The case for the case

Since it seems I'm giving insomnia another spin, I might as well get this one out too:

I've recently found myself defending Dollhouse on several fronts (friends, reputable sites, etc.). Or rather: distancing myself from it outwardly, while trying to diffuse - and hopefully invalidate - the criticisms in my own head. Finally, after seing this, obviously sympathetic, strip, and reading the accompanying commentary, I asked myself: what do I really think about the show? Do I truly sort of like it already? Or is it just a kneejerk reaction, springing from some bizarre loyalty to Joss Whedon? Maybe I'm simply unable to acknowledge this apparently obvious suckage?

The answer came fairly quickly: I will keep watching it - and not as an "expression of gratitude" for his previous works, but simply because a lot of the "other things I can do with my Goddamn television" aren't really worth doing. There's just too much stuff out there, and I'm really tired of endlessly wading through shit to find something memorable. In a world where even the most promising concepts (Psychic bumpkins? Vampires in Louisiana? HBO? Yay!) can turn into borderline hilarious soft porn when made flesh, groping blindly has lost a lot of its allure. So I'm gonna stick with Whedon until Dollhouse gets cancelled, just like I'm probably gonna stick with whatever the guys who made The Wire or Slings and Arrows do next. I just like my chances better with them.

State of the Series

The Dollhouse premiere actually exceeded my expectations. I was very cautiously optimistic, and consciously trying to contain my enthusiasm ever since reports came out about Fox pushing to lighten the noir tone, simplify the setting, and move towards stand-alone, "action-packed" episodes. It turned out the tone was by no means light, and there were a lot of hints at future plot arcs. Also: it actually kind of kicked ass. Nothing stellar, but as far as pilot episodes go - I thought it was a really good one. I already like the cast. Eliza managed pretty ok, and I'm curious how she'll handle the concept (and secretly hoping she'll knock my socks off). The striking main boss lady is pretty awesome. As for Tahmoh*... I thought the sequence with his twin, interwoven confrontations was the best part of the whole thing. Then I remembered I was actually really annoyed by a pretty similar bit in the season premiere of Damages. I'm still not entirely sure if the source of this discrepancy lies in Whedon's superior use of narrative, or his superior use of a half-naked, sweaty Helo.

Damages has lost its magic for me. I'm annoyed by William Hurt (whom I usually like), I roll my eyes at the overwrought construction I used to admire so much, I suddenly start seeing hints of Al Pacino's school of overacting in Glenn Close's performance, and worst of all it turns out I actually don't like Timothy Olyphant when he's not playing the dealer in Go. Marcia Gay Harden's cool, I'll give them that. And I'll keep watching, but I am awestruck no more.

Battlestar Galactica has managed to be engaging and thrilling for three episodes in a row now, which is something to behold. I'm once again really curious as to what's going to happen next. And the Spoiler-Free Gender Neutral Blond Person really impressed me with their acting. My only complaint is the absurd Cylon resin plot point in the last ep. Why was it even an issue? A week ago the old guy was ready to forcibly replace the fleet's FTL drives with Cylon technology, but now he's all freaked out by resin?! Also: shortest crisis ever. If they really just needed something to fill the last 3 minutes with, why not just invent a reason for Helo to get naked? Have you seen that Dollhouse scene?

The Office had a streak of 2 or 3 laugh-out-loud funny episodes, but has now returned to the land of the lukewarm giggle. I'll still be watching it, but it's no longer my Bedtime Comfort Series. Not by a long shot.

That title was somehow usurped by Ugly Betty. I've stopped trying to understand my relationship with the series - I don't love it, I don't feel like I need to keep watching it, but doing so before going to sleep somehow always sends me to a happy place. And it still has some killer lines every once in a while.

Speaking of killer lines - 30 Rock. Some episodes are better, some are worse, but I learned that no matter how flat some of the stuff falls, there's always this one line,that makes it all worth it (in the last episode it was "How dare you say that in front of the statue of Saint Lucia - the patron saint of judgmental statues!" which, believe it or not, is infinitely more funny when delivered by Salma Hayek). I've reconciled myself with the fact that some people just don't get 30 Rock, and that it does not necessarily make them retarded. It's very wit-oriented, and sacrifices a lot (plausibility, character depth, emotion, you name it) for the opportunity to show off its writers' one-liners. But that sort of cerebral, good-on-paper humor is right up my alley, so it remains my favorite comedy currently on tv.

Speaking of which, the 3rd episode of United States of Tara was absolutely hilarious. If they keep this up, I'm totally falling in love with this show. The slightly risque tone reminds me of the first season of Weeds (as opposed to the "shock" overkill of the second season, or any given episode of... *gag* Californication).

Finally, Mad Men. Ohhh Mad Men, how I... yeah, I got nothing. One episode it's like someone just took some white-out to an hour of my life, and then something like 2x11 (The Jet Set) comes along and I'm slack-jawed with adoration. If that's even a thing. Seriously, the Californian part of that episode was like a Flemish masterpiece. I never wanted it to end. So yeah, once again I'm mesmerized. I wonder how long it'll last this time.

And I think that's that. I still have a backlog of Big Love to get through, but apart from that - I'm all up to date.

* You better believe I'm gonna link this photo every chance I get