I don’t aspire to be glued to a bed or a couch watching television. No, really, I do not. Sometimes, gems fall in your lap and you have to add to the DVR list. That list, in essence, becomes the true viewing anchor. Of course, on a side note, many DVR’d shows have sailed on to irrelevant status (like Blade), but most make the weekly list.
With that said, I did not want to add another show. I mean, I love good and bad television, but I’m swamped. I don’t want to sound like television is so important that it can actually “swamp” someone, but it is fun and worth being entertained by…
… I’m just babbling.
I’ve added a new show on a B-status. The shows I have now are all A-status (except maybe for Supernatural. Despite the last episode being the most fun in a long time, I feel like I’m forcing it more than naturally enjoying it.)
I’m adding Bones to the schedule. This should air on Wednesdays at 8pm. It’s perfect. Now that the season of Beauty and the Geek is done, there’s an opening during that timeslot.
After having Discs 1-3 of Season 1 sitting next to the TV unopened (from Netflix) for weeks, I finally made time to watch them during this past 3-day weekend. I did watch part of the pilot when it first aired, but I guess it wasn’t interesting enough for me to stay on. Disc 1 had episodes 1-4. The Pilot was solid as an introduction of our two leads, their supporting cast, and the formula of the show. The rest of disc 1 was interesting, but I seriously considered not watching the other discs in order to get a fresh batch of whatever else I could find on Netflix. Yet, the stories and episodes picked up in Disc 2.
Here are my Cons and Pros for the show.
CONS:
- the mystery formula. Yes, VMars is a 1-hour mystery show in the mold of CSI and Law and Order, but crime scene investigation and uber-cool gadgets gets old. The strange thing was after a few episodes that broke the mold, I was hoping a bit for the crime investigation angle. It does get predictable in its unpredictability. Meaning, you expect twists so you throw away obvious culprits as red herrings. Plus, the way Booth (David Boreanz) says something completely unrelated and then Brennan makes a connection to the investigation ploy gets old quickly.
- Sometimes questionable dialogue. This is self-explanatory, but sometimes there are some lines that need to be re-thought and re-written. I noticed this more in the earlier episodes that in the last.
- High gag-factor. I honestly decided to NOT eat while watching this show because some of the visuals are just that.. uh.. unappetizing. And I don’t get disinterested in eating very often.
- Too smart for me. Sometimes, the technical-speak does get in the way because I do get lost in what the heck they are saying – or at least, what Temperence Brennan (Emily Deschanel) is saying.
PROS:
- the more often times fun dialogue: this show is definitely a scientific investigation show first and foremost. Running quickly in second is a funny show. There is witty banter among all of the cast members, each character has a substantial identify on their own, and they all FIT together. They’re not forced. This is the highlight of the show for me.
- Brennan and Booth. They are very well-developed leads and the two actors Deschanel and Boreanz built a chemistry very early. I’m not big on the sexual tension, but their relationship that wavers from true supporting partners to ideaological antagonists works.
- The supporting Supports. The supporting characters of Brennan’s archaeology boss, Angela, Hodgins, and Zack are all fun and complex characters. They definitely received more stage time during Disc 3 and they are fun to watch in their expertise and also in their relationships with each other.
- Deepness not darkness. The stories have been interesting so far, most of them at least. The topics that have been covered have been heavy at times and also have explored social issues. The show is definitely not relying on glamour to tell its stories or ridiculous quirks no matter how well those are used in CSI:
- Brennan. I already mentioned her as a very well-developed lead, but I had to double that. Emily Deschanel does a really good job of portraying Brennan’s complex emotional state. She’s deeply warm and human despite simultaneously being coldly scientific. The writers do a good job at portraying her social ineptitude especially in terms of pop-culture. “I don’t know what that means” is her catch-phrase. It’s always a hoot to hear it.
There are probably more things to add to both lists, but I don’t want to dissect this show to scientifically. Yes, you’re supposed to laugh there. It is a fun show, period. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, though it does try to make its characters sincere. There’s always something going on and the ongoing character development is touching without being forced.
Okay. I think I’m adding it to A-status.
(SIDEnotes: I’m excited about The Black Donnellys. Interested in Painkiller Jain. I removed Dresden Files from the list. It’s not bad, but it’s not requiring my time.)
