I love television. I often talk about characters on TV like they are my friends and every once in awhile I find myself telling a story that I realize halfway through was a fictional story that happened on TV. TV gives characters time to develop and allows places to embed themselves in your mind. I love how many great shows are on these days but the increasing numbers mean fewer people are watching the same shows as me (probably because they have lives that don’t involve 10+ hours of TV per week). I miss the joy of dissecting each episode at the watercooler and having someone to exclaim to when things get crazy.
Please jump on my television bandwagon so I can talk to you about these shows.
BBC America has lots of great shows to offer. Orphan Black is a science fiction/action/mystery/character study about a woman, Sara, with nowhere to go who sees someone who looks shockingly like her commit suicide. Sara decides to assume the woman’s identity and quickly finds herself enmeshed in much greater drama than what she had been running away from. I won’t say anything else since every episode of this show was shocking and exciting with so many reveals. I was so sad when the finale aired but now you can catch up before season 2 begins!
This parody of all the Real Housewives shows started as a series of hilarious skits on the BET awards and became a regular series. Kevin Hart is the central character, playing an extremely obnoxious version of himself. The show focuses on his interactions with his friends, enemies and frenemies including series regulars Nick Cannon, Robin Thicke, Boris Kodjoe, Duane Martin and JB Smoove and guest stars from Shane Mosley to Nelly. I find myself guffawing at this hilarious portrait of Hollywood bromance and marriage.
I caught a marathon of season one of The Killing after hearing that it’s finale was extremely controversial. Instead of the usual mystery where a case is solved in each episode, the case was to be solved over the course of the season. I enjoyed the show but season two just dragged and dragged to the point where I didn’t even watch the finale till months after it aired. Season three showed up on my summer TV shows list and I thought I would give it another try. I am so glad I did. Season three is great with the talented yet broken detectives Linden and Holder investigating a serial killer who attacks runaways. Clues are being revealed in each episode but it doesn’t feel like a series of red herrings. The show is also managing to really dive into social issues like the death penalty and street youth. Last night’s episode was one of the best hours of television I have ever seen and I can’t wait to see what happens in next week’s finale.
I am a season behind on this show currently but every season is so exciting, I may have to cave and buy season four on Amazon. Raylen Givens is a US Marshall sent back to his home state of Kentucky, where his criminal father, ex-wife and friends from the past make it hard for him to do his job. Each season he fights against a criminal gang tied somehow to his hometown. Justified examines the idea of justice in a universe full of fascinating characters and stories.
In addition, I would also like it if you were also watching Nashville, Parks and Recreation (the most heartwarming/romantic show on television) and the final season of Burn Notice per my previous gushing blog posts.
