I do my weekly DVR Purges, but let's be frank: they are crap. I don't proofread them at all most weeks. They're collections of scattered thoughts that barely even make sense a week later. What I've decided to do is, with most of these shows I watch taking a break, reflect on where I stand with them, assessing what is in the show's favor (assets) and what could get it in trouble (liabilities).
Now, not every show I watch will be included. In general, I'm sticking to shows that I've kept notes (be them from Purges or otherwise) as I've watched. That means, shows like The Bridge, Looking, Sherlock, and Dexter will not be included. To get my thoughts on those, ask me. This project, supposing I stay on schedule should take all month and I hope it does a good job summing up where these shows stand. In some cases, I'm hoping to convince you to start watching. Other times, it'll be nothing more than a postmortem for a show that's gone.
I hope you enjoy.
Favorite Episode(s): "Flo" & "Beach House"
Hannah is awful: One of the things I love the most about this show is that Hannah is not a person I'd like to be around. She's also a very honest character, or rather, Lena Dunham's character is a very honest portrayal of a person. Take something like her editor dying in "Dead Inside". I love that episode, because I find it hilarious that she is telling everyone about his death but trying to turn it into a story about her. Then, it ends with her telling Adam the untrue story that Caroline told her earlier as her own. I don't know about you, but I laughed through the credits when that happened. So often, I love how completely self-involved she is and is the source of most of her problems. She's a great character who I fully appreciate.
Adam: How good is Adam Driver? It's hard to remember the days when he was that weird guy from season one who was completely wrong for Hannah. Now, he's a multi-Emmy nominee (and deserves it) and one of the strongest characters on the show. Driver's star is rising (he's going to be in a Star Wars movie, you've probably heard about it) and I'm glad that they found him early so that we can continue to follow this character in his rise toward...fame...success...I'm not really sure what Adam is looking for, but it's fascinating to watch.
Shoshanna: Here's the thing about Shoshanna. She's a weapon. Don't use her enough and she becomes too powerful for any scene. Use her too much and she has very little effect. As much as I love her on the show, I understand why she goes away or falls into the background a lot in a season. She can either be the funniest character, like in the road trip to get Jessa or the most poignant one, like her drunken rant at the beach house.
Hannah is awful: Girls is not a show I can recommend to people. It challenges you to like characters that aren't always likable. There's a lot of people who can't watch the show simply because they can't put up with the characters, Hannah in particular. I love it, but anytime someone starts listing off words like 'conceited' and 'privileged' for why they can't stand the show, I have to accept it. The Girls aren't for everyone.
Marnie: I get that her life is a hot mess right now. She can't get a worthwhile job. That "What I Am" video has made her an internet joke, and she's using Ray like a sexual safety blanket. I feel for her. She needs a win soon, because I don't know how many more Beach House stories I can deal with before Allison Williams' real-life delightfulness isn't enough to keep liking her.
Not so new: Some shows age more gracefully than others. Girls was always going to be at peak value as the new kid on the block. I'm still fully committed to it, but it's starting to fall out of critical favor, and the third season had by far the least buzz surrounding it. I'm not sure I want to see what eight seasons of Girls will look like. I'm not calling for them to set an end date, but I do wonder what the shelf-life is for a bunch of listless 20-somethings in New York (and now Iowa).
I love Girls. I knew I would. I did. I continue to. It's a show that's completely unconcerned with getting you to like any of the characters while you care about them. Lena Dunham is unfairly talented for her age, and she's surrounded herself with so many people that I want to see more of. It's never going to be a show for everyone. For those that it is for, it's a pretty special show. There's no reason for it to fall out of Emmy's favor, but it's not surprising (stupid Emmys).
Previously this Offseason...
Community
Brooklyn Nine Nine
New Girl
Suburgatory
Modern Family
Parenthood
The Mindy Project
The Michael J Fox Show
The Big Bang Theory
Agents of SHIELD
The Crazy Ones
Back in the Game
Parks and Recreation
The Walking Dead
The Middle
Saturday Night Live
Cougar Town
House of Cards
Louie
How I Met Your Mother
The Americans
Archer
Silicon Valley
Hannibal
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