TV You Should Be Watching

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The fall TV season is upon us, and now that we're a few weeks in, let's talk about what's worth watching!

New Series (in order of awesomeness):

1. Homeland - The best new show on television, by a long shot. It's definitely worth paying for Showtime. Or, if you're me, it's worth spending half an hour on hold with Comcast to get the free Showtime you were promised when you signed up, but never actually received. (Still waiting on my $100 gift card, though.) Damian Lewis (the best thing about Life) plays Sgt. Nick Brody, a POW who was imprisoned for 8 years in Afghanistan, and has just been rescued and returned home to the U.S. Claire Danes (whom, thanks to MSCL, I've been reminded is FABULOUS) is Carrie, a CIA agent who believes he was turned while captive and that he's now working with the terrorists. Unfortunately, everyone else wants to see Sgt. Brody as a hero and so Carrie is pursuing this lead on her own. Complicating matters further is the fact that Carrie has schizophrenia, undiagnosed so that she can keep her job, which she treats via pills purloined from her mental health professional sister. It's only been three episodes so far, but I am liking the way they're handling Carrie's mental illness. It's entirely possible that she's paranoid and Brody hasn't been turned, but Carrie is incredibly smart and good at her job in spite of her limitations - or perhaps because of it, since it may be her unorthodox methods that end up protecting the nation from terrorism. And it goes without saying that Claire Danes plays the role amazingly - as does Lewis in portraying the PTSD and difficulty readjusting to being home. Mandy Patinkin costars as Carrie's CIA mentor, and Morena Baccarin plays Brody's wife, so it's an all-star cast all around, really. If you need more convincing, you can watch the first episode for free here.


2. Pan Am - I've taken to calling this "Mad Men lite" because it has the same sort of retro aesthetic, but with a bit more nostalgia and less dark underbelly. I do love that the show is centered around the four stewardesses, giving four different perspectives on women in the 1960s. Christina Ricci, another of my favorite actresses from way back when, is Maggie, the bohemian feminist. Sisters Kate and Laura are working together after Laura left her fiance at the altar, but Kate's also doing double-duty as a courier for the CIA, having been recruited because her job gives her a great cover story. But my favorite so far is Colette, the French stewardess, who is just delightful and - after last night's episode - clearly a powerhouse actor.


3. Suburgatory - This one sounded awesomer than it is, I think. For one thing, it's not actually the suburbs as anyone would recognize them. It's more like a Real Housewives-meets-Mean Girls suburb. But the show is about endlessly mocking that extreme weirdness, so I'm okay with that. The premise is entirely silly - single dad finds condoms in his teenage daughter's room, panics, and immediately packs up and leaves NYC for the suburbs because apparently no one has sex before marriage in the suburbs or something. Whatever. Let it go. It's all just an excuse for fish out of water wackiness, which frequently is quite funny, and the father/daughter deadpan banter is excellent. Also, Alan Tudyk plays the dad's best friend!


4. Ringer - OMG this show started out SO BAD. I was really feeling sorry for SMG. I could understand why she wanted to take the part, given the challenge of playing twins - not to mention the complexity of one twin impersonating the other - but oh man. If SMG wasn't in it, I'd have given up halfway through the first episode. But really, it's gotten much better, and now that the tension is building and Bridget is getting closer to having her secret exposed, I'm actually enjoying it? Plus, Nestor Carbonell and his eyeliner is always welcome on my TV.

Join us next time for ALL THE FEELINGS on my favorite returning series.

Comments

[ever_neutral]

Haha, I finally saw the Ringer pilot the other day. Was pretty dull. Glad to hear it gets better. *g*

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Hee! To be fair, I'm not sure I'd still be into it if SMG weren't the star, but it has definitely improved. :)

[eilowyn1]

Pan Am was watched today in the school library while I was supposed to be studying, and I LOVED IT so much I used it as an example of emancipated women characters in my gender representation and the media presentation (I also used The Good Wife, Buffy, and Commander in Chief as shows that show women as leaders). Fell in love with Colette and Colette/Dean - she makes me want to practice my French! - but I'm over-identifying with Kate as the disappointing sister.

Homeland is next on my "download at school because of the awesome T1 connection" show.

I'm glad Ringer gets better - I'm behind two episodes and kinda dreading more of the same schlocky storytelling we got in the first two episodes. But I've pledged a ten episode chance to the show, and Amber Benson is supposed to show up in the tenth episode (Jason Dohering is supposed to show up at some point, too, I think), so I figure I'm giving it a solid chance to impress me.

Just caught up with Downton Abbey and I am filled with joy at this show. It's to drama what Parks and Recreation is to comedy: pure perfection.

Let's see . . . have you checked out The Fades yet? Creepy as fuck, but moody storytelling and geeky best friends give it a nice grounding.

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I'm kind of becoming a Colette/Dean shipper, too! :)

Amber Benson is supposed to show up in the tenth episode (Jason Dohering is supposed to show up at some point, too, I think)

Ooooh, I did not know this. Well, I'll at least be sticking around long enough for that.

I haven't seen The Fades yet, but it's definitely one I want to check out.

[urania_calliope]

Pan Am doesn't really look like my kinda show but the BF wants to watch it and if you're giving it a thumbs up I better get in there and check it out.

[next_to_normal]

Haha, it may not be your style. It's not exactly groundbreaking, so if you don't like the genre, this probably won't change your mind. Are you a Mad Men fan at all?

[solsticedawn]

Wandered over here due to your fab BSG and BtVS icons recently posted. I am loving Heartland. Dying to find out if he was turned or not, but he's certainly got some skeletons in his closet...

That's all really.

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Welcome! Help yourself to a margarita. :)

I'm thinking he's probably been turned, if only because that would be the most interesting option, plot-wise. But I wouldn't be surprised if Carrie eventually gets him to turn back. He'd be a great asset if he can provide inside info on the terrorists, who think he's still working with them.

[solsticedawn]

Mmm. Margarita!

Double agents can be a great asset, especially if their handlers have no idea...

Besides, it'd make a better second season if Carrie managed to turn him back. I don't doubt that they turned him, the more I think about it. The question is: how much will seeing his family, friends and former life again help him understand who ordered all the torture in the first place...

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Yeah, I mean, we have to figure that there need to be more twists in order to keep the plot going past the first season.

If he wasn't turned, then how long do we go on before Carrie has to concede he wasn't? And then where do you go from there? End of show.

If he was turned, how long can he elude Carrie without undermining her abilities as an agent? And once she gets proof and he's executed for treason, then what? Either end of show or you lose Damian Lewis as a star.

It seems like there's far more mileage in a story where they are on opposite sides, but eventually end up on the same side. Then they can keep catching other terrorists for years to come. :)