Fall TV 2012

It's time once again to decide what to care about this coming fall TV season. There are a few shows I'm excited about this year but everything is going to have to try hard to get my mind off of some of the outstanding shows this summer offered. 

Here's how my fall schedule will look. 

Monday

Partners (CBS)
With a cast this charming, I have to give it a try. It hasn't gotten great reviews but I don't have a lot going on on Mondays so it pretty much only has to be mediocre and it's in. 

Switched At Birth (ABC Family)
I know people think that because this show is on ABC Family it's slight or fluffy or a guilty pleasure but it isn't. It is a genuinely good show with a talented cast and great writing that deals with deafness in the most beautiful, natural, respectful way. The silent fights are some of my favorite scenes on TV. And with the terrible breakup of the Bay/Emmett relationship, the second season promises to be another amazing emotional journey.

Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) 
Why do I watch this show? A police procedural in a pretty setting with one of the top five bromances on TV. And sometimes the good looking dudes take their shirts off. 

Tuesday

Hart of Dixie (The CW)
As charming and fun as this show was in its first season, I didn't really expect it to get a second. Now that it has, I hope they do something more interesting with George than making him the awkward third side in two different love triangles. More importantly, I hope they don't spend another season pretending Zoe wants him like she wants Wade when it is clear to everyone in the world that she really doesn't. 

Emily Owens, M.D. (The CW)
Mamie Gummer deserves to be a big star but I don't think this is the show that's going to do that for her but I'll watch it just in case her considerable talent makes an otherwise mediocre show somehow great. But when it's cancelled, I can't wait to have her back on The Good Wife. 

Don't Trust The Bitch in Apt. 23 (ABC)
Despite the incredibly stupid name, it's a sort of decent show. James van der Beek is pretty funny and likable as a douchey James van der Beek, Krysten Ritter is fun when she's being terrible and Dreama Walker is much funny enough that I'm going to give the second season a few episodes to see if the show will really start to click for me. 

New Girl (Fox)
If you didn't watch this show last season, go to Hulu right now and watch the episode entitled "Fancyman Part I" right now. Seriously. I'll wait. Ok, now that you've watched that episode you should be as in love with the show as I am and setting your DVR for season 2. 

The Mindy Project (Fox)
I want to like this show but after the pilot I'm only luke-warm on it. There's potential so I'm hopeful that it will find its footing and become the perfect, charming lead out for New Girl. 

Parenthood (NBC)
Having just watched the first three seasons of Parenthood I am deeply in love with the Bravermans, the show and the cast. The greatest compliment I can give this show is that it gets the feeling of being part of a family right. It is effecting in all of the small ways that become huge when they're brought together. 

Wednesday

Arrow (The CW) 
I don't think I'm interested in this show but it has received such good notice from enough of the critics I trust that I'm going to watch it because I'd rather discover that I really like a show I didn't want to watch, that to be disappointed by a show I did want to watch. And if I do like it that means Katie Cassidy in my life every week. What could be better than that? 

Suburgatory (ABC)
Suburgatory might be funnier than Modern Family. No, scratch that. Suburgatory is funnier than Modern Family. Cheryl Hines and Alan Tudyk are the best things about this show and just in general.

Nashville (ABC)
Connie Britton playing a country music singer who's star is being eclipsed by a Taylor Swift-esque ingenue played by Hayden Panettiere. Why wouldn't I want to watch this show? Why wouldn't everyone in the world want to watch this show? 

Chicago Fire (NBC)
I want this show to be the E.R. of fire fighting but we all know that's not what this show will be. It will be terrible and generic and I will watch all of the episodes because Taylor Kinney and Jesse Spencer are in it and I'm incredibly shallow. 

Thursday

The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
It's a funny sitcom. It just is. 

The Vampire Diaries (The CW)
I wasn't in love with the 3rd season but I am in love with how it ended. Vampire Elena opens a world of amazing possibilities and I can't wait to see where they take it from here. But once again I start the season with this important message for the writers, do not kill Caroline or Matt or we're through. 

Last Resort (ABC)
Scott Speedman is back on TV every week. It's like a decade of wishing finally made it so. Added incentive: Autumn Reeser, Dichen Lachman, Jessy Schram and Andre Braugher. The fact that it's a Shawn Ryan show means there's slim chance of longevity but one of his shows is bound to catch on with a wide enough audience some day, right? That's just the law of averages. Maybe this will be the one. 

