When I watch a TV show, whether during its initial run, or marathoning it on Netflix, I always am on the lookout for the "Lincoln Squirrel" moment*. In other words, the point where a show goes from good or very good, to one of my all time favorites. Some of my favorite shows never had this moment, others that moment has become obscured by time, due to me seeing individual episodes long before I watched them in order. For The Office, that moment is as clear as if it just happened. In fact, I remember it so vividly I could justify calling these moments the "Jan and Michael Take a Meeting at Chili's", except for that being too clunky to use.
Unlike many of my favorite shows, I came to The Office early on in its run. My friend had DVR'd the first season of the show, and we had watched them. I was underwhelmed by the pilot, a mostly shot for shot remake of the U.K. edition's pilot. However "Diversity Day", the second episode was a major improvement, and the rest of the season was funny, at least funny enough to keep me interested for a second season.
The second season started off well, with some great episodes like "The Dundies" and "Office Olympics". Clearly the show had hit another level, as it was funnier while also improving the Jim & Pam relationship. The biggest jump in quality was the character of Michael Scott, who was no longer a pale imitation of David Brent.
As much as it had improved, I still wasn't expecting what happened in the "The Client". Yeah, I expected Jan to get angry with Michael's inability to follow her game plan with this important potential client (played by Tim Meadows), and there was plenty of the awkward comedy to be found in her mortification and frustration at what he was doing. Watching the episode again a while back I realized how clearly it was being set up what eventually happened, but that first time through it looked like the usual Michael Scott dumbassery.
And then it happened. Suddenly Michael Scott made that turn, and you realized that he knew what the hell he was doing as a salesman, and how to get close the deal with this very important customer. The show had defied expectations and added depth to Michael Scott without it feeling cheap or undeserved. From then on, I knew that the American version of The Office was a noteworthy companion to its British counterpart. I was hooked for the rest of that season, and for seven more after that.
I could go on about why The Office was such an important show, or how it reflected life so well in the cubicle jungle (even if it got way too cartoonish at times, especially after season five), but far better writers have already done that. Instead I'll just add my own thoughts on what it meant to me. As of this writing in the wee hours of Saturday morning, I've still yet to see the final episode, so I don't have any thoughts to share about the wrap up of the show. Perhaps I'll share them later. From here on out there won't be any rhyme or reason to the paragraphs, just a bunch of disjointed thoughts about this show that I will miss.
The Michael Scott Paper Company arc is season five was eerily similar to a situation I was going through at the time in my own life. No, I hadn't had my "One True Love" shuffled off to Nashua, NH. Also, my situation was closer to Pam (jumping on board with Michael's company because she feared being trapped in a stagnant situation that was not stimulating) than Michael's (a feeling of disrespect by the company he had been so loyal to for so many years). Unfortunately, my situation ended up being closer to Ryan's before he joined the Michael Scott Paper Co. than what happened on the show, but still that arc holds a special significance to me.
Somehow I enjoyed the sentimental Jim and Pam stuff such as "Casino Night" or "The Job" and the awkward humor best exemplified by "Dinner Party". From reading on the Internet, I gather that these tend to be fairly mutually exclusive groups. Also, the people in the latter group are also more likely to think the U.K. version is far superior. While I certainly enjoyed the U.K. version, I prefer the American version, in part because it is closer to my tastes, and in part Michael Scott is a far better character than David Brent. Keep in mind I saw the U.K. version in its entirety several years after the American version had become a favorite show of mine.
Even in the show's weakest years, it still had some great moments, and some of the characters still rose above the problems. The back half of season eight, my least favorite run of the show, still had Florida Stanley. Ellie Kemper as Erin was one of the best things about the later seasons of the show. She brought a great mixture of joy and sadness to a character that could have been an absolute train wreck.
Right from his debut, Creed was funny. He only got better as time went on, and was always good for a laugh, even during the dire Deangelo episodes following Steve Carell's departure. Stanley, Toby, and Meridith were also fairly consistent season to season, with occasions where they'd rise up and steal episodes.
