Vegas S01E01 (CBS, 2012)

I have fond memories of Michael Mann's Crime Story.  I have images of death and mayhem seared into my brain from Nicholas Pileggi's work.  Vegas' leads were neither here nor there for me - much as I enjoyed Michael Chiklis in The Shield, and Dennis Quaid in Inner Space, Enemy Mine, Traffic.

Sooo why did I try this show?  I missed Longmire, I guess.

Having name-checked Crime Story, Goodfellas, The Shield, and Traffic, how does Vegas fare?  Not exactly riveting television.  Nothing here that either Longmire or Justified isn't already doing damn well. 

Okay.  Not awful.  Kinda interesting.


But I think I'll give it another ep.

Revolution S01E01 (NBC, 2012)

Besides the usual face-checking - "It's the investigator from The Good Wife!" and "Gus!  We've missed you!" - a post-apocalyptic show seemed a nice idea to try.

After a concise prologue of pre-Black Out life (y'know, life as we know it in, like, real life), the show cuts mercifully to fifteen years later and a bucolic life on a farm.

Beside me, a voice wondered, "Their clothes are quite tidy and fashionable for fifteen years without machines."  I ignored the voice.

A little further into the story - the journey of our heroine and friends to Chicago - the voice piped up again:  "So, wow:  a day and night's walk to the city of Chicago.  Were they in the 'burbs the whole time?"  I silently counted to ten in Latin and focussed on the cathode ray tube.

After a face-off and not-exactly-all-that-swashbuckling fight, the voice began, "This is -"

I turned on the voice's owner:  "Boring?  I agree.  For a guy who's got a rep for being really good at killing he's taking an awfully long time.  Is it supposed to show that he's a little out of practice?  Or that killing takes effort?  I don't know."

"And what's with -"

"The Black Out?  Does it affect only electrical appliances/machinery?  It would appear so.  Then what about diesel engines?  And steam-powered engines?"

"And -"

"And what about all the candles they have going?  I strongly suspect the lighting department needed it."

Those and many more questions and answers excuses point to what I found so wanting in this show:  it's network television.  Our band of heroes are incredibly telegenic - the lead keeps making me flash on Twilight and Hunger Games, and there's a NOT TAYLOR LAUTNER in there for good measure.  The dystopian world is awfully friendly- maybe I've just taken on board far too much of the hopelessness of The Walking Dead and The Road.  And those clothes - they're so stylish.  And the questions about the apparent inconsistencies of the Black Out - which I presume will be very Lost in it's ambiguity and mythical mysterious unknowability.

It's network television.  I... don't think I'll watch any more.

The Bletchley Circle - Debrief

Wow.

After the hideous disappointments of The Shadow Line and The Line of Duty, this period piece of detective work from four post-World War II women was a revelation and example of what can be achieved if one applies intelligence, logic and common sense to a show.

I want another season - but I know that that will only ruin what this show has achieved:  satisfying, intelligent detective drama that is truthful to its characters, period and place.  A second season will only take it into Miss Marple territory.

I'm going to give my Gramma an extra hug after this.

Last Resort S01E01 (ABC, 2012)

I will watch anything by Shawn Ryan.  Except another ep of Terriers.  Or his work on Nash Bridges.  He was part of a primo writers room on Buffy the Vampire Slayer so that show is safe.  And I'm pretty sure I watched some Chicago Code last year but I have NO RECOLLECTION OF THAT SHOW.

Yeah, you guessed it:  I'm a MASSIVE The Shield fan.  Massive.  Huge.  Own the set.  Bought the set AT GREAT PERSONAL FINANCIAL COST because I was such a HUGE MASSIVE FUCKING FAN.

So OF COURSE I try Last Resort and, first few minutes jitters aside, and a little face-checking of various people I've seen in earlier Ryan shows (forgot to mention The Unit), and this show actually becomes damned interesting.  I don't think Martin Campbell was such a great choice for director as the various plots were just so humdrum for so long that it was really just a waiting-for-the-fourth-act kind of game for SHIT TO COME TOGETHER.

Which they did.  And this is a pretty interesting show.  I think the Stateside stories are a little boring but maybe as the shadowy puppet masters begin to take shape through whatever they do, I might pay a little more attention.

So this is nice.  I'll try another ep.

Downton Abbey - Season 3

When God closes one door, she always opens another.

Good Cop S01E01-02 (BBC, 2012)

I'm neither a fan nor a hater on lead Warren Brown.  His work in Occupation and Single Father was... solid.  He played well with the others in the ensemble that is the first, and was a sympathetic enough cuckold in the second.

The pilot was interesting enough with a Tricky theme opening, it had an okay "how-we-got-here" device, and overall had promise with Brown, Tricky and an intriguing premise of "What kinda copper is Brownie?"

Alas, the second ep was rubbish.  Rubbish rubbish rubbish.  Fifteen minutes I was throwing things at the box and screeching, "PLEASE GOD CAN SOMETHING FUCKING HAPPEN NOW?"until my better half told me to STFU.

This pile of bollocks can join The Shadow Line in the corner over there.

Blimmin' heck.

The Bletchley Circle S01E01 (ITV, 2012)

My limit for wimmin detectives is Miss Marple.

I think the last US show I watched with a female 'tec was... Profiler. No, wait: it was Cold Case. No, wait a minute - it was The Closer. No, wait wait wait: ....

The lame point I'm trying to make is that all the US shows have pretty Californian(-type) blondes. They're interchangeable. The Bletchley Circle, God bless the Beeb UK telly, has real-life looking women. With brains. And common sense.

This is worth a gander. And based on the strength of the pilot, worth more than Vera and its silly writing (which has been renewed for a third season FOR FUCK'S SAKE).

Breaking Bad S05E01-08

Oh boy.

That was worth holding off on.  Averaged over two episodes a night and then BANG that was fucking IT.

 
Until next year.

Tell me:  how is a season that's SPLIT OVER TWO FUCKING YEARS still one fucking season?

I blame the poxy Weinsteins for starting this money-grubbing tactic.