Day 29: Difficult Shows to Start

Have you ever wanted to what a show that you've heard about, only to find it difficult to get into? You can't start at current/later seasons, and starting from the beginning sometimes means watching episodes over a decade old. Not all of these shows age well and many of its fans love them due to loyalty or nostalgia goggles.

I've run into this issue with multiple shows, so I'm going to do my best to explain when certain shows should hook you. At the very least, I'll explain when they hooked me.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Somewhere in here, you'll get it.

This is a show I tried several times to get into, but the general campy-ness of the first several seasons really hindered that. Eventually I pushed through them because A) I've heard a lot of interesting things about the later seasons, B) the comics look very interesting and C) Nathan Fillion is in the later seasons.

So I toughed it out and am it is now one of my very favorite shows.

It wasn't until about the middle of Season 3 that I actually began to really, really enjoy the show. I don't have a specific episode, but, eventually, the character growth started to show and the relationships grew on me. The world had an interesting and sometimes unique background, and the future was relatively unpredictable. Also, there were enough supporting cast members that were interesting, and the show was pulling on its history at this time in a way I very much appreciate. It's continued to do that since then.

So. Get through Season 3 and you'll be hooked.

Angel

This show was another reason I wanted to get through Buffy. They are related series and I knew I couldn't start this until I knew the background. Even so, it took an entire season of Angel for me to get interested, and another full season for the show to shift up its gears. Now it is very unpredictable and the character relationships are very unique/unusual in their paths.

Get to Season 3. Not sure why it takes Whedon so long, but it's worth it in the end (well, still haven't gotten to the last season, but I'm working on it).

Firefly

This one is only on here because I've heard a lot of people are a bit apprehensive about starting this series.

It should only take the first episode to get interested, and the second episode to get hooked. These characters are amazing and constantly get better.

Even if you're afraid of the short series, don't be. It may be bittersweet, but it is worth it!

Lost

This complete set looks AWESOME!

This was a hugely popular show while it was running. Now that it's all said and done, a lot of folks see how long it is and have heard a lot of negativity about the finale and are put off.

It is a long show, but the twists and turns really are worth it. After the 3rd episode, you should be pretty hooked on the strange, strange dynamic between characters, of which the Island is a major player. Even when some of the seasons get really out there, the suspense is kept at a soap-opera level. And this soap-opera isn't just for your
grandmother (disclaimer: as far as I know, my grandmother doesn't watch soap operas, but I'm not quite sure who else would).

Warning: the ending of the series is lousy. Know that going in, but it really isn't a factor until the very last episode. I'm happy having taken the journey, even if I am a bit bitter about how it "wrapped up."

Big Bang Theory

This show is generally pretty easy to get into, but I see a lot of backlash from the Nerd-community due to its portrayal of Nerds as socially incapable. My suggestion is to actually watch the show from the beginning -- invariably, no one who I've spoken with that dislikes the show has ever actually attempted to watch it. This seems both humorous and sad to me, but it has happened on several occasions. It only took me the first episode, but I could see needing a follow up with the second to get some more exposure.

Yes, the characters are given very negative attributes along with their Nerd-like qualities. This is no different from any show that uses character archetypes and gives them negative qualities for comedic effect. Nerds just have some stigmas that still sting, apparently, and are on the defensive about the character portrayal on the show. Get over it -- you're probably not a genius AND a nerd anyways, so they're not reflecting you. And, if you've seen it since the beginning, the characters make many strong points for the Nerd community.

Also, Wil Wheaton guest stars as Wil Wheaton several times in the series.

Disclaimer: I'm not enjoying recent seasons quite as much, but at least the first few seasons are gold, and should only take a single episode to get into.

Trigun

This is an anime. If you do not like anime, you will not like Trigun.

If you like anime, it will only take you about three episodes to get into this show. At first, the main character, Vash the Stampede, is just too idiotic to follow. This is quickly explained and you see glimpses of the real character underneath, albeit briefly. From there on, you're happy to put up with his advanced idiocy to get the next glimpse of the man they call the Human Typhoon.

