A season in review
By Casey Gillis on Jun. 10, 2009
Let’s just get right to it.
Another TV season has come to an end, and here are my picks for the best and worst it had to offer:
Best new comedy: ABC Family’s “The Middleman” and The CW’s “Privileged,” both of which have been cancelled by their respective networks. Good going, guys.
Best new drama: Another tie. I just can’t choose between Fox’s “Fringe” and “Dollhouse.”
Both started off slowly, but eventually improved and lived up to the hype that comes with being the brainchildren of J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon, respectively.
Best new character: Walter Bishop (John Noble) on “Fringe.”
For the most part, Noble plays Walter humorously, but he’s just as good during Walter’s moments of genuine instability.
Biggest drama queen: Katherine Heigl as Izzie on “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Say what you want about all of this show’s behind-the-scenes drama; when the cameras start rolling, the actors all know how to deliver, and none more so than Heigl, who portrayed Izzie’s battle with cancer beautifully (minus all that dead Denny stuff, of course).
Biggest drama king: Josh Holloway as Sawyer on “Lost.”
For most of “Lost’s” run, Holloway has filled the role of bad-boy eye candy. But this season, he showed us Sawyer’s softer side as he took on a leadership role in 1970s Dharmaville and finally settled down with Juliet. His heartbreak over her possible death in the finale was palpable.
Funniest guy: I’m going to break tradition and give this one to a pair of actors on a dramatic series: the dynamic duo of Miles (Ken Leung) and Hurley (Jorge Garcia), whose time-travel debates and running commentary had me cracking up all season long on “Lost.”
Funniest gal: Joanna Garcia on “Privileged.”
Her Megan, a regular, kinda neurotic gal who takes a job tutoring a pair of spoiled Palm Beach brats, could’ve been annoying. But Garcia’s charm and self-deprecating humor totally won me over.
Best cast addition: Kevin McKidd as Owen on “Grey’s Anatomy.”
I honestly can’t remember what Seattle Grace was like before this hot Army doc started roaming the halls — and romancing Cristina.
Best guest star: Misha Collins as “Supernatural’s” poker-faced angel Castiel.
Best reality show contestants: Umm, as if you even have to guess. Mel and Mike on “The Amazing Race,” of course!
Best storyline: Sam and a just-back-from-Hell Dean’s race to stop the Devil from rising on “Supernatural,“ with plenty of angel- versus-demon drama and some great reveals about the Winchesters’ heritage along the way — like the fact that it was the boys’ mother who actually came from a family of demon hunters; their father got into the trade after her untimely death.
Worst storyline: The introduction of yet another illegitimate Walker kid on “Brothers & Sisters.” Even worse was that they didn’t even try to make Ryan likeable. His surly attitude was annoying and his backstory completely uninteresting.
Best season finale: “Chuck,” for so many reasons: the mere presence of Scott Bakula; Ellie and Awesome’s hilariously ruined nuptials and, later, their much simpler and successful second ceremony; the return of Jeffster, Jeff and Lester’s horrible, yet oh so entertaining, cover band; any scene involving Adam Baldwin’s Agent Casey, who you can tell cares about Chuck even though he really doesn’t want to; and more back and forth in the sweet, ever-shifting relationship between Chuck and Sarah.
Best couple: Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) and Fritz (the dreamy Jon Tenney), who finally got hitched, on “The Closer.”
Best almost-couple: Michael (Jeffrey Donovan) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar) on “Burn Notice.” The chemistry between these two is hot hot hot.
Worst couple: Either Mike (James Denton) and Katherine (Dana Delaney) on “Desperate Housewives” or Lexie (Chyler Leigh) and Mark (Erin Dane) on “Grey’s.” They lack what Michael and Fiona have in spades.
Best cast chemistry: From siblings Casey and Rusty to frenemies Cappie and Evan to besties Calvin and Ashleigh — and pretty much everyone in between — the kids from ABC Family’s “Greek” just click.
Guest star I hope returns as a regular: Scott Bakula as Mr. Bartowski on “Chuck.”
Newest love: “NCIS.”
I tuned in last month to see guest stars LL Cool J and, be still my heart, Chris O’Donnell, who will both star in an upcoming spin-off series set in Los Angeles. Along the way, I got completely hooked on the original and have been watching reruns on USA ever since.
Mark Harmon is the man — he did star in “Summer School,” after all — and I especially love his fatherly bond with Abby, one of TV’s coolest forensic experts.
Guiltiest pleasure: HBO’s “True Blood,” which was so bad it was good. It returns later this month, and I can’t wait.
Show(s) I’ll miss the most: Almost too many to count, but I’ll try.
ABC’s “Pushing Daisies,” “Samantha Who?” and “Eli Stone,” The CW’s “Privileged” and ABC Family’s “The Middleman.”
Networks, why must you do this to me every year?
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