Can't sleep. Guess I'll talk about TV instead.

[sholio]

It's weird ... back when I was an undergrad, I used to have problems with insomnia and a really weird sleep schedule, and now that I'm taking classes again, I keep having these intermittent bouts of insomnia a few times a week. Not nearly as bad as before, when I wouldn't sleep for two or three days at a time, but just waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep for hours, if at all.

It's not so much stress as just not being able to stop thinking about what I need to do. I'm a planner and I don't like to have unfinished responsibilities hanging over my head. Classwork is a never-ending series of unfinished responsibilities, and I find myself going around and around in my head on what I still need to do, and not being able to let it go enough to sleep.

Since I'm up anyway, I may as well post on TV. I haven't been watching a whole lot of TV, but it's nice to have a few hours a week when I can make my brain shut up.




I started off the season really into NCIS -- more so than ever before, maybe just because there isn't much on TV that I am invested in -- but it's fallen back to just being a sort of happy-place show that I don't care too much about. On the other hand, sometimes it's nice not to be heavily invested in a show. I enjoy the playfulness and banter, but it wouldn't break my heart if the show was cancelled or someone left.

I do really enjoy the working relationship that Gibbs and Vance have settled into. It reminds me of Gibbs and Fornell a little bit; though Gibbs and Fornell have that adversarial working relationship but have managed to transcend it a little bit with a personal friendship, whereas Vance and Gibbs are adversarial on a personal level but work together really well. I really like how they get each other, and how Vance will slap him down one minute and have his back the next.

I lost interest in NCIS:LA after watching two or three episodes. I keep vaguely meaning to download them and get caught up, but as busy as I am right now, it's pretty low on my list of priorities.













I'm really not emotionally invested at all in Supernatural anymore. Mostly it just amuses me, and I'm never quite sure what they're going to come up with next. (The Knight Rider bit in 5x08 ... oh my god. *dies*) But I really don't care about the characters very much anymore, I have an admittedly irrational but deep-seated dislike of Castiel, and the mytharc bores me. The only plot thread I'm currently interested in is how they're handling Bobby's disability (the adjustment process that he's going through right now is a bulletproof narrative kink for me, and while I'm not happy with everything about how they're handling it, I'm happy enough to be enjoying it) but it's tempered by a certain amount of gloomy certainty that they're either going to kill him off or magically heal him. Though I'd love to be proven wrong.















I'm still really enjoying Scrubs, as we work our way slowly through the series. Some of the characters that I liked in the beginning are starting to annoy me in a fingernails-on-the-blackboard kind of way (Elliot and Cox, namely), but it's just such a fun, cute show. I wish I had time to make happy, bouncy vids for it. The cyclical soap-opera nature of the show does get a little tiresome when watching a number of episodes back to back, but the writing is fast and funny enough that I don't really mind; there aren't very many shows that consistently make me laugh out loud.












I had high expectations for White Collar because I've seen a number of positive reactions to it around LJ, and maybe that's why I was so disappointed. I found it dull and predictable, not exciting and twisty enough to make good action drama, and not funny enough to make good comedy. The forced partnership felt very contrived to me; it was like a paint-by-the-numbers odd-couple buddy show, where the pairing of the main characters was such a foregone conclusion that they didn't even bother doing the plotting legwork to make it plausible. Neither of the wives/girlfriends felt like a real person rather than a pretty plot device to motivate the guys. Maybe I'll check it out again in midseason to see if it's improved after the cast has a chance to gel, but right now I'm not seeing this as a show I'll be coming back to.

Comments

[leesa_perrie]

Hope the insomnia lets up soon. Sending virtual hugs, natural sleeping remedies, and one of Woolsey's driest reports to read!

I really enjoy NCIS - so much so that I can't wait for it to make it over here and so watch it online (can't remember which channel shows it first over here, but it's usually a good couple of months behind - unlike Sky One with NCIS:LA)! That said, I wouldn't be devastated if it was cancelled, just a little sad.

I'm really starting to get into NCIS:LA. I know it's different (more undercover work for example), but I'm enjoying it and hope it goes for a few seasons, not just one. Though again, wouldn't be devastated if cancelled! And definitely prefer NCIS to its spin-off!

I've never seen any of the others you mention, so can't comment.

Now, go read that report, guaranteed to help you sleep!

EDIT: Urk, can't spell!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :) I got eleven hours of sleep on Saturday night, and I'm feeling much better now (although it's half past midnight now, so I'd better get to bed soon if I don't want to repeat the whole thing tomorrow ...)

