I've watched a decent amount of TV shows over the past season, and even though I prefer watching the entire season at once, I still look forward to to catching some shows on a weekly basis. There hasn't been anything particularly brilliant that I've watched, but shows like Archer and Justified continued to bring the awesomeness week in and week out. Here's a quick synopsis of the shows I've watched this past year. (I've noticed that I tend to rate things lower when the viewing is stretched out over time. I think that's part of the reason why I like watching everything at once.) Anyway, here we go (in alphabetical order)...
- Archer: Just about the greatest animated show I've ever watched. The writing is so sharp, funny, and consistent each week that I'm often left amazed. Starting off the season with Burt Reynolds playing himself was fantastic, and everything that followed was just as good. I cannot recommend this show enough. 5/5
- The Big Bang Theory: This show is certainly my guilty pleasure. The Big Bang Theory could be a phenomenal show with the overall talent of the actors, but it consistently sinks to the lowest common denominator so that it can appeal to the mass audiences (which explains a lot, because it would never be as popular - and likely cancelled by now - if it didn't). Sometimes I hate myself for watching the show (because there's often episodes that are complete drivel), but other times I'm pleasantly surprised and I find myself laughing pretty heartily. Regardless, Kaley Cuoco is pure #motherofgod material. 3/5
- Castle: Castle is a show I spent the better part of last year catching up on. I'm a huge sucker for those "will they or won't they" type of relationships, and the one between Kate and Castle is the very definition of that. The show itself is a bit of give-or-take; it's one of those that would greatly benefit from a thirteen episode season (there are so many filler episodes that it drives me fucking nuts!). However, even though we finally got a bit of storyline progression with the satisfying finale, I felt the season really dragged at times with several unmemorable or ridiculous episodes (but the Adam Baldwin episode was great!). In the end though, I still like the two leads enough that I'll keep watching. 3.5/5
- Chuck: It was bittersweet to watch Chuck head off into the sunset; on one hand, I think the story had run its course and they were struggling to find new and creative plots, but on the other hand I loved these characters and would have kept watching if the show ran another ten seasons. The finale garnered a bit of a mixed reaction, and even though I generally liked it I found it somewhat disappointing. Chuck, even though it's plenty dramatic at times, is a fun action/comedy show at its heart. And while the finale was a mostly happy ending, I think it tried too hard to be deeper and more than it needed to be. For once, I think they should've taken the easy way out and given fans exactly what they wanted. With a show like Chuck, we weren't owed any more. 4/5
- Community: Obviously, the huge news that broke after the season ended was that showrunner Dan Harmon was replaced. I think the general reason was because the show was so outlandish at times, but that's why the show has such a cult following. Who knows what Community is going to be like next year, but I think it's going to lose some of that craziness that made it unlike anything else on TV. The third season was definitely not as good as the unreal second, but it's still fucking awesome (the video game episode was outstanding!). I'm cautiously optimistic about Season Four. 4/5
- House: House was yet another bittersweet finale; the show certainly ran its course, but I loved a number of the characters on the show so I blindly would've continued following it. The highlights were the mid-season episodes that revolved around Chase and the few episodes focusing on Wilson and House leading to the finale. The finale itself was okay, but there certainly could've been better ways to wrap the show up. The fact that they brought so many names back only highlighted the fact that Lisa Edelstein wasn't there, which was a big problem in my eyes. (Honestly, I think a finale about Thirteen's Huntington's disease would've been fantastic, but like I said the episodes revolving around Wilson were pretty damn good too - the next to last episode had me crying like a baby.) Farewell, friend. 4/5
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: I think Sunny really rebounded after a slightly worse (yet still funny) sixth season. To be honest, I don't remember a number of the episodes. Some are fresh in my mind though, as outings like "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore" and "Thunder Gun Express" were amazing, even though it's been damn near five months since the season ended. While the show may not be as great as it once was, Sunny still holds a special place in my heart. 4/5
- Justified: I don't think I looked forward to any other show as much as I did Justified each week. It's a phenomenal show, and even with one or two plot inconsistencies that bugged me, I still think this is one of the most well-written shows on TV. Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins absolutely own the screen (though Neal McDonough was a force this season). Justified is another show I continuously recommend to people. It's fantastic. 4.5/5
- New Girl: I started watching this show mainly because I loved Zooey Deschanel, but the premise, interactions, and characters grew so tired and unfunny to me that I stopped watching it mid-way through the season. This was the only new show I watched this television year. (In the future, I'm only going to start watching shows on a weekly basis if I've watched previous seasons on DVD/Blu-ray. That being said, I'm sure there will be one or two new shows next year that I'll jump on... and then they'll be cancelled.)