Also, you'll eventually meet Wolfwood, which should be enough inspiration to keep on keeping on.

Wolfwood's waiting.

Supernatural

This is another show that should take you about three episodes to get hooked. Seeing anything farther in will probably damage your opinion early -- this is a show that definitely needs the supporting character backgrounds/stories to make any kind of impact or sense. It starts off as a pair of brothers hunting monsters while trying to find their father. The monsters are interesting and the family connections are downright bizarre. Later seasons evolve into plenty of crazy scenarios, but the family relationship always remains a focal point.

Later seasons have tapered off a bit, but they do, eventually, add at least one episode a season with Felicia Day, so it's all good.

-----

That's all for now. There were a few more I wanted to touch upon, but they've slipped my mind. I'll do a follow up post when I remember!

Day 19ish: Now Listening!

For the first (and probably last) time ever, here's a post about what I've been listening to!



That's more or less the playlist. Can't get enough of the soundtrack from "Once More, With Feeling" episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I don't really enjoy music, so that's why you won't see more of these. Every now and then I get in a mood for a song or two, but they're generally the same old things and I've got a horribly repetitious playlist on Spotify. Mostly I listen on the train ride to prevent distraction from my reading...


...Alright, there's an obligatory day post. Now to work on Day 20...

Day 6: The Idiot Box

In my last post, I mentioned fandoms. This got me thinking about favorite TV shows, and I don't think I've really ever touched base on my actual favorites. Here's a short list with short reasons why I've enjoyed the given series.

Gilmore Girls

That's right, I said it. I own every season and think the writing on this show is fantastic. The quips from Lorelei and Rory are phenomenal and every single character is interesting to some degree. Except Taylor. Bastard.

The Wife: Also a fan of the show. Hell, even her mother borrows my sets.

Supernatural

A TV show that creates its own monster-based dogma loosely based off of folktales and such? Yeah, sure, it's been done. But Supernatural was the first to do it right and I absolutely love the cast on this show. Dean and Sam (who is played by the actor who plays Dean in Gilmore Girls...) can be serious or depressed or intense, but they're at there best when they're being funny. As the seasons go on, the show is definitely losing its appeal. And the lack of really interesting baddies has dragged them down, but I am about a season and a half behind, so maybe I've missed something. Either way, the first handful of seasons are gold.

The Wife: I think the relationship between the brothers really drew her in as well -- we watch this show together. It's entirely possible that the actors, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, have something to do with it, though...

You know, these guys.

Firefly

I don't think I need to write much here. It was short and bittersweet and the best damn sci-fi (and sometimes even Western) show to ever grace the television screen. In my arbitrary opinion, of course. Nothing has really come close.

The Wife: While she doesn't fully agree with my level of sadness, she does understand it and she'll watch the series with me when I re-watch it every couple months.

Mobile Suit Gundam

There are many different Gundam series, and I've enjoyed several. Giant robots with lasers and shit? Yes please. The original holds a special place in my heart, and in any game where I can change armor color, I invariably make a character dressed all in red and name him "Char."

The Wife: ANIMATED giant robots with lasers and shit? Absolutely not.

The Red Comet

Sherlock

Some of the best writing in any TV show I've ever seen. The episodes are long (1hr 45mins) and the seasons short (3 episodes), but even my least favorite episodes (Season 1, Episode 2 and Season 2, Episode 2) are still awesome in many ways. The character of Sherlock is incredibly well done. Most eccentric characters lack any appropriate character growth. They either get weirder or normalized. Sherlock's changes are minimal, graceful, and generally quietly done. Also, and this isn't something I normally care about, but the cinematography is spot on. Love the camera angles and the different styles they'll work into a given episode.

The Wife: Possibly loves the show as much, if not more, as I do. With the lengths of the episodes, this is surprising -- usually she tends to fall asleep when we watch longer things later at not. Not so much when Sherlock is on.

