Another week, another reader mailbag, this time repeating the info from the blog about "Mad Men" returning in August, speculation on the future of "Castle," a reader suggesting "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" (which I enjoyed, but haven't watched since the first three episodes) has gotten more complex (anyone want to agree or disagree with that?), and more.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Reader mail: 'Mad Men,' 'Castle' and more
Another week, another reader mailbag, this time repeating the info from the blog about "Mad Men" returning in August, speculation on the future of "Castle," a reader suggesting "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" (which I enjoyed, but haven't watched since the first three episodes) has gotten more complex (anyone want to agree or disagree with that?), and more.
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15 comments:
I can't believe you answered the unsub question! Actually I can't believe someone bothered to mail you to ask. It's the first result on google for "unsub". Some people just love following the path of most resistance. I wonder how many stupid questions easily answered by google get thrown Alan's way?
Alan-
Did you see Timberlake on SNL last night? He elevates the entire show when he's on.
Digital short was incredible, and there was the return of "The Barry Gibb Talk Show"!
Magic, simply magic. Just as good, if not better than Paul Rudd's episode (which also featured JT).
Eh. He doesn't mind. The check clears just the same whether the questions are specific or insightful or whatever.Google answer might become the next ministry of truth if we rely on it too much. That's if wikipedia hasn't already become so.
Alan, any thoughts on The Guild or any other web series? Any potential for these series to make the leap to mainstream tv?
So is Amy Ryan going to be back on The Office this season or not?
Guys, not doing an open thread today. If you have questions for the mailbag column, email me (and include your full name and hometown).
JT on SNL review coming later today, btw.
To answer your question about No. 1 Ladies, the answer for me is yes and no.
Yes, the show has inevitably become more complex: the pilot hinted at a dark past that for the most part went untouched in the first few post-pilot eps., so the show returning to that was inevitable and quite effective at the end of the day.
I only say No because, at the same time, the show lost some of its breeziness that made it so distinctive. It still stands out in later episodes, and they execute what they're doing well, but there was something so infectious about the early episodes that felt like it was missing later on, at least based on my recollection (watched them a while back).
I look forward to the tweets, or not a catchup blog post, when the season winds down and you've had a chance to catch up.
I'm also mixed on the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I really enjoyed the pilot, but by the end it became a show I was turning on and barely paying attention to while I did other things. I think the original optimistic and breezy tone was really infectious and enjoyable, but it seemed to dissipate rather quickly. Also, the cases that were being investigated weren't particularly interesting and Precious's detective skills sometimes seemed a little weak. Last night's finale also didn't seem to provide any type of closure, which was odd.
Keep it out, thanks, Hatfield.
Done and done. As for Criminal Minds, I find the acting pretty much awful, stiff and unengaging. How is it that people love it so much? Is it all the gruesomness? Can any fans explain it to me?
I've really enjoyed "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" and was a little surprised at how dark the last ep got (haven't seen the finale yet), though as others have said, the darkness was creeping in already.
I think it's definitely worth you catching up on and I hope to see you blog about it when you do :-) Also, do you know if it is getting a second season?
I totally agree about "Castle." The actors are appealing, the leads have good chemistry... but now that we've all seen about a million hours of police procedurals, you can't get away with crime plots that are flimsy, obvious, or "ripped from the headlines" two years after everyone else did it. For a show that's actually about a mystery writer, you'd think this one could find a few top-notch ones to put some "mystery" into the scripts.
You're right about Castle, of course. Not only are the plots pedestrian, but most of the characters are simply ciphers (like Beckett's two assistants).
Plus, they get so much NYC terminology wrong. A woman says her fiance, killed on 133rd Street, would never have gone that far "north," rather than "uptown." Castle groans about having to climb to a "6th-storey walkup" rather than a "6th-floor walkup." There are more, but those are the ones I recall off the top of my head. For a show set in NYC, it's clear the writers have never even lived here, much less run their scripts past someone who has.
But...Nathan Fillion! How fabulous is he? How charismatic? I can't not watch. And Stana Katic, who was fairly stiff in the early episodes (as an actor, not just as a character), has really developed into a strong presence--and, as you note, with great chemistry with Fillion.
So...I watch. I do this; if I really like characters, I forgive a lot. And, because I'm not a TV critic, I don't have to watch EVERYTHING, so I can fit in stuff that's not as strong as, say, "Chuck," or "Better Off Ted." But I understand why others wouldn't stick with it.
*sigh* that picture of Jon Hamm made my heart skip a beat...
Oh yeah, I wanted to comment on Castle and No. 1 Ladies. I agree that watching Castle is basically an exercise in enjoying Nathan Fillion (and to a lesser degree Stana Katic, who is still a bit stiff and seems to say too much of her dialogue in between clenched teeth). My favorite scenes are those where he figures something out, or when he's with the daughter. I like that he looks like he's having fun. The rest of the show is pretty m'eh. I guess I'm in [previous commenter] Karen's camp on why we watch.
With the No. 1 Ladies, I have to say that I'm more charmed by the actors and general "lifestyle" part of the show than I am intrigued by the cases she must solve. I love looking at Jill Scott's face, especially when she has a scene where she lights up, either with joy or anger. I love the "slice of life" stuff, small-town Bostwana. There is too little on American TV that shows a realistic depiction of normal everyday life outside the US or Western Europe, that doesn't play to the stereotypes. The stuff on this show reminds me of growing up in the Third World, and I find myself smiling a lot. I also love the music, and drool over Ms. Scott's wardrobe, I'm constantly telling my husband to look at those fabrics. So I hope the show comes back. It may make for light storytelling, but I'm enjoying it a lot.
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