The Fall T.V. Season Pt. 2

As promised, I continue with a little review on a mere slice of the Fall TV season in America. Last time I looked at some of the new shows the Hackman’s have been downloading on I-tunes this season. Now I want to look at some of our returning favorites:

Chuck: Perhaps no TV show puts a smile on our face faster than Chuck. Chuck is the lovable computer nerd (played brilliantly by Zachary Levi) who has the whole CIA database downloaded into his brain. This has the affect of his being able to interpret and analyze intelligence instantly…sometimes. What makes the show is the colorful characters that make up the “Nerd Herd” at the local Buy More electronics store (a parody of Best Buy). The need to save the world every week is balanced with the comedic story lines revolving around the world of retail with a bunch of lovable losers. Top that off with Adam Baldwin playing essentially his character of Jayne Cobb from Firefly and you have a winner. Where else can you have a story where the fate of the world is determined by a nerd playing the 80s arcade game Missle Command to the “music of the Universe”…Rush’s Tom Sawyer.
If you haven’t seen Chuck, make sure you drop buy the Buy More and see what all the commotion is about.

Eli Stone: Another series in its sophomore season, Eli Stone tells the story of a lawyer who is touched by God to be a prophet. Eli has then to walk a road between doing what is right and following his prophetic visions, or enduring the ridicule of Man. The second season did confirm that it is God who is the source of his visions (God being played by Sigourney Weaver). At times the religious elements are a little too New Age and Universalist for my Christian sensibilities…but then I don’t watch it for my theology. I watch it because it is a well written, smart drama with a strong moral center. (Oh, and it’s one of the minority of shows these days that DOESN’T have a 98 pound blond girl who beats up guys twice their size every week)

Battlestar Galactica: Is full of 98 pound girls that beat up guys everyweek but is STILL, as Rolling Stone has said, possibly the best show on television. Technically the new (and last) season won’t start until January but since Tammy and I are working through last season right now to catch up, I thought I’d include it. The fact that this series bears little resemblance to its family friendly, cheesy, 1970s namesake has been written about adnauseum. This modern version is crammed full of politics, philosophy,…and torture. The story follows the remnant of the human race that is traveling through space being pursued by the Cylons. At first I was rooting for the humans, then I was rooting for the Cylons, and now I have pretty much come to the conclusion that the Universe would be better served by the destruction of both these factions. Both groups have characters with little to no redeeming virtues. And for being a “sci-fi’ show there is little to no “sci-fi” in it. If it wasn’t for the outer space factor, you would think the whole series was something retro out of the 1960’s. We’re hooked but are glad the show is coming to an end.

Anxiously Awaiting: Lost My personal favorite. This show could not get any weirder. I have followed it through hatches, the Others, Ben, Desmond, polar bears, Orchid Station, time displacements, miricle healings, Mr. Eko, and smoke monsters. January, and the new season, cannot arrive fast enough.

Gotta run, Eli Stone is on….