One of the best episodes, and I don't even like music.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

It's taken a while, and I still have a season and a half left, but I eventually did fall in love with this show. Again, this is mostly do to a solid cast and witty writing. Also, I can't get the songs from the episode, "Once More, With Feeling" out of my head. I don't always like Joss Whedon's TV shows, but Buffy has been well and truly great, and I'm actually excited by the thought of going back and watching the first few seasons with my updated perspective.

The Wife: She never really got into when I started, but that's mostly because I watched the first few seasons pretty quickly. I'll try again when I go for the re-watch.

Always Sunny in Philadelphia

This is a strange one for me, because I don't generally enjoy outright comedy. Always Sunny may be dark humor, but it is, at heart, a comedy. That being said, the characters are all a kind of quirky I enjoy and the show has something I respect above all else: a sense of memory. You will still see references to season one even after half a dozen seasons, and it doesn't feel tacked on. If you'd never seen previous episodes, it wouldn't be glaring, but it adds to the humor. Apparently the gang always uses the same cassette tape when they have to record something (which isn't too often). When they eventually play any videos, you always catch a brief snippet of something that happened in one of the previous episodes. And then there's Kitten Mittens. Or that one episode where they actually repeated a previous episode, and it was STILL hilarious.

The Wife: Another show we watch together and equally enjoy.



Well, I'll end this list here, but one suggestion -- find a show you can watch with your significant other. Even if you're both dead silent during, it is a nice experience. And it'll make for interesting talk or references later. I'm often told by my wife to, "Shut up, bird."

Nerdy Stuff From This Week

I haven't caught up on the pull list, though I'm excited for the reappearance of Spider-Man 2099 in Superior Spider-Man. For now, this is what I've been keeping myself occupied with. I'll do some full reviews if I feel it's needed later on.

---

Gaming

Just started playing Grand Theft Auto V. I'm not a huge fan of the series, but so far this game has been, as everyone has said, pretty awesome. Dialogue is interesting, multiple characters with interesting stories, and the ability to switch between characters. The controls still feel like GTA, and, as in real life, I suck at driving, but it's a good hold over until Pokemon X/Y releases in a week.

So far so good, but still more excited for Pokemon...

TV

On my own, I'm watching, for the first time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and (after reaching Buffy season 3) Angel. I've always found Buffy a bit too campy, but after sticking with for awhile, I've found myself really enjoying the characters, story, and overall series. I had assumed Angel would have been my preference, but I'm loving Buffy much more. I AM using a watching order list so the stories tie in perfectly, but I do find myself wanting to follow Buffy more than Angel in the long run. I'm almost done with Buffy season 5 and Angel season 2, so we'll see how far that goes on. Then I have the comic "seasons" to look forward to.

Gets better by the season, awesome by the 4th.

With the Wife, we've been watching Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Not always nerdy, it IS always hilarious. Don't know how I fall so far behind on awesome TV. Oh well.

Comics

I've finished the third collected set (Trade Paperback for those in the know) of Fables, and it keeps getting better. Another series I'm catching up to slowly.

WANT MORE

I'm slowly reading Ronin, which you can expect a review of when I've finished.

Novels

I've finished Earth Unaware, one of the most recent novels from Orson Scott Card dealing with the first Formic War. It... wasn't that good, actually. It takes forever for the characters to actually connect and, in general, seems all over the place without ever setting a basis for the reader to really invest in. Towards the end it picked up somewhat (though never shrugs off the previous issues), though it is a really sloppy beginning novel.

want less

Additionally, I'm re-reading the Amber Chronicles, which I always suggest. When I finish, I will finally go and find the prequel series written by another author. I remember reading on some time ago, but I'd like to give 'em another shot.

---

Yeah, that's what I'm doing when I have time. Which isn't often the case. On the horizon, I'm going to attempt to get a board game crew going, but my schedule is still pretty hectic (and changing every day).

OH! I also made my desktop look like a terminal from Fallout, which is pretty damn awesome. If you're not using Rainmeter for silly desktop nonsense, you're missing out!

Expect a first response review of Pokemon X/Y (I'm going with Y) next week, dunno if I'll do anything before then.

Word.