What I’ve watched; what I’m watching

It’s been more than a year since my last post on this subject, so there have been changes in my tube-watching patterns. I don’t watch any network TV anymore, for instance, except for sports. In my mind, that’s a good thing. So without further ado, what I’m watching:

Battlestar Galactica (SCI-FI / SKYONE)

Progress: Up to season 4.0, episode 9 out of 10

Pros: Stellar cast, taut writing, awesome visuals, haunting, immersive score

Cons: Long wait for the last half of the season

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars

In my opinion, the best show on television, cable or otherwise, remains Battlestar Galactica. I haven’t seen the tenth and latest episode of the fourth and final season, but due to the strike it’s going to be the last episode for a long, long time, so I’m going to savor it.

The Wire (HBO)

Progress: Complete (Seasons 1-5)

Pros: Top-class writing, acting, and cinematography; takes place in my hometown

Cons: Possibly went on two seasons more than it really needed to

Rating: 4+ out of 4 stars

Sadly The Wire is now gone, and I’ve seen it all, but my roommate has a lot of catching up to do, and I have no problem watching the Wire again, and learning new stuff as I do. We’ve just started the third season. I don’t have HBO at home, and nothing on the channel really interests me anymore anyway.

Heroes (NBC)

Progress: Halfway through season 2 (on hiatus)

Pros: Multiple story arcs, good continuity; excellent visual FX

Cons: Besides Hiro’s, I don’t care enough about many of the characters or their stories

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

This show has not yet returned from hiatus caused by the strike, and I’m on the fence as to whether to continue watching it when it’s back on the air. The second season just wasn’t as good as the first.

Dexter (SHO)

Progress: Watched seasons 1 & 2

Pros: Lots of dark humor; the premise that we should sympathize with a serial killer

Cons: Some uneven writing and acting performances; weak police procedural ambitions; the premise that we should sympathize with a serial killer

Rating: 2.5 out of 4 stars

A couple months ago I watched the first two seasons of Dexter (SHO), having enjoyed the lead man’s work on Six Feet Under (one of the most pretentious shows ever made.) I wasn’t disappointed. Some of the acting and writing is light years behind Wire or Battlestar, but it’s not necessarily fair to compare everything to those own shows (Wire is the absolute apex of TV while Battlestar inhabits its own echelon below it. Everything else is below that, which isn’t to say everything else sucks, but is definitely inferior). However, it’s definitely entertaining and watchable.

The Riches (FX)

Progress: Halfway through season 2

Pros: Audacity of the quirky premise, thrilling close calls, Eddie Izzard’s accent

Cons: The quirky premise can strain credibility, Minnie Driver’s accent

Rating: 3 out of 4 stars

Similarly, I got back on the Riches bandwagon for a time, being a big fan of Eddie Izzard. I am currently halfway through the second season, but haven’t seen an episode in a couple months. I still highly recommend it.

CARRIER (PBS)

Progress: Up to part 7 of 10

Pros: 5,000 real people on a real aircraft carrier (and all their myriad opinions on the navy and the war); real F/A-18s

Cons: Filmed in 2005; might have greater impact if filmed more recently

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 4

Top Gear (BBC TWO)

Progress: Watched series 9 and 10 (currently on hiatus)

Pros: Fast cars; slow cars; lots of fire; great presenters; spare-no-expense production; and the stig

Cons: Not enough episodes…

Rating: 4 stars out of 4

Onto the animated stuff – which I’ve been getting more and more into. Like all genres, there’s good and bad anime, but I believe the extremes of good and bad are more intense here than in any other form of television, animated or not. The best animes almost make you forget they’re animated, for instance. Here’s what I’m watching now:

Soul Eater

Progress: Up to episode 9 out of 51

Pros: Zany, kinetic animation, cool character and setting design

Cons: Black Star; may lose steam later on

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 4

Bleach

Progress: Up to episode 174 out of 175

Pros: Character and weapon designs; foreboding villains

Cons: Can be slow as sap and/or irrelevant at times; Sometimes I find myself watching it out of habit and not necessity…

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 4

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Progress: Up to episode 25 out of 27

Pros: Brisk-moving story full of big happenings and multiple jumps in scale; unreal, manic color animation; good mix of characters; dope soundtrack; GAINAX in top gear

Cons: Not a lot…

Rating: 4 stars out of 4

Eureka seveN

Progress: Up to episode 49 out of 50

Pros: Top notch animation and aerial battles; huge, vibrant cast; deep characterization, bumpin’ soundtrack

Cons: Teen protagonist can be whiny; a few unusual plot decisions towards ending

Rating: 4 stars out of 4

Last Exile

Progress: Complete (26 episodes)

Pros: Awesome sound; seamless CG; great voice acting; Napoleonic airship battles; general feeling of awe and wonder

Cons: Rushed ending; main antagonist too one-dimensional

Rating: 4 stars out of 4

Darker than Black

Progress: Up to episode 25 of 26

Pros: Yoko Kanno soundtrack; stylish neo-noir presentation; slick combat

Cons: The characters without emotion can get annoying; uneven ending (so far)

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 4

There you have it. If it isn’t 2.5 stars or more, I don’t watch it (and i certainly don’t write about it.)