NCIS is really fun. It's not the most awesome show ever, but it's a good solid team show with fun character interactions. It's actually kind of a relief to have a show that I really enjoy without being so invested that the fannish roller coaster can ruin my day.

[x-varda-x.livejournal.com]

I've always found Supernatural to be good, but not 'watch every episode in a few days' good (like I did with Buffy, Angel, Babylon 5, SGA...) I'm still at the end of season 3, but I'm sure I'll pick it up again eventually.

I've only watched Season 1 of Scrubs and started to watch 2, but went off it then. Haven't seen the others, but I'm tempted to watch NCIS, as it keeps being recced to me.

Sorry about your insomnia! I would be like a vampire if I didn't have to work, as I much prefer staying up all night and sleeping all day. I put it down to how the light doesn't reflect off the TV/computer at night...

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

*nods* I was really into SPN for a couple of seasons, but I think the main reason I'm watching it in realtime right now is just because I like reading people's reactions.

[astridv.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's weird, I was really looking forward to LA after their 'pilot' on NCIS, but for some reason the actual pilot didn't click with me. I didn't hate it or anything, but I don't feel compelled to watch ep 2.

but it's fallen back to just being a sort of happy-place show that I don't care too much about.

And same about NCIS... like it well enough, wouldn't whine if I missed an ep or two.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really liked a couple of characters in LA, but I'm just not really feeling the love for the show overall. Maybe it's that it's so similar to NCIS that I don't really need two shows like that? I guess part of it, too, is that I'm so busy I'm having to limit my TV to shows that I really want to watch, and LA just hasn't really been making the cut.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I find I'm watching NCIS more as opposed to the last two seasons,but I think that has more to do with wanting something to watch on a Tuesday. There are still times when an episode premise will make me lose interest and I'll either not watch or listen to in the background while I'm playing on the Internet. But, again, not as much as I did last season.

NCIS: LA refuses to grow on me, though my mom still watches it. I really don't like the way their pushing Chris O'Donnel's character's sad, lonely background.

I miss the early days of SPN, when it was all about monster hunting with the subplot of the yellow-eyed demon. I'm actually getting rather tired of all the campy episodes, and wish they would do more dark, monster hunting eps with only a sprinkle of humor rather than mass humor (though the TV ep with the Trickster was hilarious.)

I think White Collar is a show that has to grow on you episode by episode. I didn't like it at first - thought it cheesy, cliche and, yeah, predictable. But it is growing on me little by little (I would have stopped watching but my sister and mom are really into it). The humor really perks up in later episodes. Though I'm still rather meh about the FBI guy. He seems a bit forced to me. And Neil's friend I think I could do without.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I miss the early days of SPN, when it was all about monster hunting with the subplot of the yellow-eyed demon.

Me too! That's the SPN I fell in love with; I'm not really enjoying the demon/angel arc which has been going on for how many seasons now? I do actually enjoy the campy episodes, but the show can't seem to decide if it wants to be a comedy or a serious drama.

I haven't really decided if I'm going to give White Collar another chance. There are quite a few shows that I dismissed in the beginning and then fell for later (even SGA!) so maybe I'll try it again when there are more episodes to give me a better taste of the show.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

SPN cracks me up these days 'cuz they seem to be intentionally *trying* to jump the shark. It's like Kripke's going down a list - end-of-the-world future-flash, check; Paris Hilton, check; wacky TV-parodies, check...I will totally not be surprised if there is an *actual* shark, *actually jumped* somewhere in the course of the season.

(also I wasn't even a Knight Rider fan but that bit still had me giggling so hard I couldn't breathe!)

I don't want NCIS canceled because it is such my happy place; I'm not super-invested, I just like watching it more than most TV. NCIS:LA has been fun but nothing to write home about. Though the levels of slashiness continue to be absolutely ridiculous...just wish they'd give more to work with. It's all...superficial? Like, the chars are cute, and fun together, but there's not much going on under the surface, no subtext. Maybe that's just a matter of time, though; NCIS took a while to come together (and it's never that deep anyway...)

Haven't seen White Collar myself but am wondering if some of the buzz is just that fandom is jonesing for a new show and it's in the right place, right time?

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

SPN cracks me up these days 'cuz they seem to be intentionally *trying* to jump the shark.

LOL! SO VERY TRUE. I think I will be disappointed now if there isn't a literal shark at some point this season!

Though the levels of slashiness continue to be absolutely ridiculous...just wish they'd give more to work with. It's all...superficial? Like, the chars are cute, and fun together, but there's not much going on under the surface, no subtext.

