Killing Me Softly

Crime drama “The Killing” concludes its third season on AMC in just two weeks and viewers have seemed to welcome the show’s second coming on the network with consistent yet modest ratings. The introduction of new characters and storylines has breathed new life into the series, which was briefly cancelled last year after wrapping up a two season story arc of the murder investigation of a teenage girl. Season three saw a much-needed overhaul in characters and storylines; in fact, none of the original stars of the show returned for the new season besides the series’ two leads: Detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder played by Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. And while the first two seasons might have overused the term red herring, it kept viewers on the edge of their seats until the gut wrenching reveal of “who killed Rosie Larson.”

A year after the Larsen case, Detective Linden returns to Seattle to help her old partner, Detective Holder, search for a serial killer who preys on Seattle’s runaways and whom Linden also believes is responsible for killing a woman whose husband she had wrongfully convicted. This season’s main story is very reminiscent of the Green River Killer, who was infamously convicted of raping and strangling 48 prostitutes in the Seattle area. The prison, street kids, and central murder investigation of this season interweaves more appropriately than the previous two seasons of the campaign, the Larson family, and the central murder investigation. Not only that, but it was difficult to see what stories were left to tell once “The Killing” was cancelled; however, what was created feels almost like a continuation of the last story arc considering it was mentioned before.

Perhaps the best episode to date was the season two finale in which we are finally introduced to Rosie Larson, the murdered teenager, and slowly find out how she spent her final hours. The best parts of “The Killing” are the scenes involving monologues from characters who are dealing with either a child’s death or disappearance and seeing how certain characters deal with these situations proves most compelling. After cancelling the Emmy nominated series last year, AMC decided to renew the show for a third season by partnering costs with Netflix and allowing them to have the show available online. This season has been averaging 1.5 million viewers, which is slightly down from the previous season, but critics have applauded the show’s continued slow pace and ominous tone.

Underneath It All

When CBS premiered drama “Under the Dome” in June, a record breaking 13 million viewers tuned into the show about a dome that mysteriously appears over a small town. Three episodes in and not too much has happened since the dome first appeared other than a fire being put out and coincidentally so has some of the viewers’ excitement for the once hopeful series. The drama based on the Stephen King novel of the same name has everything going for it: a large ensemble cast, an interesting set up, yet it feels as though the writers have already ran out of things to write about or have just decided to settle with degradingly cheesy storylines and terrible teen acting. From the moment of its inception, CBS claims that it was always thought to be a summer show and wasn’t simply something that was picked up only to be burned off during the off season. The number one network put a lot of faith into the series with great promotion, big budget, and a sometimes engaging cast.

The show revolves around Barbie played by “Bates Motel” alum Mike Vogul who is an outsider staying with a no nonsense journalist played by Rachelle Lefevre who is searching for her husband whom he killed.  Elsewhere, Deputy Linda played by Natalie Martinez is in a power struggle for first in command with the town’s politician Big Jim played by Dean Norris after the sheriff is killed. There’s also a useless storyline involving “The Secret Circle” star Britt Robertson’s Angie being held captive in a bomb shelter by her suddenly insane boyfriend. After the dust has settled from the plane crashes, car smashes, and cow splitting following the dome’s arrival, the single intriguing storyline to surface is when two of the inhabitants have seizures that result in them repeating the line “The pink stars are falling,” leading some viewers to suspect something supernatural is occurring. Either way, something interesting needs to happen fast before this strong start quickly becomes yet another silly, cancelled let down.

The Drama Summer

Top Five Summer Television Shows

5) “Dallas:” The reboot of the 1978 CBS series “Dallas,” which ran for thirteen seasons will finally make its premiere after seeing the preview over a year ago. The new show will focus on the now adult sons of J.R. and Bobby who will also be featured in the drama. The show centers on a rich Texan family who made their money in the oil and farming business, but the new series sees some family members venturing off into alternative energy, which “naturally” causes conflict. Several original cast members return to the show, which premieres June 13, 2012, including Lucy Eqing and Ray Krbbs with new faces added to the cast including “Desperate Housewives” narrator Brenda Armstrong and “Fast and Furious” star Jordana Brewster.

