Things I Love/Things I Hate: Premiere Week

Well, Freaks, I've logged a good 37 hours of TV in the last week, watching every new show that premiered as well as many returning favorites.

You know, for research.

And because I am so dedicated to you, my dear readers, I'll save you the trouble of forming your own opinions and tell you exactly who to love and hate.

What can I say? I'm a giver.


Thing I Hate

I've watched a million new shows this week, and with the exception of Up All Night, they just all feel a little....blah. It's really, really disappointing to a TV Freak like myself. Every year, there's one pilot that I finish thinking, "That was great and it's my new favorite show!" Not so much this year. The Playboy Club was really good but looks like it's headed for the chopping block, Pan Am was better than I expected but still not spectacular, Free Agents is trite, 2 Broke Girls and Whitney both need to get a lot better to keep me involved, and The Secret Circle proves that witches are not as interesting as vampires, even in silly teen dramas.

That's not to say that I won't keep watching some of these shows and a few others, I'm just disappointed that nothing has made me sit up and take notice. Or wet my pants with excitement.

I suppose I could have gone with another metaphor there...

Thing I Love

Most of my returning shows did so with a bang! Castle was a gasper, Community was a singing, dancing ball, The Vampire Diaries has been a hot and sexy ride, I'm digging the hell out of Spader on The Office, Parenthood has been great (minus whatever the hell happened to Hattie's head), and Modern Family seems to have elevated their own already sky-high bar. Way to bring it to the new kids, shows.

To be fair, they did have an advantage. Or two.

Thing I Hate

How I Met Your Mother brought back Victoria. Not Victoria! She made Ted so schmaltzy and ridiculous, the worst he's ever been, it will be such a backtrack for the character! Please....oh, wait.

Thing I Love

How I Met Your Mother got rid of Victoria! Yay!

Bye, chipmunk!

Thing I Hate

Fringe's ratings dropped for its season premiere, which is really a shame, because I just started watching it. FOX claims right now that they support the show and understand it has a cult following status, but I'm not sure how long it can survive if the ratings drop any further. So listen up, my sci-fi inclined readers (and I know there are a lot of you), this show is really, really good. It's trippy in an X Files way, has mythology like LOST (but not as hard to jump into for a new viewer), and great characters. I know I complained about Anna Torv when the show first began, but she's really found the character and is engaging to watch.

Also engaging to watch. Or listen to in voiceover. (It's a thing.)

Thing I Love

The addition of Terry O'Quinn to Hawaii Five-0. He brings some much needed gravitas to a previously enjoyable but fluffy show. He's making the other actors, particularly Alex O'Laughlin, seriously step up their game, and the character is a great addition to the team. He's only scheduled for a recurring guest spot right now, but here's hoping the producers pay attention to his bad ass charms and keep him around for a while.

Plus, this was fun. Because I am a huge nerd.

Thing I Hate

Charlie's Angels. It's so bad. I mean, really, truly terrible. I wasn't expecting much to start with, but it's terrible enough I can't even watch it for sparkly entertainment value. The actresses are awful, clearly having learned from the Tom Cruise "talking through gritted teeth equals badassery" school of acting, the plots are ridiculous, the giant anvils of "Hey! Bad Guy!" are flung mercilessly, and in a TV landscape littered with ridiculous cop-and-spy technology I needed to yell at the TV "That's not how a camera works!"

Get off my TV.

That is also not how a gun works.

Thing I Love

Hart of Dixie. Fine, some of the "southern town quirks" are annoying in their hackiness, but Bilson is freaking adorable, the cute guy is cute, it's nice to see Nancy Travis outside of crap sitcoms, the side characters are funny and quirky in fun ways, and it's generally just very enjoyable. I wasn't wrong about the whole O.C. meets Sweet Home Alabama thing, but turns out, I'm pretty OK with that. Take notes, Secret Circle: this is how you do great guilty pleasure TV.

And plot-obvious promo shots.

Thing I Hate

Is anybody else just totally over Glee?

Not you, sweetie. I'll never be over you.

So how about it, Freaks? What did you love this week? Hate? What did I get wrong? Head to the comments!