Mini Reviews- August

It has been a little quieter on the TV front this month, but I've had a few TV shows to keep me going as you can see on my profile to the right of this post. I'll do a quick summary of them:

Chuck (season 3 part 1)
Chuck hit it's 13th episode mark last week- the original finale episode before the show was given a reprieve.
It had been a good and fast moving 13 episodes. Awesome became involved in the spy world, Morgan found out Chuck's secret, Casey got fired, both Chuck and Sarah got involved with other people and then (finally) each other and Chuck became a real spy. The plot and character development really was a whirlwind and has done creative wonders for a show that was becoming very formulaic. I know that the next few episodes may not be as good, seeing that they are an addendum to the season, but I'm looking forward to them nonetheless.

Entourage (season 7)
HBO's short seasons means that Entourage will be over in just a few episodes even though it feels like the season has just started. The season is a lot darker than previous seasons and generally there is a very different tone about it. There have been very few scenes with all the guys together as all the boys are pursuing their own lives/dreams. This isn't a bad thing, though after watching previous seasons on DVD, it does make me miss the boys' camaraderie.
The darker tone comes from Vince, who after a lucky escape from a dangerous stunt goes of the rails a little, popping Vicodins, snorting coke and jumping out of planes. I'm quite enjoying his descent into the Hollywood maddness and it feels that this could be a great setup for the final season next year.

Leverage (season 3)
I have caught up fully with Leverage now, and I am feeling the effects of catching up too fast as waiting a whole week for a new episode is proving difficult! However the show is continuing to be fun and the most recent episode I watched 'The Roshomon Job' in which each character told their side of a particular job, was one of the best episodes they've done. Some of the recent plot devices have become a little bit wacky and unrealistic, but amongst all the capers, the show has real heart which is keeping it grounded. According to twitter the show recently wrapped up filming and the mid season finale will air next week in the States. After that expect a blog reviewing season 2 and 3 (since I never got around to doing the season 2 blog)


Mad Men (season 1)
Everyone raves about this show, so when the BBC decided to rerun episodes from the beginning on Sunday nights in anticipation for the newest season, I decided to tune in. It's not hard to see why everybody loves this show and why it won the Emmy for best drama show this week. The characters are all perfectly drawn and its fun to see a little bit more of their characters every episode. The show doesn't pander to idiots so a lot is left unexplained and though some of it may be going over my head, I enjoy that I have to work a little to understand it. Plus the excellent cast make it very easy to watch.

Ugly Betty (season 4)
This show has only just kicked off here in the UK but it has been enjoyable so far.
Betty trying (and failing) in her new job feels a lot like season 1 (in a good way) and it's nice to see the other characters getting meatier storylines, especially Amanda and Justin, who have largely been comedy relief in the past. Amanda's quest for a better job/ more stable life will be interesting to watch and shows she is more than just a caricature. Justin's trouble in his high school was painful but endearing to watch. I look forward to seeing more of both storylines in future episodes.