The Strange World of Thomas P. Coombe

The Best TV Shows of 2009

 What's the opposite of "sophomore slump"? "Sophomore streak," maybe, although that sounds like a college tradition frowned on by the administration.

 Whatever term you use to describe a situation where something gets better in its second year, it applies to two of the best dramas and the best comedy to air this year. 

 1. Breaking Bad (AMC) When it first aired last year, Breaking Bad seemed like a familiar type of crime story -- average Joe breaks the law, gets in over his head -- buoyed by Bryan Cranston's brilliant lead performance as Walter White, a chemistry teacher turned drug peddler. Thanks to the writer's strike, we got a seven-episode season that ended on an incomplete note. Then, in its second season, Breaking Bad picked up exactly where it left off and never looked back. The performances got better, the characters got deeper (especially Aaron Paul's Jesse and Dean Norris' Hank), and each episode felt like a wonderful little 45-minute movie. One week, the movie might be a black comedy ("Four Days Out") while the next might be a tense thriller ("Grilled"), but each of these parts built up to a breathtaking whole, a portrait of a once-decent man's trip to hell.

Nine Shows That ALMOST Made the Best of the Decade List

 Putting together a list of the best shows of the decade list wasn't much of a challenge. What was challenging was keeping it simple and -- relatively -- short. 

 Here are nine shows that almost made the list, in no particular order:

The Best TV Shows of the Decade (And Yes, The Wire is Number One)

 This was the decade when television became art, New York Magazine's Emily Nussbaum wrote earlier this month.

  And it's hard to argue with that. Sure, there have always been things on TV that transcended the ordinary, whether it was The Twilight Zone in the '50s, The Singing Detective in the 1980s, or Prime Suspect in the '90s. 

 And yes, this was also the decade that brought us shows like The Hills, Deal or No Deal, American Idol, Jon & Kate Plus 8, to name just a few. But beyond this swamp there was an oasis -- and yeah, that's kind of a mixed metaphor -- where good shows lived, where audiences were respected, where storytelling thrived. 

 A few quick notes: this isn't going to be a top 10 list, but more like a top 14, due to some ties and the fact that one of the entries is devoted to a person who was involved in four good-to-great shows in the past 10 years. 

  Secondly, I know there are people who, every 10 years around this time, point out that this new decade doesn't start until January 1, 2011, because there was no year zero, blah blah blah. Tell you what: if you're one of those people, bookmark this page, and come back next year. 

 Lastly, I've included clips from at least one show (The Shield) which gives away an important plot point, so if you've never seen the show, please ignore the video.

And with that out of the way, onto the list:

 

The Office: Michael Scott's Heart Grew Three Sizes That Day

 One of the frustrating things about The Office is that we never know which version of Michael Scott we're going to get from episode to episode. 

 Sometimes it's a delusion, selfish baby, other times it's someone who's...well, still delusion and selfish, but able to glean a little bit of wisdom from that week's crisis and do the right thing.

 This week being the Christmas episode, it would be cruel not to give us that second Michael, and the show came through for us. Not only does Michael realize the error of his ways, he inadvertently brings glad tidings to the rest of the staff, with the news that their branch will be safe when the company is sold.

 But until that moment comes, we were treated to Michael's stint as "hurt, petulant Jesus," which made for a lot of funny stuff. (The best of which was "Anti-Christ! Hsssssss...")

 And in the tradition of previous Office Christmases, there were several sweet moments, like Andy's "12 Days of Christmas" gift idea working out at the very end, or Michael's actually thoughtful present for Dwight. Not a bad way to end 2009.

 Other thoughts:

•  I'm pretty sure Steve Carrell's contract expires before the rest of the cast's, so is it possible the creators are setting up a future version of the show where Jim is the level-headed, somewhat ineffectual boss to a bunch of lunatics?
• Erin has been a really great, if quiet, addition to the cast. Tonight I liked her uncertainty about whether she'd "earned the right" to address the entire staff. 
• As for Andy's gift to her: did she at least get five gold rings?

 Tom Coombe

Fringe: Journey to the Center of Your Mind

  After a season that featured a scorpion boy, a smoke monster, and a four-foot worm, Fringe ended the first half of its second year on an episode that was fairly light on the gross-out/weirdness factor.

 But it was a "mythology" episode, which I'd been missing, and it really didn't disappoint. We got a lot more of Walter and Peter, which I'd like to think the show is turning into the central characters.

 Compared to them, Olivia just isn't as compelling or sympathetic, and even though the writers set up some sort of "chosen one" story arc for her last season, that seems to have gone on the back burner this year.

The Office: My Most Generous Empty Promise

If there was a scale for comedy awkwardness, then David Brent's motivational speech in the original, British version of The Office would probably hit number 10.

 Michael Scott's visit to a Scranton high school, where he's about to shatter the dreams of a bunch of fresh-faced high school students, only goes to about 9, but that's because it doesn't last as long.

 As Pam rightly points out, Michael's empty, decade-old promise to pay for these kids' college tuition was the worst thing he's ever done. (But wouldn't someone at the school have wondered how Michael was going to pull this off, and maybe pressed him for more details?) And even though Stanley thought it was funny (and Stanley's reaction actually was kind of funny), it didn't make for an amusing episode.

 Nor did Dwight's Uriah Heep act with Jim. He's never been this flat-out malevolent before, and it's really off-putting. (To be fair, his Kevin and Stanley impersonations were pretty good. His Toby needed work.)

 So in the end, this episode's only real saving graces were the opening scene (in which we got to see Michael actually act like an adult for about 30 seconds, until he recognizes a kindred spirit in Andy) and the closing scene between Michael and Erin, who finally proves her worth in his eyes mainly by telling him what he wants to hear.

 Tom Coombe

Fringe: Well-Dressed Walter

Over the last few weeks, I re-watched the first season of Fringe, and was struck at how strong it was in its last few episodes of its freshman year: from the point where Olivia and co. met that little bald kid up until her visit to the alternate universe World Trade Center, the show was doing some of its best work. 

 And it reaffirmed what I said earlier this season: the show is at its best when dealing with its central mythology, while the "monster-of-the-week" episodes tend to be grossly uneven.

 Or, just gross and uneven, if you prefer. "The Snakehead" lacked any sort of tension until the final scenes, and it was only John Noble's continued excellence as Walter that rescued this one from becoming a complete waste. It's too bad Walter' wanting to reclaim his independence -- which involved a quite dapper new wardrobe -- didn't come with a better episode. As it was, I was more interested in his quest to be "a man, not a child," as well as his concern for Astrid, than I was in the parasitic worms.

 Some other thoughts:

• Man, Olivia and Broyles didn't even have to show up this week, did they? Actually, if Fringe turned into the Peter Walter and Astrid show, I wouldn't complain. Although I did like Olivia's line: "Did you eat? That's unfortunate."
• The fact that those worms made a squealy noise put the show into a more sci-fi-ish territory than usual.
• Anyone know the name of the song Walter sings when he's scared? The one about the man who goes to all the shows?
• I know she was up against two larger opponents, but didn't the FBI teach Astrid some sort of self-defense?
• Next week: Frozen Head Man!

 Tom Coombe

Sons of Anarchy Season Finale: Think of the Children

When it premiered last year, the shorthand description for Sons of Anarchy was "Hamlet in a biker gang."

 You had a vengeful son, his mother married to his father's possible killer, the dead father speaking to the son from beyond the grave.

 But as the season finale reached its harrowing conclusion Tuesday night, I found myself thinking more about a different Shakespearean tragedy: Romeo and Juliet, in which the children are the victims of a conflict started by their parents.