TV shows (Part 3)

This post is the third installment of my original "TV shows" post.

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Show: Glee
Original network: FOX

Description: After finding out that the school's glee club's head was fired for inappropriate behavior, teacher Will Schuster seeks and is granted permission to take over. He has a new vision for the group, but runs into several roadblocks -- the group is made up of a bunch of random people who seem to have no chemistry together. In addition, he is faced with competition from Sue, the head of the school's highly successful cheerleading club, and criticism from his wife, who wants him to be more of a breadwinner. However, Will soon finds a way to recruit more members despite the club's negative reputation, including the quarterback of the school's football team. Beating the odds, the glee club becomes highly successful and meshes together, while being constantly challenged and mocked by the majority of the school.

My take: This is a refreshing change from the type of shows that dominates today's TV networks. It is clever but not in a smart-ass way. It's entertaining without being stupid. It's touching without being too cliché. This show seems to consistently maintain a balance between fantasy and realism, as it's not quite believable but not so out of the realm of believability that you can't take it seriously. This type of show is rare in today's world.

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Show: Heroes
Original network: FOX

Description: Some chosen few in the world are born with abilities and super powers; nobody knows why or how this happens. However, one thing becomes clear -- they are supposed to use the powers to somehow save the world in the future. However, there are also people who use the powers for evil rather than good, and it is up to the other people with powers to stop them before it's too late.

My take: This show has gone downhill in recent seasons, but it has produced one of the best villains I have ever seen -- Sylar. Sylar is what every TV show villain should be: sadistic, uncaring, ruthless, ambiguous. There are pockets of time where Sylar seems to switch to the good side, but you always get the sinking feeling that he will come back more bad-ass than ever -- and it happens every time without fail. To tell you the truth, Sylar's probably the only reason why this show remains even somewhat interesting.

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Show: In Plain Sight
Original network: USA Network

Description: Mary is a US Marshal who is part of the witness protection program in Albuquerque. Together with another US Marshal (ironically named Marshall), she must make sure those put under her charge are safe and remain undiscovered. Of course, there are so many things that can go wrong in such situations, and they often do. Also, Mary is probably the most tempermental marshal in the world, which makes people highly uncomfortable to be with her or work with her, but ultimately she always seems to make the right choice.

My take: This show isn't bad but it has the potential to be much better. The characters of Mary and Marshall are works of art, but you get the feeling that there is one more level that this show could reach. Sure, the characters in witness protection are in danger, but sometimes I feel like they're not in as much danger as they could be. This show is annoying in that sense -- it's good but it can kick it up a notch.

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Show: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Original network: HBO

Description: At Paddy's Pub in Philadelphia, four friends run the relatively unsuccessful place despite having clashing personalities. How do they clash? Well, they're basically all assholes with no morals. They never see the wrongs of their ways, ignoring such things as morals, empathy or common sense. In the second season, they are joined by characters Dennis and Dee's father, Frank (played by Danny DeVito).

My take: This is one of the best comedies to ever hit the air. Period. It is moronic but in a good way since, well, every character is a moron. The rate at which morality and sensibility spirals downhill from the start of the show to the end of it is just incredible, and there are various parts where you'll wonder how they dodged the censors. When Danny DeVito joins the show in the second season, it goes from good to mind-blowingly excellent. Running jokes from the show such as the Green Man and the Day Man song have found their way to everyday life (the Green Men are currently a staple of the NHL playoffs this year), and for good reason. This is a must-see.

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Show: Kyle XY
Original network: ABC Family (no longer airing)

Description: A teenage boy, eventually named Kyle, is discovered in the woods, without any memories or ability to speak or communicate. A foster family takes in this seemingly feral boy, only to find out some weird quirks about him. He has no belly button, he can pick up language within a day, he can perform calculations that humans can't do, he can remember details of everything, and so on. In other words, he seems to be like a human machine. Eventually it is discovered that he is a pet project of a secret organization desperate to get him back by any means.

My take: Filmed in my hometown of Vancouver, this show was canceled earlier than it should've been. It's a curious mixture of comedy, family values, action and romance. And strangely enough, it actually works quite well. Kyle is trying to discover himself at an age where self-identification is important, while dealing with people who want to hunt him down and dealing with the typical emotions and problems of a teenager. It is ultimately a story of self-discovery and how people around you shape the type of person you are, even if you were born under circumstances that can't be changed and have an effect on your everyday life. This show is also a perfect example of how to create cliffhangers, so it's unfortunate that it was canned before we got some true answers to the final cliffhanger of the last season.

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Next time: Leverage, Life Unexpected, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Arrested Development, Degrassi: The Next Generation