Let's talk TV.
I don't anticipate the start of the
fall TV season with the same eagerness I used to, primarily because
several cable networks are now producing some very good shows airing
during the summer. USA's “Suits” and TNT's “Rizzoli and Isles”
spring to mind.
The gang from "Suits." |
Don't get me wrong, I look forward to
the return of some shows, like “Revenge” – a soap-opera-ish
serial even a guy can get into – and “The Mentalist,” but
generally, I enjoy summer TV almost as much as fall's offerings, in
the case of “Suits,” more.
The gang from "Revenge." |
There are two new shows for this season
that I have added to my must-record list: NBC's “Blacklist” and
ABC's “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”
Spader as Reddington. |
On “Blacklist,” James Spader plays
a former government agent gone bad Raymond “Red” Reddington, who
surrenders to the Feds to help catch a terrorist. The catch is, he
will only participate through rookie agent Liz Keen. It's sort of a
homage to “Silence of the Lambs.”
I find Spader fun to watch regardless
of his role. He is one of those natural actors who make it look so
easy. Every line he delivers is rich and multi-layered. I know that
sounds like so much claptrap, but I believe he is one of the better
actors on TV today. Megan Boone plays Keen. Her character has a
relationship with Spader's that is sort of a father-daughter one,
that is if the daughter hated her father. It's somewhat complicated.
Megan Boone. |
I've enjoyed the eight or so episodes
that I've seen this year -- I still have one or two stacked up on my
recorder. “Blacklist” airs at 10 p.m. Eastern on NBC.
The gang from "Buffy." |
If you are at least a semi-regular
reader of this blog, you may already know that I am a huge fan of
Joss Whedan. He was the creative spark behind “Buffy the Vampire
Slayer,” “Angel” and “Firefly.” He also wrote and directed
the first “Avengers” movie, and is filling the same roles in
“Avengers 2.”
The gang from "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. |
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” picks up
after the original “Avengers” movie. To have a full grasp of
what's going on in the TV series, you need to see the movie. I
suspect, though, that even without the plot background the movie
provides, one can enjoy the TV series.
Clark as Coulson. |
Clark Gregg reprises his role of Phil
Coulson from the movie to lead a squad of agents and brainiacs in
defeating the bad guys. They have a super plane that whisks them from
adventure to adventure. The six-person team is loaded with diverse
personalities and talents.
Chloe Bennet. |
Like Whedon's previous shows, “A of
S” is loaded with drama and humor. I'd watch even if the women
weren't stunningly attractive – I am a guy after all. Ming-Na Wen,
playing agent and pilot of the plane Melinda May, and Chloe Bennet,
playing bad-girl-turned-good Skye, are simply fun to watch.
“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” airs at 8
p.m. Eastern, Tuesdays on ABC.
A show that I continue to record and
watch only because I can is “Hawaii Five-0” on CBS. Its only
relationship to the original series starring Jack Lord as Steve
McGarrett is that some of the characters have the same names, and it
takes place in Hawaii.
Jack Lord and James MacArthur as the original Steve and Dano. |
True: The original series wouldn't pass
muster as entertainment today, but the current series is more of a
cartoon than the “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” that is part of the
Marvel Comics franchise. Any law enforcement agency could probably
put away the bad guys if it could behave as these guys do. In no way
constrained by rules and regulations, they trample suspects
rights at every turn. It isn't just an elite law-enforcement agency;
it is a rogue department permitted to do whatever needs doing to put
someone behind bars, or in the ground.
Moreover, there always must be a story
arc involving some member of the group that has nothing to do with
the agency's crook-catching. This season it seems the personal
subplot has Kona – played by Grace Park – on the lamb with her
boyfriend, who also happens to have ties to the Hawaiian mob. It's
just silly.
OK, I know, I know, it's TV, which is
why I still record it. But I have probably five or six episodes
stacked up on my recorder because it is absolutely the last thing I
watch when I have a choice.
Mike Rowe. |
Oh, and here is one more: “How Booze
Built America.” I guess this show actually debuted last year on the
Discovery Channel. I just found reruns of it on the Military Channel.
It's a three-episode series about the part that booze played in the
founding and history of the U.S. It stars “Dirty Jobs” star Mike
Rowe. If you can find it, it's well worth the total three hours you
will spend watching.
Karl Urban. |
Oh, and still one more: “Almost
Human” premieres tonight and Monday night on Fox. Produced by J.J.
Abrams (“Fringe,” “Lost,” “Revolution” and the two most
recent “Star Trek” movies), it stars Karl Urban, who played Dr.
McCoy in the Abrams' Star Trek entries. I am really looking forward
to this series!
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