It's time for another long post about things I watch on the telebox. Why? Because a lot of things I watch have ended recently, and because I've seen some pretty good stuff lately, and because I like to talk about stuff I've seen. This will be quite long and I might write it in bits, but I'll use sub headings so it's easy to jump to TV series that anyone reading will be interested in. I'm aware that it's unlikely anyone reads this, so it's also for my benefit. If anyone does read this, then they'll know from elsewhere that I'm crap at writing about anything. I'm rubbish at giving opinions and using descriptive language, and that counts offline as well as in writing, so don't expect quality reviewing.
Enterprise
Right, I'm going to begin with Enterprise. I believe I last wrote about this when I was maybe half way through season 3. At that point, I didn't know what to think about it. There were a lot of drastic changes from season 2, and it didn't feel quite right. It was more exciting to follow than the previous two seasons, in the way that DS9 is exciting to follow. It had a continuing story. I did think that it should have been broken up a bit more though, and not have every single episode dealing with the Xindi story. That was a bit odd, having gone from two seasons of not mentioning them to having a season where everything was about them. It's like if DS9 had started with the Dominion War in season 1. I also don't like that the Xindi were never mentioned in the rest of Star Trek outside of season 3 of Enterprise, with the exceptions of the seasons 2 and 4 episodes beginning and concluding the arc. The fact that it was contained to one season made the character development seem rushed. Bashir capturing Sloan and being prepared to use the Romulan memory scanner was believable after it took 7 seasons and a lot of desperation to get there. Archer nicking bits off that guy who played Damar's ship was a rapid transition, and didn't make him very likable. I forgave him after his obvious regret in season 4 though.
Season 3 had a great last few episodes, and the finale was great too. Shran is one of my favourite recurring Star Trek characters. The conclusion of the arc at the beginning of 4 was less impressive. The temporal cold war was a lame story, and how could it just be erased? Um...that just erases season 3 completely, and many other story lines. After that blip, season 4 was amazing. By far the best Enterprise, and some of the best Star Trek. The Vulcan stories set up how the Vulcans of later Star Trek were. The Augment stories set up the Khan stories, and gave a reasonable explanation for the appearance of TOS era Klingons. The last few episodes set up the Federation. Those episodes are probably among my favourite Star Trek episodes from the whole lot. Aaand then we have the finale. Disappointing beyond belief. Why do I want to see Riker and Troi being the focus of the last Enterprise episode? After such a brilliant episode came just before it? Trip's death was unnecessary, and his rash actions out of character. The last scene was perfect, with the voices of the Enterprise captains, but the episode itself was awful. I'd prefer to consider Terra Prime the last episode. The ending of that was fantastic. I also thought that after that T'Pol and Trip, who I had thought didn't make sense together when it was first obvious it was heading that way, should have ended up together after those last few good episodes. I was a bit disappointed that they weren't by the crappy finale.
Oh well. In conclusion, after all my moaning about it's concept, Enterprise was really good. I'm glad I've seen it, and it's a great addition to the Star Trek franchise.
Lost
This will be shorter. I just want to comment briefly on how good this series has been so far. So many more questions, but also answers. It really feels like it's moving on. I'm a bit annoyed with having to wait a month for the next episode, but the last one was really interesting.
Stargate Atlantis
Season 4 is done, and it's gone so fast! On the whole, it's been a great season. Atlantis really stands apart from SG1 as being a great series. A few complaints though. What was the point of Carter? She improved towards the end, but for a lot of it she seemed to forget that she was the problem solver on SG1. She's the scientist of everything, and she worked with Thor the Asgard to defeat the Replicators in the past, so why no role in their defeats this time? She made fewer command decisions than Weir used to, and didn't really seem that involved. Some episodes really did improve on this, but it just didn't make sense. I'm glad she's just going to be recurring next season, because she'll probably have a more Carter-like role that way.
I don't want it to seem like I didn't enjoy season 4, because I really, really did, but I have one more complaint. The team seemed to be a bit more split up than in previous seasons, almost like SG1 were in season 10. Sheppard's team weren't together on missions so much, especially in the second half of the season.