- Raising Hope: I loved the first season of Raising Hope, but I felt the second season was a step down. There were definitely some good episodes, but it lacked the consistency that made the premiere season so fantastic. I love Garret Dillahunt in the series, and I often think his character is the best part. The show's been renewed for a third season, so I'll certainly be tuning in. 3.5/5
- The Walking Dead: I thought Season Two was really strong. I know a lot of people complained about how much jabbering there was between characters, or how a little girl going missing could be so annoying, but I enjoyed all of it. The season finale was flippin' sweet and it really got me pumped for Season Three. 4/5
And now for what I'll be tuning into this summer...
- The Glades: This show is essentially my summer Castle: it's mostly light entertainment that helps pass the time. Plus, it's only thirteen episodes, which is exactly the right amount.
- Workaholics: I just finished the first season on Netflix and really liked it, despite the fact the show feels like the red-headed step-child of It's Always Sunny. I have the second season Blu-ray pre-ordered, so I'm going to slam through those before I start watching the new episodes on a weekly basis.
And that's it (I've been watching Mythbusters too, but that's a given). I thought Breaking Bad may have been on that list, but I've just barely gotten into Season Two still (goddamn Minecraft!). I'm hoping to get through those episodes soon, but I don't know if I'll dive into Season Three right away. The show really hasn't hooked me yet. It's really well made, but part of the problem is that I can't seem to get addicted to it. I have a lot of Season 2 to go yet, but it looks like my plan to watching everything before the Season Five premiere in a week or so failed miserably. But I'm going to put an episode on now, so I'm out, fools.
- Archer: Just about the greatest animated show I've ever watched. The writing is so sharp, funny, and consistent each week that I'm often left amazed. Starting off the season with Burt Reynolds playing himself was fantastic, and everything that followed was just as good. I cannot recommend this show enough. 5/5
- The Big Bang Theory: This show is certainly my guilty pleasure. The Big Bang Theory could be a phenomenal show with the overall talent of the actors, but it consistently sinks to the lowest common denominator so that it can appeal to the mass audiences (which explains a lot, because it would never be as popular - and likely cancelled by now - if it didn't). Sometimes I hate myself for watching the show (because there's often episodes that are complete drivel), but other times I'm pleasantly surprised and I find myself laughing pretty heartily. Regardless, Kaley Cuoco is pure #motherofgod material. 3/5
- Castle: Castle is a show I spent the better part of last year catching up on. I'm a huge sucker for those "will they or won't they" type of relationships, and the one between Kate and Castle is the very definition of that. The show itself is a bit of give-or-take; it's one of those that would greatly benefit from a thirteen episode season (there are so many filler episodes that it drives me fucking nuts!). However, even though we finally got a bit of storyline progression with the satisfying finale, I felt the season really dragged at times with several unmemorable or ridiculous episodes (but the Adam Baldwin episode was great!). In the end though, I still like the two leads enough that I'll keep watching. 3.5/5
- Chuck: It was bittersweet to watch Chuck head off into the sunset; on one hand, I think the story had run its course and they were struggling to find new and creative plots, but on the other hand I loved these characters and would have kept watching if the show ran another ten seasons. The finale garnered a bit of a mixed reaction, and even though I generally liked it I found it somewhat disappointing. Chuck, even though it's plenty dramatic at times, is a fun action/comedy show at its heart. And while the finale was a mostly happy ending, I think it tried too hard to be deeper and more than it needed to be. For once, I think they should've taken the easy way out and given fans exactly what they wanted. With a show like Chuck, we weren't owed any more. 4/5
