About halfway through the television season, here's a much needed update on what's been going on lately.
"Gilmore Girls," The CW, Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Something very weird has been happening to this show, and yes, purists, it happened before Sherman-Palladino and Palladino left. As Rory (Alexis Bledel) is drawn into Logan's (Matt Czuchry) world, she loses everything that once made her interesting and likeable. While in early seasons she was intelligent and occasionally confrontational (and certainly sure of what she deserved in a relationship), now she is basically a sycophant. "Can I get you another sandwich, Logan?" "Mom, I have nothing to do right now since my boyfriend's in London."
Lorelai (Lauren Graham), meanwhile, has also managed to lose her independence and free spirit. Her relationship with Luke (Scott Patterson) was one that her parents always fought, but to the viewers it made sense; they are two people who have no problem compartmentalizing their personal lives and their careers - and also happened to be completely in love with one another. Now she's married to Christopher (David Sutcliffe), perhaps Earth's most needy and eager-to-please millionaire and Luke has become the most depressing character in television history. What's worse for the luckless Luke: his daughter (a recent addition to his life) might be taken from him. I think most of us are hoping for a painless end to this series, but the writers are not really offering this alternative.
"Dexter," Showtime, Sundays at 10 p.m.
This is quickly proving itself to be possibly the best show on television. The writing is dark and convincing, and it is altogether creepy in a Hitchcock way that television has previously been unable to achieve. If you're not watching this, even if you've seen every depressing episode of "Six Feet Under," you have not seen Michael C. Hall as he was meant to be. A single minute of this show is scarier than that one time where a dude kidnapped David and made him smoke crack.
"Prison Break," Fox, Mondays at 8 p.m., when it resumes Jan. 22
Yes, this is a guilty pleasure sort of show. Brett Ratner's executive producing credit sort of gives that away. But its ever-decreasing cast includes the best actor in television, today or ever. Robert Knepper as T-Bag, a creepy child molester, is so convincing and attentive that the audience almost ends up rooting for him to find his ex-girlfriend (the one who called him into the police). The rest of the cast, especially the leads, pale in comparison.
"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," NBC, Mondays at 10 p.m.
While it definitely had a bumpy start, the show is slowly and surely coming into its own. When creator Aaron Sorkin plopped us into this world with an enormous ensemble cast and asked us to care about their personal relationships, most viewers were turned off, and their TVs followed suit. Now, though, the show is developing solid and engaging rapport among its characters, especially Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford), and is increasingly enjoyable to watch.
One huge problem, though: on the Christmas episode, the non-existent sexual tension between Matt Albie and cast member Harriet Hayes (Sarah Paulson) comes to a head and they kiss. The show should have followed the "Gilmore Girls" method of drawing something out for several seasons, really giving us the time to believe in the romance.
"The Office," NBC, Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.
There are few shows that can survive such a dramatic changeup as a pivotal character like Jim's (John Krasinski) move to the Stamford branch - but that's what makes "The Office" great. It remains hilarious and also allows us to care and have a vested interest in the characters. This season, viewers are especially interested in Jim's love life as he must choose between longtime crush Pam (Jenna Fischer) and his newfound gal from the Stamford office, Karen (Rashida Jones).
"Frisky Dingo," Cartoon Network, Mondays at 2:30 a.m.
One of Adult Swim's current best shows, the creators of "Frisky Dingo" allow the plot to slowly develop over the course of many eleven-minute animated shows. The dialogue is hilariously realistic and the characters are schticky in the best way for constant, consistent entertainment.
"Veronica Mars," The CW, Tuesdays at 9 p.m.
This remains one of the best shows you can be watching. Veronica's (Kristen Bell) in college now, and luckily all of her high school friends went to the same one (except for Lisa Turtle and Jessie Spano). We can suspend disbelief, though, because the show is still thoroughly entertaining. Veronica is tough and jaded, solving college-style problems now (there have been a string of rapes around campus). This storyline includes one of the creepiest scenes you'll see on a network: the rapist soliloquizes to his passed-out soon-to-be victim about why he rapes, rather than seduces. Whoa.
The show is not perfect, though. Wallace (Percy Daggs III) and Weevil (Francis Capra) are rather marginalized in this new season, which means that a show that used to have an extremely and notably diverse cast has basically become the Whitey Detective Hour (think: "The Big Sleep" [1946] with a more cohesive plot). Veronica herself has the power to carry the show, though, and her rapport with boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) actually rings of Bogey and Bacall, something few young actors can achieve. Watch this show, seriously.
"Boston Legal," ABC, Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
This season has two sides to it. On the one side, the firm hired two new lawyers, Jeffrey Coho (Craig Bierko) and some other woman (Not Parker Posey. Parker Posey left the show last season after her character slept with Alan Shore [James Spader]. No woman who has slept with Alan Shore stays on the show.) Though Coho is a cool character, he doesn't walk any new ground and his addition takes away attention from the already established, well-liked characters.
On the other side, the show is getting even sillier. The sight gags have been absolutely outrageous (think season three of "Arrested Development"). Alan and Denny (William Shatner) have been having a grand old time outside of court, but we haven't had nearly enough time with them in the courtroom.
Television detractors should heed this article. This is a new golden age. We have the best comedies television's seen, laughtrack-free and some real stretches in drama that go beyond the realm of melodrama. Take a break from finals and spend some much- needed time in front of the boob tube.