I've wrote about it before, but I can't help but smile every time I think about the end of "The Job". There, I said it, even if it means I have to turn in my "Cynical and Ironic Humor Appreciation" badge at the security desk.
I like Ed Helms, and Andy had his moments during seasons 3,4, and 5, but he sure became annoying after that. Far too often Kevin became too much of an "Idiot Food Monster" and the show suffered for that. Ryan was a useless character after the MSPC arc, but I enjoyed his time as the overwhelmed corporate manager in season four. I have to imagine that is what it kind of feels like to be an executive at NBC.
Catherine Tate could have had a great role on the show. Perhaps she should have been the manager instead of Ed Helms. But far too often they wrote her character like a female David Brent, and it just didn't work. Ditto with trying to turn Andy into a softer Michael Scott.
Michael Scott's seemingly irrational hatred of Toby was one of my favorite aspects of the show. I'm pretty certain most people have that kind of reaction to the annoyance that is corporate HR, at least to a certain extent. Even if we have better relationships with the HR people than Michael had with Toby. On the other hand, perhaps it was just Toby. After all, his replacement was Holly...
Michael Schur is the primary guy behind Parks and Recreation, quite possibly my favorite show of all time. He wrote for The Office during its first four seasons, including some of the best episodes of the show's run. He was a writer on Saturday Night Live during one of my favorite periods of the show, and he was one of the creators of the late, great Fire Joe Morgan. Yet it is his portrayal of Mose Schrute is the first thing I think of when I see his name.
Michael never got to use that baler, so I suppose Darryl can consider that a success.
Here is where I mention Oscar. Phyllis, and Kelly. I don't really have any specific recollections to share, just that the show was richer for having them.
Gabe was both creepy and goofy looking, and occasionally funny. Robert California was a much better character in theory, at least after his hilarious appearance in the season seven finale, than he was in practice. It's OK, James Spader, you were the best part of Lincoln. Plop and little fat Dwight, Jr, I barely knew you. Cathy, you were the most superfluous character in a show that had a guy work in a closet and spoke one or two lines a week. I had to look your name up you were so unimportant.
The mental unraveling of Jan was a thing to behold. It was amazing how she went from this generic professional in the first season to the absolute train wreck of "Dinner Party".
Can't wait for season 17 of Parks and Recreation, when Ann meets her cousin Karen in Utica during Leslie's Presidential campaign.
"Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica."
Angela was far too awful to Andy during their engagement, even if he retroactively deserved it for being such an ass to Erin. Also, that baby poster was freaking terrible. You were one of the bright spots of season nine, and cats are never not funny.
Favorite Episode: (tie) "Dinner Party" and "The Job"
Favorite Season: Season 3
Favorite Story Arc: Michael Scott Paper Company
Least Favorite Episode: The clip show a few seasons back
Least Favorite Season: Season 8
*I'm aware this sounds borderline insane. To explain this would completely derail my heartfelt appreciation of The Office. The short answer is a reference to that moment when I felt The Simpsons stepped over that threshold. Google "Lincoln squirrel Simpsons" and you'll see what I mean.
Showing posts with label The Office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Office. Show all posts
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Looking Ahead in 2013: Television
For several of my favorite shows, 2013 will be a year of goodbyes. 30 Rock will be wrapping up in a few weeks, while The Office will end its run in May. Odds are this will be the final lap for Community as well. And of course, later this year we'll be getting the last eight episodes of Breaking Bad. For a while at least my viewing mix will get a bit smaller.
However, for many other shows it will be business as usual, and one show will be coming back, this time in Netflix form! Starting here in early January, and going on throughout the rest of the year it'll be an interesting ride.