It did have some great episodes though. The conclusion of the season 3 finally was some of the best Atlantis I've seen. The mid season story was pretty good too. The Teal'c vs Ronan episode was fun. That one where someone created a Replicator on Earth was good, because it's funny that anyone thinks it's a good idea. The final few episodes were awesome. I always love Michael episodes (morally wrong, what were they thinking creating him?!) and it was nice to see Beckett back. It did feel a bit too much like they just brought him back for the sake of it, and it was a bit surprising that they were so willing to accept a clone, but it was still good. The finale was a great idea, and I look forward to season 5 this summer.
Stargate: Ark of Truth
I only saw this tonight, but I'll comment on it. If you've not seen it, then this will most definitely contain spoilers. Anyway, it was great. I really enjoyed it. It wasn't the type of film you could put in cinemas, and was basically just a feature length episode, but then that was all I wanted. Odd that they used the music from the original Stargate film though, rather than the TV music. Didn't think that was necessary. The story was good though. Thinking back to what I said about Atlantis, why would anyone think that creating a Replicator is a good plan, for any reason? I'm not sure what went on there, but it felt like they should maybe have explained who's idea it was. Unless it was meant to be the guy from Atlantis? Anyway, good twist. I didn't expect Replicators at all. Maybe a little too much of them and not enough Ori conclusion, but it worked. Definitely a good extended episode, and I look forward to the next one, and hopefully more.
Desperate Housewives
Well season 4 part 1 was great. Better than the last two seasons, definitely. The tornado one was brilliant, and the whole season has just been exciting. It's definitely got me back into it.
Skins
Another one I won't say much on, but I've really enjoyed season 2 of skins. I watched bits of season 1, but I found the running from the drug dealer story boring. The end of the season was good, and 2 has been a lot better. It's one of those things that manages to be really funny and incredibly depressing in the same episode. I cried at the one where Sid's dad died. I love stuff I can cry at, haha.
Dawson's Creek
And that brings us to something I've cried too much at over the years. Watching all of Dawson's Creek again has taken me back to those days at college where I used to rely on my fix after every rough day. This programme is so cheesy it's amazing. I really enjoyed the last season, but this is another one with a last episode I can't decide on. Jen's death and Jack's adoption of her daughter, along with Doug, always makes me cry. Joey choosing Pacey is perfect. However, the whole episode has the feeling that it's forgotten season 6. What happened to CJ? Grams' breast cancer? And no Audrey?! I know that it's written by the original writer, and though the previous episode also had a feeling of going back to the start in Capeside, it still felt like it was going back and missing bits out. Still, much crying and a satisfactory end. I just wish it had been made a few years later, because the gay relationships in it seem a bit...lame. Jack and his boyfriends just seem like mates most of the time, because they were scared of making them look intimate. Doesn't seem real.
The Colour of Magic
Brilliant. I've written far too much, so I won't dwell on this, but it was brilliant, and it's made me want to read all of the Discworld books. Fantasy, adventure, much humour and a great cast. This was definitely worth watching.
DS9
This is my favourite television show ever. I watched some season 1 and 2 last week with my sister, because that's how far along she is having started from the beginning to watch them all in order. The other day, I then caught a little bit of the season 5 finale on TV. Rather than watch it with ads from half way through, I decided to watch it on DVD that night. So I did, and then decided I needed to do some season 6, where they retake the station. I watched Favour the Bold and Sacrifice of Angels, and was hooked. I then watched the one where Kira and Odo get together, the season 6 finale, and then decided to do some Dominion War highlights of season 7. Wow, this is the best thing I've watched. The character and story progression is more believable than anything else I've seen on TV. It really feels like everything leads up to the end in season 7, and that everything has been leading to the end since season 1. I like every character in it, and the ones I don't are the ones I'm not supposed to. They're written that well. Damar is one of the best written characters in Star Trek. The man you hate in season 6, all the way through, especially after he murders Ziyal, then goes on to die a hero. Fantastic. I'm about to watch the finale again as soon as I hit post. I'm just hoping Odo stays with Kira this time. I know he will one day when I watch it! Best. Finale. Ever.
