Baby Fish Mouth: Revisited

In the ever burgeoning spirit of change that's been sweeping the nation, I decided to revisit my list from last year regarding the shows I watch, including a few new ones that have picked up steam and tickled my fancy...

NOTE: Last year is written in plain text.
Right now is written in bold.

NEW SHOWS:

Modern Family - This is one of only two new shows I look forward to. The pilot had me almost on the floor laughing, and each episode since has been just as hilarious. And it has heart, which is crucial to a good, solid comedy. NOW - Still the funniest show on TV. It makes 30 Rock look weak, and it has pushed that show down a few pegs on my must-see meter. It's a shame.

Community - It's got Joel McHale, and it's wonderfully absurd. It too has heart, but it's a tad bit more cynical in its delivery, but I laugh consistently. NOW - It's consistently funny, and I'm in love with the characters more and more each week. I fear for what season 2 will bring, simply because I can see the show either getting high on its own comedic success (following the inevitable Emmy nominations), or trying to raise the stakes and grab viewers (similar to how 30 Rock front-loaded its second season with too many guest stars). We'll see. For now, I love it. A very, very close second to Modern Family as the funniest show on TV.

Glee - The music is fab-u-lous. The other bits? Not so much. Still, it's appointment television (it's the other show I look forward to). I'm not a fan of the show's central conflicts, but it doesn't hurt the show too much. NOW - This show rocked its mid-season finale, wrapping up conflicts, and bringing on the musical mayhem. I hear great things about its upcoming back 9 (Idina Menzel, Neil Patrick Harris, a Madonna episode, Joss Whedon directing, the return of Kristen Chenoweth, more songs per episode... the list goes on), so here's to a bright future.

The Good Wife - This show makes me want to be a lawyer. Not only are the cases compelling, but the central idea (disgraced politician's wife restarts her life as a junior associate in a law firm after her husband is sent to jail) drives the show to new heights. A must see NOW - Still the best new drama, and also one of the best dramas on network TV. The writing has remained sharp throughout, twist after twist. I like what it is, and I hope it never changes.

FlashForward - I don't know about this one. I'm intrigued, for sure, but I don't ache for this show like I did for LOST in its first season. I think its still figuring itself out. My suggestion? Get David Goyer away from as many scripts as possible... And lets focus on less characters, please... NOW - Its back 9 started back up last week, and it was iffy at first, but it picked up in the premiere's second hour, focusing on the enigmatic Simon (Dominic Monaghan), and answering A LOT of lingering questions. Should be interesting to see where this goes.

Cougar Town - I've only seen the pilot, and frankly, I was super creeped out. It got a full season pick-up so it must be doing well. I'll check it out once the back nine kick in. Here's hoping they remedy the creepy.NOW - I have watched more of this show, and I like it. It's not a show I watch consistently, but it's a nice distraction when Modern Family is over.

Cleveland Show - HATED the pilot. Haven't seen it since. NOW - Still don't care. Blech.

Eastwick - Desperate Housewives with magic. But boring magic. The guy playing the devil is good, but the women are dry stereotypes. Nothing exciting NOW - Cancelled. Thankfully.

Justified - So good. The pilot was phenomenal: tense, well-acted, and loaded with the promise of good, juicy drama. Check it on, Tuesdays at 10 on FX.

Archer - I'm on the fence with this one. I saw an episode way back when, and it felt forced, and I felt lost. But, I went back and watched the premiere, and laughed quite a bit, so maybe I need to watch it from the beginning. We'll see.

Parenthood - A decent show. Not super high on my must see list, but nice nonetheless. Lauren Graham is a welcome face to see again on Tuesday nights, so there's that. Still, she's no Lorelai Gilmore, so... Just not the same...

V - It had a great, if too short, first half (if you can call four episodes half), so I look forward to what's to come. I hear it's good. I like that it has a fast pace, and that it's not looking to develop an expansive mythology. This is an action show, pure and simple. And, thankfully, it's actually fun to watch.

Caprica - I completely overlooked this (thanks to Jacob for reminding me). I'm really far behind on this show. I JUST saw episode five, which was by far the best (the V world stuff with Tamara Adama will hopefully continue to be awesome), so I'm excited to watch the rest. My TiVo has been fickle about recording, because of some technical glitches, so I've had to wait and whatever. It's annoying. I like the show. It's slow. It's not Battlestar in terms of intensity, but it's fun to see how that world came to be. It's provocative, and it's certainly having fun pushing a few current political issues, but I like it. I don't love it yet. But, if it continues to touch on the philosophical and spiritual, and emphasize just how this gets us to the Cylon War, I'm down to fall in love.

RETURNING SHOWS:

Dollhouse- I'm officially bored with this show. After the supposedly game-changing "Epitaph One" episode, I expected a resurgence of energy in this show, but I see none of that. All we've gotten so far is Echo getting married, and nursing a baby. Uncool, Whedon... Uncool. NOW - As we all know, Dollhouse died in January, but not before pulling out all the stops, delivering some of its best episodes. Fantastic stuff. A master class for bubble shows: this is the kind of closure every bubble show should shoot for in its final hours of unwatched prime-time glory.