4) “True Blood:” After a wicked fourth season of “True Blood,” the HBO series returns June 10, 2012 and it doesn’t seem to have a new supernatural entity to center on like the show has done in past seasons, but instead has chosen to focus on the return of villain Russell Edgington. There has been some buzz about a fairy storyline reboot after it was awkwardly portrayed in the first ten minutes of season four, but the real question is will Tara survive the blow to the head from last season’s finale? The vampire craze began in 2008 when Bill Compton walked into Merlotte’s where he met waitress Sookie Stackhouse and the rest is love novel history. Christopher Meloni and Scott Foley join the cast in its fifth season, which is sure to entertain all summer long.

3) “Awkward.:” The lone comedy that made the list is MTV’s “Awkward.,” which stole our hearts last summer and returns for a second season on June 28, 2012. The series centers on high school outcast Jenna Hamilton who blogs about her life as a teenager and how she went from invisible to having a secret relationship with Matty McKibben, the coolest guy at her school. “Awkward.” delivers an awesome ensemble cast to choose favorites from including Guidance Counselor Valerie whose interesting advice often borderlines unprofessional. This show works because it’s quirky, relatable and not about bronzered degenerates getting wasted in New Jersey. Plus, Jenna was caught in a love triangle in the season finale between Matty and his best friend Jake.

2) “Damages:” Although many viewers lost interest in the legal drama after its amazing first season, the trailer for the upcoming fifth and final season of “Damages” may get people back on board. With each year focusing on the death of a character by slowly showing viewers how this happened with the beginning and ending of each episode, it is revealed that the show’s main star, Rose Byrne, will meet her demise in the series’ last act. How this happened might be unknown as for now but something tells me Glen Close’s conniving Patty Hewes might have had something to do with it. Ryan Phillippe and “Dharma and Greg” star Jenna Ellfman have also been added to the cast for its final run which begins on July 11, 2012.

1) “Political Animals”/”The Newsroom:” From the creators of “Dirty Sexy Money” comes the USA miniseries “Political Animals,” which stars Sigourney Weaver as the divorced Secretary of State and former first lady; that sounds familiar. Although there has yet to be a trailer for the drama that premieres July 15, 2012, the plot sounds interesting enough to catch our eyes. There has also been a lot of buzz surrounding the new Aaron Sorkin drama titled “The Newsroom” for the past year and after an underwhelming first look at the series, the show seems to have found its footing in the trailer’s second go around. Airing after “True Blood” on HBO on June 24, 2012, this drama sees Jeff Daniels playing a news anchor who, with his staff, set out to put on a news show in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements.

And This Is How We Will End, With You And Me Bent

Little known midseason comedy “Bent” premiered last night on NBC and although the first two episodes which aired back-to-back were hilarious, the show became the least watched series premiere for the network of all time, bringing in less than three million viewers. Even in this day and age of DVR, Hulu and iTunes that number is severely low. NBC didn’t put much faith into the series which stars Amanda Peet as a no-nonsense lawyer who hires a stoner contractor, played by David Walton, to remodel the house she shares with her daughter. Peet’s character is newly divorced and just when you think she’ll end up with the contractor with whom she loathes but secretly pines over; her boyfriend is introduced at the end of the pilot.

This comedy actually earned great reviews with Daily Variety calling it “the kind of charming romantic comedy TV frequently aspires to but seldom delivers.” The supporting cast, which includes a trio of workers and Jeffery Tambor as the contractor’s aspiring actor father, also proved to be laugh-worthy. With great writing and impeccable chemistry between the two main stars, this comedy seemed like a critical darling if it not for the lack of marketing, late spring premiere and back-to-back episode burn off. Something tells me that whatever viewers didn’t see in “Bent” isn’t worth fixing as it will most likely not make it past week two, so here’s to seeing this fantastic cast and great writers in other projects to come.

Fade In On A Girl

The most buzzed about midseason show “Smash” premiered last month on NBC and it seems that the musical dramedy held up its end of the bargain by delivering an amazing cast, great drama and solid ratings for the network. The show earns credit for originality as there is nothing quite like it on television unless you count “Glee,” which also has cast members singing popular tunes. NBC is in dire need of a hit as the struggling network has been stuck in last place for the past few years following the infamous “Jay Leno” experiment. Will “Smash” be as much of a hit as the show it’s creating?

The drama revolves around the production of a Broadway show based on Marilyn Monroe and gives viewers a behind the scenes look at what it takes to put on a show in the Big Apple. The pilot dealt with the thought process behind the idea, introducing the main characters and finding who would play the lead role of Marilyn. After seeing five episodes, it has become clear that this show is one to watch from its fantastic cast to its interesting story arcs including funding and writing issues as well as adultery and backstabbing. What was once a show written off as a “Glee” copycat has grown into its own act that isn’t afraid to break out into song in the middle of Times Square.