And that, my friends, was a very long post. And so I shall end. Goodnight.
Enterprise
Right, I'm going to begin with Enterprise. I believe I last wrote about this when I was maybe half way through season 3. At that point, I didn't know what to think about it. There were a lot of drastic changes from season 2, and it didn't feel quite right. It was more exciting to follow than the previous two seasons, in the way that DS9 is exciting to follow. It had a continuing story. I did think that it should have been broken up a bit more though, and not have every single episode dealing with the Xindi story. That was a bit odd, having gone from two seasons of not mentioning them to having a season where everything was about them. It's like if DS9 had started with the Dominion War in season 1. I also don't like that the Xindi were never mentioned in the rest of Star Trek outside of season 3 of Enterprise, with the exceptions of the seasons 2 and 4 episodes beginning and concluding the arc. The fact that it was contained to one season made the character development seem rushed. Bashir capturing Sloan and being prepared to use the Romulan memory scanner was believable after it took 7 seasons and a lot of desperation to get there. Archer nicking bits off that guy who played Damar's ship was a rapid transition, and didn't make him very likable. I forgave him after his obvious regret in season 4 though.
Season 3 had a great last few episodes, and the finale was great too. Shran is one of my favourite recurring Star Trek characters. The conclusion of the arc at the beginning of 4 was less impressive. The temporal cold war was a lame story, and how could it just be erased? Um...that just erases season 3 completely, and many other story lines. After that blip, season 4 was amazing. By far the best Enterprise, and some of the best Star Trek. The Vulcan stories set up how the Vulcans of later Star Trek were. The Augment stories set up the Khan stories, and gave a reasonable explanation for the appearance of TOS era Klingons. The last few episodes set up the Federation. Those episodes are probably among my favourite Star Trek episodes from the whole lot. Aaand then we have the finale. Disappointing beyond belief. Why do I want to see Riker and Troi being the focus of the last Enterprise episode? After such a brilliant episode came just before it? Trip's death was unnecessary, and his rash actions out of character. The last scene was perfect, with the voices of the Enterprise captains, but the episode itself was awful. I'd prefer to consider Terra Prime the last episode. The ending of that was fantastic. I also thought that after that T'Pol and Trip, who I had thought didn't make sense together when it was first obvious it was heading that way, should have ended up together after those last few good episodes. I was a bit disappointed that they weren't by the crappy finale.
Oh well. In conclusion, after all my moaning about it's concept, Enterprise was really good. I'm glad I've seen it, and it's a great addition to the Star Trek franchise.
Lost
This will be shorter. I just want to comment briefly on how good this series has been so far. So many more questions, but also answers. It really feels like it's moving on. I'm a bit annoyed with having to wait a month for the next episode, but the last one was really interesting.
Stargate Atlantis
Season 4 is done, and it's gone so fast! On the whole, it's been a great season. Atlantis really stands apart from SG1 as being a great series. A few complaints though. What was the point of Carter? She improved towards the end, but for a lot of it she seemed to forget that she was the problem solver on SG1. She's the scientist of everything, and she worked with Thor the Asgard to defeat the Replicators in the past, so why no role in their defeats this time? She made fewer command decisions than Weir used to, and didn't really seem that involved. Some episodes really did improve on this, but it just didn't make sense. I'm glad she's just going to be recurring next season, because she'll probably have a more Carter-like role that way.
I don't want it to seem like I didn't enjoy season 4, because I really, really did, but I have one more complaint. The team seemed to be a bit more split up than in previous seasons, almost like SG1 were in season 10. Sheppard's team weren't together on missions so much, especially in the second half of the season.
