Time to talk TV shows again. I like to do that every now and again and I haven’t since last fall. As I write this summer is about to begin so let me think back on what I was watching this past winter and spring.
Agents of SHIELD – This is the only Marvel or DC TV show that I watch. A lot of my comic book friends don’t like it but I do. I hear complaints that it’s too mundane but that’s why I like it. It’s mostly a cop/spy show with some occasional super-stuff thrown in. That’s more up my alley than super-hero stuff so it suits me fine. This season had a few main stories going on and I liked them all. Ghost Riders, killer robots, and virtual reality. Fine by me.
Legion – I just remembered this Marvel-based show that I watched and enjoyed too. It was only a ten episode season so it slipped my mind. It was about a mutant with mental powers that thought he was mad. A group of other mutants who were trying to stay off the radar of a secret anti-mutant group were trying to help him out. The main problem I had with the show was that the first episode was very skip-able. Thing didn’t get good until episode two. It was a beautifully filmed show. A lot of shows I half watch but this one held my attention from start to finish with it’s beautiful visuals.
The Night Manager – A six part series that I watched on Amazon Prime. A spy story based on a novel. It was well done except that its first episode was also very skip-able. Other than that it had lots of tension plus some derring-do. I even watched the final fifteen minutes again a day after I finished watching the show just to see the payoff once more.
Chance – Hugh Laurie played the heavy in “The Night Manager” but in this Hulu show he was the hero. He was some kind of consulting brain doctor who got mixed up with a femme fatale and a crooked cop. It was a tense “Fish out of water and caught up in a world not his own” story. Ethan Suplee, who played the brother in “My Name is Earl” was good in it. A solid bit of entertainment.
Brockmire – A Hank Azaria half hour comedy with eight episodes. You’d better like some cursing and blue humor if you’re going to watch this baseball comedy. Hank is a disgraced baseball announcer who is trying to make a comeback by calling a minor league team’s games. Not even on the TV or radio he calls the games over the stadium’s PA system. It was dark and funny.
Nobodies – Another half hour comedy (twelve episodes) this time about three writers who write for a kids’ cartoon series trying to get a movie made. All three stars are from the “Groundlings” comedy troupe and other, more famous, members make appearances in the show. It’s a little bit “Inside Hollywood” but not too much so. It has a lot of wackiness that’s fun.
Training Day – I was enjoying this cop show based on the movie of the same name and then one of the stars of the show, Bill Paxton, up and died. It’s an odd thing watching a TV show after that happens. It’s tough not to think of the actor as a person at that point instead of the character he is playing. It was a pretty good show none the less and I enjoyed it. No second season for it though. I guess they didn’t want to retool it.
Red Oaks – Another Amazon show that takes place in 1985-1986 and is about a twenty year old who works at a country club and is trying to find himself. It started slow but I kept watching it and it grew on me. There are two seasons of ten episode each with a third season on the way. It’s a half hour slice-of-life coming of age story. It was good in the end.
Bones – This show finally ended after twelve seasons. I watched them all but kind of only with one eye the last few seasons. It was an okay final season if not spectacular.
Better Call Saul – I didn’t watch “Breaking Bad”, which this show is a prequel to, but I still like this show. It’s about a not very successful lawyer trying to get by. As I watch it I often wonder what I’m missing compared to people who have seen “Breaking Bad.” They all know the futures of these characters and so they know where they are headed and the ends of their story arcs. I’m along for the ride without knowing where it’s going. Strange.
The Blacklist – This show returned for its fourth season and I liked it. It’s another cop show but this time the FBI and a high profile criminal that’s informing for them. There was even a six episode spinoff series that wasn’t nearly as good as “The Blacklist.” The spinoff won’t be back for another season but this one will. I’ll keep watching.
Elementary – I like Sherlock Holmes stories. I like quirky detective shows in general and this show is good at both. It’ll be back for one last season next year and so will I.
Fargo – Another returning favorite comes back for its third season. This one turns the quirky detective genre up a notch by making almost everyone in the show quirky to some extent. It’s fun to follow along with the crazy twists and turns of the story.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine – The fourth season just finished up of this wacky police comedy and it still tickles my funny bone. It has a good ensemble cast and lots of laughs.
New Girl – A show I’ve found funny since the beginning and it hasn’t let up. Lots of crazy fast back and forth dialogue keeps me interested. Next year will be its last season and I’ll miss it when it’s gone.
There you go. What have you been watching?
Discussion ¬