With TV on the mind, did anyone else give up on “Kings” after the second episode? Truth is, the pilot didn’t grab me like I thought it would. Despite an allegiance to anything Ian McShane commits himself to, I can’t go along with this one anymore. A bit inflated beyond it’s own means, and yet, strangely trite and, I don’t know, facile as allegories go.
Also — “Heroes” is gone from my DVR forever. I think the comic geek in me forced me to keep up with it this long, but its convultued silliness has been irritating since season one. I was in the middle of an episode a few weeks back and I just said, “Screw it,” hit stop, deleted the four episodes I had stored up, canceled future recordings, washed my hands of it. Sometimes enough is enough and letting go is oh so refreshing.
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15 responses to “Giving up on two”
I gave it up back in Season Two when they spent an entire episode leading up the death of HRG, they killed him, and then they brought him back to life after the commercial break.
Didn’t love Kings, didn’t hate it either. But I only caught the premiere/first two episodes; its time slot conflicts with The Simpsons, which I know is far from its golden days, but I’m a creature of habit and sentiment.
If you would have stuck with Heroes up till this past Monday, you would have been rewarded with an episode (Cold Snap) that was the best since Season 1.
I have no problem admitting that Heroes isn’t what it used to be, but Cold Snap reminded me of why it was so awesome the 1st season.
As for Kings, a computer emergency prevented me from finishing last week’s episode and I honestly don’t think I’ll catch up with it. Maybe on On Demand or DVD.
Frankly, nothing in season one wowed me, so I probably didn’t miss much — for my taste.
I smelled bullshit with Heroes a long time ago, so I’m glad my suspicions paid off.
The first season was okay but the problem was (like with a lot of shows) is the stupid cliffhangers and the sudden “deaths” followed by even more swift ressurections. It’s one big hypnotic farce where you’re FORCED to keep watching it. It sucks major donkey balls.
I’m still sticking with Heroes despite knowing I really should just stop watching it.
But I actually disagree with your take on Kings. Yes, it didn’t really grab me with the pilot, but I thought the second episode was excellent. Plus there’s probably only like a few episodes left until NBC cancels it, so I’ll just go along for the ride.
Yeah, scenes with Brian Cox and Ian McShane are essential viewing for me.
Kings:
I really enjoyed the pilot, it had great cinematic quality. But i watched the the first half of the second episode, and just stopped halfway through because i just got sick of the preachiness and the unimportant sideplots.
Heroes:
I ate that shit up for the first two seasons, but 5 or 6 episodes into the third season, by the time they had introduced 7 more characters, i had had enough.
Right now my essential tv only consists of 4 shows,
LOST
Grey’s Anatomy
The Office
30 Rock
and thank god for hulu, otherwise i’d never see office or 30 rock.
I gave up on Heroes either late in Season 2 or never started Season 3. I loved the first season, but I don’t think it kept working like they hoped. Attempts at character expansion failed.
I don’t know whether I’ll keep watching “Kings” or not, but I know it’s nothing special. The Greek/biblical allegory in the pilot was enough to make my eyes roll, and the second episode was just “ehh.”
But with “Big Love” — along with “Mad Men”, the best dramatic television on TV by a country mile — gone from my Sunday schedule (the season ended), I might just keep watching “Kings” for the heck of it. It’s going to be a bleak month of TV, I think, especially if Parks and Recreation sucks as much as we’ve heard.
I gave up on Heroes mid-way through Season 2 because there was no direction to the story. It went absolutely nowhere, from the beginning of Season 2 involving the useless and ridiculous ancient Japan plotline, all the way to mid-season where I just thought to myself “I have no idea what is going on anymore, I don’t care about any of the characters, and they can’t seem to settle on a tone if their lives depended on it. And the writing SUCKS.”
To be honest, these days the only hour-long dramas worth watching anymore (I’ve never seen Mad Men, so I can’t speak for it) are “LOST” and “24”. While I do admit that the current season of “LOST” (season 5) is not quite as incredible as season 4 was, it’s still a brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, and beautifully shot show that hooks me in every episode and always leaves me wanting more and excited for the next chapter. The show had a slight sophomore slump in Seasons 2 and 3, but it got back on track in such a great way last season that all is forgiven. Having an end date and shorter seasons surely helped “LOST re-establish it’s place as IMO the best show on television, and one of the best shows ever in the medium’s history.
“24” was pretty convoluted and gimmicky in the last couple of years, but this season has been the best season the show has EVER had. I think setting the day in Washington DC and making the threat not only very believable but also very serious and happening on the home turf, as well as showing us as an audience that even Jack Bauer can be two steps behind everything instead of two steps ahead of everyone added a sense of urgency the show has been lacking for a couple of years. Couple those things with some real-life issues such as torture, efficiency, PMCs (Private Military Corporations, for those who haven’t played the Metal Gear Solid games before), and other current issues and you have one hell of a suspense thriller with action to boot.
I’m sorry but if you’re not spending Sundays watching Breaking Bad, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
“24” hasn’t been good in a long, long time…until now. I’ve been fairly interested this season, though it took until about three episodes back to really get me, right around Jon Voight’s intro. Now I’m there, though Cherry Jones is irritating.
That said, I totally disagree that this is the best season. It’s still picking and choosing things that have worked in the past, and for my money, the first half of season three is the show’s finest hour. And season four was top notch as well. This season is a nice rebuilding year, it seems, though I’m frankly ready for Bauer to bite it already. I hope they don’t cop out with some lame finale (coughTheShieldcough).
The only shows I’m invested in at the moment are:
“Lost”
“Friday Night Lights”
“The Big Bang Theory” (a gem — I love it)
“Eastbound & Down”
“Dexter”
I haven’t caught up with “Breaking Bad” yet and I may dive back into “Rescue Me” next month, though I need to catch up on last season first. I’m always there for “Entourage.” And “Flight of the Conchords” kind of fizzled out this season for me.
I’m embarrassed that I’ve had season one of “Mad Men” for over a year (on iTunes) and still haven’t watched it. I really need to catch up on that.
Yeah, Kris, there’s really no excuse for that. Get going. :-)
I really still adore Kings. It’s a little cheesy but mighty addictive.