Top Shows to Buy for Christmas

     While television is flooded with terrible offerings, such as Jersey Shore, $#*! My Dad Says, Two and a Half Men and The Mentalist, there are plenty of great things out there that not enough people are watching. By not enough, in some cases, almost everyone would be enough, because they are truly awesome shows.  Though not a complete list, here are a few recent triumphs to add to your Christmas lists for any loved ones that love TV:

24 The Complete Series ~ Here's something to tide you over until Jack Bauer makes the leap to big screen. Even more fun, watch each season in one day. You can probably do it in about 18 hours without the commercials.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series ~ If you saw the old version of this show from 30 years ago, you may have been disappointed by the cheese. This newer series has none of that, and it amazing with the questions it raises. Check it out.

Caprica: Season One (1st half on sale now, 2nd half December 21st) ~ Sadly this Battlestar Galactica is already canceled. In fact, a lot of the 2nd half hasn't even aired. But it is a mixture of terrorism, religion, and beliefs in general that deserves attention. A new Galactica prequel has already been ordered.

Cougar Town Season One ~ Yeah, yeah, yeah. The worst titled show on TV. But after a rocky start, the series ditched the old woman dating younger man concept and became something more in the vein of friends, a group of close people who love each other and drink far too much.  Give it another chance.

Glee Season One ~ Although season two has been much sharper, this first season really had us going with the musical numbers and teen drama.

 Lost: The Complete Series ~ Did you tune out after several years of not knowing what was going on? That's ok. Now the complete series is available in one collection, and you can watch it straight through. It will make it easier to understand, and no less exciting.

Parks and Recreation Season Two ~ After a wildly unstable first season, the series settled into consistent funny in season two. It is one of the smartest written shows on TV, and will have you rolling.  Too bad NBC kept it off the air this fall, though season three will begin in January.


     Some shows are just so good, that even though they currently aren't available on DVD, pre-order them a put an IOU note in a giftbox. You will still be loved for it:

Justified Season One (releases January 18th) ~ This fascinating surprise about a Kentucky marshall, which is not a crime-of-the-week show, but instead, a wonderfully detailed and nuanced character study deserves any attention it gets.

Nurse Jackie Season Two (releases February 22nd) ~ Season two had Jackie's secrets threatening to burst at the seams, and though she tried to break off the affair with Eddie, he struck up a friendship with her husband.  Great stuff.

The Walking Dead Season One (releases March 8th) ~ If you missed AMC's zombie show, you are really missing out. It was about so much more than monsters. It was about people surviving. And morality. And sacrifice. And yes, zombies that ate you alive.

The Mentalist "Red Moon"

     I haven't watched CBS's The Mentalist since it premiered in the fall of 2008, so when I heard of a chance to get a screener for this week's episode for review, I jumped at the chance to check it out. After all, though I hadn't cared for the series on my initial viewing, the show is in its third season, so I figured it had likely gotten better.

     I'm sad to say, I was wrong. It is a typical crime show procedural. The gimmick of The Mentalist is that the central character, Patrick Jane (Simon Baker), pretends to be psychic to help the police solve crimes. I have to say, I didn't notice any psychic shenanigans in this episode at all. I checked Wikipedia, but it didn't appear that the premise has changed. USA already has a fake-psychic detective on Psych, and their version, albeit sillier, is better executed. I think it's Jane's quiet calm that throws me off. If a show is going to build around an eccentric central character, the person should actually seem eccentric. Otherwise, he's just boring. (See House or Castle for successful examples.)

     The ongoing plot involves Jane hunting for Red John, who murdered his family. This provided the sole interesting moments of the episode. The exchange between Simon and Teresa (Robin Tunney) about revenge, and the purpose it may or may not serve, was fascinating. Sadly, it was short, and didn't go very deep. I feel like this was an opportunity for the show to shine, and like Jane, it slunk into the shadows instead.

     The central story this week involves a serial killer taking out cops, who seems to have broken his or her pattern. Patrick, Teresa, and the others partner with the local law enforcement to take down the treat. Star Trek: Enterprise's former series regulars John Billingsley and Connor Trinneer guest star, as does Chris Ellis (Catch Me If You Can, Apollo 13, Armageddon). They each does a fair job pulling their weight, but are constantly sucked down by what happens around them.

     Though procedurals are not at all my bag, I can recognize a good one. I have tuned into an episode or two of Law & Order: SVU and been blown away. The Mentalist does not fall into this category. How it has lasted three seasons is beyond me.

     The Mentalist airs Thursday at 10pm on CBS.

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Article first published as TV Preview: The Mentalist - "Red Moon" on Blogcritics.

NOTE: This review has garnered personal attacks and rude comments on both of the news sites I write for.  I welcome all constructive criticism and debates about the series itself, but any personal attacks will be deleted.