The show I am looking forward the most to is Game of Thrones, which will begin it's third season on March 31. I've read all of the books that currently are out there, and have watched both seasons of the TV show, and I'm really excited. Sure, A Storm of Swords is split between two seasons, but that is because it is the most action filled of the books. I'm curious exactly what we'll be seeing in the season, and how they'll have to change it around to fit the constraints of television. Apparently they've added extra minutes to each episode, so there will almost be eleven episodes, once you consider the sum total of running time. I'm especially curious to see where they'll cut off the episode. I've got my theory of what will be the end of the tenth episode, although I wouldn't be surprised if that ends up at the end of episode nine, considering how they've done the first two seasons.
Of course, Game of Thrones is not the only HBO show I'm looking forward to seeing come back. Enlightened and Girls are coming back this month, and The Newsroom comes back in June, warts and all. Also at some point Veep may be coming back, so that's good.
Outside the world of HBO, another thing I'm cautiously looking forward to is the return of Arrested Development, as it makes its Netflix exclusive debut later this year. Perhaps it will be a disappointment, an affirmation that sometimes the end of a series isn't a bad thing. Hopefully it won't be, and will be something worth watching.
As for shows that aren't yet ending, but aren't beginning (or are not on HBO), there is a lot to look forward to. Archer premieres a week from today, the same day as Parks and Recreation comes back from the holiday break*. Mad Men will build upon it's great season five, coming back sometime later this year. Futurama will be starting the back half of season seven this summer. Although not as great as it's initial run, the show is still good for many good episodes, and a couple great ones each season.
It's too early to tell what new series might show up next Fall, at least in regards to the usual broadcast networks. As it stands, I've not followed any of the shows that premiered last fall, and only occasionally watch ones such as New Girl that are in their second season. Part of it is because the new shows are rather dire, but part is there is just too much good TV to watch. Especially since It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The West Wing are on Netlix now. Man, I need to really catch up on Bob's Burgers. You know what, I'll get back to you in...oh...December.
*Hmmm...do you think there might be a regular Thursday night wrap-up feature starting in a week? Perhaps.
However, for many other shows it will be business as usual, and one show will be coming back, this time in Netflix form! Starting here in early January, and going on throughout the rest of the year it'll be an interesting ride.
The show I am looking forward the most to is Game of Thrones, which will begin it's third season on March 31. I've read all of the books that currently are out there, and have watched both seasons of the TV show, and I'm really excited. Sure, A Storm of Swords is split between two seasons, but that is because it is the most action filled of the books. I'm curious exactly what we'll be seeing in the season, and how they'll have to change it around to fit the constraints of television. Apparently they've added extra minutes to each episode, so there will almost be eleven episodes, once you consider the sum total of running time. I'm especially curious to see where they'll cut off the episode. I've got my theory of what will be the end of the tenth episode, although I wouldn't be surprised if that ends up at the end of episode nine, considering how they've done the first two seasons.
Of course, Game of Thrones is not the only HBO show I'm looking forward to seeing come back. Enlightened and Girls are coming back this month, and The Newsroom comes back in June, warts and all. Also at some point Veep may be coming back, so that's good.
Outside the world of HBO, another thing I'm cautiously looking forward to is the return of Arrested Development, as it makes its Netflix exclusive debut later this year. Perhaps it will be a disappointment, an affirmation that sometimes the end of a series isn't a bad thing. Hopefully it won't be, and will be something worth watching.
As for shows that aren't yet ending, but aren't beginning (or are not on HBO), there is a lot to look forward to. Archer premieres a week from today, the same day as Parks and Recreation comes back from the holiday break*. Mad Men will build upon it's great season five, coming back sometime later this year. Futurama will be starting the back half of season seven this summer. Although not as great as it's initial run, the show is still good for many good episodes, and a couple great ones each season.
It's too early to tell what new series might show up next Fall, at least in regards to the usual broadcast networks. As it stands, I've not followed any of the shows that premiered last fall, and only occasionally watch ones such as New Girl that are in their second season. Part of it is because the new shows are rather dire, but part is there is just too much good TV to watch. Especially since It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The West Wing are on Netlix now. Man, I need to really catch up on Bob's Burgers. You know what, I'll get back to you in...oh...December.
