Rewind: Downton Abbey S2

Well, Downton Abbey is officially considered a soap opera in my book.  It's a nice-looking and well-acted soap opera, but it's still a soap opera.  I do not consider this a positive.  I've heard that Downton Abbey progressively gets worse and worse with each season.  This is absolutely accurate so far.

Here's the biggest problem that the season suffered: they had basically one overarching story line for each character.  They visited that story line every episode.  If you did not like the story line or were annoyed by its repetitiveness, well it didn't matter.  Because it happened EVERY episode.  You see sometimes you're not supposed to like a character and that's why the story line annoys you, but other times the character behaves wildly out of character and that's why the story bothers you.  Or the plot keeps throwing curveballs at an inevitability in ways that feel contrived.

Examples of a story line that bothered me because a character behaves unlike the character we've come to know: Sybil decides she loves Branson.  I can buy that Sybil is the type of person who would run away from Downton Abbey because she wants her own life.  We are given no indication of WHY she loves Branson though.  Branson just kind of declares his love for her, offers her marriage, and then there's barely any time spent on explaining why exactly Sybil would want to be with Branson.  Especially since Branson's scenes were spent badgering her about giving up her life and spouting his radical political ideas.  Each successive Branson/Sybil scene infuriated me, because I did not buy this romance.

Another example of a story line that bothered me because of inconsistent characterization: Robert Crawley having a affair on his wife (though nothing actually happened).  This just tells me the writers had nothing to do with this character so they invented a conflict that could not possibly occur with the season one Crawley.  They gave him weak scenes were he fought with his wife, but nothing that drives a man to cheat on his wife.  Also, this needed to happen so he could understand where Sybil was coming from - but that just kind of seems more like "How do we play out a scenario where he'd accept Branson?" more than anything organic.

Story lines that bothered me because they showed the same scene each episode with a different variation and no progress on it developed whatsoever until the end: Anna and Bates, perpetually destined to never be happy for some reason.  Creating conflicts between two people that would be happy if they were together is just lazy because they are afraid they won't have anything to write if they are together.  So you're telling me Bates' wife hates him SO MUCH that she would kill herself and frame Bates.  Needless to say, it's hard to take this show too seriously when they have soap opera villains like that.

That's not to say they didn't at least nail some characters down.  If only they had mastered every character as they do with Mr. Carson, then this would be an all-time classic of a show.  And surprisingly, the Matthew Crawley and Lady Mary romance did NOT feel contrived.  Up until Lavinia dies and Matthew annoyingly doesn't want to be happy for the rest of his life, everything felt like natural developments.  It wasn't hard to buy why they weren't together even as we knew they would end up together.  It helps that Sir Richard is an awesome character if somewhat one-note in being evil.  (You could argue that Sir Richard being actually an appealing mate would have been better writing, but then again Lady Mary and Matthew never end up together if that is true.)

As for the rest of the cast?  Well some of them annoyed me, but not to the point to where it's a weakness (Isobel's arc) and some of them I liked, but not enough to be impressed by (Mrs. Hughes).  Besides, this cast is so enormously large, I can't really go through each character and say a particular strength or weakness without boring you.  (Side note: I couldn't get through this entire review without mention Maggie Smith as Violet, who is still a highlight and almost worth watching the show by herself.)

The shame about the writing being the show's weakness is that it's pretty much the show's only weakness.  Like I said above, the acting is top-notch across the board.  The period drama aspect is... umm accurate I guess?  I can only assume on that one.  The direction usually has a few shots each episode that stand out to me.  The lackluster and far-fetched at times plot is the show's downfall from being a legitimately good show (which I don't think it is at this point in their run).

Interested in Downton Abbey?  Watch the first season, which I wholeheartedly recommend and then stop if you can.  Unless the soapy aspects of this show is the type to draw you in - and it very well could be - I wouldn't watch past the first season.

A necessary disclaimer: I hate most romantic comedies (I refer to them as rom coms; if it's a good romantic comedy, I don't call it a rom com) so the romance in the show is not inherently appealing.  If you like romance in your shows, definitely watch this show as its about the only story line for about 70% of the characters.  I could forgive this if the writing made me invested in the romances, which for the most part it did not.

I can't recommend the second season and if you're the type of person to continue watching a show just because you started, don't start at all.  (I kind of suffer this problem; I may or may not watch the third season, which I haven't exactly heard good things about either.)

(If you're interested, my Season 1 Review)

Playlist
1. "I've Got a Name" - Jim Groce
2. "Feel Tall" - Oncue
3. "Y Control" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4. "Country Grammar" - Nelly
5. "Provider" - N.E.R.D.