Up All Night (NBC)
With a funny, likable cast it seems like this show should be a no-brainer but it's actually kind of forgettable. I'll keep watching though because of the funny and likable cast. 

Parks and Recreation (NBC) 
Yes! You can't not Knope.

Scandal (ABC)
Like a perfect blend of The West Wing and early Grey's Anatomy which are two shows that you wouldn't think could be blended into something awesome but then you watch Scandal and you realize that the blend is exactly what your Thursday night has always needed. Seriously you guys, WHO IS QUINN?!

Friday

Nikita (The CW)
This show. I can't explain it. It shouldn't even be good because we already had an Alias and...I don't know. It's good. There's a central couple that's just, together. Like, for a season and a half they're a couple and they stay a couple and it's no big deal. There's a computer nerd who is bad ass when the shit goes down. Last season the will-they-or-won't-they of the Alex/Sean relationship had me screaming "ohmygod MAKE OUT" so often I got strange looks from my neighbors. And this season, Devon Sawa is a series regular. OWEN! God, I'm excited for this damn show!

Sunday

Once Upon a Time (ABC)
I marathoned this one over the summer and it turns out that it's surprisingly engrossing. The casting is amazing and will include Teen Wolf's Sinqua Walls and Michael Raymond-James in the second season. If Sebastian Stan returns as Jefferson/The Mad Hatter, I will have no complaints. 

Revenge (ABC)
I'm not going to insult you by pretending I have to explain why I like this show. We all know why this show is great. What I will do is point out that JR Bourne has been cast in the second season. Casting hot dudes from Teen Wolf? That's the kind of show-running that deserves my adoration.

The Good Wife (CBS)
I have two words for you: Kalinda's. Husband. BOOM! 

666 Park Avenue (ABC)
Terry O'Quinn and Venessa Williams as a married couple who may or may not be Mr. and Mrs. Satan? Yeah, like I'm not gonna watch THAT. 


What will you be watching? 

Week In Reviews

In case you don't already know, I have a job that has nothing to do with watching television or writing about it on this blog.  Occasionally it keeps me so busy that I don't have time to either watch television or write about it on this blog.  Last week was one such time.  But I put my weekend to good use and got caught up so let's talk about things shall we?  


Two Broke Girls - This is a decently funny show.  Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are winningly funny separately and a great combination together.  The supporting cast is less than useless and there are definitely some cringey things happening overall but the laughs out number the cringes which is enough to get it a season pass at my house. 


How I Met Your Mother - I'm still watching this show but I don't think I'll be discussing it here.  My problem with the show is that after 6 years, it still wants to be about Ted and the title of the show despite the fact that I doubt we'll ever actually meet the freaking mother and Ted is intolerable.  I love Marshall and Lily and Robin and Barney but I can't take Ted.  So I'll keep watching but then I'll keep my annoyed opinions to myself.


Ringer - The second episode was a vast improvement over the pilot but I'm still not entirely sold on the show.  There remains a significant delta between what the show thinks it is and what it's actually capable of being.  I will give it another episode or two to find it's footing but it's position on my fall schedule is far from safe.


Free Agents - If I like Suburgatory when in premiers this week, I don't think I'll keep watching Free Agents.  I adore Anthony Stewart Head and Kathryn Hahn but the show isn't that funny or that interesting. 


Up All Night - Remember how I said I liked it but it wasn't that funny?  The second episode was pretty funny and now I really like the show a lot.  Though the Maya Rudolf character seems sort of shoe-horned in and while she's funny, I'm not sure she's completely necessary.  Still, this show is a keeper. 


Modern Family - The thing I like about this show is that the interactions are mostly kind and they're all exactly how families act...but funnier.  The third season started strong with two funny episodes and I look forward to more all season.  And I love Phil Dunphy most of all.


The Big Bang Theory - I thought Priya was gone but the Skype technology has decided to ruin everything for us.  Fortunately everyone else on the show is awesome and there's still hope that Priya will be gone for good soon enough. 


The Secret Circle - There is a truly unfortunate difference in the acting abilities of the cast on this show.  As with Ringer, I'm going to give the show a few extra weeks to win me over but so far I'm underwhelmed.  And the sex eyes that Thomas Dekker is throwing off are starting to make me uncomfortable.