- Community: Obviously, the huge news that broke after the season ended was that showrunner Dan Harmon was replaced. I think the general reason was because the show was so outlandish at times, but that's why the show has such a cult following. Who knows what Community is going to be like next year, but I think it's going to lose some of that craziness that made it unlike anything else on TV. The third season was definitely not as good as the unreal second, but it's still fucking awesome (the video game episode was outstanding!). I'm cautiously optimistic about Season Four. 4/5
- House: House was yet another bittersweet finale; the show certainly ran its course, but I loved a number of the characters on the show so I blindly would've continued following it. The highlights were the mid-season episodes that revolved around Chase and the few episodes focusing on Wilson and House leading to the finale. The finale itself was okay, but there certainly could've been better ways to wrap the show up. The fact that they brought so many names back only highlighted the fact that Lisa Edelstein wasn't there, which was a big problem in my eyes. (Honestly, I think a finale about Thirteen's Huntington's disease would've been fantastic, but like I said the episodes revolving around Wilson were pretty damn good too - the next to last episode had me crying like a baby.) Farewell, friend. 4/5
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: I think Sunny really rebounded after a slightly worse (yet still funny) sixth season. To be honest, I don't remember a number of the episodes. Some are fresh in my mind though, as outings like "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore" and "Thunder Gun Express" were amazing, even though it's been damn near five months since the season ended. While the show may not be as great as it once was, Sunny still holds a special place in my heart. 4/5
- Justified: I don't think I looked forward to any other show as much as I did Justified each week. It's a phenomenal show, and even with one or two plot inconsistencies that bugged me, I still think this is one of the most well-written shows on TV. Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins absolutely own the screen (though Neal McDonough was a force this season). Justified is another show I continuously recommend to people. It's fantastic. 4.5/5
- New Girl: I started watching this show mainly because I loved Zooey Deschanel, but the premise, interactions, and characters grew so tired and unfunny to me that I stopped watching it mid-way through the season. This was the only new show I watched this television year. (In the future, I'm only going to start watching shows on a weekly basis if I've watched previous seasons on DVD/Blu-ray. That being said, I'm sure there will be one or two new shows next year that I'll jump on... and then they'll be cancelled.)
- Raising Hope: I loved the first season of Raising Hope, but I felt the second season was a step down. There were definitely some good episodes, but it lacked the consistency that made the premiere season so fantastic. I love Garret Dillahunt in the series, and I often think his character is the best part. The show's been renewed for a third season, so I'll certainly be tuning in. 3.5/5
- The Walking Dead: I thought Season Two was really strong. I know a lot of people complained about how much jabbering there was between characters, or how a little girl going missing could be so annoying, but I enjoyed all of it. The season finale was flippin' sweet and it really got me pumped for Season Three. 4/5
And now for what I'll be tuning into this summer...
- The Glades: This show is essentially my summer Castle: it's mostly light entertainment that helps pass the time. Plus, it's only thirteen episodes, which is exactly the right amount.
- Workaholics: I just finished the first season on Netflix and really liked it, despite the fact the show feels like the red-headed step-child of It's Always Sunny. I have the second season Blu-ray pre-ordered, so I'm going to slam through those before I start watching the new episodes on a weekly basis.
And that's it (I've been watching Mythbusters too, but that's a given). I thought Breaking Bad may have been on that list, but I've just barely gotten into Season Two still (goddamn Minecraft!). I'm hoping to get through those episodes soon, but I don't know if I'll dive into Season Three right away. The show really hasn't hooked me yet. It's really well made, but part of the problem is that I can't seem to get addicted to it. I have a lot of Season 2 to go yet, but it looks like my plan to watching everything before the Season Five premiere in a week or so failed miserably. But I'm going to put an episode on now, so I'm out, fools.
