Shows For Weekly Review

After much though, I have decided to do episodic reviews of these shows:

• Defiance (SyFy)- After watching a few episodes of this show, I have realized that this is probably the best show SyFy has aired since Battlestar Galactica. The political intrigue is fascinating, the visual style is fun, and the world of the show feels fresh and enormous. It's also the most ambitious drama SyFy has done recently, which is always welcome considering the "science fiction lite"programming the channel has been offering recently. It's a little rough around the edges, one or two of the storylines are problematic, but I have never seen anything like it one television in while.

• The Killing (AMC)- I can't tell you how frustrated I have been with this remake of the Skandinavian hit. While I enjoyed the first season, I knew it had many problems, such as the repetitive plot structure of red herrings every episode and general lack of character development. For me, the interesting atmosphere, dark visual style, fantastic directing, and solid performances kept me coming back every single week and would have been enough if it hadn't been for that season finale. If The Killing had simply solved the case in it's first season, I think it would have had a seasonal uptick in quality, as it would have been given a fresh start. Unfortunately, the writers decided to bog themselves down in the same old case, meaning that the second season was an atrocious slog that I never bothered finishing. The third season promises a fresh start, a reduced episode order, and an original story that isn't restrained by the original show's plot-line. A big reason why I felt the first two seasons were a complete failure is because they adapted a 20 episode season of television into 26 episodes of television, while also following the same red herring structure the original had. Now with only 12 original episodes of television, multiple murders occurring over the season, the elimination of most of the annoying side characters, and an assurance from show-runner Veena Sud of a conclusion to the case by the end of the season, the next season of this controversial series seems pretty promising. It could all tank horribly, but that will definitely be something worth writing about as we follow this season. Let's see if AMC was right to resurrect this show.

• Falling Skies (TNT)- Perhaps season three of Falling Skies will morph into something beyond fun distraction. I tolerated the often frustrating first season in order to get to a better, if still frustrating, second season. The show often has suffered from contrived plotting, a syrupy sentimentality and stupidly annoying characters. However, what has kept me coming back are the action set pieces, individual moments of poignancy, and a seasonal quality uptick that drove this show from annoying to decent. If this trend continues, I'm thinking this season could actually be great. However, if this is not to be, don't expect me to write about this next season. Three seasons should be enough to get your act together Falling Skies! The Walking Dead was able to do this, now it's your turn.