Also returning soon is Burn Notice on June 4th. The adventures of Michael Westen and Co. are always entertaining, so that will be nice to have again. I don't exactly know when The Closer premieres Season 5, but I assume it will be some time in July. And Mad Men, unfortunately, got into production rather late and does not come back until late August. This is lame. The most pressing matters will be the future of Sterling Cooper, or rather, Don Draper's future with the company, given the merger and new leadership. And, more importantly, the fact that Betty is pregnant with a child neither she nor Don wanted. Season 2 took a bit of a time leap from the conclusion of Season 1, so I wonder how much time will have passed to the beginning of Season 3.
So You Think You Can Dance is about to start. I have very strong negative feelings towards reality tv in general, but this is one of my few exceptions. It is so much fun, and I hope I will find a dancer this season who I can love as much as Joshua from last year. Having the guy you vote for every week end up winning is so exciting. Is it too much to ask for that to happen every season???
Network upfronts have been going on the past couple of weeks. As a result, I have been glued to the Twitter app on my iPhone to see what Ausiello had to report. Here are some of the crucial things: 1) Chuck was renewed. Season 3 will have 13 episodes, airing midseason on NBC. Reduced budget might mean less time with the filler characters like Lester, Jeff, and the rest of the Buy More peeps. Honestly, I don't think this will affect the show that much. I'm just so excited at the prospect of the new and improved Chuck. And NBC and Subway made some big, multi-faceted deal about sponsorship of the show, so it seems like buying that $5 footlong did make a difference!! 2) Dollhouse was renewed. Season 2 will have 13 episodes, airing midseason on FOX. Reduced budget might mean....I don't really know what, but with the high quality writing, I doubt the money thing will affect them that much. I think FOX would have been foolish not to give Joss, Eliza et al the opportunity to explore their story further. And I would just like to point out that I was totally right about both of these shows getting renewed even when tv critics said they didn't have much of a chance. And now those people justify the renewals with the same reasons I have been saying all along (re: FOX, Firefly, Eliza, Joss, etc.). So.... there. 3) Castle was renewed. I am greatly pleased. This show was a delightful addition to my slate and I would have been sad to lose it. Nathan was so adorable and tweeted that he didn't know what to do with himself because his shows never get a 2nd season.
Those are the major announcements. None of my shows were casualties!! I can't remember the last time that was the case. Upfronts was also a time for network people to speak out for some of the shows, which provided interesting insights (Kevin Reilly on House- unbelievable things in store; Steve MacPherson on LOST- S6 will have "some of the best writing ever"). There was a bit of schedule rearranging. Bones will now be paired with Fringe on Thursdays. If I do end up going into entertainment journalism, I think upfronts would be a really fun event to attend. I love montages and other presentation stuff about shows I love! And even about shows I don't really care about.
On to the major stuff: season finales. This year featured a mixed batch. Top honors go to LOST for literally going out with a bang. The hydrogen bomb exploded and the possibilities for Season 6 are endless. I mean, it's pretty clear to me that time was changed. Otherwise, Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and all the 1977 Losties would be dead and there would be no show to come back to. Really, the question now is HOW was time changed? With Jacob now dead, killed by Ben at the urging of evil, possessed Locke, will everyone's lives be different? Flashbacks saw Jacob showing up at key events in several characters' past. Will that alter history? Will the plane still end up crashing? Season 6 is basically going to be the fulfillment of my entire existence. Questions will be answered! Finality will be achieved! Of course, some questions will remain, but I don't mind- LOST wouldn't be the same if there weren't an air of mystery to it. My primary concern is what characters might return (*fingers crossed* Charlie!!!). And, to a lesser extent, but I acknowledge that I still care a lot, whether Kate ends up with Jack or Sawyer. My money has always been on Sawyer, and not just because he is my favorite character. I think they belong together.
The finales of Dollhouse and The Office were really good, too. The reveal that Dr. Saunders was actually a Doll blew my mind. Mostly, it was a deeply profound episode that explored things like the soul and identity. I was really proud of myself for predicting, way back after the very first episode, that Ballard was going to become involved with the Dollhouse. Seems like he's going to be working for DeWitt in some capacity. And then on The Office, there was a company picnic that reunited Michael with Holly. I love them together. Their performance, "Slumdunder Mifflinaire" tanked, but I was enjoying every second. And then Michael went and talked about them being "one of those couples with a long story," and my heart just melted. Dwight's intensity about the volleyball tournament was terrific. And, oh yeah, Pam was pregnant. Jim was in shock and overcome with emotion. Can't wait to see what happens next year.
In the middle of the finale pack would go Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. With DH, I think the standard was set too high by last year's 5-year leap forward. I just can't bring myself to care that much about who Mike married. I did like the whole thing about Lynette being pregnant. That was funny. Everybody else's stories were pretty amusing. It was an alright episode. B&S was the same. The whole fam went to Mexico. I teared up in the last scene with Nora and Tommy. That was well-acted, and a nice send-off for Balthazar Getty. I adored Kevin per usual. Kitty was still bugging me, right up to the point where she chased after Robert to stop him from leaving. She didn't get to the helicopter in time, but it gives me hope that not all is lost for them next season.
And then, I am sad to say, I was a bit disappointed by Bones and How I Met Your Mother. A coma dream. A not-very-compelling murder story that told me nothing about any of the characters. They're loyal. I already knew that. Then, Booth wakes up and has amnesia. Hmmm... Intrigues me for next season. But beyond that, the episode was a dud. And then a silly little episode about Ted's 31st birthday. Not nearly as epic as previous season finales. The Barney-Robin stuff was kind of ridiculous. I wasn't expecting a definitive development between the 2 of them, but I expected something that would evoke emotion in me on the same level as Barney's sweet longing for Robin all season. And as for Ted and the mother, we found out where he first comes into close proximity to her. So at least that's something. But I'd say that "Right Place Right Time" was the peak of this season.
So that wraps everything up. I have occasionally mentioned a few shows that are on my "Intent to Watch" list. This summer is about working through that list. Projects I have going at the moment: 1) Getting my family hooked on Bones. We have watched 7 episodes in Season 1 so far. It's about to start into the greatness. Also, Claire and I have 3 episodes left in Firefly. That's a quick one to get through, with only 14 episodes total, but she's definitely a new Browncoat. 2) Get some of my friends hooked on stuff. I'm going to start watching LOST from the beginning again (for, like, the 4th time) with someone. 3) Watch shows I've never seen before. The Big Bang Theory. The Wire. Prison Break. 4) Watch shows I've fallen behind on/haven't ever watched all the way through. Fringe. 24. House. Sons of Anarchy.
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