Nikita - I was a little worried about how the show would deal with Alex teaming up with Division against Nikita and Michael but it seems like it's going to be a great twist that opens up a lot of good stories.  And somehow, being out of Division has made Birkhoff tolerable.  It's a Nikita miracle. 


Supernatural - So far so good.  I don't mind where the sho went over the past few years but I haven't been a fan of how it got there, this episode seemed like a bit of a return to things that I liked about the show previously.  Then again, I'm not sure I buy that Dean, Sam and Bobby would take the "wait around for something to happen" approach to Castiel going off the rails.  Even if he is God.  I love Death and I hope he drops in a lot more often this season and Leviathan Cas seems like an entertaining fellow, but overall it was only a mild improvement over the past few years.


The Good Wife - When this show gets steamy, it usually does so without showing us anything at all.  Last night Alicia had what appeared to be some very satisfying sex with Will in the full upright position while we saw them only from the shoulders up from which angle they appeared to be fully clothed and it was one of the hottest sex scenes I've ever seen on television.  And meanwhile Peter seems pretty intent on showing Alicia who's boss in the courtroom so there will clearly be all kinds of additional drama cropping up this season.  This show is so fun.


Felicity - I watched about 1/2 of the second season over the weekend and so did Claire though we didn't watch together this time.  We had the following conversation via text last night:

Claire: THE BOX.
Me: Did you love it?
Claire: I thoroughly enjoyed it.  However, it seemed really random.  Like really REALLY random.  I wish they'd have given more explanation. I NEED to know what's in the box! I'm also thoroughly enjoying the new counselor.
Me: Dr. Toni Pavone! She is my very favorite non-regular character on the show!
Claire: She is awesome, just like the music she always plays in her office. On a related note, did Felicity just consider dropping out of college or is my hearing off?
Me: Your hearing is fine.  Don't worry, Dr. Pavone will fix it.
Claire: Thank God. And if Ruby is pregnant, i will not be a happy camper.  This show gives me stress. 
Me: All the best shows do.
Claire: It's true.  Ugh.  I don't know what I'm going to do if this show ends badly.
Me: 2.16 right now at my house. Two people I won't name just got into a fight. It was glorious.
Claire: Stop torturing me. I'm only on 13.
Me: Sorry. Keep an ear out for my favorite Ben quote of all time.
Claire: Will it be profound or noticeable?
Me: It will involve him calling someone a dick. I think you'll know it when it happens. 
Claire: RUBY IS A SLUT. Noel deserves so much better! Like Felicity.  Or me!
Claire: That was a great quote.  "63% of me thinks you're a dick!"  I was impressed.
Claire: That was the stupidest/best fight ever.  Ever.
Me: I know. And after it's over it somehow gets even more amazing. Those two are really entertaining as friends.
Claire: I've noticed that.  I love this show.
Me: That makes me ridiculously happy.
Claire: I'm so glad you showed me this. And that it lasts longer than My So-Called Life.  So much more to love.  It feels like it'll be complete.
Claire: I like that Meghan has sworn to kill Felicity over Greg.
Me: Aw! Giving Meghan more to do was the best thing about Greg! I love Meghan.
Claire: Everyone should love Meghan.
Claire: I love that Felicity had no boyfriends in high school and now has been involved with 5 guys since she started college a year and a half ago. 
Me: She really blossomed in college. 
Claire: She did! I loved the Star Trek reference from Richard. I love Richard.
Me: Hee! Me too. 
Claire: OMG, AWESOME: "The thing about Ben is that he's this sweet, dumb guy. But the twist is: he's not dumb at all." Javier just summed up how I feel about Ben.
Me: And that's why I love both Ben and Javier. Well, that and everything that happens in 2.21 (The Aretha Theory).
Claire: Your goal is to make me too curious about upcoming episodes thereby depriving me of sleep tonight, right?
Me: Sorry.

The second season has gets a little maudlin here and there.  Some people are given too much screen time and others not enough.  Bad romantic choices are made.  Fashion atrocities committed.  But I love Felicity's short hair, I love Ben and Noel being friends, I love "The Aretha Theory" and I love this show.