British TV Shows

Before reading this, I suggest you read the introduction to this site where I say what I'm doing.  

Previous Sections
The Shows That Changed Television
Quirky Comedy
Unconventional Drama
Classic Comedy

Some of these sections will be watched slowly.  This section is not one of them.  For a reason that eludes me, British TV shows don't last long.  With the exception of Doctor Who, both classic and the current version, most of these shows last just a few seasons.  That is fine with me.  The quality almost never drops from short-running TV shows, because they never run out of ideas.

This section lacks greatly in the shows I have watched and is exclusively shows I have never seen before.  I mean they are British.  Where do you watch British TV shows in America?  Netflix has provided me the opportunity to watch both classic and current British TV shows.  So I will go through my list that I have picked out.  Suggestions are welcome, however, if it's not on Netflix, I won't put it on this list.  Availability is a big factor when I choose shows as well as quality of course.

Downton Abbey (2010-Present)
Season 1 Review

I've seen the first season and am patiently waiting for the second to arrive on Netflix.  The first season was great and helpful in school!  My 20th Century Europe History class has already asked the class if we've seen Downton Abbey as it provides a good sense of pre-WWI attitudes.  So that's exciting.  (It's also not the only class where my obsessive TV watching has come in handy - Mad Men)

Anyway, read my season 1 review for my thoughts on the first season.  I'm excited to see where the show goes in its second season.  I hope it doesn't lose any of its quality or strangely addicting power.  Oddly, in a show that constantly comes up with reasons for Lady Crawley and Matthew to not just be together, the show manages to make the reasons feel organic and realistic.  Some shows do that kind of thing poorly, but Downton Abbey pulled it off I feel.

The Office (2001-2003)
Ok so this isn't a British thing so much as a Ricky Gervais thing.  He gets bored easily apparently.  Nonetheless, this show spurred an American show that became a hit.  Unlike that American show, it didn't last too long!  I haven't seen any of this show yet, but I am making sure to watch the British version first and foremost and then I'll watch the American version with Steve Carroll.

I just realized that Extras isn't on this list, but I've seen all of those episodes and there are only 13 of them as well.  Extras basically tells me I get Gervais' sense of humor so I'm almost positive I'll find this show funny.

Doctor Who (2005-Present)
Part of me wants to watch the classic version of this as well, but 1) those episodes are not streaming on Netflix and 2) there are 26 seasons of the classic.  Again, because this is British, those 26 seasons translate to less than 200 episodes, which makes it much more easily digestible.

Still, the older version probably has aged somewhat badly and is also not available. (I cannot stress enough how important that is).  I actually know very little about this show, I am just pretty certain it's good with a strong recommendation from a friend.

Luther (2010-Present)
Ok, so my reason for watching this show can be summed up with one name: Idris Elba.  He's awesome.  You know a beloved show you watch and when it ends you want to follow the actors when they star in new shows?  Well, that's what this is.  Elba, who I loved in The Wire as Stringer Bell, gets his own TV show.

Anyway, this kind of seems like a procedural show which is slightly disappointing and would disincentivize me from watching this show.  A show like Law and Order that can be watched out of order is a benefit when you flip through channels, but it's a hindrance on a project like mine.  There is nothing that convinces me to keep watching episodes.

Merlin (2008-2012)
Ok, so my reason for watching this show can be summed up with one name: Anthony Stewart Head.  He's awesome.  You know a beloved show you watch and when it ends you want to follow the actors when they star in new shows?  Well that's what this is.  Head, who I loved in Buffy as Rupert Giles, is in this show.

This will probably be my last watched of the British shows.  Head is in about 2/3 of the episodes, which is nice, but the show doesn't actually interest me a whole lot.  And I swear that's the last time I write the same paragraph to show why I watch a TV show.  But that is literally the reason I have chosen to watch both shows.

Sherlock (2010-Present)
Oh man this is so awesome I am restraining myself from starting it ahead of when I plan.  These are like mini-movies and there are very few episodes, but my god I love a good mystery and I love Sherlock Holmes and ...  Yeah so basically I am pumped up to watch this show.   

I have no other coherent thoughts to share with you except yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.

Skins (2007-Present)
When the American version of Skins came out, I didn't watch it, but I read the reviews.  I consistently read that it didn't have something that the British version did, and ever since I've kind of wanted to see what they were talking about.

Also better watch this now while it still can kind of apply to me.  I mean I don't want to watch it when I'm older and it scares me into not ever having kids.  Although whatever these kids go through, I hope I can semi-relate, because the description tells me I probably won't.

Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-1975)
This name just pops up on classic British TV shows, so what the hell?  Do I know what it's about?  No.  Do I think it'll be good? Yeah and that's what I watch TV shows for.  This is a show where I probably won't find anybody to talk about it with which is kind of a disappointing thought.

I know nothing about it so I can't say anymore and I'm just filling up space and you just keep on reading.

Final Thoughts
Sherlock and Luther are two shows I'm legitimately excited to start watching.  I've wanted to watch the U.K. version of The Office forever and this project gives me the opportunity to do so.  Doctor Who has been on my radar for quite a while as well.  Downton Abbey, for the moment, has been a success for me.  And I don't know where I found Upstairs, Downstairs or what made me decide to watch it, but I'm optimistic about that show as well.

(Skins and Merlin I'm extremely apathetic about that I may choose never to watch)

Update on Other Shows
Sons of Anarchy: I watched the first episode of Season 2 and the show has kept up the first season's momentum for now.  I'm not sure how much it can keep upping the ante on the graphic and horrifying scale, but they did it for this episode.

American Horror Story: I'm going to start this series probably right after I finish this blogpost.  I've heard it's really really weird and I'm not sure how I'm going to respond.  I'm just watching it for the uniqueness and the experience of having seen it.  FX is pretty good at picking out shows as well.

The Sopranos: I have for whatever reason made no progress on The Sopranos in months.  I'm still at the end of Season 2.  I don't get it.  I want to watch it in theory, but in actuality I never pick up the DVD to start.  I'll make an effort to finish Season 2 by the end of the upcoming week.

The Simpsons: I am waiting for this show to get good, but I can't get through Season 1.  Simpson fanatics will surely defend this season, but I think it's just bad.  I am pretty certain it was good in 1989, but I do not particularly enjoy this first season.

Star Trek: Almost halfway through the first season.  It has aged absolutely terribly in my opinion.  Show's not terribly easy to watch.

The Larry Sanders Show was removed from Netflix!  I called Customer Service and they told me they need to renegotiate.  So hopefully it comes back, because I was really liking the show.

Next Post: Because I'm a dedicated school student (don't laugh), I'm cutting my blogposts from three days a week to two.  On Thursday, I'll have my thoughts on the ABC pilot Zero Hour.  It looked good from the previews and I'll tune in and share my thoughts.  

Unconventional Dramas

Before reading this, I suggest you read the introduction to this site where I say what I'm doing.  

This list is 13 shows and counting.  I say counting because I remain very optimistic about the new series coming out on FX called The Americans.  I will be tuning in to watch the premiere and hopefully the entire first season.  

Shows I've watched

There are only two shows on this list and both lasted a single season before they were cancelled.  Let me assure you they were not cancelled because they were bad shows, but because nobody watched them.  Bad marketing,hard premise to sell, whatever it was, the shows received poor ratings.  (Both were acclaimed critically.)

In 2002, Joss Whedon created his first show that had nothing to do with the Buffyverse tackling a futuristic Western space show.  It starred Nathan Fillion as Captain Mal Reynolds (or Captain Tightpants) as captain of Serenity, the relatively modest space ship.  Reynolds and his crew battle the law, his sometimes adversary and sometimes enemy Badger, and Saffron (played by Christina Hendricks of Mad Men.)

So Fox screwed this up.  One of the best pilots I've ever seen was not aired until it was clear the show would not be renewed.  I cannot for the life of me understand why the pilot was not aired.  So right off the bat, the second episode, which does the first episode an injustice in introducing the characters and the world, gets the show on a bad start.  Then they air the episodes out-of-order throughout the run making it difficult to get any serious serialized storytelling done.  Firefly never stood a chance with ratings thanks to Fox.

Against all odds, the show was able to do a follow-up movie called Serenity, which is phenomenal as an epilogue to the show and I think as a stand-alone movie, though I have no idea.  Anyway, this show is 18 episodes and a movie, all on Netflix and is a good way to pass the time.

Terriers is a very good, short-lived show about two private investigators who run an unlicensed P.I. firm.  I'm going to blame the marketing on this show's lack of ratings.  It's not that I hadn't seen ads when it was released, it's just that the ads revealed nothing about the show.  You see the ad and you don't want to go see the show, you wonder what the show is about.  Most people are not curious enough to see what the show is about.  You have to WANT to see it.  

Anyway, Donald Logue plays an ex-cop and recovering alcoholic and his partner is an ex-criminal.  Between the two of them, they have no problem skirting the law and they are pretty successful at their job despite loads of personal issues.

