television: June 2005 Archives

Continued from yesterday's post...

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! If you have yet to watch the season finale of any of the shows listed below, stop reading as soon as you see the show's title. I expect that there are some other PVR users out there still hanging on to the recordings of said shows, but I can't wait any longer to make this post, lest I forget everything I saw.

DEADWOOD
How it ended: Seth Bullock and Swearingen agreed to work together to deliver the camp to Yankton (for a price), while George Hearst comes to town, buys the hotel and settles in for the long haul. Meanwhile, Tolliver gets gutted by the new preacher, Mose gets saved by the doc, and Lee, Wolcott and Bullock's son all take the dirt nap. Finally, Alma Garrett marries Ellsworth, but not without a last look back at Bullock (the father of her baby), who will be staying in camp, after all.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 9 - A great episode, but not enough "cliffhanger" elements for a finale. It did make me want to see the next episode, but maybe not enough to wait the whole summer.
What should happen next season: The introduction of George Hearst was a nice twist. It would be great to see Tolliver die (as he's run out of gas as a character and is overacted by Powers Boothe), but he'll probably be back next season. They need to do more with Calamity Jane, Janie Stubbs and Trixie next season. The show has strong women, but focuses on the weak ones too often (Ms. Garrett swoons way too often, and Ms. Bullock is useless). Finally, they need to take Swearingen back to the dark side. I love the depth of his character, but he seems to have gone soft since losing the fight with Bullock. When will he gut someone again?

24
How it ended: Jack Bauer saved the world, but not before getting targeted by the Chinese and disavowed by the US government. Now, he's on his own and on the road, finally free of CTU.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 8 - This season was a little far-fetched from top to bottom, so the finale had a lot to fix. Solid ending, but eliciting more of an "it's finally over" feeling than one of "crap, it's over."
What should happen next season: LET JACK LEAVE. Kiefer Sutherland wanted to kill Jack off after the second season, but wasn't allowed. Now, after five seasons, he's done all a man can do. He's even died already! Let Jack leave the show and bring on a new agent. Then, you can bring Jack in to help the agent near the end of next season, and it will be a shocker that will make fans say, "hell, yeah!" Also, move the show away from CTU-LA. Not every disaster in the world has to start in LA. And the CTU team there is the most dysfunctional group of any kind on television. Set the show overseas. Maybe a soldier in the plains of Afghanistan and separated from his squad, has only twenty-four hours to meet up with them and deliver a piece of crucial intel. Or maybe a terrorist group plans to start a war between eastern European factions that could lead to Nuclear holocaust in Europe. Anything that provides a change of scenery and some new blood...

SURVIVOR
How it ended: Fireman Tom won the million, marking the first time in about ten seasons that the most qualified person took home the prize. Recently, this show has been dominated by whichever contestant could remain out-of-sight for the longest and ride on the stronger players' coattails. It was getting so that being a strong athlete/competitor guaranteed an early exit, as everyone saw you as a threat. Of course, this ending didn't happen without the massive stupidity of several other contestants, most notably Karen and Ian. Well done, jackasses.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 10 - I'm not the world's biggest Tom fan (and I'm really getting sick of the Boston accent on reality TV), but I love the fact that a deserving competitor won the game. Of course, that may cause all strong players to be even bigger targets from now on...
What should happen next season: I can't remember where they'll be next, but it will be interesting to see if they mix the game up a little. I'm starting to dislike how the producers are adapting the game a little too much to create storylines. For example, when it comes down to three guys and one girl, they make all of the challenges either balance or puzzle solving to keep the girl in the game. And Jeff talking Janu into quitting so Stephanie could stay on was too much. So I'd like to see next season be more hands-off for the producers. If a tribe talks their member to stay on, Jeff shouldn't convince her to quit. And if there are three guys left and one girl, and the next contest was supposed to be all about strength, so be it. Make the girl play politics to stay on. Same thing if there is only one guy and the next challenge is a puzzle. No more of this "coddling the weak" to ensure a mixture of ages/sexes. Get back to the strongest (or most cunning) man or woman wins!

THE BACHELOR
How it ended: With a fizzle. Charlie O'Connell chose the bland Texan, Sarah B. The final decision was postponed several months to let the couples marinate in their love, but it was still boring and poorly received.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 2 - The entire season was a drag. Charlie was funny when he was drunk, and some of the women did have sex appeal, but every episode of the show made me feel yucky to watch.
What should happen next season: This show should be retired (or DRASTICALLY reworked). Each Bachelor seems less appealing than the one before, and none of the relationships stick--making the finale a pointless exercise. Also, if the show is all about two normal people finding true love in an unusual way, ditch the celeb bachelors. I don't want to see an NFL player or actor have an even easier time finding a date. I'd rather watch a schlub like me get his dream come true. Also, they need to start doing psych screening when casting the girls. I like drama as much as the next guy, but some of these girls were downright scary, and the conflicts were more mean and uncomfortable than entertaining.