*Hmmm...do you think there might be a regular Thursday night wrap-up feature starting in a week? Perhaps.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
When to Say Goodbye
Next year. The Office, 30 Rock, and Breaking Bad will all be wrapping up their runs. 30 Rock and Breaking Bad are going out before they get tired. The Office is leaving well after its creative peak, although this last season has gained back some of its spark. Meanwhile, shows like South Park and The Simpsons keep chugging along, the former still at times pretty strong, while the latter mostly settled into a comfortable rut of mediocrity.
One thing fans of shows like to mull over is the lifespan of a show. Not exactly meaning how long the show actually goes, but how long it should go. Some shows were cancelled too soon, as any Browncoat still in mourning will attest. Others lived on well past their "sell by" date.
While we fans of good TV lament those shows cancelled before their time, we tend to focus far more on the shows that go on too long. How many pages of words have been spent in forums and blog comments on the post golden age episodes of The Simpsons*, or seasons 4-7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or season 7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation with its iguana cats and ghost orgasms.
Very few shows get to go out while at or near the top. For every Seinfeld leaving at the height of its popularity, there are many other shows like Roseanne or Scrubs that became shells of their former selves. If the ratings, particularly those in the ever important 18-49 bracket, are still good, the network has no real reason to cancel it. Neither does the production studio, particularly after it hits the magic number for syndication. As long as the salaries of the cast don't outweigh the potential revenue, there really isn't an financial reason for a show to end. This is especially true on troubled networks such as NBC, where even moderate ratings are cause for celebration.
Of course, shows on premium and basic cable have somewhat different rules than the broadcast networks. Many of these shows have particularly powerful executive producers who have definitive ends in mind for their shows. Shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and others end because that is when their creators wanted them to end. Ratings and cost still matter (see: Deadwood), but the economics is a bit different with 10 or 13 thirteen episodes instead of 22 or 26.
A rare but increasingly more common occurrence is a show that was cancelled to soon, brought back, and then becomes a show that lived on too long. The best example of this is Family Guy, which was cancelled initially by Fox, got great ratings for reruns on Adult Swim, and then was renewed by Fox. Its second run has dwarfed the first run in quantity, while oftentimes lacking in quality. Another example is Futurama, which came back with new episodes on Comedy Central after four (mostly) wonderful seasons on Fox, and four good but not great straight to DVD movies. We'll have to see if Arrested Development, resurrected by Netflix, will suffer the same diminishing returns.
Regardless of the timing, it is hard to see a show go. I'll be sad when The Simpsons, even if probably should have ended long ago. Likewise, I'll be sad when another favorite show (such as Parks and Recreation) leaves the air, whether too soon, too late, or exactly the right time. When that last episode ends, that's it. Never again will it be able to disappoint, or rise back up to its highest highs. Like life, saying goodbye to a TV show is always hard, if far, far less painful or difficult.
*The definition of The Simpsons "Golden Age" is subject to debate. Some consider it over after season 8, while others argue for seasons 9,10, and even occasionally 11. For what it's worth, I think the "Golden Age" started with "Radio Bart" in season 3, and ends with "Behind the Laughter", the season 11 finale. Sure, there are great episodes before ("Lisa's Substitute", "Krusty gets Busted") and after ("HOMR", "Trilogy of Error"). However, that wonderful, giddy balance between heart, satire, and absurdity is at its peak during those 8+ seasons where it's at its peak.
One thing fans of shows like to mull over is the lifespan of a show. Not exactly meaning how long the show actually goes, but how long it should go. Some shows were cancelled too soon, as any Browncoat still in mourning will attest. Others lived on well past their "sell by" date.
While we fans of good TV lament those shows cancelled before their time, we tend to focus far more on the shows that go on too long. How many pages of words have been spent in forums and blog comments on the post golden age episodes of The Simpsons*, or seasons 4-7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or season 7 of Star Trek: The Next Generation with its iguana cats and ghost orgasms.