Shows I am watching

We'll go from shittiest to best.  Dexter is gaining in viewership and declining in quality.  Seasons 1-2 were great TV that did little to nothing with the supporting characters and it has shown in the decline of the show.  Seasons 3-4 were both good, but it was not hard to see the show was starting to lead to the not great Season 5.  Basically, it's hard to create suspense around a criminal who has no consequences for anything he does.  After each season, the writers wipe the slate clean and act like nothing happened.

My advice to anyone looking to get into Dexter is to watch the first four seasons (if only because John Lithgow is amazing in Season 4) and then stop.  Just stop.  (I'm 8 episodes into Season 7 and it's some of the best the show has done since Season 4, but they could easily mess this up.)

Next up his Homeland.  Season 1 was amazing, all the acclaim for the show very deserved.  Season 2 was... ridiculous.  I understand you need to suspend disbelief to watch a show just as this, but preposterous plotline after preposterous plot line made the show borderline unwatchable.  The writers seemingly thought the audiences were watching the show for the thrilling action and surprising twists.  Despite more action in Season 2, Season 1 was more successful in creating tense moments and realistic story lines.  The Season 2 finale fortunately gives me hope they will try a different approach in the upcoming season.  

I've only seen the first season of The Walking Dead and so far it is pretty good. It's obvious the creator forced a season's worth of material into six episodes so the plot moves way too fast.  They introduce a new set on one episode, the next the set explodes.  It would have been nice if they could have taken their time more.  

I'm five episodes into The West Wing and so far I like it.  The cast is excellent with Martin Sheen as the POTUS.  Bradley Whitford playing Josh Lyman and Richard Schiff playing Toby Ziegler are the most interesting characters so far.  As usual, Sorkin has written shitty female characters, but I guess that's why all his shows are nearly all-male.

I'm pretty excited that the so far bland and lone black character (and also seemingly forced) is the main character of Pysch.  Maybe he'll show more personality in later episodes!

Lastly, the wonderful Game of Thrones, which I have little to complain about.  I haven't read the books so I don't care if they are true to the source.  (I kind of plan on reading the books if I ever get in a book-reading mode of my life).  There are three characters on this show that I love: Peter Dinklage, as Tyrion Lannister, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, and Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen.  


The title really says what this show is about: a battle for the throne of the Western kingdom.  It's highly entertaining and I'm greatly invested into seeing who will win this "game."

Shows I will watch
Two people whose opinions I respect strongly recommended The Newsroom so despite not great feedback from my other sources, I will give the first season a watch.  I'm not optimistic about the show, but I'll at least give it a chance.  Plus, I love Jeff Daniels and Sam Wasterson so I don't see a huge downside to watching the show.

Justified is a show that will take a while for me to start.  I might just wait until the series ends so I can buy the entire series.  This show is not on Netflix or on my premium channels at home like most HBO and Showtime shows so it appears I will have to buy this series.  So while I actually am very interested in starting this show now, money and availability are huge impediments. 

I'm interested in Twin Peaks not because I like David Lynch (I did not like Mullohand Drive for instance), but because of how it different it was from anything before it.  It was a creative leap from what I've read at least from any other show and could have paved the way for the shows that changed TV (according to Alan Sepinwall).  

Lastly, Prison Break will be watched well into the future.  I know Prison Break is more or less like 24 in style (not the timeline aspect, but the thrilling action), so I will wait to watch this until I've seen 24.  

Unfortunately, 24 is by far the show I am least interested in watching of the shows that changed TV so that means I will be getting to Prison Break quite a bit later. 

Final Thoughts
Watch Game of Thrones.  Easy choice.  Watch Homeland Season 1.  Whether or not to watch Season 2 highly depends on if Season 3 is good or not.  So you should probably just wait.  So far I'd recommend Sons of Anarchy (through 11 episodes) and West Wing (through five episodes), but neither show has really been watched that much.

Definitely watch Firefly and definitely watch Terriers.  The Walking Dead was good in season 1 (will have season 1 review at some point, but I'll probably re-watch that season to refresh my memory).
There's a few shows I want to watch but the availability of the series is not great.  Shameless with William H. Macy looks awesome, but I just discovered it so I have to figure out a way to watch the first two seasons without paying since I'm a cheap bastard.  The same applies to House of Lies with Don Cheadle, though my interest there is significantly less.  Whereas I'd probably pay to watch Shameless, House of Lies I wouldn't.

