Blogging A to Z: Fringe

Fringe is one of the coolest shows on right now. I was hooked from the start, but the first glimpse of the parallel universe with airships and a still-copper Statue of Liberty gave me chills.

Agent Olivia Dunham works for the Fringe Division of the FBI, researching strange cases with genius scientist Dr. Bishop, his brilliant but street-smart son Peter, and Dr. Bishop's plucky assistant Astrid.

I was a huge X-Files fan, and Fringe feels like a second generation spin on similar monsters, anomalies and phenomena. But I tend to think Fringe delves deeper into weird, and its Big Bad isn't shady government conspiracy, but a corporate technology dynasty who take great liberties with human experimentation. Also, there's a parallel universe with an alter-ego of every person in the Fringe universe. Cool.

Why You Should Watch: If I didn't hook you with X-Files and airships, you can make a drinking game out of how many times Olivia is sent to the tank in season 1, or you can just enjoy the romantic tension of two leads whose relationship actually progresses. Sort of. Keep in mind that whole parallel universe part. Also, Walter Bishop is one of television's great characters. His mad scientist role is the perfect dynamic of arrogant brilliance with a dash of sensitivity.


Factoid: John Noble (Walter Bishop) has serious geek cred: he played Denethor in Lord of the Rings.

Blogging A to Z: Eureka

Eureka is a lighthearted sci-fi show on the Syfy channel. I confess: I had not seen it prior to the blogging challenge but I needed an "E" show that fit with my taste and qualifications (sorry, no Everybody Loves Raymond!) . The first three seasons are conveniently available on Netflix streaming.

Eureka takes place in the quirky fictional town of Eureka, Oregon, the headquarters of research facility Global Dynamics (think Fringe's Massive Dynamic but more wacky than creepy). A U.S. Marshal happens upon the town with his teen daughter (appropriately angsty wearing a choker and a nose ring). They end up sticking around to solve various oddities, mostly fallout from Global Dynamic's experiments, with the help of the Eureka's scientist and inventor townsfolk.

Why You Should Watch: It's a mystery-of-the-week format with subtle humor that doesn't stray too dark if you need a break from CSI-like true crime.  Lots of familiar actors you've seen on other shows end up in Eureka. The final season airs on Syfy this month (April 16), so you still have time to catch a few early episodes on Netflix. Also, Buffy alumn and The Guild creator Felicia Day has a story arc in season 4!

Factoid: After a little poking around, I found seasons two and three were composed by Bear McCreary of Battlestar Galactica fame. Yes, I watch enough TV to recognize composer names. Who can forget a guy named Bear?

Blogging A to Z: Dexter

Like Breaking Bad, Dexter is a show not for the faint of heart. But the payoff is worth it if you invest in this series, which remains rather unpredictable, and a bit troubling considering the main character is a serial killer you want to root for.

Not all TV can be The Brady Bunch. (Thank goodness).

Dexter is a serial killer with a specific set of criteria for his kills: they need to be criminals. In one of the story arcs, his kills gain attention and the community applauds the unknown vigilante taking crime into his own hands. Again like Breaking Bad, it isn't enough that he's a killer eschewing the law, he works for the Miami Police Department. So does his sister Deb. In fact, she investigates cases Dexter is intimately involved with. What's truly screwy is when someone on the force in season 1 catches on to Dexter. I'll leave out spoilers, but see who it is you want to get away with it: Dexter or the one person who sees through Dexter's facade.

What I appreciate about the show is the backstory which details why Dexter is the way he is. It's quite a charge to make a serial killer a sympathetic character. Dexter agonizes at times over his need to kill, it's a topic exhausted throughout the series, reminding viewers that murder is never an easy or "right" option. Dexter even has a girlfriend who embodies the sunny, mothering, angelic side of life that Dexter fears/wants most. His sister Deb is a fantastic character: she's foul mouthed, emotional and she will do anything to protect her brother. The stakes are high - Dexter can't let anyone know he's a killer or he'll end up with nothing. 

Not all of these characters will make it alive to season 5

Why You Should Watch: A great supporting cast rounds out the show. If you're tired of predictable telelvision, Dexter puts a spin on the typical police procedural and at times even manages to be funny. 

Factoid: During the writer's strike of 2008, CBS aired an edited version of Dexter's first season, which originally plays on premium cable network Showtime. Seriously, CBS! Yes, the Parent's TV Council was all over it. 