My Fall 2011 Schedule

I know that not everyone takes their TV viewing as seriously as I do.  I do my homework on this stuff.  I read up on every new show to determine what it's about, who's in it, who writes it, who produces it, what certain critics I tend to agree with thought about it, and what all of those things mean for my interest in it.  Once I know what shows look interesting, I lay out the night-by-night schedule and painstakingly make my own spreadsheet of not only which shows I'll keep watching from last year and which new ones I'll add, but also which of my 2 DVRs I'll program to record each show based on when I will likely watch them.  Setting my new fall schedule is serious business and sometimes I still miss things I end up really liking.  But this is what I'm starting with this year:

Sunday

Once Upon A Time - (New) 8:00pm/7:00pm Central, ABC
I'm not even sure I can accurately tell you what this is about.  There's a thing with a woman who goes into fairytales and maybe is a character in one herself but doesn't know it.  Yeah, it sounds ridiculous.  And the early buzz I heard was all kind of "eh, it's dumb."  But then they brought in some good consulting producers - Jane Espenson, Liz Tigelar and Damon Lindelof - and the reworked some stuff and then critics were like "ok, I mean, it's not terrible.  There might be something here."  I like Jennifer Morrison (despite the fact that I have strongly disliked two of her most identifiable characters) and Ginnifer Goodwin and now David Anders is filming episodes.  He may have been a son of a bitch on Vampire Diaries, but he earned a lifetime of goodwill as Sark on Alias.  If he whips out a British accent on this show, I will watch to the bitter end. 

The Good Wife - (Returning) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, CBS
The marketing campaign would like me to know that their spicing things up this year.  They're working the sexy angle extra hard and I have no complaints about that.  Particularly if the sexy angle will involve Alicia and Will having a lot of sex.  I'd also like to see Cary get some action this year, as long as we're cranking up the steam.  Other things I'm looking forward to: Diane and Will scenes which just make me happy; Kalinda and Alicia mending fences; Cary becoming Kalinda's substitute BFF; Eli. 

Homeland - (New) Showtime
Claire Danes working Homeland Security is a thing I did not know I wanted to see.  But as it turns out, Claire Danes doing almost anything is something I want to see because the more times I watch My So-Called Life (I'm well into double digits now), the more I wish she were back on my TV every week.  I'm glad for the trend that's bringing actors and actresses to the small screen over the big these days.  I absolutely believe television is where most of the quality roles and stories are so it just makes good sense for quality actors to be there.

Pan Am - (New) 10:00pm/9:00pm Central, ABC
The part of me that expected to like Mad Men, really wants to love this show.  I love the aesthetic and the nostalgic quality of a show set in the '60s.  But while Mad Men lost me by focusing a whole lot on a dude sitting in his office smoking and thinking, Pan Am should keep the pace of things moving a bit faster just by virtue of being about the world's busiest and most glamorous airline (at the time).  Bolstered by a likable cast that includes Christina Ricci, Kellie Garner, and Mike Vogel, and a Tommy Schlamme directed pilot, and I'm hopeful. 


Monday

How I Met Your Mother - (Returning) 8:00pm/7:00pm Centeral, CBS
I don't care if I ever meet the mother and I'm now actively hoping that Ted gets hit by a cab, but there could be a return to the fun chemistry of the early Barney/Robin romance and Marshall and Lily will almost certainly be funny and adorable through some of it so I'll keep watching.  Unless Jennifer Morrison's show is cancelled and they try to bring Zooey back in which case I'm out.

2 Broke Girls - (New) 8:30pm/7:30pm Central, CBS
Kat Dennings is great but there's no way this would have made my schedule had it not gotten fairly good reviews from so many critics.  A few season's ago I'd gotten away from nearly all half hour comedies but they've been creeping back onto my schedule recently.  I'm not terribly confident they'll all have staying power but Monday's aren't too crowded so this one may not have to make too big an impression to get a pass. 

Hart of Dixie - (New) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, CW
The adorable Rachel Bilson reteams with her OC showrunner Josh Schwartz and already I'm in.  Add Scott Porter and Cress Williams to bring that touch of Friday Night Lights, and Jaime King who I just think is adorable, and there's really no way this show wasn't going to get an automatic season pass at my house.  Whether or not I'll buy Bilson as a doctor is debatable but I never bought Chad Michael Murray as a novelist and I kept watching One Tree Hill so I don't think a silly thing like believability will deter me here either.