In a similar fashion to the show’s plot, a nobody was cast as the lead in the form of “American Idol” reject Katherine McPhee who is absolutely perfect as simple Midwest girl Karen Cartwright. Debra Messing looks amazing as Julia Houston, one of the head writers who has plenty on her plate including a bored husband, an ongoing adoption and an old love affair. Jack Davenport plays the womanizing Derek Wills and director that is having an affair with Megan Hilty’s Ivy Lynn, who just happens to be playing the lead role in his play. Angelica Houston steals the show as the sassy Eileen Rand, the producer who is going through a nasty divorce while also trying to find a way to fund her latest project.

The show premiered to over eleven million viewers thanks in good part to airing directly after “The Voice,” NBC’s blind singing competition which has gained viewers compared to last season after getting the coveted post-superbowl spot. Although viewership for “Smash” fumbled in its second outing, the show continues to gain better ratings as it progresses and critics have fallen in love with it. If you thought that the drama ended with the decision of who will be cast as Marilyn, you are sorely mistaken. The real question is can “Smash” save NBC? Viewers and critics seem to agree on one thing; they are putting on one hell of a show.

Through The Looking Glass

Now that the Super Bowl has passed, let’s take a look back at some of the shows that the networks have offered viewers as mid season replacements. While some shows have already been cancelled, others have not even been given a premiere date leading some to question if their pilots will ever see the light of day.

FOX’s “Alcatraz” may have a similar setup of flashbacks, use of background music and even one of the stars of ABC’s cult favorite “Lost,” but its development of characters hasn’t come close to anything remotely similar than that of the mystery island adventure. Although the series has performed well for the network, it is pretty much breaking even with the dinosaur themed drama “Terra Nova,” which left the schedule back in December for a shortened thirteen episode run. “Alcatraz” will see a similar fate when it concludes its first season in March in order to make room for Kiefer Sutherland’s “Touch.” Also premiering last month was “The Finder,” which is a quirky spinoff of “Bones” and airs directly after it.

When ABC chose to leave new comedy “Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23” and returning favorite “Cougar Town” off of their midseason schedule, viewers were not pleased. However, due to new comedy “Work It” being what it was, a terrible show, the ladder has been welcomed back to ABC and will premiere next Tuesday following “Last Man Standing.” The Alphabet network has also given an April premiere date to “Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23” and political drama “Scandal,” while the highly anticipated Ashley Judd series “Missing” will debut sometime in March. Horror series “The River,” a show about a group of people who are searching for a lost adventurer in the Amazon, debuted soft last night with a two hour episode.

After debuting to mediocre ratings, NBC’s critically acclaimed serial drama “The Firm,” a reboot based off of the 1993 film of the same name, has been banished to Saturdays where it will be cancelled. The same will most likely ring true for the Chelsea Handler comedy “Are You There, Chelsea?” which has not been able to hold onto as many viewers as “Whitney” and suffers from flat jokes and odd characters. But something interesting happened to NBC this week starting with the premiere of “The Voice” after the Super Bowl, which gave the singing competition nearly 40 million viewers. The following night the show premiered in its regular timeslot with new Broadway drama “Smash” preceding it and NBC won the night for the first time in years.

Will “Alcatraz” make it to season two? Will“Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23” ever premiere? Can “Smash” save NBC? It’s too soon to tell, but one thing is certain: things are finally looking up for the Peacock.

Sweet Sweet Fantasy, Baby

Last Sunday’s “Once Upon A Time” brought viewers back to the land of fairytales with an episode that centered on the show’s best storyline to date: Snow White and Prince Charming. While the ABC drama’s winter premiere focused on the mischievous Rumplestiltskin’s past, many viewers found the episode to be less interesting, especially after the show killed off the Hunstman just as he was starting to remember his past and show feelings for Emma Swan. The fairytale drama might sound childish to some, but it is quickly becoming one of the best new shows on television with strong comparisons to another ABC show with mystical storylines: “Lost.”

Perhaps it’s the viewers need for escapism or the pure fun of watching a retelling of childhood memories, but “Once Upon a Time” has become a hit of its own, bringing over ten million viewers in each week for the Alphabet Network. There has also been buzz that a companion show could join “Once Upon a Time” next fall in the form of “Beauty and the Beast,” which is also being remade at the CW, as well. This episode titled “7:15 AM” centered on the torn romance going on between Mary Margaret, played by Ginnifer Goodwin, and David Nolan, played by Josh Dallas, while also flashing back to their past lives as fairytale characters.

