“Heroes” and “Studio 60″ wind down their fall seasons
First off, sorry for the lack of post yesterday, but it is December and there just isn’t all that much happening. I’m sure we’ll all make it through… together. And speaking of being together…
Have you heard about this crazy show Heroes? I HAVE! Last night’s episode was the last for 2006, and it was mostly a good one. Again I have to say “mostly” because it’s impossible for a Heroes episode to be completely solid all the way through. This was especially evident tonight with the Nicki/Micah/D.L.(?) storyline, which seems to have completely severed itself from the rest of the show. In fact, with each passing episode every character gets closer to the others except Nicki/Micah/D.L.(?) who are apparently under the impression that they’re actually on a series called, Amazing Adventures in Domestic Violence.
All that being said, the overall mystery had some excellent developments, including the self-inflicted death of that pixie-girl with the eyes– but how is it that Sylar could all of a sudden use his powers? Basically, I’m glad I stuck around. The past six episodes have been exponentially better than the first five. The cast, though, is still a little bloated. Here’s all you really need: Claire the cheerleader, Peter, Horn Rimmed Glasses, Hiro. That’s a show you can knock out of the park. The rest is supposed to be icing, but it really just comes off as sugared lard.
It’s usually pretty fun to watch, though. You’ve got to give it that.
Oh, and A DINOSAUR!
Studio 60… talk, and other stuff, after the jump…
This seemed to be the first episode of the season that tipped the scales in favor of boy-likes-girl television familiarity instead of liberal ranting and jargon-speak. I can’t say I really minded all that much. Though seeing as how this is a television blog, and since I am required to bitch and moan each and every week the show airs, it’s important to note that no matter how acceptable an episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip may be, Sorkin always finds a way to wrap up each episode’s conflict in the most convenient possible way, thus causing the viewer to ask aloud, “Hey, A-Sork? Aren’t you a skilled dramatist?” It seems like the past month’s worth of episodes all ended with some authority figure saying (to an extent) “Yeah, don’t worry about it, it’ll be fine.” It happened with John Goodman’s red-state-über-self-aware judge, it happened tonight with Lou Grant’s dismissal of any sort of problem that had been developed over the prior 55 minutes, and it will likely happen again when a character decides the bullet-hole in their temple isn’t really as important as we had all thought at the first act break.
What’s odd is that this structure makes Studio 60… the perfect show for network television. It’s a horrible show for network television in terms of the actual content, but structurally its an executive’s wet-dream: it’s easy to jump into, there are not complicated running storylines, whatever cliffhangers an episode end on do not impact the dramatic arc of the episode itself. In short, its simple television packaged in the most unmanageable way they could find.
I’m curious to see how this show fares during the second half of the season. I suspect there will be tinkering. Maybe the show will start back up in January and it will take place in New York– never acknowledging that there is anything different.
On thing we can all agree on is that the end of the fall season is upon us. By this time next week the broadcast networks will be mostly dried up in terms of new programming. Without getting too in depth at this time, I think its been an uneven fall at best. Remember four months ago when serialized drama was about as vogue as celebrities going commando? I suspect any pitch meeting that starts out with “It’s about ten characters who are connected, but with a secret!” now would result, AT BEST, in validated parking.
That isn’t to say there hasn’t been hits, but the landscape is definitely different than what many (including myself) had anticipated. More on all of this as we count down the weeks to 2007.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:34 am
Yah, I thought it a little hard to believe that Lou Grant’s character— all hot and bothered about the merger during the last few episodes— suddenly was all for the FCC fight. It’ll also be interesting to see how the show will try to squeeze in Jordan’s pregnancy among her other storylines about her P.R. nightmare and troubles with “Corporateâ€. I think I read somewhere that Sorkin wrote in the character’s pregnancy only after Amanda Peet told him she was with child in real life. I think it shows. Also, I agree about how much the “inside the industry” speak may be lost on viewers. I’m certainly one who sometimes has no idea what the characters are taking about. (I’ll admit that I finally really understand what “shares†and “points†are after watching “Network†this weekend.) However, I don’t know that it’s a big deal. Viewers get most of the important bits from context— it’s like on The West Wing or in some Jack Ryan movie, where characters spew off all kinds of insider talk about Senate voting procedures or Russian missiles.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
Rick, last night’s Heroes was the best episode of the season. It was brilliant! And he could use his powers because The Haitian, who I’ve nicknamed “The Scrambler,” wasn’t nearby to stop him! DUH!
And Nikki/DL/Micah will get involved, but you gotta leave something for the second half! And the cop, he’s golden!
Rick I just don’t get you. You liked Unbreakable for Jesus sake’s!
SAVE THE CHEERLEADER!
December 5th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
It was without a doubt a good episode, and I loved everything outside of the nonsense with Nikki/Micah/DL, which even you, Ms. Fangirl, have to admit doesn’t have any justification (even just a little).
Look, I LIKE the show. But it isn’t better than Friday Night Lights and definitely isn’t better than Lost was at the same place in its first season.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
I get that Friday Night Lights is great, and I agree, but note that it’s great because it’s so alarmingly realistic.
But I’d rather watch Heroes. The two aren’t really comparable. One is like.. uber real, and the other is sort of like a real world setting, but people haver SUPERPOWERS!
I trust the Tim Kring, and I trust that his work bringing characters into the fold thus far has been effective and when DL/Nikki/Micah finally run into the others again, they’ll do it with superhero style.
And regarding Lost, I think Heroes is going to have more season by season satisfaction than Lost could ever provide. I fear that Lost doesn’t know where Lost ends, or what’s really going on inside and outside the damned Island(s). Heroes is a little bit easier than that, and thus will make for a lovely warm fuzzy feeling at the end of the season.
I am Fangirl, and I am a proud Fangirl.
SAVE THE WORLD!
December 8th, 2006 at 5:30 am
PS- you guys do realize that his name is not actually Lou Grant, right?
PPS- Who wants to join the Brad Whitford fanclub? (drool)
July 11th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I totally disagree with the comment you said about the Nicki/Micah/D.L story.
Remember Nicki-Jessica was sent to kill the guy running for mayor who can fly and she also had sex with him
and she was killing a man who the police officer (Matt) was protecting.
and D.L and Micah had a near death experience with the 2 chinese men
so i totally disagree