Hawaii Five-0 - (Returning) 10:00pm/9:00pm Central, CBS
I like bromances and the one between Danno (Scott Caan) and McGarrett (Alex O'Laughlin) is particularly fun.  They argue like my grandparents, you guys.  I'd watch an entire show of the two of them driving around arguing in the car.  Also, Danno has the shortest fuse and the biggest temper for a guy I could fit in my pocket.  I love it. 

The Playboy Club - (New) 10:00pm/9:00pm Central, NBC
Like Pan Am, this one has the period setting going for it.  It's set in the flagship Playboy club in Chicago in the '60s and will focus mainly on the bunnies, the club manager and one particular key holder whose day job appears to be as a cleaner for the mob.  Jeff Hephner was originally supposed to play the key holder but apparently a crossroads demon got involved and now Eddie Cibrean is the key holding enforcer and with that casting change, my interest waned.  I'll still tune in for the pilot, but now I'm pretty sure that'll be as far as it goes.


Tuesday

New Girl - (New) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, Fox
You already know I enjoyed this pilot a lot.  There's much to recommend it including a pleasant cast, an adorable sense of humor and a premise that doesn't button-hole them into recycling the same jokes for years.  I hope it does well because I'd like to see this show make it. 

Ringer - (New) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, CW
Sarah Michelle Gellar returns to TV where she has always belonged! My excitement and anticipation for this show were insane from the moment it was picked up last spring.  But over the past few weeks, as it's premiere has approached and more critics have seen it, I'm starting to worry that I will not enjoy this show.  The consensus seems to be that it's a bit of a try-hard which is not something I usually respond to.  Also, they are continually casting new roles on the show and so far they seem to all be men.  How many love interests does one show need?  I'm getting the distinct impression that it's bloated and all over the place and I'm less and less hopeful that SMG has the ability to pull it all together with her own tiny little hands.  Even if those hands did used to save the world.  A lot.


Wednesday

Up All Night - (New) 8:00pm/7:00pm Central, NBC
This wasn't on my original list but Mike asked me to watch it since he plans to and I'm a good friend (also he let's me make him watch stuff so I owed him).  I like Will Arnett, Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolf a lot so I want it to be good.  I have heard next to nothing about it though so I don't know what to expect.  Perhaps I'm in for a pleasant surprise.  If not, it's only 30 minutes a week, I can spare that to make my friend happy. 

Free Agents - (New) 8:30pm/7:30pm Central, NBC
On the other hand, I've heard quite a lot about this show and none of it is good.  If you're wondering why I'd watch it anyway, I can answer that in three words: Anthony Steward Head.  I can't let Rupert Giles return to television without at least saying I tried to watch. As further incentive, Katherine Hahn is the female lead.  Yes, this show is like the many things that Judy Greer keeps being cast in which are well beneath her talents, but until someone gives them something befitting their brilliance, I've got to do my part to help them earn paychecks. 

Suburgatory - (New) 8:30pm/7:30pm Central, ABC
Many critics have touted this as their favorite comedy of the new season and I'm intrigued.  When I first read that Jeremy Sisto was playing the father of a teenage girl in this comedy, I was offended on many, many levels.  Remember when he was rolling with the homies in Clueless?  Or dating Joey Potter?  Who said he was old enough to have a teenage daughter? He is TWO YEARS older than I am.  I hate everyone.  Ahem.  But good reviews are good reviews and Jeremy Sisto, while not as old as they'd like us to believe, is still Jeremy Sisto so I'm in.

Modern Family - (Returning) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, ABC
If you need me to tell you why I'm watching this, I guess you haven't been paying attention the past two years.  It's a sweet, funny, silly, smart show that the whole family can watch and appreciate.  The entire cast is outstanding and I like the way they mix things up by pairing up all different combinations of people for stories each week - as it would be in a real family.

American Horror Story - (New) F/X
Did you notice that Glee isn't on my schedule this year?  That's because Ryan Murphy has a way of turning a fun show into something TERRIBLE with little or no effort at all.  Yet, I am going to set myself up for another round of disappointment because Connie Britton is awesome.  Still, I fully expect to hate this show - if not immediately, then eventually.

