THERE'S TOO MUCH TV - Roundup February 2023

“What are you watching?” is pretty much the automatic question I get when I tell people what I do for a living.

I don’t have time to do full conversations on everything I’m watching but here are some stray thoughts on everything I’ve watched in the last month. I’ve also been requested to include content warnings for shows that need them, so you can see those beneath each title!

It’s been a MINUTE! We haven’t done one of these since November. I’ll keep spoilers to a minimum unless otherwise marked. These are ordered by how much I’m interested in talking about them, to you, right now, in this post.

True Blood (Seasons 3-7) — HBO
CW: Nudity, Gore, Sex, SA, Racism, Drug use, becoming increasingly less fun

While I really enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 (and even 3) of True Blood, boy does the second half of the series fall off. What started as a campy fun time completely devoid of dull moments turned into a slog filled with torturing its characters—physically, emotionally, and sexually in graphic detail. I won’t go into spoiler territory, but Tara and Lafayette deserved so, so much better. Seasons 4 and 7 are among the most offensive seasons of TV I’ve watched, with 4 being so full of this kind of torture-for-torture sake and 7 just spitting in the face of every fan who had enjoyed the show. There were, of course, bright spots in the later seasons—a growing relationship between Tara and Pam, Anna Camp’s performance as Sarah Newlin, and just generally Jason Stackhouse’s energy—but I think it’s safe to say that the show peaked in its second season.

Abbott Elementary (Season 2) — ABC
CW: Beware that your heart might be so warmed that it bursts into flames

In a quick pivot, I’ve actually postponed my next video in order to give Abbott Elementary the full copaganda/research treatment as it pertains to schools and education. Abbott might be the furthest left show ever to air on network television in raw terms (relative to era is a trickier conversation), spotlighting people who are rarely seen on television and openly talking about how Malcolm X and MLK were pretty close politically by the end of their lives. It does all of this without coming off as preachy (an absolute must for a show with such a massive audience), finding its place in the mockumentary sitcom genre alongside shows like The Office and Modern Family, and being legitimately tight and funny in its comedy. I don’t know if Abbott Elementary is the best show on TV right now, but it is certainly the most miraculous.

You (Season 4 Part 1) — HBO
CW: Light violence, light gore, excessive amount of camp

Long time viewers of the channel will know that season 2 of You broke my brain, as the show leaned fully into the campiest and most meta aspects of itself and the broader Difficult Man genre. Season 3 was every bit as good, but season 4 has been even better so far. The show has always been incredible at pivoting slightly, and this season is no different, adding class commentary to its usual conversation about romance. Of course, class has been an undergirding theme ever since Shay Mitchell told us she was JD Salinger’s granddaughter back in season 1. But now in London, that theme is the center of attention. The show is as witty as ever, knowing exactly what it is, and knowing that YOU know exactly what it is, and having as much fun with that relationship between show and audience as any show on TV.

Poker Face (Seasons 1) — Peacock
CW: Language, occasional copaganda

Poker Face is one of the most interesting shows on TV for me and also for you. Yeah, I said it. You’ll be very interested in Poker Face if you’ve enjoyed any episode of copaganda. Poker Face follows Natasha Lyonne (the character’s name is Charlie, but she’s doing the Natasha Lyonne thing, wild west style) as she runs across the country trying to escape from a powerful casino owner. She’s got this uncanny ability to tell whenever people are lying, and it’s gotten her into trouble in the past. But what makes this show so interesting is that it’s largely about seeking justice outside of the police. Every episode features a murder that we watch unfold, and then follow Charlie as she tries to pin down what exactly happened. Often there’s not enough evidence for an arrest or conviction, but that’s kind of what makes the show so compelling—it comes up with creative ideas for justice outside of the law or ruthless revenge. Now, some episodes veer into explicit copaganda (“The Time of the Monkey” is especially egregious in this regard), but all in all, the show deserves credit for being an entertaining detective procedural without the police. Also, the camerawork is incredible.

Servant (Seasons 3-4) — AppleTV+
CW: Very scary camera angles

Poker Face and Servant are the two most visually interesting shows on TV, full stop. I fell off the Servant train just because of the timing of its seasons, but I’m fully back on board, just a few episodes before the series wraps up. The show’s plot is largely a question mark, but it’s a show all about vibes—which works wonderfully in its 30 minute runtime—and at least once an episode there is a totally unique, and often unnerving, shot or camera move that’ll make you go “damn that was cool.”

The Last of Us (Season 1) — HBO
CW: Language, violence, gore

I said most of what I’ve wanted to say about The Last of Us in my video, but suffice to say that I am not on the hype train calling this show “one of the best new shows of the past 89 years.” Okay that’s hyperbole, nobody is saying that, but people have been singing its praises in ways that have still not materialized for me. “It’s not your typical zombie show” is something I have heard so many times I’ve lost count and my question is…okay, when is that gonna happen? The most recent episode "Left Behind" was easily my favorite of the series thus far, actually using the bleak world the show has created as a backdrop (rather than the point), and coloring Ellie’s character and choices with that context. I’d like more of that kind of storytelling please.