AMERICAN IDOL
How it ended: Country Carrie won over Rocker Bo Bice, which is exactly what everyone expected to happen. This doesn't prove anything about either of them except that Carrie's crossover sound is a little more commercially viable. Oh, and the final songs they had to sing--the ones written just for the next Idol--sucked. My one-year-old makes up better songs while in the bathtub. Who would buy Carrie's album with that generic crap on it?
Finale Rating (out of 10): 6 - I held out hope that Bo would win, even though I realize now that it would've hurt his bad boy image. (I realize that because he keeps making that statement to the press. Ever hear of sour grapes, Bo?)
What should happen next season: The increase in age range did bring in more talent overall, but the top twelve had some weak people, still. With over 30,000 people auditioning, I can't believe they couldn't find a better group of finalists. At least, not when shows like Missy Elliot's Road to Stardom are still finding talented performers. AI should be the king of these types of shows, and their top twelve should all be record contract-worthy. Maybe some better pre-screening at the mass auditions would help? Also, I'd like to see less of the bad singers, as it seems more people are auditioning badly just to get on TV. By now, it bores me, and I'd rather see people fulfilling a dream than failing awesomely.

I know ninety percent of the season finales from this past year ended over a month ago. And I know for this post to be at all interesting, I should've written it at that time. But that's the dilemma with being a ReplayTV household: by the time I see my favorite shows, they've already been forgotten by the general public.

I swore I'd do a review of the finales, however, and I don't want to make a liar out of myself. Here, then, are my summaries, evaluations, and theories about my favorite shows.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! If you have yet to watch the season finale of any of the shows listed below, stop reading as soon as you see the show's title. I expect that there are some other PVR users out there still hanging on to the recordings of said shows, but I can't wait any longer to make this post, lest I forget everything I saw.

On to the good stuff...

ALIAS
How it ended: The good guys of APO (what does that stand for, anyway?) took down wicked sister Elena Derevko, shutting down her Rimbaldi device (the big, red ball) and saving the world. In the process, Irina killed Elena, Nadia caught a virus that made her feral, and Sloane betrayed everyone (but he swears he did it for the right reasons). As the episode ended, Sloane was in jail, Nadia was in a hospital, and Vaughn was finally driving Sydney to the Napa Valley to propose. Unfortunately, he decides to preface his proposal with the revelation that he's not really Michael Vaughn, and that he and Syd didn't meet by accident. Before Sydney can react, they get broadsided by another car.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 6 - The last five minutes were the best of the season, but the previous 1:55 was cliched and predictable.
What should happen next season: Alias is a show that's right on the verge of jumping the shark. The whole Syd/Vaughn romance has been beaten to death, as has Sloane's evil nature and Jack's habit of torturing and killing anyone who looks at him wrong. For next season, they should clean house, losing some of the core characters in favor of some young blood. Sloan should stay in jail, Jack should step to the background, and Vaughn should stay in a coma for as long as they can afford (and then be replaced with another actor and diagnosed as an amnesiac). They may have to replace Syd, as well, if Jennifer Garner's pregnancy is too much of an obstacle. I thought they were gearing towards that when they introduced Nadia, but it doesn't look that way now. My wife's suggestion was that they bring in a rookie agent and have Sydney train her, thus passing the baton. I think it's a good idea...but that they'll never steer the show away from Sydney's character.

LOST
How it ended: While Charlie and Sayed rescued Claire's baby from the crazy Frenchwoman, Sawyer, Jin, Michael and Walt set sail on their boat...only to get bushwacked (what's the at-sea term for this?) by a bunch of strangers in a real boat. Sawyer got shot and Walt was kidnapped, ensuring that the group will return to shore to find the missing kid. Back on the island, Jack and the others opened the hatch, revealing a deep, deep, man-made hole.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 10 - This show has been the best thing on television all season, and the finale was no exception. Showing all of the passengers boarding the plane in Australia, then inter-cutting that with the frenetic action on the island was a great way to bring things full-circle for the finale.
What should happen next season: Well, I suppose they'll go down the rabbit hole, though I hope they make that last several episodes. I also hope they get Walt back soon. As a parent, I can't help but empathize with Michael, and worry about the kid (fictional, though he may be). I wouldn't make any suggestions, however, on what they should do, as the show is already better than I could've imagined.