Very few shows get to go out while at or near the top. For every Seinfeld leaving at the height of its popularity, there are many other shows like Roseanne or Scrubs that became shells of their former selves. If the ratings, particularly those in the ever important 18-49 bracket, are still good, the network has no real reason to cancel it. Neither does the production studio, particularly after it hits the magic number for syndication. As long as the salaries of the cast don't outweigh the potential revenue, there really isn't an financial reason for a show to end. This is especially true on troubled networks such as NBC, where even moderate ratings are cause for celebration.
Of course, shows on premium and basic cable have somewhat different rules than the broadcast networks. Many of these shows have particularly powerful executive producers who have definitive ends in mind for their shows. Shows like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, and others end because that is when their creators wanted them to end. Ratings and cost still matter (see: Deadwood), but the economics is a bit different with 10 or 13 thirteen episodes instead of 22 or 26.
A rare but increasingly more common occurrence is a show that was cancelled to soon, brought back, and then becomes a show that lived on too long. The best example of this is Family Guy, which was cancelled initially by Fox, got great ratings for reruns on Adult Swim, and then was renewed by Fox. Its second run has dwarfed the first run in quantity, while oftentimes lacking in quality. Another example is Futurama, which came back with new episodes on Comedy Central after four (mostly) wonderful seasons on Fox, and four good but not great straight to DVD movies. We'll have to see if Arrested Development, resurrected by Netflix, will suffer the same diminishing returns.
Regardless of the timing, it is hard to see a show go. I'll be sad when The Simpsons, even if probably should have ended long ago. Likewise, I'll be sad when another favorite show (such as Parks and Recreation) leaves the air, whether too soon, too late, or exactly the right time. When that last episode ends, that's it. Never again will it be able to disappoint, or rise back up to its highest highs. Like life, saying goodbye to a TV show is always hard, if far, far less painful or difficult.
*The definition of The Simpsons "Golden Age" is subject to debate. Some consider it over after season 8, while others argue for seasons 9,10, and even occasionally 11. For what it's worth, I think the "Golden Age" started with "Radio Bart" in season 3, and ends with "Behind the Laughter", the season 11 finale. Sure, there are great episodes before ("Lisa's Substitute", "Krusty gets Busted") and after ("HOMR", "Trilogy of Error"). However, that wonderful, giddy balance between heart, satire, and absurdity is at its peak during those 8+ seasons where it's at its peak.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
TV Week begins: My Favorite Seasons of TV
From Tuesday through Friday, I'll be writing a post each day about TV. Why? Because I like writing and thinking about TV. Oh, and it's about time for new shows to return to the big four networks (and NBC*). Also, because Blogger's stats have shown people like reading my TV posts.**
Anyway, we begin with a list of my favorite seasons of TV.
For most TV shows, even in this age of serialization, a season is merely a business unit. A production schedule that says when new episodes are aired, and when they are replaced by reruns or a inconsequential and terrible summer reality show. Most people look at a show, and judge it on an episode to episode basis. Occasionally, some people will comment if a season was particularly full of great episodes, or was a complete departure from a previous season (good or bad). And of course there are the shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones which are heavily serialized, so a season is like a book and its episodes are a chapters.
Being that I am not most people, I have a tendency to obsess over not only episodes, but seasons. This is true even for shows that aren't (or weren't) serialized at all, like The Simpsons or Newsradio. I like to compare a particular season of a show with another season, or occasionally compare a season of one show up against the rest of the seasons of TV I've ever watched. I am not a huge fan of ranking shows from best to worst, most to least, or some other metric. However, I do like creating collections of seasons that I consider the best of the show as a whole, or even the best I've ever seen.
It is with this in mind that I share my list of favorite seasons of all time. The rules are few and fairly simple.
1. Only one season per show. For some shows (Arrested Development) this isn't too hard, but others (The Simpsons), it can be pretty tough.
2. When I think of a TV show, the season has to stick out in my mind. As much as I love Breaking Bad and Mad Men, not a single season on either show separates itself from the others. This is not a bad thing, as it means all of the seasons are of a considerable high quality. It just means that I don't have a favorite.
