We've all
experienced that agonizing moment when you have to decide whether to delete the
latest episodes of True Blood or The Walking Dead, in order to record the
season finale of Boardwalk Empire. It's a horrible position to find yourself
in, but things aren't about to get any easier. American TV shows are taking
over the world, and A-list movie stars are jumping on the bandwagon in favour
of strong character arcs, the chance to explore new mediums, and of course, the
comfort and security of a regular pay check.
You can check out my TV past in part one just here. In part
two we'll be exploring ten of the twenty shows that are currently rocking my
world. A lot of shows are missing, of course. I have yet to sample the delights
of Justified, Banshee and Entourage. Besides, there are so many ways to catch
up with the latest drama, the need to tune in every week has become a thing of
the past. It may have resulted in a need to add spoiler alerts to our lunchtime
discussions at work, but at least we're free to discover shows at our own pace. Talking of which...
Top 20: The Present
20/ Under the Dome
In all honesty, Under the Dome has failed to set my world on
fire thus far. Under the Dome is blessed with an intriguing concept
- a mysterious invisible dome traps a community inside as the rest of the world
looks on - but has failed to captivate me in the way that it should. Based on a
Stephen King novel, Brian K. Vaughan's lightweight creation feels too mechanical
and small in scope, from the generic characters to the scenario-of-the-week
format that plagues one too many TV shows. Much like the residents of Chester
Mill, there are signs of promise struggling to break free, but I'd be surprised
if the show wasn't cancelled before the end of season two.
19/ Grimm
Grimm is a police procedural fantasy television drama
inspired by Grimm's Fairy Tales, created by the makers of Buffy the
Vampire Slayer and Angel. Season four is currently airing in both America and the UK but I've
yet to start season two. Season one, however, was a lot of fun. The characters
are a little older than their counterparts, but Grimm shares a lot of
similarities with its siblings, even if the demonic CGI effects take a little
getting used to. The first series borrows heavily from the fairytales on which
it's based and there's fun to be had watching the stories play out with a
contemporary spin. The characters haven't won me over entirely but the show
definitely has legs, and the growing mythology should allow for plenty of depth. I'll be catching up with season two in
the near future, that's if the other 19 shows on the list don't mind.
18/ Bates Motel
A contemporary spin of Psycho sounds like the worst idea in
the history of bad ideas, but there's something about Bates Motel that warrants
attention. Perhaps it's the casting of Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates.
Highmore nails the awkward, twitchy Bates persona, and Vera Farmiga is no less
impressive as Mother, despite some yo-yoing character traits. The show does
have its problems, issues that the writers will have to eradicate if they're to
prevent us from going 'a little mad sometimes'.
Norman Bates is far too popular
with the ladies of White Pine Bay and who would've thought that Norma would be so damn hot? No wonder Norman has mother
issues. There are signs that the writers don't know what to do with this, and
seeing as we already know where the story is going, they will do well to keep
the show from losing its edge. However, season one could've and should've been
a lot less appealing. All in all, Mother isn't quite herself today, but she'll
certainly do for now.
17/ Person of Interest
Person of Interest
revolves around a former CIA officer (Jim Caviezel) recruited
by a mysterious billionaire (Michael Emerson) to prevent violent crimes in New
York City. It has a unique hook, one that could've proved a little too
gimmicky, but thankfully Person of Interest is a fast-paced, action-packed
drama series that holds your attention throughout. I've still not convinced that
Caviezel is the strongest of leads, but fortunately for fans of the series, John
Reese isn't asked to show much emotion, which should suit Caviezel just fine.
Emerson however, is as captivating here as he was in Lost. Season three is
currently airing in America, with the U.K. playing catch-up on season two.
Season one showed signs of great promise though. The case-of-the-week format
could have grown tiresome, but the mystery of the machine's origin, coupled with
Emerson's shady past, provide a spark of longevity that should prevent us from
losing interest.
16/ Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Expectation is a bitch. Of all the shows that started this
year, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D was by far the most anticipated. Not only
is it a continuation of the Avengers universe, a place we all like to call
home, but it also marks the return to small screen peril for Joss Whedon. Buffy
and Angel were big hits for Joss, but the shows that followed - Firefly and
Dollhouse - struggled to find both an audience and a patient TV network.
There's a lot of pressure on S.H.I.E.L.D. so it's easy to see why people have
been disappointed by early episodes. However, the writing is smart, relevant
and funny, and the large ensemble - Whedon wouldn't have it any other way - is
mostly engaging. Particularly Sky (Chloe Bennett) and her foxy wardrobe.
Back-story. I mean back-story. There's a lot of potential here so let's hope
the show gets the chance it deserves. Besides, even the chosen one didn't have Samuel
L. Jackson to fall back on. Will the curse of Whedon strikes again? It's already lasted longer than Firefly, but we won't go there just yet. I'm still angry.