It did have some great episodes though. The conclusion of the season 3 finally was some of the best Atlantis I've seen. The mid season story was pretty good too. The Teal'c vs Ronan episode was fun. That one where someone created a Replicator on Earth was good, because it's funny that anyone thinks it's a good idea. The final few episodes were awesome. I always love Michael episodes (morally wrong, what were they thinking creating him?!) and it was nice to see Beckett back. It did feel a bit too much like they just brought him back for the sake of it, and it was a bit surprising that they were so willing to accept a clone, but it was still good. The finale was a great idea, and I look forward to season 5 this summer.
Stargate: Ark of Truth
I only saw this tonight, but I'll comment on it. If you've not seen it, then this will most definitely contain spoilers. Anyway, it was great. I really enjoyed it. It wasn't the type of film you could put in cinemas, and was basically just a feature length episode, but then that was all I wanted. Odd that they used the music from the original Stargate film though, rather than the TV music. Didn't think that was necessary. The story was good though. Thinking back to what I said about Atlantis, why would anyone think that creating a Replicator is a good plan, for any reason? I'm not sure what went on there, but it felt like they should maybe have explained who's idea it was. Unless it was meant to be the guy from Atlantis? Anyway, good twist. I didn't expect Replicators at all. Maybe a little too much of them and not enough Ori conclusion, but it worked. Definitely a good extended episode, and I look forward to the next one, and hopefully more.
Desperate Housewives
Well season 4 part 1 was great. Better than the last two seasons, definitely. The tornado one was brilliant, and the whole season has just been exciting. It's definitely got me back into it.
Skins
Another one I won't say much on, but I've really enjoyed season 2 of skins. I watched bits of season 1, but I found the running from the drug dealer story boring. The end of the season was good, and 2 has been a lot better. It's one of those things that manages to be really funny and incredibly depressing in the same episode. I cried at the one where Sid's dad died. I love stuff I can cry at, haha.
Dawson's Creek
And that brings us to something I've cried too much at over the years. Watching all of Dawson's Creek again has taken me back to those days at college where I used to rely on my fix after every rough day. This programme is so cheesy it's amazing. I really enjoyed the last season, but this is another one with a last episode I can't decide on. Jen's death and Jack's adoption of her daughter, along with Doug, always makes me cry. Joey choosing Pacey is perfect. However, the whole episode has the feeling that it's forgotten season 6. What happened to CJ? Grams' breast cancer? And no Audrey?! I know that it's written by the original writer, and though the previous episode also had a feeling of going back to the start in Capeside, it still felt like it was going back and missing bits out. Still, much crying and a satisfactory end. I just wish it had been made a few years later, because the gay relationships in it seem a bit...lame. Jack and his boyfriends just seem like mates most of the time, because they were scared of making them look intimate. Doesn't seem real.
The Colour of Magic
Brilliant. I've written far too much, so I won't dwell on this, but it was brilliant, and it's made me want to read all of the Discworld books. Fantasy, adventure, much humour and a great cast. This was definitely worth watching.
DS9
This is my favourite television show ever. I watched some season 1 and 2 last week with my sister, because that's how far along she is having started from the beginning to watch them all in order. The other day, I then caught a little bit of the season 5 finale on TV. Rather than watch it with ads from half way through, I decided to watch it on DVD that night. So I did, and then decided I needed to do some season 6, where they retake the station. I watched Favour the Bold and Sacrifice of Angels, and was hooked. I then watched the one where Kira and Odo get together, the season 6 finale, and then decided to do some Dominion War highlights of season 7. Wow, this is the best thing I've watched. The character and story progression is more believable than anything else I've seen on TV. It really feels like everything leads up to the end in season 7, and that everything has been leading to the end since season 1. I like every character in it, and the ones I don't are the ones I'm not supposed to. They're written that well. Damar is one of the best written characters in Star Trek. The man you hate in season 6, all the way through, especially after he murders Ziyal, then goes on to die a hero. Fantastic. I'm about to watch the finale again as soon as I hit post. I'm just hoping Odo stays with Kira this time. I know he will one day when I watch it! Best. Finale. Ever.
And that, my friends, was a very long post. And so I shall end. Goodnight.
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