In its abbreviated and, ultimately, final season, The OC started things right by killing off Marissa, and only kept its momentum going by allowing the rest of its cast to shoulder both angsty and comedic storylines, and finally prove that they could. Two new characters were added to the opening credits, and both were surprisingly likeable, meshing well with the existing cast and bringing out sides of some characters we hadn't seen before. Sure, there were a few missteps (cage-fighting, Summer's short time at Brown, Kirsten's continued non-existence), but they were overshadowed by the many things the show did right. The OC started to look like the fresh, fun show it had been in its successful first season. Unfortunately, this time around, there was no one left to see it, and the ratings never reflected the show's upswing. It wasn't surprising when Fox cancelled it after ordering only sixteen episodes this season, but it was still sad. We recommend brooding about it while wearing a leather wrist cuff and a wifebeater. -- Sara M
Prison Break
The sophomore season started off tremendously -- we saw that Michael's crafty planning is good, but maybe not good enough when an equally smart new guy, Agent Mahone, figures everything out two steps behind Michael. And we saw the long arm of the One World Conspiracy reach out and pull the trigger on Veronica, thus opening the gates to season two's bloodbath.
However, once the boys had broken out, the show lost some of its tight focus and became a little spready and meandering. By the March episodes, the surviving characters appeared to be treading water as they waited out the Season Two countdown. Part of Prison Break's appeal has always been the fact that it's essentially a live-action comic book title, with all the improbable plot twists and issue-ending -- excuse me, episode-ending cliffhangers. However, even superhero titles run on their own internal logic (the good ones do, anyway), and this is where Prison Break foundered this year. Chop off T-Bag's hand if you must, but explain to us all how he's managed to thrive despite receiving no medical care for it. Make C-Note a devoted family man, but tell us whether his unquestioningly loyal spouse is actually an idiot or merely in shock over learning that her man is not currently serving overseas. Give us a One World Conspiracy, but explain why they're so incompetent as to persistently fail to capture a few people who are really short on resources.
By The TWoP Staff
In its abbreviated and, ultimately, final season, The OC started things right by killing off Marissa, and only kept its momentum going by allowing the rest of its cast to shoulder both angsty and comedic storylines, and finally prove that they could. Two new characters were added to the opening credits, and both were surprisingly likeable, meshing well with the existing cast and bringing out sides of some characters we hadn't seen before. Sure, there were a few missteps (cage-fighting, Summer's short time at Brown, Kirsten's continued non-existence), but they were overshadowed by the many things the show did right. The OC started to look like the fresh, fun show it had been in its successful first season. Unfortunately, this time around, there was no one left to see it, and the ratings never reflected the show's upswing. It wasn't surprising when Fox cancelled it after ordering only sixteen episodes this season, but it was still sad. We recommend brooding about it while wearing a leather wrist cuff and a wifebeater. -- Sara M
Prison Break
The sophomore season started off tremendously -- we saw that Michael's crafty planning is good, but maybe not good enough when an equally smart new guy, Agent Mahone, figures everything out two steps behind Michael. And we saw the long arm of the One World Conspiracy reach out and pull the trigger on Veronica, thus opening the gates to season two's bloodbath.
However, once the boys had broken out, the show lost some of its tight focus and became a little spready and meandering. By the March episodes, the surviving characters appeared to be treading water as they waited out the Season Two countdown. Part of Prison Break's appeal has always been the fact that it's essentially a live-action comic book title, with all the improbable plot twists and issue-ending -- excuse me, episode-ending cliffhangers. However, even superhero titles run on their own internal logic (the good ones do, anyway), and this is where Prison Break foundered this year. Chop off T-Bag's hand if you must, but explain to us all how he's managed to thrive despite receiving no medical care for it. Make C-Note a devoted family man, but tell us whether his unquestioningly loyal spouse is actually an idiot or merely in shock over learning that her man is not currently serving overseas. Give us a One World Conspiracy, but explain why they're so incompetent as to persistently fail to capture a few people who are really short on resources.