“I’m so excited….I’m so scared….”
I just finished watching Prison Break’s season 2 premiere. While there are many things that excite me about this season (my hero Bill Fichtner being 100 kinds of awesome, Tweener coming back in episode 2, T-Bag and his gross ability to completely entertain, not to mention the hot hot heat that is Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell, walking around all dressed up with no place to go), there are many things that scare me, too. I’m scared that the new trend in TV to shock viewers will give us more moments like the big death we experienced this week (**spoiler alert** — Robin Tunney was still in the opening credits, so I, like many, probably did not see that coming!). With previews for next week showing my hero (Bill, because yes we’re on a first name basis), holding onto LJ as the Schofield/Burrows duo tries to rescue him from incarceration, I worry that they’ll keep killing/endangering major characters just to tell a story and it worries me.
Now then! That gets me thinking about other shows for which I’m both excited and scared, like really scared, like Jessie Spano scared…Here are a few things I’m worrying about on my favourite shows-
First up, Bones. Loyal readers will recognize that I’ve been singing the praises of David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel since the beginning of the column. Seeing previews tonight as I watched Prison Break and Vanished (about which I’m not sure – I need to see a second episode before I decide if it’s TiVo-worthy), I kept geeking out, and shrieking a bit with excitement at the prospect of another great season. David and Emily (as Booth and Brennan) ooze chemistry that isn’t rivaled these days. It’s not written on the page, it just exists and watching that makes me happy for the show week after week. I cannot wait to see the Angela/Hodgins relationship grow, and Zach continue to be a big old techno-babbly-type geek boy that we all know and love, not to mention the jealousy that we’re sure to see from Bones when Booth’s baby-mama (remember that he has a son, young kid, maybe 3) arrives on the scene! What is there to worry about? Bringing in a new boss for the “squints” could signify too much of a change towards a “younger crowd,“ and it could also put too much pressure on Bones, creating a really sour Emily Deschanel. The genius of Bones is that Temperance is socially awkward enough and barely gets along with the people she works with on a daily basis, that bringing in this new boss with whom she‘s destined to clash could push her too far out of her comfort zone. Also, bringing in Jessica Capshaw to play the afore-mentioned baby-mama could push the Booth/Bones relationship into a “will they or won’t they” moment that could ruin the relationship that I’ve enjoyed watching the characters avoid.
Next we have Veronica Mars. I’m excited for Season 3 in general. I’m excited to see Rob Thomas and his writers handle the inevitable segue from Big Fish in small pond High School Life to Little Fish in Giant Ocean College Life. I’m thrilled to see Veronica and Logan “going strong” as the season starts. I’m excited for Mac and the-coolest-sheriff-asshole-ever Lamb being series regulars, not to mention the awesomeness that is Dick Casablancas. I’m excited for more Veronica/Keith interaction, and Veronica/Wallace interaction. Why am I scared as we enter this 3rd season? Bringing in new characters last year didn’t translate well. Does everyone remember Jackie? I worry that Parker and Piz (Mac’s new roommate, and the new “love interest type character,” respectively) will detract from our core characters, and push the already absent too much Weevil out of the spotlight.
Gilmore Girls was in a creative rut before Team Palladino abandoned ship. I’m thrilled for a fresh look at the characters we’ve been around for 6 years. I’m excited to see Lorelai have a backbone, and Rory start to make friends that aren’t Lane (don’t get me wrong, I don’t think she’s even friends with Lane enough to satisfy me, but she has no other friends really!) and the guy she’s currently in love with. I’m glad that all of the episode descriptions I’ve seen so far have some mention of Emily, if not an entire storyline dedicated to her. I’m looking forward to a return to the caring, adorable Logan that we met in Season 5, and I’m absolutely looking forward to Luke and Lorelai rebuilding their fractured relationship, because it is inevitable, as David Rosenthal has mentioned Luke and Lorelai definitely being soul mates and meant for each other in the long run. What am I worried about? The swimming shark that I see circling around the show. At any moment, one Paris tirade or Taylor Doose soliloquy could put the Girls as we know them, effectively strapped into water skis, and jumping over like Fonzie did back in the day. It is about getting back to the Girls, and back to their core relationship. The show was always about strong women, mother and daughter, dealing with life as a solid unit. In my personal opinion, they never recovered from the fallout of Season 5, and I’m worried that we’ll not see them recapture the loving and trusting relationship that existed back in the early days. Also, as much as I love David Sutcliffe, I’m worried about Christopher being used a plot contrivance so that there is conflict between major characters.
Jim and Pam, Jim and Pam, Jim and Pam…on The Office of course. I am so looking forward to the fallout of Casino Night and to see how they approach their relationship from here on out. I’m looking forward to it not being the perfect situation. I’m looking forward to the idea of Jim transferring and the “tribes merging” so to speak when the two offices merge, inevitably causing turmoil. And PS, I love John Krasinski more than hamburger dill chips and pizza. What frightens me? The idea that Jim might actually forget about Pam. I don’t know if that’s the plan, but if it is the plan for her to push him away and into the arms of Quincy Jones’ daughter, then I’m not sure I’ll be as excited to celebrate the greatness that is JAM.
Dear creators of Battlestar Galactica: Did you ever watch Alias? Did you see the end of the season 2 finale when Syd showed up, all in love with Vaughn, and crying, and happy to see him, only to realize that he was wearing a frakking wedding ring???? And then the whole “Vaughn, what is that on your hand”/”You’ve been missing for almost 2 years” scene? It was brutal on me. Like the kind of brutal that gave me a stomach ache because I was so invested in their relationship. As a rule, when I hear things like “missing for almost 2 years” and “one year later”, I’m apprehensive about what might happen. Yes, I’m thrilled to see where the story goes, and I love the idea of advancing the timeline to show what exactly has happened to our favourite people from the BSG (not to mention the fact that I worship EJO [Edward James Olmos] and Mary Mac [Mary McDonald], and Aaron Douglas[aw Chief…marry me?] and Katee Sackhoff and James Callis, and Jamie Bamber, and so on and so forth, etc.), but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t worried. My head hurts at the notion that Season 3 promises to be darker, and more intense. With a premiere on my birthday, I’m excited and apprehensive for the result.
What about you? What shows have you excited and scared? What worries you as we embark on TV Season 06-07.
In other news…
How much did you love the season finale of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Between “[believing] the children are our future” and Charlie’s amazing awkward silence with RevCam from 7th Heaven? Amazing. On the 8th viewing, I was still laughing harder ever. I hope that this show is renewed for Season 3, and that we get to follow this crazy gang throughout their incredibly insane interactions.
“Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through”…yes, I’m still on my Degrassi kick. I’m almost completely through all 100 episodes. I will be ready in time for the new premiere in September!
Life on a budget is difficult when you’re obsessed with buying new TV on DVD sets. I’m so excited for the fact that I’ve saved room in the budget for Veronica Mars (Season 2, out Tuesday 8/22) and Arrested Development (Season 3, out Tuesday 8/29). I will be doing DVD marathons for the next two weeks, for sure!
The Emmys are this weekend. I’m considering an Emmy Party. At least it’ll be an excuse for me to curl up in a ball on the floor, with giant bowls of onion dip and salsa, and countless chips to dip…hopefully I won’t throw any of that food at the TV when the people that I don’t want to see win, go up to accept their awards.
That’s it for this week’s column. Next week, we’ll focus our energy on the game that’s sweeping the nation, Fantasy Teevee!!
I always like hearing what you have to say – find me at mytakeontv@thetvaddict.com
-Amrie