Distractions of the World: Television

As most of what I do for school is read and write, I often want to do something different in order to relax. The laziest of these different things is to watch a television show. I'm rarely able to watch shows when they air, so I mostly hulu things.

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Monday: Chuck



Chuck is full of cool spy action, funny characters, and geek culture. I love that the third season resolved the will-they-or-won't-they, since I find will-they-or-won't-they annoying.

Tuesday: Glee

I'm sure ya'll have heard of Glee, which is wildly inconsistent but still dear to me. It's high notes are high enough to keep me watching. I like that Glee allows it's characters to be nasty. No one - not even Will Schuester - is a designated saint.

Wednesday: Cougar Town



I started watching Cougar Town, even though it was awful, due to my loyalty to Busy Philipps. My loyalty was rewarded when it became a startling good ensemble show with incredible continuity and an actual plot, despite the sitcom set-up. No reset button here. Plus, there's an admirable dedication to Chekov's Gun. Expect any silly gag in the beginning to pay off by the end of the episode.

Thursday: The Vampire Diaries

This one isn't on hulu, you have to watch it at CW TV, which is one of the worst video experiences ever. All sorts of buffering issues, plus you have to watch a million ads which repeat. I once watched the same Nikita ad three times in a row. Another time The Vampire Diaries promo kept playing. I DIDN'T NEED TO BE TOLD TO WATCH THE VAMPIRE DIARIES. I WAS ACTIVELY WATCHING IT.

But it's worth it, because The Vampire Diaries is all that and a bag of chips. Attractive people who can act, fast-paced plot, continuity, and Ian Somerhalder not so much acting as ripping through the scenery with a backhoe. (His expressions are mesmerizing and strange.) The Vampire Diaries is another show that lets it's characters do bad things. Stefan, the sweet vegetarian love-interest vampire, is extremely pragmatic. Will-torture-and-kill-you-if-you-threaten-his-people pragmatic. I can dig.

Bonus: based on the classic YA series by L. J. Smith.

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If you can't tell, I like funny, character-driven shows. If that's not your thing, you might not like these.