I've been sick and depressed for the last couple months which means I've seen a lot of TV! Here's some thoughts for no apparent reason, in no apparent order:
Z-Nation: Zombies are a shallow genre that has nearly been strip-mined but this show manages to find some quality gems. Good characters, fast-paced, sense of humor, it's everything I miss in the Walking dead and better for it. Campy, heartfelt, fun, and recommended.
Nurse Jackie: I mainlined all 7 seasons of this show while trying to get over a sinus infection and a persistent fever over the course of a week and loved it. Kind of a sympathetic but brutal look at the effects of addiction on one nurse's life. It's weeds but for pill addiction instead of drug dealing. I felt like they chickened out on the strong gay themes of the first season in later seasons, but the arc is good, feels genuine, and the moments are earned. I wanted to go straight edge as far as substances go afterwards though.
Rick & Morty: I feel like I should be high while watching it (which I'm not because I just finished Nurse Jackie). Not sure I get the buzz surrounding the show. It gets one good laugh out of me an episode, which is not nothing, but it's not Community either. I really dig the SF nerdery throughout though.
Helix: I'm 4 or 5 episodes into this, and I like it, but I can see why it didn't make it past 2 seasons. It has a nice sense of style at times and some great establishing shots, but I feel like this plot has been done before and the mystery hooks could dig a little deeper. And 5 episodes in there are some plot threads already starting to dangle awkwardly. Hey, remember those 30 people you locked in a room on level R? What's going on with them? Just like BSG, it feels like writers charge really hard in one direction for an episode or two before changing their mind and switching gears, leaving plot debris all over the place.
Broadchurch: I really dug this show right from the beginning. Maybe it's just the mood I'm in but the pacing, the characters, the tone, the murder mysteries all DO have a hook that makes me want to keep watching. I'm genuinely interested in all the little secrets everyone seems to have and how it's going to play out. I'm only a few episodes in, but it's the most compelling series I've seen in a while.
You, Me and the Apocalypse: I really adore the cast of this show, meteor apocalypse shows are almost a no-brainer for me, and two episodes in I'm struggling to find a reason to keep watching. It just feels flat for some reason. The tone seems stuck in the no-mans-land between drama and comedy where neither comedy nor drama exist in any reasonable quantity to generate interest in the proceedings. I'm not sure where it's going and I'm not sure that I care. And the sad thing is that I WANT to. Help me NBC. Help me care.
The X-Files, season 10: This is the biggest bright spot in the TV line-up right now. The first episode felt odd, and flat, and incoherent while everyone got back into the swing of things. I couldn't tell if they were making fun of the UFO/government paranoia from the 90s or that it's just not the 90s anymore so the specific line of conspiracy seems a little dated, but still, it felt off. Episode 3 however, was a gem. The tongue-in-cheek stories always made for better episodes, and the Were-man is no exception. The writing and the moments are superb, especially those involving Rhys Darby, who plays a character as tragic as he is funny. The mid-episode twist was just delightful. I was sad when it was over. Also, Mulder in a red speedo was probably the highlight of my week. I missed you guys. Welcome back.
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