In Storybrooke, we learn that each morning Mary Margret rushes down to the diner at precisely 7:15 AM in order to “accidentally” run into David because it’s the only way she can see him without feeling sorry for his wife, Kathryn. Little does she know that David comes to the diner for the exact same reason. Meanwhile, Regina and Emma both become suspicious of the stranger who has come to Storybrooke, which apparently has never happened before with the exception of Emma, of course. After some cute banter, the stranger, also known as the poor man’s Graham, reveals to Emma that he is a writer who perhaps wrote the book that Henry is carrying around.

In Fairytale land, Prince Charming’s wedding to King Midas’ daughter, Abigail, leaves Snow White little time to mend her breaking heart. After getting a letter from the Prince confessing his love for her, she ventures off to the castle to do the same, only to be captured and held prisoner with two dwarves, Grumpy and the not-so recognizable Stealthy, which makes sense once he is killed. Prince Charming’s father forces Snow White to tell his son that she never loved him leading Snow White to drink a potion to forget she ever knew Prince Charming just as he leaves Abigail at the alter.

The real reason why viewers might be taking such a liking to “Once Upon a Time” could be its strong resemblance to ABC’s former hit “Lost.” With its character centric episodes and flashbacks to Fairytale land that comes to mirror the real world the characters currently live in, this show might just be what fans have been waiting for. Rather than continuing to torture viewers with hopes that Mary Margret and David would get together, the writers chose to move this story along by having them kiss in Storybrooke at the end of the episode, unaware that Regina watches their secret love affair unfold from a parked car.

I Kissed A Drunk Girl

Late night talk show host Chelsea Handler debuted her first venture into scripted television with NBC’s “Are You There, Chelsea?” The old fashioned sitcom premiered last Wednesday to over six million viewers as part of NBC’s new “Happy Hour Wednesdays,” which also includes Handler’s friend Whitney Cumming’s sitcom “Whitney.” Although Handler’s take on the modern day sitcom was a step up from its unfunny counterpart, the pilot lacked laughs from its misguided introduction of characters.

After going through serious changes from the original pilot including relocation and recasting, “Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea?” also saw its name shortened for fear that viewers would be turned off by the show’s blatant reference to alcohol. After reading Handler’s book of the same name, fans of the comedienne envisioned something different from the sloppy sitcom that NBC has developed. What could have been a rather funny premise was morphed into a missable comedy starring yet another obnoxious young woman.

The pilot got a few laughs from Handler’s portrayal of her older sister, Sloan, and Chelsea’s odd roommate who undoubtedly stole the show, but some viewers were dumbfounded by the dead air present in between the blaring laugh track. “That 70’s Show” actress Lara Prepon was cast as the lead role, but viewers could not get past her horrible narration and raspy voice. If comedy is what you desire, check out ABC’s “Happy Endings” or CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory” for more consistent storytelling and likable characters.

The age old question still persists: is the sitcom dead? If you are to answer this question after viewing this show then you would think yes, but the answer is actually no. There are plenty of great sitcoms that are currently on air that keep comedy alive like any of CBS’ comedies or even Tim Allen’s new show “Last Man Standing.” Much like the network it has come to represent, NBC sitcoms just feel outdated and unfunny. “Are You There, Chelsea?” had all the ingredients for a great comedy had it not been formatted into such poor storytelling.

Living In Perfect Harmony

The season finale of the Golden Globe-nominated “America Horror Story” aired last week on FX and while it was filled with death, ghosts and revelations, viewers couldn’t help but feel like this episode served as a conclusion to the show, if not this group of characters. And it turns out; you were right as creator Ryan Murphy announced a new cast of characters at a new location come next season. Although some actors might be sticking around for the next story, they will not be playing the same characters we have come to know and love.

Just as in the footsteps of “True Blood,” the pun-ultimate episode of “American Horror Story” delivered all of the action while the actual season finale dealt with the consequences. This episode, titled “Afterbirth,” described what happened after the death of Vivien Harmon, played by Connie Britton, during the birth of her twins. A distraught Ben Harmon, played by Dylan McDermott, tries frantically to communicate with his dead wife and daughter, Violet, after he has finally come to terms with what is actually going on in the house. Both Vivien and Violet finally appear after Ben tries to commit suicide only to be killed by the ghosts in the house, including his psychotic mistress.

