As always, I take on the shows I watched during the week, and provide you with links to some of the other fine TV work going on at BlogCritics.
Lots of shows going into hibernation for the summer these days… will I latch onto new shows soon, or spend some time in the great outdoors?
Leave the Fray? Are you kidding?
Always obey the Ray, my children…
Overall take on the week:
Best show on television: Lost (grabs the top spot in its return!)
Upper-tier shows: Project Greenlight, The Shield, The Contender
Good, not great The Apprentice
Falling… just about off the radar: Trippin’, Alias
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Sunday
The Contender - NBC
Joey Gilbert ended up not being the Machiavellian threat he thought himself to be, losing to the tough but beatable Peter Manfredo, Jr. in the closing moments of a five-round bout. Unfortunately, the fight was stopped not due to a punch but rather an accidental head-butt that made Joey’s eye look as though it had just come face-to-face with a cross-town bus.
So Peter got the car thanks to Joey last week, and the win over Joey this week thanks to the fortuitous location of his forehead.
Such is the uncertainty of the boxer’s life.
Now let’s take a quick look at the remaining Contenders:
Jesse Brinkley and Anthony Bonsante are set to fight next week to finish up the second round and bring the competition down to its final four. Let’s look at them first.
Jesse Brinkley
He’s bald, he’s little, he’s quick and agile, and he’s kind of conniving and annoying.
And he just might have the qualities needed to pull off the whole shooting match. He certainly has the ego and the mental angle on his side, which he displayed to perfection this week in the house by psyching out a bewildered-looking Joey with “It’s just a game, fighting is” kind of talk.
Anthony Bonsante
He wears a #1 Daddy hat most of the time, and likes to talk about his kids, what it means to be a dad, the importance of being a parent to children, and the kind of dad (or father) a parent should be, particularly when one is a boxer and one is the father and/or parent of said children.
And so on.
The winner of the epic Kids v. God contest several weeks back, Bonsante has been hampered under a bad hammy which may make him an easy target next week in the ring against Jesse.
There’s something about Bonsante, though. Something kind of crazy. But not the good crazy, he’s gonna go nuts on him crazy kind of crazy.
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Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
I love that opening! Obey the Ray, that belongs at the top every week!
I must something with no offense intended, you watch WAAAAYYY too much reality TV. Ugh, I avoid all that I can, which is fortunately all of it at the moment.
And I am still a huge Alias fan.
2 - Eric Berlin
Chris -- Thanks. Yeah, that might make a good tag line: Obey the Ray...
The Ray does know All, you know. I love capping first letters of words for bizarre prominence. I must have picked that up from Hunter S. Thompson.
Anyway, I don't think of myself as a reality TV hound, necessarily. I don't watch American Idol, Survivor, The Bachelor, Extreme Makeover, The Surreal Life, and on and on.... damn, there are a lot of them, aren't there!
I do fear that Joss Whedon (praise be to Him) might be right in that reality television is having a chilling effect on producing fictional television and the cost and risk inherent there in.
That said, I write about the shows that I watch and enjoy with the overall Mission of promoting good TV... and ending the bad (with hammer, if necessary).
I'm a sucker for a good story is what it is, really. And a show like The Contender is really just a revved up documentary about a tournament showcasing real professional athletes with the dream of making it big time.
Anyway, I've said too much... must now return to the Fray. I'm actually Season One of Dynasty on DVD if you can believe it...
And loving it!
Okay, now I've really said too much (ha ha...).
3 - Chris Beaumont
Hey good is in the eye of the beholder, if you like all haters be damned!
I have just made a concious effort to avoid reality TV, which isn't even a real reality! But then I watch too much TV to begin with, if I added reality, I'd never get out to the movies (which I also see too many of!)
4 - Eric Berlin
Chris -- What are your three favorite shows that I don't talk about on the Fray?
5 - Chris Beaumont
Let's see here.....
You got 24 , Lost, and Alias mentioned.
How about: House, Veronica Mars, and Scrubs?
6 - Eric Berlin
Yeah, I like Scrubs a lot -- don't know why it hasn't found it's way into my rotation. And I see the janitor dude on that show every now and again as part of an amazing improv group in Hollywood. It's unbelievably great stuff -- a group that performs every Saturday and has been around for 10 years, called Beer Shark Mice.
House... I just can't see digging on another medical drama. I just find them boring as sin, myself. What's compelling about this one?
I've heard good things about Mars -- any chance I can latch on right now and get into what's going on?
7 - Chris Beaumont
House is falling into a bit of a formula, but Hugh Laurie is creating such a great character that the medical part becomes the backdrop for him being a bastard. Easy to pick up at any point.
