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#Genre TV Round-Up#
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1. THE WALKING DEAD
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Everyone seems to love this show, and sure, the production values are
far above what we have become accustomed to from most genre tv shows,
and there the writers have made a considerable effort to give the
characters from some depth… but I’m really not loving it.
For one thing, none of the characters appeal to me at all. They’re all
so very bland and insipid. I mean, I never really warm to male
characters at the best of times, so my lack of regard for any of the
ones featured in this show is to be expected, but none of the women are
the least bit interesting, either. For the most part, the women just
sit around the camp, tending to cooking, cleaning, etc. and talking
about the “men folk.” I actually think that the show is trying to make
a point about progress made in gender equality having being reversed
because of apocalyptic events — namely the zombie outbreak. That’s
kinda clever, but without even one women to buck the trend, and take up
arms as a true badass (where is Michelle Rodriguez when you need her? )
there’s just nobody for me to take a liking to.
As such, I just resent it when the show spends any time trying to
develop these characters, or asking me to care for them. So far, the
highlight of the show for me was when their camp was unexpectedly
raided by a pack of zombies, and a number of characters were eaten as a
result. I only wish that the zombies had killed the lot of them, so
that the show could start fresh with better characters.
2. STARGATE UNIVERSE
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If it weren’t for the fact that I am so hard-up for a sci-fi set
onboard a ship (oh how I miss ye Star Trek… yes, even you, Voyager),
there is not a chance in hell that I would watch this show. It’s like a
cheap immitation of Battlestar Galactica, which was itself, a rather
wrteched production; especially towards the end. Like Battlestar
Galactica, it also shows signs of going in a religious direction;
meaning that I should probably jettison my escape pod sooner, rather
than later.
3. SUPERNATURAL
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After last season’s anti-climactic showdown between a peculiarly
powerless prince of darkness and his angelic nemesis, I did not think
that I would return to this show. As is so often the case, however, the
lack of good genre tv ultimately weakened my resolve, and I ended up
reluctantly sitting down to watch the first episode. If I thought I
could stop there, I was a fool, because this show is definitely expert
at hooking its viewers. It raises just enough tantalizing questions,
and promises just enough kick-ass encounters to keep you hanging out
until the next episode.
Despite never having cared about either of the main characters, or the
trials of their brotherly bonds, the show has always had enough of the
supernatural goods to make it worthwhile for an escapism-prone geek
like me. Unfortunately, anticipated pay-offs promised by various plot
arcs often don’t pan out, and there are always a good proportion of
filler episodes interspersed throughout each seasons run. I just hope
that this season, the writers will not take the lazy, or budget-saving,
way out.
4. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
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After the surprising awesomeness of the show’s first season, I had high
hope for season number two. So far, those high hopes have mostly gone
unfulfilled. In fact, I think that it’s only the attractive cast,
consisting of babes like Nina Dobrev, Candice Accola, and Katerina
Graham, that kept me going through some of thin gruel fed to the
audience thus far. Luckily, the show is just starting to get cool
again, with the introduction of some ancient vampires (and we all know
from The World of Darkness that the older the vampire, the more
powerful they are), and the promise of expanding the mythos beyond the
pitiful relationship dramas of the main characters.
5. LOST GIRL
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I came perilously close to rage-quitting this series after the 2nd ep,
where the show ends by having the main character — a succubus by the
name of ‘Bo’ — shack up with some over-muscled vampire douche. My
disappointment was all the more potent because I had such lofty
expectations of the show going in: how could a show about a bisexual
succubus _not_ be awesome? Well, by including the ‘guy’ part of being
bi, I guess.
Ultimately though, the allure of having a premise where race of diverse
and super-powered humanoids known as ‘Fae’ who are split in two
factions are are on the knife-edge of a war that would wipe out all of
mankind if it ever took place, proved too much for me, and I went
back. So far, I’m glad that I did, because the writing, casting,
plotting… everything is so well done. Plus, the Bo’s b/g roll in the
hay was mercifully brief, and non-explicit — unlike, for instance,
what I have endured while watching True Blood. Better yet, there was no
Buffy-esque lingering attachment on Bo’s part… she slept with the
guy, mainly to heal herself (yes, she feeds on carnal energies, or
something), and then that was it — well, mostly, anyway. Oh yeah, and
righ after that, she felt up a sexy (female) dean after infiltrating a
college, and encouraged her sidekick, Kenzi, to engage in some “pillow
fighting” with the sorority sisters she was investigating. Yum.
Speaking of Kenzi, she is pretty awesome, even though she declared an
exclusively androphilic orientation at the end of the first episode.
I’m willing to bet that Bo can break her down. Also, she’s played by
the exotically gorgeous Ksenia Solo, who gives me butterflies in my
stomach whenever she’s on screen. If my prediction is right, the
pairing between her and Anna Silk (Bo), will be very hot indeed.
6. FRINGE
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The scientist in me has to be buried deep under earth while watching
this show, or his screaming protestations at the absurdities contained
therein are far too distracting. With that done, however, it’s a very
enjoyable show. It may even be better than the somewhat-similar
X-Files; if only because the plot actually moves forward from
episode-to-episode, rather than constantly baiting the audience with
the promise that *this* will be the episode where the coverup will
finally be blown.
7. RIESE
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Not bad for a web series, and its definitely helped by the
Fallout-esque vibe and cute heroine, but the ~9min episode format does
not sit well with me.
SHOWS I’M NOT WATCHING
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CAPRICA: More like Craprica, amirite? Even if it was good, I wouldn’t
watch it. I have no interest in further elaboration of the BSG
universe, after the final answer to every question raised by the first
series turned out to be, ‘god did it.’
THE EVENT: Sorry show, you’ll need to set your sights a little higher than Lost to get my attention.
SHOWS I WISH I WERE STILL ON
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LEGEND OF THE SEEKER: Best swords-and-sorcery fantasy series, ever.
Period. Plus, Tabrett Bethel.
ENTERPRISE: You had your flaws, but you were so much better than SGU or
BSG. I also want Linda Park’s Hoshi back.
FIREFLY: Goes without saying, right?
BUFFY: But only if she turned to the dark side (e.g: the good side, e.g: lesbianism).
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