3. Shows must have at least three seasons to qualify. In other words, I apologize in advance to any aggrieved Browncoats***.
4. For the purpose of this list, season whatever I associate more to be a comprehensive season. This should be known as the Futurama rule. In the case of that show, the "fourth season" means the fourth volume of the DVDs. These episodes were actually was split over two actual broadcast seasons. However, I became fully acquainted with them on the DVDs, and as such that is how I will treat them.
5. It should go without saying that this only applies to shows I have watched in their entirety, their currently available entirety, or at least a large enough body of their entirety to make an accurate assessment.
With those rules in mind, let's get started!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Three
Some people feel quite strongly the show went downhill after the Scoobies graduated from high school. While there is still plenty to recommend about the last four seasons of the show, there is no doubt that season three was the high point for the show. A big part of this is due to the season having the best big bad of the bunch in The Mayor. Unlike other seasons of the show, season three was consistent in tone, character traits, and quality. Also, this season had one of my favorite episodes, "The Zeppo", so that counts for something.
Angel: Season Five
Many shows get canceled well before their time, leaving fans to commiserate about what might have been****. Other shows hit the opposite extreme, limping along from season to season until every character has been married, won the lottery, or died of a heart attack*****. It is a rare show that ends it runs on a high note. After an enjoyable, but at times messy fourth season, Angel rebounded with a vengeance. It made troublesome or borderline annoying characters from BtVS awesome (either again or for the first time). It had that wonderful Whedon mixture of humor and senseless tragedy. It promised demon fighting brothers who were also Mexican wrestlers, foul mouthed demon puppets, and a not-annoying Connor, and somehow delivered on all three. And the ending of the last episode...that had to be one of the most thematically appropriate endings to a series I've ever seen.
The Office (US): Season Three
Yes, young ones, there was a time when Jim and Pam's relationship wasn't incredibly dull, and they were actually likeable. There was a time when Dwight wasn't such a cartoon, and was occasionally even sympathetic. Hell, Andy was even occasionally funny, but nowhere near as funny as that clueless Michael Scott. The awful British lady and fat James Spader were nowhere to be found. Ryan was still a dick, but a relevant dick. There was no Gabe, and Dunder-Mifflin was an independent company, with corporate officers who were actually interesting. Ann Perkins from Parks and Recreation was on the show, and she actually brought complications to Jim and Pam's relationship, which wasn't as yet consummated. Sure, Creed and Stanley were still funny, but so were Angela and Kevin on occasion. The show was funny, the cast was likeable, and it was well written, directed, and produced. So when we reminisce about those days, as that god-awful The Farm enters its sixteenth season, please turn off your holoproj of Office Babies and watch this crusty old video and see what we mean.
Moral Orel: Season Three
For two seasons, Moral Orel was a funny, often pointed and biting satire of fundamentalist Christianity. It centered around a young sinner named Orel, who in all respects seemed to be a genuinely good person who tried to be a good Christian, as well as a good son, brother, friend, and citizen. Even if that meant raising the dead, drinking his own urine, or helping the "slow" kid unlearn all that sciency crap. While Orel, and a few other characters as well, were treated with sympathy, the townsfolk and his parents were mainly their as foils, used to show the hypocrisy of extremism and absolutism, no matter the stripe. If those two seasons were alone, it would have still been an enjoyable Adult Swim show.
And then the third season happened.
In many ways, the seeds were sown from the beginning, as the first episode aired by Cartoon Network, "The Best Christmas Ever", was incredibly depressing. But the two part second season finale, "Nature" took it up another notch. Frankly, that was one of the darkest pieces of television I have ever seen.
Season three took it from there, weaving a connected story of the people of Moralton through its thirteen episodes. There are long parts of most episodes where there isn't much that is funny. Instead, we see into the lives of the people, and the vast majority of them are lonely, troubled, and in need of serious help. So many of them try to live up to the ideals of their church and society, despite it causing them so much grief and self-doubt. Even Orel himself comes to have doubts, wondering (justifiably so, given the events of "Nature") whether or not there is anything about his father that is worth honoring. Though few and far between, there are a few moments of clarity and healing for some of the people of Moralton. However, these require the people transcending the strictures of their extremist society and taking a more open and compassionate view towards their fellow man.
