Thoughts from the Media Room - Favorite Returning Shows

So we're rapidly approaching the Christmas Holiday Break, New Years and most of our tv favourites are already on break and some of my favourites this season are already over. So I thought I'd take a minute to take a look back and see what I've liked, dis-liked and found just frustrating to watch so far this season. Also I take a brief peek in to what is coming next month that I'm really looking forward to.

It just seems logical to me that I start off with what I've liked so far this season. So let's look at my favourite returning shows this season. I couldn't put these in any sort of order as I find it just too difficult.

So here we go, The Media Room's Official Favourite Returning TV Shows:


Sons of Anarchy:

Say what you will about the finale, I know it wasn't that well-liked which I don't get. Sure it wasn't as good as its lead-in episode, but I felt it was a great way to end the season. When we look back to Season 3 and the next logical step that the SAMCRO story had to take, this was it. We've been wondering since the second episode of the series when they would (a) Confirm that Gemma and Clay had something to do with John Tellers death and (b) When would Jax find out. Super story teller Kurt Sutter went down the path and covered both and frankly he had me on the edge of my seat most weeks. As I'm reading this, I've quickly realized that it's going to be very difficult to keep this spoiler free. I will try my best to limit possible spoilers because i know some of you are still catching up on some of these shows. Back to Charming. The story-telling pace this season was much more even than last season. I should state for the record, I was a fan overall of last season. Sure, it was slow and quite clunky at times. But it was part of the story that HAD to be told, I'm just not sure it required 13 episodes to tell it. I liked how the story involved everyone once again, everyone had a part in the current plot and it didn't feel that the players were given something to do just because we needed to be reminded about them. The sideline storylines really were quite good and it showed us another side to these tough guys in leather. It showed us that they do struggle with what they do, day in and day out and that they're not just a group of one dimensional bikers. The story ended a bit clunky, but it has kicked the door wide open for story possibilities. Next season promises to be full of action with many groups gunning for our favourite biker gang from a small town in California.

Next up, Dexter:

I've talked to a few of you and you've told me that you aren't feeling this season of Dexter. I just don't understand how that can be. To me, if anything, Dexter has found his focus again. A few of the episodes haven't worked and haven't moved the story along enough for my liking. But over-all I've loved this season. Considering Tom Hanks' son is one of the villains, he's once again playing a very stiff character and I don't think he's taking the words and acting like that to add to the show. I just don't think he's a great actor. They've involved the secondary characters when needed to further move along Dexter's story and that's something they have always done well. We've been teased that Dexter is finally going to get caught and it was a moment that was as tense and exciting as I wanted it to be.  Since it had been six years in the making, it could have fallen flat, but it didn't.  I had to look away when it was happening.  The big complaint I've heard this season has been all the religious story lines. Too me, that's something that Dexter naturally would be wondering about. How could this God that is supposed to be so wonderful create such monsters as himself? How some people interpreted his words to do good and to also to do evil? I've found that to be some of the more fascinating pieces of the story.  You really have to wonder just what the assistant in the lab knows about Miami Metro's favourite blood splatter analyst. Deb has been fantastic in adapting to her new role in the department. The struggle she goes through in each and every episode has been gut-wrenching and at times very tough to watch. We've often felt bad for Deb, but this has been the most-relatable I've felt to Deb. I can't say that I've had a girlfriend that was a serial killer, a boyfriend that was attacked by a different serial killer or had a boyfriend killed by the daughter of a serial killer. So I can't just imagine just how much pain and shock a person goes through in those situations. But I think we all can relate to have shitty days at work and the difficulties we get from both ends at work. Like many of you, I was jumping on the couch screaming as the final scene in the church was progressing. Finally! After a few close calls over the last few seasons, it was finally going to happen. BOOM! What a great way to end in my opinion a good season. I’ve been putting this post together over a few weeks and from what I’ve read on the net, a lot of people thought this was a bad season of Dexter and I just don’t get it.

Castle:

Say what you will about the bumbling writer and his tough as nails Detective Beckett. This season has been fantastic so far, we’ve seen a new side of Beckett that we’ve never witnessed before. She’s not quite as tough as we had thought; she can’t handle everything thrown at her with ease. She’s struggling to deal with the events of last season’s finale and thank god for it. Earlier in the season I was growing frustrated because she “seemed” like nothing was wrong and I just wonder, “How Could that be?” There has to be some side-effect to the shooting, we’ve seen her get even closer to Castle and while their relationship is the driving force of the show. I’m just worried that when it finally does happen and it appears to be happening sooner and sooner. What will the show do next? I throw that thought in the garbage can for now and just enjoy the show for what it is, great entertainment.

Big Bang Theory:

For this one, I had to jump over to IMDB and read all the episode descriptions for this season so far. I think we might have had one “meh” episodes, the rest have been golden. They expanded the cast over the last year and it’s working wonderfully. Raj has been pushed into the background a bit this season and frankly that’s ok with me. His can’t talk to girls thing is becoming old and a bit one trick pony. These nerds are growing up(I’m not sure “growing up” is the right word here) and coming out their shells in all major ways. These aren’t quite the same quiet nerds that we were introduced to a few years back. Highlight of the season for me so far: The boys playing Settlers of Catan. If you aren’t watching this one, you don’t know what funny is.

Parks and Recreation:

A few weeks back I tweeted, don’t you remember when this show was awful? It’s come a long way, the cast has come together nicely to create one of the funniest shows on television. This season’s will they won’t they storyline of Ben and Leslie has been fantastic and has really pulled the viewer with all emotions. The Entertainment 720 Storyline didn’t really work for me, but thankfully we’ve got Tom back in the mix of Indiana’s quirkiest Government.  This one over the last season has become one of the can't miss moments of the week.

So, that's my list.  That's a list of what my week better and what I can't wait for and what makes those days, just better.  What are some of your favorite returning shows?