Revenge - (New) 10:00pm/9:00pm Central, ABC
I love this show.  I told you I loved it last week and I wasn't kidding.  The cast is amazing, the story is soapy and intriguing.  Kyle Valenti and Amy Abbott are totally going to hook up (power of positive thinking!) and the only thing better than two WB legacies hooking up is...no, there's nothing better than that.  This show is the exact right mix of everything I like about TV.  Now everyone needs to watch it so that it isn't cancelled.  Seriously.


Thursday

The Big Bang Theory - (Returning) 8:00pm/7:00pm Central, CBS
When the show added Bernadette and Amy last season, I was initially skeptical.  But both Melissa Rauch and Mayim Bialik have been great and fit in beautifully.  The same can not be said for the Priya character so I can only hope Leonard gives her her walking papers sooner than later.  It's still a fun show and I will never stop loving Sheldon. 

Parks and Recreation - (Returning) 8:30pm/7:30pm Central, NBC
I don't know if I've said much about this show but it's delightfully funny.  There is endless comedy in reaction shots.  Everything in the show seems small but it produces huge laughs.  If you haven't seen the show before, you need to seek out the season 2 episode "Hunting Trip" immediately.  If Leslie's interview with the park ranger doesn't make you laugh, you might not understand comedy. 

The Vampire Diaries - (Returning) 8:00pm/7:00pm Central, CW
Do I really have to tell you why I'll be watching The Vampire Diaries?  Are my EXHAUSTIVELY detailed recaps not hint enough that I like this show kind of a lot?  You want specifics, fine, here goes: amazing acting, the most intricately woven and meticulously complex plots I can recall ever seeing on television, and the most physically attractive cast anyone ever assembled.  If none of that seems like something you'd like to see, we really have nothing left to talk about.

Person of Interest - (New) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, CBS
I've taken most of the procedurals off of my schedule because I've got so many serialized shows that I have no time left to worry about the ones I could catch up on during the next holiday weekend marathon on the USA network.  But this show seems like something a little more interesting.  A former hit man and a scientist trying to prevent crimes before they happen adds just the tiniest touch of Alias and Fringe to the crime procedural genre and I might just be interested in that. 

Secret Circle - (New) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, CW
I watched the pilot last night (thank you, iTunes!) and I see promise in the show.  I'm not sure I love it yet but Brit Robertson and Thomas Dekker have good chemistry and Gale Harold is blowing my MIND with his creepiness.  I'm not entirely sure I see how this story goes long-term but I wouldn't have guessed all the places they'd take The Vampire Diaries either and that's worked out very well so I'm giving this a little runway to get off the ground. 


Friday

Nikita - (Returning) 8:00pm/7:00pm Central, CW
My first impression of this show was less than stellar but I gave it a second chance to win me over last spring and ended up really enjoying it.  They seem poised to change things up quite a bit this year with new allies and new enemies.  And I'm sure they'll still blow things up and kick people's assess and stuff just for good measure so that should be fun. 

Grimm - (New) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, NBC
I have heard some truly bad things about this pilot.  I believe one critic said (via Twitter) that it looked like a particularly low-budget Canadian show from the '80s and that certainly paints a grimm picture.  (See what I did there?)  Still, I have a sense of morbid curiosity for it because David Greenwalt is executive producing and Silas Weir Mitchell is in it and I kinda dig Silas Weir Mitchell.  He can really bring "weird" to life. 

Fringe - (Returning) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, Fox
Here's where I have to admit that I haven't watched the last 6 episodes of last season yet.  I know, I now.  But I do really like the show and I have every intention of catching up and keeping it on my schedule.  I mean, I heard that they killed Peter which is UNACCEPTABLE, but Josh Jackson remains on the show so I guess I can get over it.  Dammit, I really need to get up to speed on this show immediately.  Cough, cough...maybe I should go home sick right now.  Hmmm...

Supernatural - (Returning) 9:00pm/8:00pm Central, CW
My patience with the brothers Winchester has been wearing ever thinner over the past few seasons because I miss when they adhered to established personalities.  Also, I miss when Dean used to be funny.  Now they've gone and made Castiel a God who's drunk with power and I remain skeptical that this development will somehow bring back the fun show I used to so enjoy.  Still, I keep watching because even a downer Dean and a robo Sammy are better than having no Winchesters to ogle at all.  Being shallow is a bitch.