. The second half of season 3 started off in a less-than-stellar fashion, but I am happy to say that things picked up a lot. I won’t say that this was its best season, but it was very good. The casting makes this show work as well as it does. Jeffrey Donovan stars as Michael Westen, and Sharon Gless as his mother. Bruce Campbell and Gabriel Anwar appear as Sam Axe (ex-FBI) and Fiona Glenanne (murky backstory involving work with/against Irish terrorists – likes to blow things up).
White Collar (USA)
This series premiered last summer and stars Matthew Bomer (formerly Bryce Larkin of “Chuck”) and Tim DeKay. Bomer plays a legendary con man and art thief Neal Caffrey who was tracked down by FBI agent Peter Burke (DeKay). The series opens with Caffrey in prison being visited by an attractive woman (Kate – played by Alexandra Daddario). Shortly afterward, Neal executes a daring escape only to be apprehended (again) by Burke. During the interrogation following his arrest, Caffrey proves invaluable in helping the FBI with another white colllar case they are investigating. They offer him an arrangement whereby he works with the bureau in exchange for “limited” freedom – he wears a GPS anklet that they moitor continually. Neal readily accepts so that he can track down the ellusive Kate, a former girlfriend and partner in crime.
This first season demonstrated good writing, interesting locations and exciting action normally found only in big-budget network fare. USA continues to surprise viewers with amazing production values along with top notch writing and performances. This is another high caliber series worth watching.
Castle (Mondays 10 PM ABC)
I had seen parts of episodes of this series on and off over the last year or so, but I didn’t get hooked on it then. I won’t say that I am now exactly, though the chemistry between the principal performers makes the show quite watchable. Of the four series in this post, “Castle” is at the bottom of the list in all respects. Nathan Fillion plays Richard Castle, a very successful mystery novelist who has killed off the hero of his best-selling series of novels to force himself to invent something new and keep from falling into a rut. Being a wealthy socialite has its merits, so in order to explore for new material, Castle uses his connections with the mayor’s office to get a “ride-along” with homicide detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic).
After seeing a couple of episodes of the current season, (season 2), I managed to pick up season 1 on DVD and got caught up. I guess I was lucky because ABC had rerun episodes during the holidays, but I only recognized one of the season 1 episodes while I was watching the DVD. I readily admit that the series is very formulaic – Castle’s expertise, honed from researching crime and working out the details for his novels, frequently leads the real cops to solve the murders and every once and awhile, one of them saves the other from either embarrassment or mortality. I can easily predict that I will tire of this series before it goes off the air, but for now I find it entertaining.