*nods* That's exactly the problem I'm having with it. I want to like it. Some of the characters are completely adorable. But it feels like there's something missing. It's flashy and pretty, but there's no depth to it ... nothing to really keep me coming back. I've been thinking about downloading the couple of eps that I missed and then going "... nahhh." It's the kind of show that you tune into if you happen to be around when it's on, but if you miss some episodes you haven't missed anything important.

Haven't seen White Collar myself but am wondering if some of the buzz is just that fandom is jonesing for a new show and it's in the right place, right time?

When I first saw the promos for White Collar, I thought it looked likely to be one of the next big fandoms. Now that I've seen the premiere, I'm a lot less sure; it's the same problem as with NCIS:LA, I guess, where the surface is stylish and cute, but there's not much else to it.

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

I've been enjoying NCIS, as well. And enjoying it in a light non-fannish way. It's kind of like a palette cleanser, in a weird sort of way. (If that makes any kind of sense.)

With LA... I'm still watching it, but I do wish they'd stop trying so hard. Yes, I get that G's a woobie without even a name to his name. And I get that he and Vail are very hoyay. And yes, it should all be like catnip to me, but it's a bit paint-by-numbers at the moment. I think there's something there, but they need time to ease into it. (Oh. And if we could stop the ott musical cues for every. single. joke? That would be nice.)

Hm. That all sounds harsher than I actually feel. It's decent tv, just, it's not quite there yet.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Paint-by-numbers is just how LA feels to me. It's got all the ingredients in the right places, and Sam is utterly adorable, but like xparrot said above, it's all surface, no depth. There's nothing much to grab hold of, nothing to really sink my teeth into as a fan. At least not yet, but I'm not sure how much time I'm willing to give it to pick up.

[horridporrid.livejournal.com]

I figure I'll give NCIS:LA until the second season. ...hmmm... I may well stop watching now, see if it lasts to the second, and then check it out again at that point. *ponders*

[naye]

Hope you give the Insomnia Fairy a good kick in the teeth the next time it keeps you up like this...!

That said - oh, NCIS is such my (Western fandom) happy place right now. ♥ They're dealing with character relationships and the way those change and grown and they're all such a family, which makes me happy.

Vance and Gibbs have a most interesting dynamic - it's a little less two Alphas trying to show who's top dog, and more two very different people learning to appreciate how those differences can work well together.

I don't feel like I'm watching a lot of stuff right now, so I missed it the week it didn't air.

I also really like NCIS: LA, in the same kind of, awww characters ♥ way. They have Hetty, who is MADE OF WIN, and also Sam and Callen and the fond looks and the way the show keeps going there, which never fails to crack me up. Yeah, it still suffers from a lot of things that plague baby shows until they find their feet (or just start sucking), but - it's a show with its heart in the right place, and right now I really, really appreciate that. ♥

Scrubs - I used to get the same frustration with the cyclical nature of some of the stuff... and then it'd blow me away with one of the more emotional episodes, and it'd be love all over again. Or they'd just do stuff with Cox and Jordan, because - heeeee, Cox and Jordan. So wrong, and yet so right. ♥ Also, there is character growth, eventually, which is nice!

Supernatural - I keep seeing mixed reactions to it around. I see a lot of squee, but - ack. I tried watching the first ep of the season, and it was difficult. And then I tried watching the second ep, and it just. Would not hold my interest, not even with Ellen showing up. So I think it finally lost me - though from what I've been hearing, 5x08 had some good crack! I just don't know if it's good enough that I can enjoy it without also cringing horribly. ^^;;

Other than those shows, I have really really been enjoying The Big Bang Theory, which is adorable and silly and geeky. And Castle is lots of fun, though mostly for Nathan Fillion and the relationship between Castle and his mother and daughter. Yay cute, functional families! ♥

(...and then there is One Piece. XD)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

NCIS is really the only show on TV right now that I look forward to every week! SPN, I think, has lost me; I'm still watching, but really, it's just inertia at this point.

I'm so busy with school right now that it's probably just as well I don't have much to watch. After the semester is over, I'll probably start looking more actively for a new shiny thing. (And I will get caught up on One Piece one of these days ... or start getting caught up, anyhow!)

Also, seasons four and five of Scrubs are in the mail. \o/ I kinda wish I'd been watching it in realtime, because I think the cyclical tendency is really pronounced when you're watching 2 or 3 episodes a night, as well as the characters' personality tics becoming painfully repetitive after a while. But it's just such an adorable show.