Gossip Girl Intriguing But Complex
Add comment May 12th, 2008
Gossip Girl revolves around teenage heirs of socialites in glitzy New York’s Upper East Side. While the show focuses mostly on the games people play for rank and status, it hides a compelling narrative, especially concerning main character Serena van der Woodsen’s (Blake Lively) dark and complicated past. Another great aspect of the show is eponymous Gossip Girl (Kirsten Bell), an apparently unseen blogger whose reports on the rumors and relationships around school directly informs and affects the complex cast of characters. Unfortunately, there’s so much going on in each episode it takes a lot of attention to get a bearing the characters and their ever-shifting relationships. If you can keep track of everything and everyone, Gossip Girl can be rewarding experience. It airs on the CW Mondays at 7:00 PM.
Bearing Jerry Bruckheimer’s explosive tint, CSI gave a flashy view of criminal science, but its counterpart Criminal Minds is a bit more subtle. While CSI focuses on the technology, Criminal Minds explores the psychology. The main characters use everything from the color of paint to the arrangement of posters on the wall for insight into both criminals and their victims. Joe Mantegna heads the powerhouse cast, but the show is capable of balancing between the profiles as well as the victims and even criminals, lending to a fuller story episode to episode. Criminal Minds airs on CBS Wednesdays at 8 P.M.
movies, geek culture is at an all-time high. Big Bang Theory follows four geeks in an apartment next door to the beautiful Penny (Kaley Cuoco). The main character Leonard (Johnny Galecki) particularly pines over Penny, but is about as successful in his pursuit as Wiley Coyote chasing the Road Runner. The real problem here is the geekiness override the plot instead of complimenting it, as conversations about comic books, science fiction and mint condition action figures actually prevent the story from progressing. This is a shame, because from Leonard and Penny to the particular deadpan geek Sheldon (Jim Parsons), Big Bang Theory has one of the better sitcom casts on TV today. Big Bang Theory airs on CBS Mondays at 7:00 PM.
One of the many, many crime solving shows, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) stands out for one reason: its actually pretty fun to watch. The show features a vibrant mix of military investigators, ranging from the laconic Leroy Gibbs (Mark Harmon) to the mercurial Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly). The cases bring an enjoyable element of political intrigue, but despite a wide variety of timely topics pulled right from the headlines, the material never rises above fluff, despite a healthy amount of charm. NCIS airs on CBS Tuesdays at 7:00 PM.
