TV Shows to Watch this Fall 2012
Every season they come back with more new episodes. Some do it and they go bigger and better, while some seem to have a whole new flock of writers that either don’t know what they’re doing or the producers seem to have lost their minds. When your favorite shows return to TV with new episodes you always to jump for joy, but in the back of your mind you also hope that the brains behind them haven’t forgotten where they’ve been and will hold your interest (and make sense) with the direction they’re going with the characters and stories you love or love to hate.
With this upcoming season, I’ll admit that I don’t know what to expect with some of the shows I’m practically jumping out of my skin to see. I don’t know the direction any of them will take. I don’t know if they’ll be so good I can’t wait to see the next episode and the next and the next, or if they’ll end up being so bad I won’t be able to take watching another episode. I know it can go either way, it’s happened so many times, but I can’t help but wonder and wait in anticipation with hope.
Here’s what I’m going to be looking out for in the next few weeks:
Dexter
When I first heard the premise, I had no intention of watching it. It’s not normally my cup of tea because I thought it was one of a million other detective shows on TV just with a twist--a very sick twist. I was so off base. When its first 2 seasons were on instant watch on Netflix I was hooked from the first episode. I’ve only watched up to season 5, the one everyone claimed was a stinker which I totally disagree with, and now it’s in its seventh season. I need to catch up on season 6 before jumping into the new episodes in just a few more days, but I’m not a in a rush to be honest. I love the show, love Dexter (and I can’t imagine seeing the character being played by anyone other than Michael C. Hall even though he wasn’t the producers’ first chose for the role), but I can’t help but thinking that this could be the last season we see him and I’m in no hurry for it to be over. I’ve seen a major spoiler online already, but I’m still anxious to see what else the show has in store for its loyal viewers. Dexter, the serial killer with the heart of…gold?…either way, he had my heart from the first time he got rid of the pond scum so much like him that he can recognize almost right away, and yet so different from him you’d always rather see them go and hope Dexter will stay. Gosh, I hope season 6 won’t be the end of the road and he keeps taking out the garbage.
Revenge
Isn’t there someone that we all wish we could take revenge on after they’ve done something so heinous to us that it’s stayed with us for years or ultimately ruined our lives? That’s what this show is about, but it’s more than just the revenge itself. Emily/Amanda didn’t have the life she couldn’t have if her father hadn’t been framed for a crime he hadn’t committed many years before. But he left his daughter with something priceless. He left her with enough money to start her life over and a friend that is determined to stick by her till the end no matter how much trouble she finds herself in or how much trouble she puts him in. If you’ve ever read the book or seen the film The Count of Monte Cristo, that’s what this series is loosely based on. I didn’t miss one episode during its first season, even the very annoying recap episode that some genius (*insert sarcasm here*) decided would work well with viewers--hey a-hole, it really didn’t. All it did was annoy us! Nevertheless, this show has been flawless so far. But I don’t know where it’s going to for season 2. The producers left us with the mother of all season finales and boundless ‘what-ifs’ that will only begin to be answered with another season. It’s sometimes over the top, but in a realistic way that most shows don’t even know how to do. This is a behind the scenes crew that left us wanting more, and those of us who’ve fallen for it, will definitely be back in a few weeks for seasons--and if it goes anything like it did for its 1st season, count me in for thirds as well.
Supernatural
Though its season 7 was far less than stellar and in mid season (of 7) the episodes took a steady decline from okay to bad, I’m still tuning in for season 8. Why? Because Supernatural is one of my favorite shows and even though one of my favorite writers on the show wrote one of the worst episodes I would’ve never expected from a show of its caliber last season, my love for its previous 6 seasons have made me want to see the boys through till the bitter end. Well, there’s that and the fact that they’re replacing last season’s show runner with Jeremy Carver who everyone’s putting their faith in to turn the show around to at least something of what it used to be. I will admit that I miss the old layout of the show with the psychology of the boys being the main center along with their bond with one another, and also the muted color scheme that set it apart from a lot of other shows for many years. A lot of the viewers blame the character Cas for the show’s demise, but those are the ones who really don’t get the show at all. None of the characters are responsible--it was a lack of creativity and heart from the producers and writers. The producers and writers are the reason for it being a success in the first place and I don’t think most of the fans appreciate that. I intend to stick it out until the show airs its final episode. I know that day will come and even after the blunder that was season 7, I’m looking forward to season 8. It’s more than just loyalty, it’s love for the cast, the writers, the producers, and directors. They created something amazing and I just want to be apart of it until they decide it’s lights out, but not before they say it’s over.
The Vampire Diaries
A lot of people just hate vampires in general or they just want something to criticize and this show is just an easy target--just look at the name. But for those who’ve watched it and still can’t appreciate it then I just feel sorry for them because they don’t even understand what they’re missing. The finale of last season (season 3) was not just emotional, but the last few seconds were utterly heart stopping. I don’t think there’s any limits as to which these writers and producers draw the line in surprising us and I don’t want them to. I want them to think outside the box because even in the middle of an episode they have a tendency to keep us guessing and anticipating. They don’t seem to be in that funk where they’ve gotten bored with the show and its characters and they seem to want to continue to do their best to make the show its best. I have so much respect for them because they seem to want to please their fans, and please us they do. I never want spoilers for this show, I just want things to unfold before my very eyes because that’s what this show is. I’ve watched the first 2 seasons so many times I can practically recite certain lines by heart. I can’t wait till October and I know I’m not the only fan of this wonderful show that’s saying that very same thing. When it comes to vampire shows, this is one of the greats in my eyes. No amount of criticism from its fair-weather fans can take away what L.J. Smith created and Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson molded to perfection. And no amount of criticism can take away the fact that something special was created here for all of us to fall in love with, and I couldn’t be more in love with this amazing product they’ve honed for us even if I tried. Like the banners suggest, I’ll Keep Calm and wait for October…I wouldn’t dare miss it.
Once Upon a Time
Fairy tales are hot right now, and if you didn’t know that I will just assume you haven’t been watching TV for the past year or two. It seems that with the reinvention and ultra popularization of vampires, the next logical thing was to bring the classic tales of our childhoods to life once again. Only this time everything was going to be bigger and better. I’d say they’re doing their jobs. I was hooked when it came to this show from its very first episode. It was so beautiful and engaging and everything in between that I couldn’t understand anyone who didn’t fall in love with it (at least those with an affinity for fairy tales). I’ll admit that when I saw Ginnifer Goodwin was involved and the wicked witch looked totally bad ass that immediately drew me in, but it was the stories they told episode by episode that made me keep coming back and wanting more. With so many fairy tale characters to choose from, they have many stories to tell. An endless supply. I’ll admit that there were a few episodes in the first season that really irritated me, and I’ll also admit that I nearly stopped watching it more than once because it’d started to take on a lackluster quality about halfway through. But after a handful of disappointments they redeemed themselves with some episodes that made me both cry and jump for joy. Rarely do shows bounce back like this one did mid season, but this one did and they did it marvelously. And as for the season finale? Let’s just say I wanted the next episode immediately. But I have to continue to wait. And like they say, good things come to those who wait. In this case, I think it’s safe to say that a magical world is coming for those of us who are waiting and something tells me we won’t be disappointed.