15/ Arrow
It was only a matter of time before the superhero bandwagon
rolled onto our TV screens. Arrow isn't the only small screen adventure for
spandex loving crime-fighters, but it is the first to capitalise on the big
screen success of The Avengers. Arrow is based on the fictional superhero Green
Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter who appears in comic books published by DC
Comics.
Which means we can expect to see the occasional big name cameo in episodes
to come; The Flash is already finding his feet in series two. At first glance
Arrow comes on like a cross between The O.C. and Batman, complete with moody
protagonist and glossy exterior. Further probing reveals a darker, more adult
friendly tone. Some of the characters are superficial, and the soap opera
trimmings do clash with the potent violence at times, but Arrow remains a
rollercoaster ride of high adventure. Blessed with solid production values,
great action choreography and of course, Felicity Smoak, who puts the 'S' in Supergirl.
14/ Ray Donovan
It's early days for Showtime's coolest crime drama, but evidence suggests that they may have something special on their hands.
The show takes place in Los Angeles, where Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) is a
"fixer" for the law firm Goldman & Drexler, which represents the
rich and famous. Ray experiences his own problems when his father, Mickey
Donovan (Jon Voight), is unexpectedly released from prison and FBI agents try
to bring them down.
Voight is exceptional, as is Schreiber, and Ray Donovan has
garnered comparisons to hit show The Sopranos. High praise indeed. Both seasons are compulsive viewing; fearless, rewarding and unafraid of exploring
the vicious underbelly of L.A. life. The characters are fascinating, each and
every one of them, and the themes of family, resentment, loyalty and fear kept
me glued to my TV screen. It'll be interesting to see where they go from here,
because both season one and season two tied things up pretty nicely. There are several roads the
writers can go down, this is L.A. after all, and with Voight and Schreiber
leading the charge, we'll be with them every step of the way.
13/ Homeland
The first season of Homeland - which stars Claire Danes as
a C.I.A. officer with bipolar disorder, and Damian Lewis as
a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper who was held captive by al-Qaeda as
a prisoner of war, and may or may not have been "turned" by the
enemy - is one of the most thrilling TV experiences of all time. The twists, turns
and performances were fantastic, and the 'is he/isn't he?' debate kept us on
tenterhooks throughout.
Season two wasn't as compulsive to me, and I do wonder
whether they should have called it a day after the first season wrapped, but
there was more than enough to keep me infused. Claire Danes in particular, who
was difficult to watch at times as she struggled to cope with her mental
illness, career and so called (love) life. Both Lewis and Mandy Patinkin - as
Carrie's mentor Saul - were also strong, but despite moments of high tension
and a devastating climax, the longer the series went on the more I felt it lost
its way. Season three has failed to reignite our interest, and it's becoming
increasingly obvious that there might be a loose wire. Maybe it's time to call
it a day? Oh wait, Season four is airing now. Is anybody still watching?
12/ The Following
The Following centres on former FBI agent
Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) and his attempts to recapture serial killer Joe
Carroll (James Purefoy) following the latter's escape from prison. Hardy soon
discovers that the charismatic Carroll has surrounded himself with a group of
like-minded individuals (which he met while teaching and while in prison), and
turned them into a cult of fanatical killers. Graphically violent and
disturbing at times, The Following was created by horror maestro Kevin Williamson
(Scream).
There are times when implausibility rears its ugly head, but this is,
after all, a well-orchestrated horror series, so we'll forgive the writers for
the occasional dip into genre convention. Like all good horror yarns it's also
scary, and gratuitous violence helps stem the tide of wayward plotting. Bacon
and Purefoy are a joy to watch, and it's their 'blossoming' relationship that
will keep me coming back for more. Season two put me off book stores for life. Like I needed any excuse to wait for the movie adaptation...
11/ Hannibal
Based
on characters created by Thomas Harris in the novel Red Dragon, Hannibal hopes
to shed some light (and plenty of darkness) on the relationship between Dr.
Hannibal Lecter and FBI investigator Will Graham. Fuller intends to make seven
seasons of the crime thriller, with the first three taking place before the
events of Red Dragon. Seasons four, five and six will cover the books in the
series, and season seven will bring Hannibal's story to a satisfactory
conclusion.
That might seem like a long way off, but if the quality of the
first season is anything to go by, Hannibal has a long and illustrious future
on small screen TV. Mikkelson (Lecter) is electrifying, Dancy (Graham) is
enigmatic, and together they embark on a dark and disturbing journey. There's fun to be had in the way that Lecter
manipulates his victims, not least Graham, who's struggling to connect the
pieces of his own fragmented mind, let alone the latest serial killings.
Hannibal does get lost in the darkness at times, but for the most part this is
a haunting, surreal nightmare with twisted visuals and gruesome imagery. If
nothing else, the amount of serial killers loose in the United States will
surprise you. Which should ensure the lambs are screaming for some time to come. AW
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