Writing a review of a movie is very different from that of a TV series. Yes, both the technique and the entertainment value must be considered. When reviewing a film, a huge fraction of my judgment is based on how solid the story is. When it comes to TV programs, I usually ask myself how engaging the episodes are.

Anyway, here are the programs I started and finished watching since June this year.

Kyle XY | Seasons 1-2
Genre: Sci-Fi, Family Drama; Creators: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
Stars: Matt Dallas, Marguerite MacIntyre, Bruce Thomas, April Matson, Jean-Luc Bilodeau

HEARTWARMING. I must admit that the only reason I decided to watch this was Matt Dallas. He’s hot and I love him. And when the show opened with Matt Dallas nude and sweaty in the middle of the forest, I knew I made the right decision. Haha. But Kyle XY is more than Matt’s hotness.

Most of my friends didn’t like this show because there isn’t anything novel about the premise. Although I agree with them, I still think that this is a pretty good show. I was expecting a sci-fi with lots of fight scenes but it is actually a family drama. It may not be as cool as other sci-fi/fantasy shows but it is a very effective family drama with solid characters and moving narrative turns.

And yeah, Matt Dallas is just so hot. Both seasons: 4.0

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Prison Break | Seasons 1-3
Genre: Action, Thriller; Creators: Paul Scheuring
Stars: Dominic Purcell, Wentworth Miller, Amaury Nolasco, Sarah Wayne Callies

INGENIOUS. Looking at the poster, Prison Break did not appeal to me in any way. That’s why I only started watching this year even though my friends had been raving about it as early as my last year in college. The only reason I decided to watch it was because there was nothing else to watch. I didn’t know what the series was about and I didn’t find Wentworth Miller attractive. But when I read the synopsis on the back cover, I was blown away. And that was the start of my addiction.

Prison Break manages to keep its audiences hooked even though the story takes place within the perimeter of a prison. I mean, come on, it could’ve been boring. But Michael’s character assures that nothing is predictable inside. The characters are all driven and motivated, and their relationships to one another make it even more exciting. More riveting than the concept is the execution. It’s well-shot, well-edited and well-directed. The only problem I had with the first season was that I knew they couldn’t successfully break out until the season finale and I was getting really — as in REALLY — impatient, which, I believe, was what the creators wanted audiences to feel in the first place. 5.0

On with Season 2. Still exciting. Still engrossing. Seeing the brothers together in the outside world was somewhat refreshing. (And now, I’m rhyming. Haha.) Alexander Mahone is one very interesting character and I think, together with Michael, he kept the series together. If I was being impatient the previous season, this time I was sooo tired for the characters. I just wanted them to stop running. And they have been making stupid decisions (like Michael trying to kick T-Bag back into jail). But then again, everything is justified. 4.5

And then, there’s Season 3. And everything went downhill. The problem with Season 3 is that it actually feels like Season 1 all over again. The only difference is that Michael is less smart and Lincoln is a bit smarter, and that it is set in Panama. Although it’s far from boring, the ingenuity is absent here. Nevertheless, I still can’t wait for the next season. 4.0

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Heroes | Season 2
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Thriller; Created by: Tim Kring
Stars: Milo Ventimiglia, Ali Larter

BOOORING. I’m having a huge problem with Heroes. It seems like the only adjective I can think of to describe it is “interesting.” That’s it. Other than that, nothing. The show, like what Bebs said, is boring. (Oh wait, that’s another adjective, haha.)

But I don’t get the hype. I don’t know what this show tries to be. The narrative is loose and weak. Maybe because there are too many characters. (But I’ve seen many ensemble-type shows that aren’t boring. Lost, for example.)

And because I didn’t really like this season or the entire series, allow me to just quote cellblocknutter of TV.com:

I can’t help but think the idea for it was ripped from The 4400… Whilst in this day and age very few shows can truly be called original, and most shows can be accused of this, Heroes doesn’t really do anything beyond being glamourous. Heroes is easy to like because it plays its safe; everything it does is tried and tested. It has cherry picked the successful elements of many recent popular American TV shows….

…This show feels as if it was made by a bunch of businessmen in a boardroom thinking how best to make money, rather than some talented person who had such a good story and idea worth sharing with the world, and being realised as best as possible. This is another show where you find yourself watching 45 minutes in which it spends about 15 minutes telling you something you don’t want to know, 5 minutes repeating old news, and 10 minutes doing absolutely nothing.

I don’t agree that it’s ripped from The 4400. But if you think about it, The 4400 actually has a much better and more interesting premise. Although my review wouldn’t have been that harsh, it’s kinda close to it. Hehe. Anyway, should have watched X-Men reruns instead. 2.5

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House | Season 4
Genre: Medical Drama; Creator: David Shore
Stars: Hugh Laurie, Lisa Edelstein, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer

HYPNOTIC. House is one show I never expected to get addicted to. I initially thought that it was just another medical drama that makes me wanna regret not pursuing my dream of becoming a doctor when I was in Kindergarten. And besides, I was enjoying Grey’s Anatomy then. And it seemed like my brain could only accommodate one hospital drama at a time. But Gaaaawd, Dr. House is just too nasty to be ignored. I always look forward to him saying those acerbic comments and those intimidating stints. But more than the character, House is just the epitome of a well-written and well-executed series.

The season 4 of House is arguably the best. I just liked the idea that they turned House into a pseudo-reality show. So this time, I wasn’t only excited to see how House will solve the case but also who, among his team, gets the boot. And I must admit that over time, I kinda loved some of those 40 job aspirants.

And the season finale… Perfect. 5.0

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Damages | Season 1
Genre: Drama, Legal Thriller; Creators: Glenn Kessler, Todd Kessler, Daniel Zelman
Stars: Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, tate Donovan

INTELLIGENT. If there’s one word that best describes this show, it’s “intelligent.” Damages takes us into the mind-blowing world of litigation. That said, your nose has to be prepared to bleed. Technical legal terms everywhere but the weird thing is that I assure you that you’ll understand them. You won’t get lost in the story because they tackle issues one episode at a time.

What makes Damages absorbing is that you don’t know who’s telling the truth. The only “reliable” character is Katie Connor (Rose Byrne) but even she can snap anytime. Ellen Parsons (Glenn Close) is such a strong character. But you don’t know if she’s on the good or the evil side. But it doesn’t matter. Somehow, the show manages to make the audiences want her to win the case. Haha.

Superb direction, editing and acting performances. As Andre put it, it’s like The Devil Wears Prada in a legal setting and Glenn Close a million times more evil than Meryl Streep.

The story is driven and focused. And the ending is just DAMAGING. The finale will linger in your head even up to days later. 4.5

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Next up, COMEDY: Ugly Betty Season 2, Desperate Housewives Season 4, Pushing Daisies Season 1 and more.

images courtesy of remotecontrol.merseyblogs.co.uk, rottentomatoes.com, reflectionsofamirror.wordpress.com

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