The Office, Season Four
C.J. LeMaster, Online EditorWhy watch this show? Two words: Steve Carell. Okay, two more words: ensemble cast. The unmistakably awkward Michael Scott gives his employees some of the most unwatchable moments on television. This is like “Meet the Parents” times a thousand. And through it all, some of the best moments lie in the relationships, with Jim/Pam coming a distant second to Dwight Shrute and third-season newcomer Andy Bernard. NBC should end this pesky writers’ strike just to get this show back on the air.
Grey’s Anatomy, Season Four
Erin Kourkounis, News Editor
The hospital drama, currently in its fourth season, was better than ever in 2007. In the months before the first episode aired, several shockers were revealed such as Isaiah Washington’s contract being discontinued and Kate Walsh leaving “Grey’s” to star in her own ABC show, “Private Practice.” This season has also been full of juicy surprises so far such as the addition of intern Lexie Grey, Meredith Grey’s younger sister.
It’s full of suspense as always, but a little comic relief is always added here and there. The only downfall is that adding the prefix “Mc-” to the nicknames of the attractive men on the show is getting kind of old.
One Tree Hill, Season Four
Melissa Meador, Sports Editor
In season four, story lines shift from the shallow yet entertaining Brooke (Sophia Bush) to brooding artist Peyton (Hilarie Burton) as she finally puts family troubles and broken friendships behind her. Scott brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan (James Lafferty) adjust to life without basketball after a cheating scandal, and Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) goes from rock star to teenage wife and mother. Writers set up perfectly for a season five as the gang all kick off their respective careers.
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season Six
Tyler Stewart, Editor in Chief
Hearing the upbeat, carefree song “Frolic” at the beginning of every episode of “Curb” never gets old, as fans especially can tell that viewers are in no doubt about to be subjected to situations that couldn’t be more juxtaposed to the tune. Larry David (Himself ) and company have gone the extra mile in the initially unexpected sixth season to the HBO comedy.
This time Larry and Cheryl David (Cheryl Hines) take in a black family displaced by an unnamed hurricane in the South. The family, whose last name is “Black” coincidentally, serves as the centerpiece to a season that pokes fun at pointless and quizzical tensions and stereotypes that black and white people have against each other, while also serving as a support system for Larry after Cheryl leaves him. As funny and insightful as ever, “Curb’s” appeal is at its highest.
House, Season Four
Matt Watson, Opinion Editor
Let’s face it, we all wish we could be as smart and full of snappy comebacks as “House.” The show is more exciting than ER and perhaps more unrealistic, but who cares? It has shock value and deals with interesting medical experiences. House self-inflicting his own near-death experience was particularly exciting.
The Shield, Season Six
David Breland, Entertainment Editor
I have been a fan of “The Shield” ever since the show first aired. The gritty realism and shades of gray decision making that drive the show makes for some of the best drama on TV. For fans of the show we’ve cheered Vic and the strike team on through the cover ups, the robberies, dirty deals and down right betrayals coming at them from both outside and in.
Shawn Ryan created one of the most imaginative police dramas since “Dragnet.” “The Shield” is not your average, Dudley-do-Right police show. The cops in “The Shield” lie, cheat, steal and even murder, but that is life. The cops on the show don’t always follow the law because they know the streets have a way of metting out justice in a much more swift way than a court ever
could.
The overriding theme in the show is not that crime is going to take place and is not going to be wiped clean, so you manage
it the best you can. Sometimes managing crime is within the
scope of the law, sometimes not for the police officers of the fictional Farmington district of Los Angeles.
What is best about “The Shield” is nothing is far-fetched and hackneyed plot devices are thrown out the window for a more gritty, realistic flow.
Hopefully in the upcoming final season, some answers will be found and maybe the right people will be brought to justice.
But which form of justice will those characters get?
It’s Always … Sunny In Philadelphia, Season Three
Andrew Le, Chief Designer
“It’s Always … Sunny In Philadelphia” is a hilarious show centered around a group of friends living in none other than Philadelphia. The show, which is written by its own stars, mocks many controversial topics while retaining a formulaic sitcom approach we’ve all come to love. It doesn’t take long for new viewers to start quoting its offensive material.