I kind of want to watch Girls, but not near enough to add it to my huge list of TV shows.  (Also, a recent description of the show that it was Sex in the City for hipsters is so unbelievably not what I want to watch so probably avoid this.)  I desperately want to watch Boardwalk Empire, I'm just waiting until I can catch a moment where Season 1 will be available on HBO premium.  I want to watch Curb Your Enthusiasm and Eastbound and Down, but I'm incredibly late to the party.

I'm watching Go On on Hulu.  It's good enough for me to not quit, but shitty enough to not write about.  Actually, it's probably really bad, but I just like Matthew Perry.  

The Good Wife and Fringe are shows I'm slightly interested in.  May add to them to the list in the future.  The Americans, Zero Hour, and Cult are shows that are premiering this winter that I will watch the pilots of and decide whether or not to go further. 

I'm at an odd time for posting.  My original intent was to post the eight sections of TV shows that I created, however it appears that will not be my plan.  Whenever I finish a season of a show I'm watching I will post my review of that season.  I already posted my review of Downton Abbey Season 1, I posted my review of Sons of Anarchy Season 1, and later I will post my review of The Walking Dead Season 1.  I also plan to do a season-by-season review of Buffy, though I can't decide if that would be one post or a two-parter.  I'm getting too far ahead of myself though.

(Also I'll mention if I have spoilers or not for the reviews.  Planning on not having spoilers, though it could prove too hard.  I may have a section for non-spoilers and then indicate when the spoilers come.  Hopefully people reading will choose to avoid the spoiler section though I kind of doubt they will.)

I'm planning to watch American Horror Story very soon in conjunction with Sons of Anarchy Season 2.  I have little idea what this is about, but it looks different and interesting.  Connie Britton being on the show certainly makes my acceptance of this show more likely.  I'm not into the horror genre, but a few episodes won't kill me.

Next post: I will review The Americans pilot with Keri Russel and Matthew Rhys

Rewind: Downton Abbey Season 1 Review

What a treat this show became for me.  I watched the first episode and came away very disappointed and not at all surprised that the show just wasn't doing it for me.  Gradually, each episode afterwards I became more and more invested.  While at first I was trying to space out my episodes, because I thought the episodes were too long and I was constantly checking to see when it would end, I ended up watching four episodes the past two days.

The beauty of a character drama show such as this (or Mad Men) is that each episode gradually builds the background and moral standing of each character.  By the last episode, you practically know the characters as real people.  

Downton Abbey has a LOT of characters and it seemingly took the time to flesh out each and every one of them.  It boggles the mind how Downton Abbey has created 20 different and interesting characters while Dexter has created virtually no one outside of Dexter, Doakes, and the villain of the season who is all that fleshed out.

The main storyline of the season was that Downton Abbey had no male heirs after two of the Crowley cousins died in the Titanic.  That is the date set at the first episode, which would be in April of 1912.  With the two men's death, the biggest problem was finding Lady Mary Crawley a husband to inherit the land.

Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley then appear to have a forbidden love for the rest of the season.  She doesn't like him, while Matthew is infatuated with her.  Then the tables turn when Mary ignores Matthew and finds she is growing to like him.  Basically, there is always something that gets in the way of the two just doing what is obvious and marrying.  

John Bates helps us get acquainted with the staff as his first day is also our first time watching the show.  The crew immediately dislikes him and try to secretly get him off the crew, using Bates' limp leg as the main reasoning.  Mr. Bates appears to be a great person, but it's clear there's a past haunting him.    The season gradually reveals that past.

Then there's Mr. Carson, who at first seems to be a conniving man, but later on it is revealed he just really wants to maintain the integrity of Downton Abbey.  Mrs. Obrien and Thomas provide the "villians" of the season as they constantly scheme to frame Bates for stealing.  Mrs. Patmore has declining vision that threatens her job.  Her constant yelling at her assistant Daisy is funny for the most part.  

Maggie Smith is just about the best part of the show.  She is nearly always hilarious.  An example: "I can't believe my maid is leaving to get married. She's so selfish."  Lady Edith seems constantly forgotten by the family (but not the writers) as she and Mary fight constantly over men mostly.  Lady Sybil spends the majority of her screen time fighting for the right for woman to vote, mostly to the chagrin to everyone else.

Anyway, there are, believe it or not, more characters that are explored.  Nearly all of them get a story line that reveals who they are.

Season 1 occurs over a two-year period.  It is established that the sinking of the Titanic was the beginning and in the end, World War I was just declared so it was July of 1914.  (They also added the telephone into the home, which of course leads to a comedic bit where someone plays around with it.)

I wholeheartedly recommend this to potential viewers.  

Next post: Unconventional Drama, which is already written, but I needed this post to be done immediately after I finished the series.