Small amount of TV babble

[jedi_of_urth]

This week there weren’t that many shows during the week for me to comment on but starting this weekend several more of the shows I plan to watch are back.

Agents of SHEILD 1x01

This didn’t quite get off to the start I was hoping for, but I’ll be sticking with it for a while. It has potential, but most of the characters are pretty bland at this point (I kind of like May, and the science duo are quirky bland at least); especially Blandy McBlanderton as the lead action guy, could he be more bland? Even that could improve, but damn was I uninterested in him. The fact that most of the character development went to the guest star in the pilot is not something I think was a smart move. Pilots should give us a reason to want to keep watching, not an interesting guest star/semi-villain and leave the main stuff for later.

I want there to be more Maria Hill, although I accept that she won’t be a regular with HIMYM still going on, but a couple scenes every few episodes would be nice. And the fact that they probably won’t be able to afford any of the other Avengers actors may get kind of annoying. And I’m wondering how they’re going to treat some of the other Marvel properties that aren’t directly part of the Avengers movie verse, particularly things like the X-men as mutant affairs would be would be something SHEILD (the show) could get a lot of mileage out of dealing with.

Anyway, I’m still largely hopeful for this show overall, but seeing it has woken me up to a few of the problems it could have, many of which it seemed to already have.


Parks & Rec 6x01-02

As great as this show was to marathon watch, I’m not sure I have the patience for it going week to week. A lot of shows, and sitcoms in particular are that way for me, I enjoy them more when I’m immersed in them than dipping in on a TV schedule. That said, it remains cute and fun and I liked the episode. I didn’t love it but I suspect that’s a combination of factors over it being just okay because there were parts I really liked.

I do however, have little to say about it.

Comments

[faith5by5-1013.livejournal.com]

Blandy McBlanderton as the lead action guy, could he be more bland?

*agrees completely*

I love Parks and Rec, but I agree that it's better when marathon-ed. I think that's true about pretty much every show, but comedies especially. I think even the best comedies are wildly inconsistent and marathon waching makes them seem less so.

[jedi_of_urth]

I think that's true about pretty much every show,

I do think that's true, but some shows still hold their own when spread out, while it's death to other shows. I keep thinking I should hold back on shows like Revenge because I know that marathoning it makes a huge difference, but if it's out there I feel the need to be watching it. But comedies do tend to end up that way even more than a lot of other type shows.

[faith5by5-1013.livejournal.com]

Very true. There are some shows that I enjoy watching week to week, but I just enjoy them more when I binge-watch them. And there are others that are really frustrating or boring if I watch them as they air, but marathoning makes them enjoyable.

if it's out there I feel the need to be watching it.

I have the same problem.

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

especially Blandy McBlanderton as the lead action guy, could he be more bland?

Haha, I agree. Still, it's only the first episode, I'm sure we'll get to see more of all the characters.

[jedi_of_urth]

I just think it's a weird choice for the pilot to focus so little on the characters we'll be expected to watch week after week. It might have worked with something like the Torchwood pilot (to be fair, I'm not overly fond of the TV pilot either) where we didn't get a ton of feel for most of the cast but were introduced to the strange new world through the eyes of a new team member, but it didn't work as that either. It just...dropped us into things and gave little intensive to stick around. The action was mediocre, the characters bland, there were a few hints at possible story arcs to explore but nothing the invest in. I'm not giving up on it yet, but I'm unpleasantly surprised by some of the choices the pilot made as far as setting up the series and not encouraging.

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

I'm confused, when didn't it focus on the characters we'll be seeing week after week?

[jedi_of_urth]

I felt like J. August Richards' character got way more development and narrative focus than any of the show's regulars (I may not remember his name, but I don't remember Blandypants' either, nor can I remember which is Fitz and which is Simmons); which is why I say it might have worked if he'd been intended to be part of the team and we were going to see things from his POV for a bit, with the others becoming less interchangeable 'guys in suits' as he and we got to know them, but he was only listed as a guest star.

[wheatear.livejournal.com]

Was he the superhero guy? You mean he's not a regular??? I thought for sure we'd see him again.

[jedi_of_urth]

Yeah him. I'm hoping he'll show up again, but he only listed as a guest star...maybe a special guest star, but not a regular, no.