Catching Up on New Shows

Despite my lack of postings after seeing the pilots of the new shows, I have kept watching. I feel I needed to give them an episode or two to figure out what my real thoughts on them were and for the most part my pilot thoughts held with one or two exceptions (for both the better and the worse). I'll probably do a catch-up post on returning shows tomorrow, but for now how do I feel about the new shows?

In alphabetical order...

2 Broke Girls - Here's the thing, I still love the chemistry and relationship between Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs, but every episode seems to get worse and worse quality-wise. Every scene in the diner is cringe-worthy and blatantly racist. The second episode was pretty horrendous with the plethora of poop jokes. And for the most part, it's just really inconsistent. I'll continue to watch since it's after How I Met Your Mother, but it's definitely trending down since the pilot.

A Gifted Man - Not sure when it happened, but I'm starting to really like this show. I'm so very intrigued at the relationship between Michael and his dead ex-wife's ghost. Plus I love seeing the dual surgeries he has to perform weekly, one using super high-tech stuff while another just his bare hands. The supporting characters are great too, most notable Margo Martindale as his assistant, but I also have a soft spot for those working in the clinic. The fact that it's on Friday is a bit of a killer, but I'm going to try to catch this as much as I can.

Free Agents - I was pretty lukewarm on this show for its first two episodes, but it felt like it was starting to find its groove during the last two. Unfortunately for the show, it's been canceled already making me a bit sad if only for not being able to see more Anthony Stewart Head on American television. Guess I'll get my fix with Merlin.

Pan Am - Other than the main character (who randomly went from brunette to bleached blonde in between the pilot and the second episode), who kind of bores me, I'm really liking this show. I definitely need more Christina Ricci, but the Collette character is ridiculously charming and the spy subplot is fantastic. Plus it's just a pretty show lots of pretty people. Looking forward to seeing where they go for the rest of the season.

Person of Interest - The problem with this show is its leads are quite humorless making it nearly impossible to form a connection with it. And other than the hook of having a Big Brother type machine that can predict crimes and whatnot, there's not much here to compel me to keep watching. It also doesn't help that it's on Thursdays where I already watch way too many shows.

Playboy Club - Already wrote my thoughts on this show when it became the first new show of the fall to get canceled. Here's hoping for better things for some of the cast!

New Girl - I have to say I'm a little bit disappointed with this show. It was probably the one show I was looking forward to the most, but it has left me pretty cold so far. Do I just not like Zooey Deschanel's adorkable schtick? Do I have a problem with the male roommates? I don't really know. Last episode, especially with the final chicken dance scene, was a bit better, but something is definitely missing on this show for me.

Revenge - This is probably my favorite new show this year. I'm as shocked as you are. It's just so unexpectedly great especially in regards to how Emily VanCamp has been quite successfully pulling off playing a psychopath. It's even better that she's going up against someone like Madeleine Stowe! A bit formulaic and totally campy? Sure, but so far I'm loving the hell out of it. I wonder if this says anything about me as a person. I'll try not to think about it too much.

Ringer - What I'm really liking with this show is its pacing. I was afraid that this show was going to get stagnant quickly, but it's pretty much avoided that especially now with the big bombshell during the most recent episode. The weakest link, however, is still Sarah Michelle Gellar's portrayal of the twins. Maybe I've been spoiled with Fringe with their actors playing multiple roles amazingly. The thing is Bridgette and Siobhan don't feel like two different people to me. I know they grew up together, but I feel Gellar should work harder to get those differences across. Also hoping for more crazy drama!

The Secret Circle - This takes my "guilty pleasure" award for the new shows. I was pretty high on the pilot even though I totally realize how odd it is for me to get into a high school-centric CW show at my age. With that said, the mysteries are deepening and there's a lot of promise. So far I like the every week the drama is about them being witches and the secret past that they're all trying to figure out. I could do with a little less teen hormonal stuff, but it's part of the DNA of every CW show so I'll live.

Suburgatory - I'm a little bit smitten with this show, but then again I've only seen two episodes. The crazy supporting characters make the show, which is not to say that the two leads, Jeremy Sisto and Jane Levy, are the worst part of it. NOT AT ALL. In fact as a fellow New Yorker, I pretty much relate to their characters the most and it's been quite fun to see how they try to learn and adapt. It also helps that the show is not afraid to show some male eye candy for example a speedo-wearing Alan Tudyk in the first episode and a full-on male car wash dance scene in the second. Yes, please.

Terra Nova - My biggest complaint in the pilot was my negative impression of the Shannon family so I'm happy to report that they've done a good job making them relatable, interesting, and not as grating (in the case of the son) in the subsequent episode. With that said, the plot with the birds was pretty weak and I'm starting to get bored a little. That's not good for a show with this kind of high-concept and budget. I'll definitely continue watching until for some reason it gets canceled.

Up All Night - I seem to be watching this show based only on my loyalties to the cast. It's not a bad show really. It's actually pretty solid and I laugh at more than a few jokes every episode, but for some reason I seem to have a disconnect with it. I felt the same in the pilot and I posited that it's maybe because I just don't relate to the whole deal of having a new baby. But then again this didn't stop me from liking Modern Family or Raising Hope. We'll see if I continue with this show.

As you can tell, other than the two canceled shows I'm still not cutting any of the new shows from my viewing schedule. My TV addiction also forces me to give new shows very long leashes. With that said, the three most in danger are probably Person of Interest, Up All Night, and A Gifted Man in that order. Frankly I'm just excited about new shows yet to air such as Once Upon A Time, GCB, Smash, Awake, and Touch.