Despite all the darkness, the grief and the loneliness, the series ends on a hopeful note. Apparently there were seven scripts that were never produced, the show canceled before they could get any further. To me, that's a damn shame, although I probably represent about 17% of the fan club for the show.
=============
This is getting much longer than I intended it to be. In the interest of staving off
"tl;dr"s, I'm going to pick this up again tomorrow. Don't worry, this won't count as tomorrow's piece. Also, don't worry about this list being front-loaded. Many of my all time favorites will be in the list tomorrow as well.
*BURN! Oh wait, a few of my favorite shows are on NBC, and they are about to be canceled. Now I made myself sad.
**Or they like bouncing immediately elsewhere, because there are no nude photos of stars of a tagged show.
***But hey, two other Whedon shows qualify! And wasn't The Avengers a damn fine movie?
****Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, Luck
*****The Office (US), Family Guy, and Roseanne. The Simpsons should probably be on this list, but while far from the quality of their golden years, it still can sometimes knock a homer out of the park.
Anyway, we begin with a list of my favorite seasons of TV.
For most TV shows, even in this age of serialization, a season is merely a business unit. A production schedule that says when new episodes are aired, and when they are replaced by reruns or a inconsequential and terrible summer reality show. Most people look at a show, and judge it on an episode to episode basis. Occasionally, some people will comment if a season was particularly full of great episodes, or was a complete departure from a previous season (good or bad). And of course there are the shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones which are heavily serialized, so a season is like a book and its episodes are a chapters.
Being that I am not most people, I have a tendency to obsess over not only episodes, but seasons. This is true even for shows that aren't (or weren't) serialized at all, like The Simpsons or Newsradio. I like to compare a particular season of a show with another season, or occasionally compare a season of one show up against the rest of the seasons of TV I've ever watched. I am not a huge fan of ranking shows from best to worst, most to least, or some other metric. However, I do like creating collections of seasons that I consider the best of the show as a whole, or even the best I've ever seen.
It is with this in mind that I share my list of favorite seasons of all time. The rules are few and fairly simple.
1. Only one season per show. For some shows (Arrested Development) this isn't too hard, but others (The Simpsons), it can be pretty tough.
2. When I think of a TV show, the season has to stick out in my mind. As much as I love Breaking Bad and Mad Men, not a single season on either show separates itself from the others. This is not a bad thing, as it means all of the seasons are of a considerable high quality. It just means that I don't have a favorite.
3. Shows must have at least three seasons to qualify. In other words, I apologize in advance to any aggrieved Browncoats***.
4. For the purpose of this list, season whatever I associate more to be a comprehensive season. This should be known as the Futurama rule. In the case of that show, the "fourth season" means the fourth volume of the DVDs. These episodes were actually was split over two actual broadcast seasons. However, I became fully acquainted with them on the DVDs, and as such that is how I will treat them.
5. It should go without saying that this only applies to shows I have watched in their entirety, their currently available entirety, or at least a large enough body of their entirety to make an accurate assessment.
With those rules in mind, let's get started!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Season Three
Some people feel quite strongly the show went downhill after the Scoobies graduated from high school. While there is still plenty to recommend about the last four seasons of the show, there is no doubt that season three was the high point for the show. A big part of this is due to the season having the best big bad of the bunch in The Mayor. Unlike other seasons of the show, season three was consistent in tone, character traits, and quality. Also, this season had one of my favorite episodes, "The Zeppo", so that counts for something.