Veronica Mars is a bit tougher. This week is the season finale, so they have been picking up the threads that have been dropped all through the season. At this point it may be best to catch it in reruns or the eventual DVD release.
I would recommend catching the series finale of Enterprise, this has been a great season.
8 - Eric Berlin
Thanks Chris -- maybe I can catch up with Mars next season. I have this conflicted notion right now about how many shows to keep up with / write about, particularly as many of my shows are ending or have already ended for the season.
I'll definitely be front-and-center for the second season of Rescue Me next month, however. The first season was incredible -- easily up to HBO-level standards: a strange and interesting and dark and extraordinarily funny show. I can't wait to see where it goes on the second go round.
I never quite managed to latch onto Enterprise. I was a Next Generation guy for a number of years, but for some reason I tired of the Star Trek universe. What has been great about Enterprise? Any reason to go back to the start and watch the series on DVD?
9 - Chris Beaumont
I had completely forgotten about Rescue Me! I loved the first season, I will have to keep an eye out for the new season.
Yeah, my column is about to get mighty short soon with all the shows ending.
The first season of Enterprise was good, because they were trying something new. The second season lost it's direction and was not that good. The third season was a step back in the right direction giving a season long arc, but it was still a direction that was opposite the original intention. The fourth season is what it should have been all along, giving some great tie ins to the rest of the universe, finally some good stories. The 4th season is the one to see.
10 - Eric Berlin
I think a lot of shows -- sitcoms and hour-long dramas both -- tend to rely on the one-off episode instead of going for the season or series-long story arc.
To me, I universally avoid the former in favor of the latter. The problem, of course, is getting in early. But I've had to catch up on some of my all-time favorite shows somewhere mid-stream, including The Sopranos.
Angel was a case where, in a scramble for ratings, they tried to go for more of a one-off mode. Of course, it didn't work and the show was cancelled... even though it was still great, no matter what they did with it!
But I'll always give a show a chance that attempts to go for real character development, and real long-term story lines. If that makes me a "soap" fan, so be it!
On that note, I just finished the first season of Dynasty on DVD, and I must say I very much enjoyed it. I have a feeling that the show got worse as it went along, but the first go round was a hell of a lot of fun.
11 - Chris Beaumont
I really enjoy long running arcs, or at least arcs that run for a few episodes with random threads carrying thoughout a series. That's one of the things that I liked about Seinfeld, so many throwaway details would get referenced in later episodes.
But it really doesn't matter much if it is standalone or arc driven so long as there is quality behind it. I think arc driven series sometimes are to easy to get messed with by a network (Fox, I'm looking at you).
12 - Eric Berlin
Yeah exactly, the quality has to be there. To be honest, that's partly why some of my attentions have drifted over the reality television side of things -- network television writing has gotten terribly safe in many many ways. I hope that cable's continuing popularity will continue to bust out risky, innovative shows like Lost. For now, though, for a person like me who doesn't have the fancy channels, I look to Bravo and FX for high quality shows.
13 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
i must see project greenlight!!!! and that Alias stuff was great, man. haha.
i prefer arc's, too. for example, the frist series of Buffy is a bit boring when watched one after the other. on the other hand, season 5 is wonderful. Story arcs are great.
14 - Eric Berlin
I would say Buffy Season One has half one-offs, and then gets seriously good as it winds its way toward the confrontation with the Master at season's end.
Season Two of Buffy, however... oh man. Maybe my favorite single-season of all time. Or The Sopranos Season One? Damn, it's tough. It's close.
Interesting that you pick out Buffy Season Five, Duke. Wasn't that the bit with Riley and the military and what not? I thought it was a very good season but would probably not picked it out for exampling purposes.
15 - Eric Berlin
And Duke, you'll definitely have to let us know what you think of Project Greenlight as soon as you get your movie-desirous hands on the DVD version.
16 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
four was the riley one. it felt a bit odd. i think he's a character in the fifth one, but all the yacking with the secret OPs and all that is four. which is fun, and willow is incredibly cute, but it feels odd.
and i will indeed let you know with regards P.G
17 - Eric Berlin
Oh right, of course: Season Five interoduces Dawn and has the whole bit with the goddess lady. Just glanced through the episode list and you're right: it has some of the finest episodes of the entire series.
Man, and what a whollop The Body levels. Whedon at his most devastating here, isn't he?
And when isn't Willow enormously cute?
18 - Chris Beaumont
Haven't really read all the comments, but want to mention the Buffy eps:
"Once More With Feeling"
and the silent one, don't remember the name, as 2 of my faovrites.
19 - Eric Berlin
I was so wary of "Once More" (the musical episode) and was so surprised by how good it was, in terms of story and music.
Those tunes are so damned catchy. I love Spike's and Gile's bits -- great great stuff.