Grey's Anatomy - After an awkward season last year (but a pretty phenomenal finale), this show feels like it did in its second season. I hope it continues. NOW - Yeah, they were good episodes, but the show is back to dullsville. I don't miss it when I don't watch it. Never a good sign.

House- I like this show. It makes for a nice Monday eve. NOW - Same ole, same ole. They did get rid of my favorite character, Cameron. Still not sure how I feel about it. BUT, they're bringing Cynthia Watros (LOST's Libby) into the mix for an arc. Should be fun.

Heroes - I broke up with this show after the abysmal season premiere. I did watch Bryan Fuller's recent (and well done) episode, so my interest is piqued as to where it's heading (quite the cliffhanger), but his departure still has me unsure. NOW - Dead to me. I stopped watching, and never looked back, despite the rallying cries of "But it got better!" Sorry. I just don't buy it. Or rather, even if it were true, I just don't care anymore to care. It's as simple as that

The Office - This show is uneven for me. Season 2 is still where this show peaked. The Jim and Pam wedding was wonderful. I still enjoy it. NOW - Good. Watchable. Not stellar, but good filler b/w the ever better Parks and Rec and 30 Rock. The Halpert Baby Birth episode was pretty funny, if not a bit too silly. I just have to accept that this is what the show is, and not expect Ricky Gervaisian levels of subtle awkward genius. *sigh

Parks and Recreation - I'm actually liking this more and more each week. I think they're hoping for a bit of The Office mixed with 30 Rock, as the show has become significantly more absurd. After the underwhelming first season, this is nice to see. NOW - Love it. It's better than The Office, for sure. I feel like they've found their groove. But, with the news that Paul Schneider is leaving the show, and that Rob Lowe is joining the cast, I'm a bit dubious. And to top it off, Amy Poehler's pregnancy is causing the show to rush into production on its third season. I just hope the writers and actors aren't too burned out from a stellar season, forcing them to fall down the joke spiral. I hope not.

Fringe - I love this show. The mythology is fun, and its delightfully macabre. Yeah, it's not brilliant television, but I'm entertained, and I'm rarely bored. NOW - The mid-season finale was PHENOMENAL, furthering the show's bizarre mythology, and making it more and more relevant to the character's lives. I'm hearing amazing things about the April 1st episode. Can't wait.

Big Bang/HIMYM - Still good. Big Bang seems to get funnier each week. NOW - HIMYM is treading water. It's getting a bit stale. Barney is the best part of that show, and even he is starting to feel overdone. This last episode was a good example of that: Barney was hilarious. The rest? Not so much. Painting Ted as a man slut? Huh? Stop changing history to serve your story! I no likey. Big Bang is still funny, but the Penny/Leonard relationship isn't working. That's not the what this show is about anymore, so they need to put the focus back on Penny and Sheldon, and the bizarre friendship that has emerged b/w them. Still, I laugh. So, there you go.

LOST - Come on. Do I need to comment? Okay, I will. It's been a slow start, admittedly. The Flash Sideways are cool, but there's a sense that they're bogging down the show's main thrust, and I can agree with that. I want to see them coming together. I need to see how they relate more. The Dr. Linus episode was fantastic in that regard. But, we have gotten some interesting bits of mythology answered, including the notorious numbers, so that's a big deal. I'm excited. I'm not bored. I can feel it leading somewhere. I don't know where, but its somewhere, and that's better than in the early days of Caged Sawyer and the Rabbit of Hydra Island, when things were slow, but they were also going nowhere.

Breaking Bad- We're only one episode in to the third season, and I'm already on the edge of my seat. A great follow-up to its shocking finale last season. Can't wait to see where it goes.

24 - Oh my boring. This season has put me to sleep several times over. The last two episodes (haven't seen Monday's) have been a nice change of pace, but it feels like too little, too late. Thankfully, I'm hearing this is its last season, which means Jack Bauer will be hitting the big screen. Where he belongs.

Chuck- Love this show. And you should too. It's witty, action packed, romantic and loads of fun. You don't even really need to watch it from the beginning. Here's a primer: Chuck is an accidental spy. He has a computer in his brain that helps him be a spy. He loves the blonde, and she loves him. Complications ensue. Hilarity follows. Just watch it. Mondays at 8. NBC.

Project Runway- My patience is running thin with this show. The judges seem to be off in crazytown, picking designs that just seem ridiculous to win, but also picking contestants who are just too boring for their own good. If it weren't for Southern firecracker, Anthony, this season would be a HUGE bore, much like last season was. Boo.

Damages - This show is back with a vengeance. Last season was sort of the show's Quantum of Solace, pausing far too often so that poor Ellen Parsons could seek revenge for her fiancé's murder and the attempt on her own life, as opposed to focusing on the main legal case and it's repercussions. This season however has not only taken its story straight from the headlines (tackling  a Bernie Madoff type and his family), but has kept the focus primarily on the case. And, don't even get me started on the doozy of a twist in its first episode back. Wow. Way to slingshot this season forward in one single moment. Bravo.