Blogging A to Z: Castle

The premise is implausible. But we love it anyway:

Best-selling true crime fiction author Richard Castle shadows the NYPD and becomes one of the team, to the point he questions witnesses and plays an active part in the investigation. Sounds like a work of fiction in itself, but Castle is a fun guilty pleasure that spins the usual procedural with a little humor and a lot of romantic tension. I chalk most of its success to:

THIS GUY

But it's not fair to leave out the cast as a whole, including Castle's smarty pants daughter (who I love), his theatre actress mother, and of course Detective Beckett. Oh, Beckett, how your stylist from season 2 must have been blind to current trends; thankfully your hair looks less like a feathered 1990s monstrosity. You are too pretty for a head half full of bangs!

Mariska Hargitay 10 years ago?!

Why You Should Watch: It's a classic butting-heads romance in the workplace set-up with a few unique twists. Also, Nathan Fillion is awesome.

Factoid: In the Halloween episode of season two, Castle dresses as his character Mal Reynolds from the cult-fave Firefly.  

Blogging A to Z: Breaking Bad

Double B: alliteration!

Breaking Bad is not a show for everyone. Having said that, you should absolutely watch it.

Bryan Cranston plays Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher stricken with cancer who joins up with Jessie, a flunkie former student, to make crystal meth in order leave his family with financial security. If you thought meth was bad before, after watching this you'll want to avoid all drugs including Advil. The series progresses from small time meth cooking in a camper to affiliations with a big time drug lords. To throw a wrench in it all, Walter's brother-in-law works for the Drug Enforcement Agency of the government, who are quite aware a new meth maker's in town.

Why You Should Watch: The relationship between Walter and Jessie deepens, and strains and complicates throughout the series. Jessie refers to Walter as Mr. White, a strange sort of politeness he affords no one else in his life. The overall casting, acting and writing are superb. In one episode of season 4, a scene plays out entirely in Spanish (subtitled) with no musical score, no cut-away shots, no action. It's just solid dialogue that unfolds deliberately for a good five or ten minutes. You barely notice you're holding your breath.

Beyond all that, if you're feeling down about your life, watch this and I guarantee you'll feel better.

Factoid: Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul have both won Emmy awards for the series. You might remember Bryan Cranston as the dad who can't win from Malcolm in the Middle.

Blogging A to Z: TV Theme- Angel

Welcome to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! My intention with the TV theme is to feature as many current shows as possible. But I also want to share shows that I like and that lean toward scripted television rather than reality shows. So, although my "A" pick no longer airs new episodes, you can see reruns weekdays on TNT (or DVD, Netflix, etc.)

Angel: the vampire with a soul. Oh, how he broke young Buffy's heart, loving her despite being her immortal enemy. I felt skeptical on whether he could hold his own show, but I'm glad I invested in the series, which I watched after a DVD binge of all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (back before it could be streamed on Netflix so I had to wait for the discs!)

As Buffy heads to college, Angel takes off to L.A. where he opens a paranormal investigation agency of sorts with Buffy alumn Cordelia, who truly redeems herself from Mean Girl to helpful sidekick. The rest of the cast crops up organically: Wesley, a former watcher (trainer to the vampire slayers), who undergoes the most character progression during the show, enters late in season 1, along with Gunn, an everyman who dusts vampires to keep the neighborhood safe. Fred (the girl) is probably the most fun edition as she's rescued from another realm and brought back to L.A. with Angel. In the last season, former Big Bad vamp Spike shows up (after having saved the world and all on Buffy). Many a fan have lamented this stunt casting, but I like Spike and didn't mind it.

Angel as a series is a bit uneven; I can appreciate the risks it took, taking beloved characters and making them evil/disturbed/taken over by something, not just for an episode, but for a season. While the last two seasons aren't as strong as the first few, the final episode is one of my favorite series finales ever. As with any Joss Whedon show, somebody important dies, and while plotlines are tied up, the threat of evil isn't. The parting shot shows the cast in the pouring rain facing a cluster of mystical baddies. Angel says, "Personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon."

Angel in felt

Why You Should Watch: See a pre-Bones David Boreanaz with fangs and a bumpy face when he vamps out! Plus, how can you go wrong with a puppet themed episode? The answer is, you can't.

Factoid: See the kid far left in the first picture? He played Angel's son Connor in a rather strange loop on the show, where Angel had a child with his vamp maker Darla, but the baby was timewarped somewhere else, only to reappear as a teenager (take that daytime TV!). Now Connor can be seen schmoozing on Madison Avenue in Mad Men.