But before getting to them, a few
shows I decided not to watch, and my reasons why. As a reminder: a SimonBaker is a unit of disapproval for a show I haven't watched. The scale is 1-5.
Heroes
Reborn (NBC, New. Supernatural
Drama): 2 SimonBakers.
Premise: sequel to the 2006-2010 series Heroes.
Prejudice: I watched the first season and a half, or so,
of Heroes with interest. Then I lost
interest. It seems hard to see why I’d
regain interest almost a decade later—especially after Kring has so thoroughly
defined his coincidence-equals-conspiracy brand with shows like Touch and Dig.
Blood
& Oil (ABC, new. Nighttime
Soap Drama.): 3 SimonBakers
Premise: A “money and power” show framed as the power struggle between two women: one who “does the right thing” to “protect
her family,” and one who’s manipulative.
Prejudice: I’m not a fan of “money and power” shows, so
I’m not the target market. Although this
one takes place in the fascinating boomtown environment of North Dakota, it
seems culturally indistinct from its conceptual parent, Dallas. And the framing seemed to reinforce some
stereotypes about women I didn’t relish watching.
Ash
vs. Evil Dead (Starz, new. Camp Horror.): 1 SimonBaker
Premise: Ash is back! To fight the zombies!
Prejudice: I appreciate the seminal role of the Evil
Dead series in the camp-horror genre.
And I love Bruce Campbell. I was
having a little trouble envisioning the premise holding in a sustained story
rather than a quick burst, but I don’t doubt it could be done well. Two things conspired so I decided not to
watch: time conflicts, and a 5-minute “preview”
on Starz that made sizeist and sexist jokes in impressively compressed
time. The show might have been great,
but I won’t be there to watch it unless someone tells me it’s toned down the sizeism
and sexism.
On the DVR/Unreviewed: The
Bastard Executioner, Minority Report, Blindspot, Scream Queens, Limitless, Rosewood,
The Player, Quantico, Code Black, The Last Kingdom, Supergirl, Wicked City.
