Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! - Season 3

Tim and Eric keep pumping out their own brand of bizarre sketch comedy, with the third season in less than two years. It's a bit odd to put it this way, but it's easily their most experimental work yet. They've had hints of faux-seriousness before, and have taken it to the next level. Sketches frequently turn from hilarious to hilariously disturbing on a dime, and it's often the most entertaining part of the show. There's more continuity too, showing what happens after Tim got killed last season and bringing new depth to familiar characters.

It's still mostly absurdist comedy though, and some of these episodes are among their best ever. The tribute to "100 years" of Jackie Chan was one of the most amazing 11 minute segments in my life. There are some concept episodes too, like the Jim and Derrick show which completely nails the kind of television I hate, and a live benefit episode that had some nice moments but seemed a bit phoned in. That's okay though, because they have so many great ideas that a few can miss and you still love wondering what they'll do next. Lots of great guests this season, including both returning favorites and great new ones. If you've given it a few chances and just don't like it, then to each his own, but we need more shows this unique.

Record of Lodoss War

Record of Lodoss War is an older fantasy series that was released straight-to-video. Like most OVA's, the animation is better than a normal TV series but not as good as the standard theatrical film. As far as things made in the early 90's go, it's a pretty good looking show, with some well done fight scenes and only a few noticeable errors. It's fairly bloody, although relatively tame otherwise besides a single unnecessary nipple near the end. It borrows from some Western ideas but still has a visual style of its own.

Adapted from a series of novels, Lodoss War tells a story that sometimes feels like a retelling of someone's Dungeons and Dragons campaign, but is usually pretty interesting. After a first episode that jumps into the middle to show a fairly impressive part of the journey, it goes back to the beginning to show how the hero Parn meets his allies and begins his quest. There's a solid cast of characters, some die, and some get together. It all feels a bit compressed and sparse sometimes, but there's a nice, epic sort of plot that unfolds at a pretty good pace. Sometimes I got lost when the narrator kept talking about the different gods and kingdoms whose names I couldn't keep straight, but for the most part I enjoyed it. Some threads are left dangling, but the main things are taken care of. The relationship between Parn and Deed was handled about as well as I've seen an anime do something like that, and I'm interested in checking out the newer series, which is apparently a more accurate adaptation of the source.

Burn Notice - Season 1

Burn Notice is a pretty fun and educational show about a spy. I say educational slightly in jest, but the protagonist's narration is really one of the most enjoyable aspects. He's serious when he needs to be, but does his best to have fun on each job, and frequently gives the viewer tips on how he's succeeding. He doesn't say anything dangerous like how to make the homemade explosive he's using, but he'll give some basics on home defense and getting out of sticky situations that do seem pretty smart. He lucks out usually when most of the bad guys are unfamiliar with all the basic tactics he's using, but it's a unique twist that keeps the series fresh.

It works because the characters are likable, so even when the plot for the week is a bit rote, it's entertaining to see them work through it. He has a slightly insane ex-girlfriend who also happens to be a former IRA member and an old friend from the military played by Bruce Campbell, who's as great as always. I don't usually watch shows with a new conflict every week, but Burn Notice has enough plot and character development to keep me interested. The basic plot is that the main character got blacklisted from his Government job, and has to do whatever low-paying work he can find while stuck in Miami trying to get his old life back. They balance the weekly issue with the long term problem very well, and it makes for a pretty addicting show. I'm not even sure where season 2 takes place after the finale, but I'm looking forward to seeing more.

Deadwood - Season 1

Deadwood is similar to a few other great HBO shows. It has the deliberate pace and brilliant writing of The Wire, the period debauchery of Rome, and all of them owe something to The Sopranos' high watermark of quality and willingness to show anything. They're all the definition of entertainment for adults, and I wish other networks were able to match their high level of production. Deadwood is a somewhat historically based drama about a camp that springs up in the 1870's and eventually turns into a town in the Dakota Territory. It's pretty much the quintessential Western, with plenty of lawlessness and tough sons of bitches. The cast is great, especially with Ian McShane and Powers Boothe as two rival businessmen and Tim Olyphant, who looks kinda doofy as a bald guy but fits the role of a rough hardware man-turned sheriff quite well. McShane's really the star though. Everything bad in the town revolves around him, and he owns every scene he's in.

The show was created and a lot of it was written by David Milch, who's been in the game for a while. He knows what he's doing, and the dialogue is always entertaining and sometimes masterful. There was some stuff made of the anachronistic swearing, but I think it works as intended. We know they didn't use these words, but it achieves the effect of conveying the intended mood of a line and doesn't sound out of place, unless years of cowboys never cussing in movies has affected your thoughts on what they sound like. When doing something in the past, it's hard to keep it sounding authentic without it getting hokey and still managing to make it interesting to the modern ear, and the writers nail it. When you have a great cast and just seeing and hearing the characters speak is so intrinsically interesting, you don't have to do much more to have a good show. As I mentioned before, the show moves kind of slow, with episodes only covering about a day's worth of events. There's still enough backstabbing and shifting alliances to keep things moving, and you're always curious to see what's next. I know the series doesn't have a real ending, but unlike a lot of shows that rely on the carrot on a stick of seeing where it's all leading, the fun of Deadwood is just watching it.