Sunday, October 14, 2007

We discussed whether it would make sense to watch another episode of FNL, given the two ridiculous story lines it was pursuing. (As you'll recall, these were (a) Tami struggling to take care of a baby while, for no apparently reason, living in another city than her husband, and (b) Tyra and Landry stressing about having hidden the body of the guy that Landry killed totally righteously.) We thought we'd give it another shot...

... nope. The first act opens with Landry worrying that he might have lost his watch where they dumped the body. His watch, which is engraved with his name.

OH COME ON.

Lisa refused to watch any further. "I want to remember it for what it once was," she said. We all agreed, and went on to check out REAPER. (Which was yet another normal-person-with-one-supernatural-issue show, but nothing spectacular. Think JOAN OF ARCADIA but more procedural and therefore less rich.)

Labels: watching tv

10:32 PM

6 Comments:

I completely agree with you. This show had a spectacular first season. What happened? I'm almost ready to dump this off the Season Pass list... this coming from someone who bought the Season 1 DVD set!!

By  Hameed, at 12:12 AM  

No, no, no! Give it a chance. It's not terrible yet. I think they just want to give Landry a chance to open up and shine. I know it's not at the top of its game, but don't dump it now. Please!

By  Little Miss Nomad, at 12:22 AM  

This is breaking my heart. We've just finished season 1 down here and I while there are better TV shows, I don't think I have ever connected so emotionally to a group of celluloid characters before.

To hear previous fans turning away from it...man, it's breaking my heart.

By  Dennis Venter, at 9:33 AM  

while I do dispair the recent plot developments on this season of FNL (mostly the murder cover up, I don't have the same problem with the coaches wife staying somewhere she finally considered to be a home as you do) I wonder what else the creators and writers could have done.

clearly the show wasn't delivering the audience that the network expected (and the cost of production demanded) so changes had to be made to try and cast a wider net to keep the show on the air.

in this case the showrunner probably had to adopt the politician's mantra -- your first job is to be re-elected (in this case deliver a larger audience) -- so that some of the genuine truths this series can deliver can continue to be told -- this season I feel that the "coach's daughter's story is both poignant and true to life and so the series is still delivering some of what it is capable of.

they are probably in a tough bind. Quit or try and deliver something of what was the core of the series. It is a shame that the show has fallen so far (and it has) but the rare kernels of truth the show is still capable of makes it worthwhile, if not essential viewing.

damn free market.

By  Frank "Dolly" Dillon, at 1:38 PM  

Aside from the daft Landry-Tyra murder pact plot, there's two things missing from FNL right now: humour, and football. Almost every ep used a football game - or something else that amped up emotions - to deliver a catharsis for the audience. Usually at the end of act four. The absence of any football or similarly transcendental moments is making the show feel heavy, lumpen.

The absence of humour is not helping, either. Everybody's in an unhappy, everybody. The only one visibly enjoying himself is Smash, and he's had three lines in two eps. You could argue Lyla is happy in her new fervour, but I suspect she's trying too hard to find happiness in something greater than herself, rather than inside herself.

Obviously, the biggest hole in the show right now is not having Eric and Tami together. Their relationship was the glue that held FNL together in the first season. The longer the show keeps them apart, the worse its struggles become. Reunite the Taylor, save the show. It's that simple.

By  DAVID BISHOP, at 2:51 AM  

I must urge you to watch the last episode they aired. (Episode 3, available on nbc.com) It is fantastic.

I also wonder why a writer would show such little forgiveness to other writers. Certainly a show that delivered such a beautiful first season deserves more from its fans. Be patient, have faith. A couple less-than-stellar episodes and one poor plotline is not enough to sink this wonderful show. Not yet, anyway.

By  Dan In LA, at 10:53 AM  

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