Angel: Season Five
Many shows get canceled well before their time, leaving fans to commiserate about what might have been****. Other shows hit the opposite extreme, limping along from season to season until every character has been married, won the lottery, or died of a heart attack*****. It is a rare show that ends it runs on a high note. After an enjoyable, but at times messy fourth season, Angel rebounded with a vengeance. It made troublesome or borderline annoying characters from BtVS awesome (either again or for the first time). It had that wonderful Whedon mixture of humor and senseless tragedy. It promised demon fighting brothers who were also Mexican wrestlers, foul mouthed demon puppets, and a not-annoying Connor, and somehow delivered on all three. And the ending of the last episode...that had to be one of the most thematically appropriate endings to a series I've ever seen.
The Office (US): Season Three
Yes, young ones, there was a time when Jim and Pam's relationship wasn't incredibly dull, and they were actually likeable. There was a time when Dwight wasn't such a cartoon, and was occasionally even sympathetic. Hell, Andy was even occasionally funny, but nowhere near as funny as that clueless Michael Scott. The awful British lady and fat James Spader were nowhere to be found. Ryan was still a dick, but a relevant dick. There was no Gabe, and Dunder-Mifflin was an independent company, with corporate officers who were actually interesting. Ann Perkins from Parks and Recreation was on the show, and she actually brought complications to Jim and Pam's relationship, which wasn't as yet consummated. Sure, Creed and Stanley were still funny, but so were Angela and Kevin on occasion. The show was funny, the cast was likeable, and it was well written, directed, and produced. So when we reminisce about those days, as that god-awful The Farm enters its sixteenth season, please turn off your holoproj of Office Babies and watch this crusty old video and see what we mean.
Moral Orel: Season Three
For two seasons, Moral Orel was a funny, often pointed and biting satire of fundamentalist Christianity. It centered around a young sinner named Orel, who in all respects seemed to be a genuinely good person who tried to be a good Christian, as well as a good son, brother, friend, and citizen. Even if that meant raising the dead, drinking his own urine, or helping the "slow" kid unlearn all that sciency crap. While Orel, and a few other characters as well, were treated with sympathy, the townsfolk and his parents were mainly their as foils, used to show the hypocrisy of extremism and absolutism, no matter the stripe. If those two seasons were alone, it would have still been an enjoyable Adult Swim show.
And then the third season happened.
In many ways, the seeds were sown from the beginning, as the first episode aired by Cartoon Network, "The Best Christmas Ever", was incredibly depressing. But the two part second season finale, "Nature" took it up another notch. Frankly, that was one of the darkest pieces of television I have ever seen.
Season three took it from there, weaving a connected story of the people of Moralton through its thirteen episodes. There are long parts of most episodes where there isn't much that is funny. Instead, we see into the lives of the people, and the vast majority of them are lonely, troubled, and in need of serious help. So many of them try to live up to the ideals of their church and society, despite it causing them so much grief and self-doubt. Even Orel himself comes to have doubts, wondering (justifiably so, given the events of "Nature") whether or not there is anything about his father that is worth honoring. Though few and far between, there are a few moments of clarity and healing for some of the people of Moralton. However, these require the people transcending the strictures of their extremist society and taking a more open and compassionate view towards their fellow man.
Despite all the darkness, the grief and the loneliness, the series ends on a hopeful note. Apparently there were seven scripts that were never produced, the show canceled before they could get any further. To me, that's a damn shame, although I probably represent about 17% of the fan club for the show.
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This is getting much longer than I intended it to be. In the interest of staving off
"tl;dr"s, I'm going to pick this up again tomorrow. Don't worry, this won't count as tomorrow's piece. Also, don't worry about this list being front-loaded. Many of my all time favorites will be in the list tomorrow as well.
*BURN! Oh wait, a few of my favorite shows are on NBC, and they are about to be canceled. Now I made myself sad.
**Or they like bouncing immediately elsewhere, because there are no nude photos of stars of a tagged show.
***But hey, two other Whedon shows qualify! And wasn't The Avengers a damn fine movie?
****Freaks and Geeks, Firefly, Luck
*****The Office (US), Family Guy, and Roseanne. The Simpsons should probably be on this list, but while far from the quality of their golden years, it still can sometimes knock a homer out of the park.
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