The Geek Seek: the week in geek TV ending 03 Oct 2010

Honestly, the way the plates are filling up these days, how is one even able to finish a week’s worth of geeky TV without feeling like the marrow been’s sucked out of your bones, and you’re lying on the group, like an unbleached McNugget, distilled into the essence of a couch potato. But this is what we do, this dark science, this obsidian alchemy, that from 20 / 40 minutes of moving pictures we purify it into some words, and a rating. Oh, the painful, difficult work we do.

Chuck
And Chuck hits a nice uptick with a whole load of guest stars – Karolina Kurkova, Marvel’s latest Luke Cage, Isiah Mustafa featuring as this week’s Greta, and most amazingly, Lou Ferrigno as the most lovable thug expressing his love… I didn’t read that he’d appear in Chuck, so that was a huge surprise for me. We got references to the Spider-man kiss, 2 Star Wars references – “Not the boys you’re looking for” and “Anakin and Padme” (as a great romance). Huge catfight aside, it was a really fun episode this time around, strangely helped by the Buy More’s resurgence, and the return of the much loved Jeffster. Let’s hope they keep the Buy More relevant – I wonder where’s Big Mike… Oh, and we’re never far from more personal drama, especially with that haunted look at the end.
Geekception

The Event
Ooooh… upgrades! There’s payoff, even in episode 2, and I felt so relieved when it happened. We do get a lot more questions and a mole is revealed – but I guess this means this show has a stay of execution. I’ve totally given up on following the time jumps – I figure it’ll just make sense in the end, or I’ll give up. After Heroes and Flash Forward, one gets easily tired from Event television.
Geekception

The Big Bang Theory
Less potty humour? Much appreciated. Things are a little funnier in parts this time around, especially with disembodied Sheldon, but if not for The Woz spicing up the episode, I fear that this show is feeling tired… some of the jokes just feel old.
Geekception

Community
A pretty good episode that had its moments, and those moments came fast and strong. Pop and lock contests (with great names and horrible dancing), the greatest worst heist ever complete with femme fatales and botched getaways, and the blurring of the lines between reality and cartoon. Perhaps a debate, then, on the blurring of lines between television and the real world, what with Abed being so meta most of the time… maybe they know about people who want to enter the world of Community? But back to the show – and sadly we’re bogged down by Jeff’s storyline (even with Rob Corddry and especially with Drew Carey). Still, funnier than a whole lot of shows out there, and that’s a win in my book.
Geekception

No Ordinary Family
I discussed this show a little here, and my opinion remains – that No Ordinary Family is a fun show to watch. Admittedly some of the family drama I pretty much tuned out, but there’s a look of geek heart inside this show, and Chiklis makes it all the more worthwhile. I’d watch him in a foam suit playing the thing, and here? He’s much better utilised, and the show is strong for it. Let’s hope it can keep it up.
Geekception

Fringe
You know what I like best about this season of Fringe? Even when we’re going back into monster of the week territory, the relentless pace of the overarching storyline continues. John Noble continues to put in amazing work as Walter Bishop, and B-olivia is doing pretty well in getting excuses for being all funky. Anna Torv, surprise surprise, isn’t a bad actress, but has been acting consistently like Olivia all this while, and it looks like she’s enjoying stretching her acting muscles. For some reason I felt the way Peter was saved from imminent death wasn’t quite as tension filled as it could have been, and almost didn’t make sense – but their method to tackle a hearing problem? Ingenious.
Geekception

Not a very strong week – for all the hours spent, there should be more payoff! Moooorreeee!!!!