Once the family is reunited in death, it seems as though all of the issues that were present in their lives had been resolved, leaving everyone to believe that they were no longer in pain or angry at each other. Violet even smiled when Ben cut down a Christmas tree from the backyard to decorate once the house was left vacant. And while it felt like all the loose ends were tied up in a nice Christmas bow concerning the happily reunited, yet deceased, Harmon family, the same could not be said for Tate and his reasons for killing fifteen students and setting his step father on fire. He attempted to apologize to Ben for raping his wife and causing much of the events that occurred, but it was too late.

Meanwhile, the Harmons’ neighbor, Constance, steals the living twin from the house and raises it as her grandson only to be left with the same murdering demon who fathered it. There were plenty of call backs to the pilot’s story, music and we even got to see many of the ghosts give one last scare to the Spanish family that moved in. Vivien finding her dead baby as a ghost, Moira helping the Harmons settle into afterlife and Violet saying goodbye to Tate all served as a nice ending to this story. Viewers knew that something was up when the show flashed forward three years within the last few minutes of the episode; how else were they going to explain Violet growing older?

The question was answered a mere day within the airing when creator Ryan Murphy told reporters that each season will take place at a different house with different characters; however, some of the original stars will remain on the show but as different people. This all makes sense when you think about it; the first season of “American Horror Story” killed off every main star who wasn’t already dead besides Golden Globe nominee Jessica Lange while also going through five seasons worth of storylines. And while anticipation and pace may be lacking with this drama, it’s nothing short of entertaining.

All I Want For Christmas

With Hanukah upon us and Christmas just days away, “What Jason Watches” has compiled a list of the top five Christmas episodes of a television series.

A new kind of holiday was created, or rather two were combined, when “The Best Christmukah Ever” debuted as the holiday episode for “The O.C.” Although the first season of the hit drama was immensely popular, the show was cancelled by FOX after just four seasons due to bad storylines and a heavy ratings decline following the death of main cast member Marisa Cooper. In the pre-car crash world, this episode sees Seth Cohen having to choose between Summer Roberts and fan favorite Ana Stern. While Ana chooses to make Seth a personal comic book for Christmukah, Summer dresses up as Wonder Woman; wonder who he’s going to pick.

While there was a Christmas episode of “Friends” for each of the ten years it was broadcasted on NBC, “The One with the Holiday Armadillo” was by far the most ridiculous. After waiting too long to rent a Santa costume for his son Ben, Ross Gellar is forced to muster up a new mascot for the holiday season. Santa Claus maybe the one who gives children all the presents, but it’s the Holiday Armadillo who teaches them about Hanukah. At some point Joey Tribianni busts into the apartment as Superman, leading Phoebe to proclaim that she is attending “the Easer Bunny’s funeral.”

Gone but not forgotten teen drama “Popular” was “Glee” creator Ryan Murphy’s original take on the high school scene and no, it didn’t feature any musicals. The quirky show lasted only two seasons on the WB, but was able to create this hysterical and touching rendition of “A Christmas Carol” before its abrupt cancellation in 2001. You can’t help but root for anti-hero Nicole Julian, who transforms from villainous queen b to sad little girl after being visited by three ghosts. The episode, titled “Fall on your Knees,” featured the cast of the show playing parts in Nicole’s dream; bah humbug.

Not one to be outdone by “The O.C.,” long running sitcom “Seinfeld” created its own twist on the holiday season with “Festivus for the Rest of Us,” a holiday created by George Costanza’s father. This holiday episode titled “The Strike,” which aired on NBC in 1997, was said to celebrate the holiday season without any commercialism or religious aspects and with the help of a lone standing aluminum pole. While all this was happening, Kramer went on strike from his job at a bagel store for not letting him have time off for the holidays, which led to the chant “Festivus yes! Bagels no!”

Nothing says Christmas like the first ever holiday special of the long running animated comedy “The Simpsons” from 1989. After Marge is forced to spend all of the family’s Christmas money on a tattoo removal procedure for Bart, the Simpsons’ happiness seemed lost. With tons of commercialism undertones and annoying neighbors, the distraught Homer seems desperate at giving his family a proper Christmas. This is the episode that introduces the family’s dog, Santa’s Little Helper, and captures the innocence that is often forgotten during the holiday season.

What are you watching this holiday season?