NBC Mondays, Week 3 Review

NBC Mondays, Week 3 Review

So, the shows have gotten a chance to finish warming up. I'm happy to report, I think it was a good thing. The stride has been hit, and they're all starting to get fun.

First off, Chuck.

Wow, this show is so amazing. So stupid, yet so amazing. This is what pointless comedy is all about. I still find the action parts to be just silly and vaguely annoying (although it kind of works when everyone is shooting in random directions and stuff is breaking, but only because that's more like comedy, anyways). But, man, I totally dig Chuck. He's so awesome. He's the perfect mixture of useless comic relief and charisma. You can't help but like him, even as he complains about always being in danger and being useless and having no free will and not truly dating the hot spy and the list goes on.

The girl is cool, too, I guess. It's hard to know what she sees in him, since intuitively it should be very much in her best interest not to get attached to him (but that might be thinking a little bit more than the show is prepared for, although it seems like any thinking would be more than this show is prepared for). But, well, what can you do, the show's whole concept is a twelve-year olds' wish fulfillment, and that wish requires the hot spy to mysteriously fall in love with the protagonist against all reason (especially against all reason, it's just more romantic that way, or something).

And, of course, the Buy More. I heart. His team of nerds, only slightly encumbered by the presence of his friend (who provides funny, but relatively unnecessary comic relief, considering that the main character is already our source of comic relief, but whatever), elevate everything about this show. Also, watching Jayne mistreat his fellow workers is an extra special level of awesome.

My highlight so far: Watching Chuck tango...as a follow.

Heroes Season 2

So, things are moving along. Mohinder is finally realizing that he's in over his head, which I'm pretty sure the entire audience knew from early last season, but it's nice to know that this really intelligent dude is finally catching up with us. DL is dead, which basically sucks major ass. Nicki is totally boring without her husband, so I'm back to not caring about her (Oh wait, did I ever care about her? Hmm, no, it's always been about DL and the kid). Although, I can't help but be intrigued by the old voodoo looking lady she dropped the kid off with (I'm still pulling for them to go to NYC, so that he can hang out with Molly, since we could totally see the sparks of young love flying).

Let's see, the pretty boy who can fly is going from kind of potentially cool, to totally lame. Not only does he repeat a power, but he repeats it with really weak special effects. I liked Claire's last boy toy a lot more. In other news, still no Kristen Bell. I just keep waiting...and waiting.

Hiro continues to allow himself to be distracted by a pretty face in the distant past, so that story doesn't seem to be progressing. I'm still waiting for Hiro to face down a dinosaur, since that would just be awesome. Otherwise, he's kind of disappointing me.

Which brings us to the two characters that matter. Peter Patrelli and Sylar. First off, I'm struggling to get over Peter's hair. It makes him look so militant. I liked it a lot more last season. Also, in all honesty, no one needs the most powerful mutant in existence right now, so he can go around helping Irish people rob each other and I don't mind. He'll get back to saving the world, I just know it.

And, Sylar. Poor Sylar. People really make a lot of effort to keep him alive. I'm always amazed by that. I swear, no one else gets nearly as much care (DL, would be a case in point, except that he's black so no one's really surprised they got rid of him). But, whatever, Sylar's okay. Now the question on all our minds can only be: is he still in the illusion? I think yes, which is why he still can't use his powers. Or, maybe he is on an isolated island for unknown reasons and also with really lazy special effects. Jeez, guys, what's the deal with the weak effects? I'm not asking for much, just for the trees not to look painted (poorly).

So, yeah, we're still waiting to really find out where they're going with this (the whole, who is hunting down the old heroes line is totally boring since the total number of living, likable old heroes is pretty darn close to zero, unless they want to start adding characters, which they probably do, now that I think about it). I'm all for killing off the useless old people who tried to cause all those problems last season, anyways. And bring back Christopher Eccleston, because he is awesome, and obviously he's hurting for work, since he was in that The Dark is Rising movie.

Highlight so far: Peter Patrelli. All the time.

Journeyman

So, I admit, I'm starting to warm up to it. Is it illogical? Probably. Is it intelligent? Not really. Is it challenging? Not yet. Are the characters particularly likable? No, definitely not. You know what other show I watch that fits those descriptions? That would be Battlestar Galactica. At least it thinks it's challenging. And it has Adama. On the other hand, Journeyman has Moon Bloodgood (possibly the most ridiculously awesome name for a female of all time). To which BSG would respond with Grace Park, and then Journeyman would bow down to the victor and commit seppuku, but that's not the point.

Now, I guess, we know that Moon (have I mentioned that name is awesome) has the same power as Dan (the protagonist), and so she did not die when everyone assumed she did. Instead, she's been going around through time for the last, long while. Now that he's traveling too, they can be buddies (right...buddies...yeah). I'm still waiting for her to be useful during one of the trips, but that's probably asking too much.

Anyways, I have one primary problem with the show. Dan thinks he can do it! He seriously thinks he can hold his life together and randomly disappear, for hours, days at a time. I mean, if that isn't a self delusion, I don't know what is. Luckily, he has the writers on his side, because if there wasn't that chain tying him to the present, then this show would be even more derivative than it already is.

Is it bad that I want him to just give up on the present? Become a hero and dedicate whatever is left of that hopeless life to helping the people that some mysterious higher power has decided are worth more than your own life (and, eventually become completely depressed by the futility of it all, and disappear into the ether or finish the tasks and be allowed to regain control of your destiny).

Personally, I have to say that easily the most interesting part of the show, now, is his interactions with Moon. Since this whole time traveling thing is the only reason she gets to be alive at all (if you want to be kind enough to call it living, which is generous considering that your life is really just making sure others live), I hope to find her outlook interesting.

So far, she's just disappointed that the woman he married instead of her is, like, an order of magnitude less hot and also more annoying. Although, I think I'd be kind of pissed about that too. It's like finding out that this person you were able to impress actually has no standards at all, and then wondering if maybe you were as bad as this new person and you just didn't know it (or maybe you were even worse).

So, yeah, I'm still watching. I'm not totally sure why. The longer he goes while still holding onto the life that is running through his fingers, the more frustrated I'll get, and maybe I'll finally give up, but not yet.

Highlight so far: Dan's wife finding the watch he give Moon in his jacket pocket. I couldn't help but smile (even though I had seen him forget his jacket where she could search it, and so knew she would find it). What can I say, I'm a terrible person.

That is all.

Francis