From the YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME files

[rabid1st]

Before I get started on the many things I am currently ranting about let me tell you all one important thing: You need to WATCH Chuck!

You need to go to Hulu or Amazon Downloads and watch the last five episodes of Chuck. Srsly!

You all know me. I want to tweak everything. But from midway through the first season, right up to this exact moment, CHUCK has never disappointed me. It's good. It's not genius. It's not rocket science. But it's true to itself. And I never finish an episode and say, "Well, that could have been so much better!" I am always happy after an episode of Chuck. <<--That's got to mean something!

And now...for the shows I love that COULD be so much better...


SPOILERS AHEAD! SPOILERS AHEAD! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Okay, maybe not really "spoilers," but I am going to talk about tonight's American Idol and last night's Heroes without going into any detail. Also there will be some DW rambling at the bottom, because I ramble relentlessly about Doctor Who.

What happened with Adam Lambert on tonight's American Idol results show? I will not go into it further since many have not seen it on the West Coast, yet. But I'm just saying..."You've GOT to be kidding me!"

Also, are they kidding me with Heroes? First, let me say this to Tim Kring, "You need to find some motivation for your fringe characters that makes sense and go with the Peter/Claire chemistry next season." It's the last season you will have, so make the most of it. If you don't start taking some risks by shaking that Petrelli family tree, the show is going to circle down the drain with barely a whimper of protest from the fanbase.

Second, what's up with the pacing? Come on, Timmy! This season's ending was lifeless. I like that it was understated, but it looked like your budget was cut rather than something you planned. I like that we may see less of Evil Old Eyebrows in future, but where is your story going. Follow through on something, for heaven's sake, don't just let a change in Sylar be another idea that goes no where. I think the finale sets things up nicely for the Petrelli family to really fling open their dysfunctional closet and dust off those skeletons...but this is your very last chance to WOW us. I am not holding you to blame for the writer's strike taking out your best idea so far. That the whole plague storyline got binned was very sad indeed.

But you, Tim, are to blame for the ridiculous bizarro season of Villians, when nothing made sense from episode to episode and exciting storylines bloomed suddenly then disappeared. And now this season's tremendous promise dies on the vine due to the criminally clunky pacing in the final four episodes. There should have been a sense of urgency but instead we have endless pontificating and pointless running around. Go back and watch the pacing in S1 and see how you pumped it forward as you went. It is one thing to move slowly toward a goal. It is another thing entirely to keep moving the goal or wander aimlessly until you come to the end of your alloted number of episodes.

Finally, there are Doctor Who spoilers in the news again. And all of them make me smack my forehead with the heel of my palm. I'm not even going into them, except to say they do not necessarily rule out a PONY for Christmas, they just make the finale needlessly complicated. Is that because they are fake spoilers? Foundationless rumors? Or is RTD going to go with needlessly complicated? I think of Jack, Martha, Mickey and Jackie all wasted in the needlessly complicated JE and I don't know what to guess.

Rae

Comments

[phdelicious.livejournal.com]

I'm getting so tired of Heroes just tripping all over itself. Every time it starts to make sense the pull a 180 and say 'just kidding'. It's really frustrating and soapy. I don't like soap. Honestly if Chuck isn't back next season I probably won't be back for Heroes.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

AMEN to that! I really need my Chuck. I can't get anyone to watch it and it's such a fantastic show. What gets me about CHUCK...is I ALWAYS have a good time. Since...say...mid-season 1...I never sit there thinking, "This could be so much better," the way I do with other shows. Chuck is perfect, every time.

I should go say that!

Rae

[phdelicious.livejournal.com]

I watched the finale live. I'll probably rewatch it on my DVR and I'm certainly heading over to HULU and NBC to at least que it up for the record. I hope to god someone picks up this show.

[athenesolon.livejournal.com]

I would have liked to but I have an evening class at the same time as Chuck. It's the only thing I hated about that class. I have probably made up for it by watching it WAY over five times since the finale aired.

[tsukikage85.livejournal.com]

Umm... Cut?

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

No need at all for a cut there. I seriously doubt anyone who hasn't seen the episodes is getting much out of what I said. I put the spoiler line in just to warn off the extra-extra-sensitive.

Rae

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched the Planet of the Dead yet (I downloaded it, but haven't watched it). Is it worth watching in your opinion? I saw the promos from Planet of the Dead and I don't know if I'm really all that excited about watching it.

I love Chuck and hopefully it will be renewed. I hate that Leno's show will take away the opportunity of five new shows from ever being.

I heard that the campaign to save Chuck is actually working.

I did a review of Planet of the Dead a few posts back.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Meh!

:shrug:

It had no real substance to it. It was slightly offensive in the amount of open flirtation that went on in the face of so much bad beforehand. But not so offensive given that...well...this would be business as usual for the Doctor of old school. He meets another fascinating young woman and off we go again.

So...as an old school episode...it was pretty standard. As a stand alone episode...it was a little lightweight. As a new school episode...part of any type of arc...it left me going, "Meh!" I just didn't really care about anyone, including the Doctor. There was no connection to me and no real sense of peril. But it wasn't bad...just "Meh!"

Rae
who would say, sure, see it if you have a spare hour...you could do worse, but only the prophecy near the end seemed meaningful to me.

Re: I did a review of Planet of the Dead a few posts back.

[soophelia.livejournal.com]

It seems like Moffat has already started turning the Doctor into a James Bond-type figure (kissing every companion that comes along. I know RTD is still at the helm, but still . . . )

I'll read your review. Promise. I might watch Planet of the Dead soon, but I just feel "meh" about it. It's sad that I used to be so excited that I would watch it as soon as I could grab a copy, but now I just don't care as much.

Here's the information about Chuck that I meant to tell you about:

From Ausiello:

"Question: What is your gut feeling on Chuck's chances of renewal? --MD
Ausiello: After watching the finale, my gut feeling is that Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak left NBC with absolutely no choice but to bring it back for a third season."

I know that's not a guarantee that it will be back, but it looks very likely that it will be. I guess we will find out when the upfronts happen (in May).

[webeh.livejournal.com]

Chuck always makes me feel ridiculously happy with all the characters, 80s shout outs, corny spy scenarios and Chuck/Sarah. Also, I personally think it's hard to no develop a crush for Chuck. He's so innocent (compared to other characters), goofy/geeky, and nice. I really hope it comes back next season. Especially with that cliff hanger.

I've been a bit out of the loop in terms of Doctor Who spoilers, but I did read about one (it might be a rumour) that I liked. So, I hope it ends up being true.

[webeh.livejournal.com]

I think of Jack, Martha, Mickey and Jackie all wasted in JE and I don't know what to guess.

Honestly, I think everyone was wasted in the finale. Even Rose and Donna. Donna did get to have a good storyline, but there should have been more. Same with Rose. We didn't even get a proper "what have you been doing since the last time we've met" scene or a goodbye.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

There is no way he would not kiss Rose. I mean...all of the fake kisses...add up to a REAL kiss. Even if there was a goodbye at the end...they should have kissed in the TARDIS. The biggest problem with JE...is that there is no reason at all to separate the Doctor and Rose. He never gets over her. She never gets over him. She's fought her way to him through so much...I mean...that scene in Turn Left when she runs down to Donna only to learn that she's too late and the Doctor is dead. I can't help but imagine that scene playing out over and over again for poor Rose.

It was wrong to separate them...I will never be able to reconcile myself to it...unless it turns out to be part of a grander plan which RTD is working on as we speak.

Rae