Fall of the Conchords

The first season of Flight of the Conchords became an instant cult classic. A show about a New Zealand duo trying to make it in New York that's intermittently filled with wacky comedy songs. I enjoyed it a lot and spent most of first-year with raps like "Rhymenocerous VS Hiphopapotamus" stuck in my head. The same thing happened to everyone else on campus and suddenly people were screaming down the hallway "ITSA BUSSSINESSS TIMEEEE!" It didn't take long before I could no longer stand the songs and show altogether.

It took almost a year and a half after the first finale for Bret and Jemaine to write up another batch of songs for the new season (which they admitted was very difficult) and the quality showed. I just finished season two and the show has just fallen out of tune. The songs feel a lot more wedged-in than ever, having little to do with the plot of the episode. This is probably a bad example but



It felt like half the season took place in the New Zealand Consulate's office as well, relying waaaay too much on Murray's dialogue to carry the show. In the second finale, show ends with a pretty amusing shepherding bit followed by an announcement that the series was over.

Obscenely Delayed Update

Well it's only been five months since the last post but whatever.

The Shield

• After blasting through all seven seasons, I can tell you that this is one of the most morally gray shows you'll ever watch.
• Highlights include season 4 with Glenn Close and season 5 with Forest Whitaker. Both of these actors brought a huge change to the show that put our Strike Team through some tough ordeals.
• Vic Mackey would eat Jack Bauer alive.

The Pacific

• I've watched the first seven parts of this mini-series but still have yet to really attach to these characters.
  
• It's hard not to compare this with Band of Brothers. Many described that The Pacific would really focus on a small number of main characters rather than an entire company, but they have yet to flesh out the characters aside from being melodramatic about the horrors of war.
• Maybe it's just because it's the Pacific theater...
  

Fringe

• This was a surprising delight. As an X-Files veteran, I wasn't surprised how quickly this show grew on me.
• Unlike The X-Files, Fringe managed to create an overlaying connection ("the Pattern") through the mysterious happenings of the show. While the SCIENCE! is often far fetched, it still has it's "Hey, why not?" charm to it.
  
• John Noble as Walter Bishop is an absolute delight.

Dexter

• Season 4 sure got off to a slow start. It really wasn't until half-way through did a little twist come in and put the show back in high gear.

Spartacus

• Just started watching this 300-inspired series. Lots of blood, violence, and gratuitous sex!
  

Best Show of the Decade

With reality TV raping the broadcasts for several years, Lost was the show that rescued us with awesome serialized drama. It introduced us to the Island and the unfortunate survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. It had mystery. It had compelling characters. It had action. It had it all.

But what really separated Lost from other contenders was the storytelling. The plot did not go a traditional Point A to B. It started at Point D, then C, then E then B; and we haven't even gotten to A yet. Surely this would lead to a completely broken story that's impossible to follow! But no, somehow it all makes sense in a crazy way.

If for some reason you haven't watched this show yet, start right away. Lost changed television by proving it can be a more as a legitimate medium.