CARNIVALE
How it ended: After healing Jonesy and proving his power to the carnies, Ben finally succeeded in killing Brother Justin, thus fulfilling his destiny and ending the troupe's travels. The drama doesn't end, however, as long lost Sofie--pregnant with Ben's magic baby--turns evil and shoots her rescuer. As the carnival moves on, we see Sofie laying hands on Brother Justin--who's revealed to be her father--as the cornfields around him turn black and wither away.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 8 - Great series, great ending
What should happen next season: Sadly, there isn't a "next season" planned. But the producers left the future wide open, with Sofie about to have a devil baby and all. We'll see if this high-quality series has a good run on DVD. If so, we may see a TV movie or continuation of the series.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
How it ended: Things are looking up for the survivors, as Starbuck (on orders from the President) finds not only the Arrow of Apollo (which should lead them to Earth), but also a lost soldier and a pregnant Cylon. Before she can bring all of her finds back to the Galactica, however, she has to get past Number Six (the sexy cylon). Oh yeah, catfight! Meanwhile, back with the fleet, undercover cylon Sharon defies her programming and succeeds in blowing up the Cylon basestar. Then, she returns to the Galactica...and shoots Commander Adama.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 9 - The series has had its up and downs, but it ended on a strong note. The two tough girls of the series squared off, the Cylon in their midst has been revealed, and Adama is left injured.
What should happen next season: Obviously, Adama isn't going to die. In the original series, he was an Admiral. If they want him to reach the same rank here, he has to make it through a few seasons. Most interesting about next season will be what they do with the two Cylons, what Vice President Baltar does when he comes to power (remember, the Pres has terminal cancer), and what new characters they introduce. Right now, they only have about four or five recognizable pilots...they have to bring in some new blood, right?

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
How it ended: Rex is dead, thanks to his evil pharmacist, but Paul Young isn't, thanks to a merciful Mike. But all isn't well for Mike, as he's about to stumble into the sights of a gun-wielding Zach/Dana. Oh, and Gabrielle is pregnant, but Carlos knows it may not be his.
Finale Rating (out of 10): 7 - The show definitely got better at the end of the season, but the show resorted to a cliche by having Mike unknowingly walk into the house where crazy Zach was.
What should happen next season: I think the most interesting storyline next season will involve Bree discovering that Rex didn't die on his own. Also, it'd be great to see her gay son again. He sort of disappeared as the season ended, but was one of the more interesting characters on the show. The whole pregnancy thing with Gabrielle has me worried. She's already the most shallow, annoying character on the show. Will it be nine months of whining from here on out? And the drama with Mike and Zach looks like it will be wrapped up by the end of the first episode next season, which is good, as it's gone on too long (and Zach's an awfully written character). Too bad the introduction of Alfre Woodard and her mysterious family doesn't at all excite me.

To be continued...

I don't normally do "news of the day" posts, with links to news articles. But today's TVsquad had a link to a news story about someone trying to challenge Nielsen's monopoly of the television ratings model, and I couldn't resist ranting about it.

As a cable network employee, I've had to take not one, but two ratings classes. Each class explored the Nielsen phenomenon, how ratings are compiled and what it takes to change them. I learned a lot in those classes, but the thing that stood out most from all the ratings information was this: The system is flawed.

Despite about fifty years of dominance (or perhaps because of it), Nielsen's approach to compiling ratings info is severely outdated. Even in the year 2005, as alternative technologies are beginning to steal vast amounts of viewing time, Nielsen relies on methods and ideologies devised when there were two channels and no color televisions.

The company still doesn't measure viewing on college campuses, even though a quarter of the valuable 18-35 demographic can be found in such environments. The ratings are also derived from a pitifully small percentage of viewers, nationwide, and they ignore whole sections of the populace and regions of the country. Finally, they've done almost nothing to account for the new technologies--time-displaced viewing (through PVRs), VOD, viewing online or via wireless, etc.

The biggest question I had when taking the ratings classes was, "Why hasn't someone replaced Nielsen?" I figured, with the prevalence of digital set-top boxes--which should be efficient tools for cataloguing such data--someone would work out a deal with the cable companies to get into people's homes without having to use diaries or extra devices. The research person conducting the class then told us about a handful of would-be competitors that tried to take over the ratings biz, all of them failing badly.

The big problem is that the major networks have been using the Nielsen system for so long that they have BILLIONS of dollars invested in the numbers Nielsen provides. Even a slight change in the current ratings numbers could cause mega-losses for some of the networks. They're not willing to risk big money unless there's something big to gain. And while a switch to another ratings system would mean more accurate numbers, there's no guarantee that the accuracy would help any single network. So there's no incentive for a switch while the networks are more concerned about maintaining status quo than getting accurate numbers.

I hope the lawsuit mentioned in the above article will spur some change, but it probably won't. I guess that I should just be satisfied that the network I work for is at the top of the cable TV foodchain and part of a very successful conglomerate. Sure, the ratings will continue to suck for shows like Undeclared, Freaks and Geeks, Scrubs, and Arrested Development--all shows that probably have/had cult-like followings on college campuses--but as long as I can make my mortgage payment, I can't complain about the system too much.