Pleasantly Surprised: Shows That Were Better Than You Expected

[ybrik]

In the movie sections, there is a topic for movies that exceeded expectations. For this topic I want to make it a little broader. So what shows, characters, storylines, etc were better than what you expected?

 

I just binged watched Brooklyn 99 over this weekend and I have to say the show and the character Jake Peralta turned out better than what I expected. I figured it would be a show that was primarily used for Adam Samberg to be over the top goofy. Yes the character can be silly but isn't that over the top. Also the show has built a strong supporting cast that each get to showcase their own comedic talents not just Samberg. Also the character of Peralta is goofy but isn't over the top and comes off as a good guy that you would want to be friends with which is something that for some reason comedies don't have. Usually lead characters in comedies have to be funny at other people expense.

 

I would also say the show Spartacus was more than what I expected. I was going to watch it since it was historical fiction show which I like but was expecting it to basically be what it was titled at TWOP Rome with more porn. Yes it had lots of blood and nudity but the show told a good story and had a real heart.

[BoogieBurns]

I would say 30 Rock was better than expected. When it premiered, people were calling it the poor-man's Studio 60. When it outlasted Studio 60, people finally gave it a chance. 

 

Happy Endings was so much better than anyone planned. It came out the same time as Traffic Light, Friends with Benefits, and Perfect Couples. They were all the same show! Somehow, Happy Endings was the only one that got renewed, because it was the best of the four, in my opinion.

[Sweet Tee]

Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks was a much more unique character than I was expecting. Based on pics of him and knowing nothing of the show before watching it, I expected a typical, skeptical, no nonsense, hard ass FBI agent. What a pleasant surprise to find him a warm, friendly, odd, open minded guy who was more open to the strange working a of the town than some of the residents were.

[Kel Varnsen]

Cougar Town. I remember when it premiered my wife wanted to watch it because she was a Courtney Cox/Friends fan. To me it looked bad and really cheesy. Midway through the season I watched some of the eps with her because there was nothing else on and I kind of liked it. By season 2 it was my favourite show on tv.

[DittyDotDot]

I'd say Supernatural was that way for me. I didn't start watching until it was in it's sixth season, but Netflix kept trying to tell me I'd like it for at least a year prior to that. I was like, "You don't know me Netflix, you can keep your crappy CW shows to yourself." I was kinda in slump and decided I'd give it a try and probably quit watching after two episodes...ironically I'm now kinda obsessed even though it's become somewhat crappy and I can't seem to stop watching.

 

Orphan Black was a surprise to me as well. I kept seeing these promos for it and it looked so incredibly stupid and bad. Again, in a summer slump and decided to give it a whirl, was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't at all the show they promo'd. Granted the main reason I love that show is Tatiana's amazing ability to play 6-10 distinctly different characters.

 

I wouldn't say I was surprised by Hannibal, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting either. Knowing Bryan Fuller's other whimsical and quirky work, I didn't expect full on operatic horror. I guess I was surprised after all, just not surprised that I liked it.

[Princess Sparkle]

Sleepy Hollow owns this thread for me.  I watched the first episode purely for the snark potential, but was HOOKED within a half an hour.  It was my favorite new show of the 2013 season by a long shot.

[Athena]

Elementary: I watched this from the pilot on and had low expectations. I really like the Sherlock canon, but I hadn't been enamored with any of the other adaptations. I think Elementary is even more than that and really exceeded my expectations. It's the only procedural type show I watch. Even though S2 was not as strong as S1, I love the characters.

[ToxicUnicorn]

but Netflix kept trying to tell me I'd like it for at least a year prior to that. I was like, "You don't know me Netflix,

This is funny because it is true.  I ignored Netflix for years, telling me I would like Sherlock.  BBC series based on really old source material?  Not usually my thing. 

 

Turns out, Sherlock is fantastic and I became completely obsessed once I watched it.

 

(I still ignore Netflix's recommendations for movies, though.  Stubborn or stupid?  You decide.)

[TaraS1]

Elementary: I watched this from the pilot on and had low expectations. I really like the Sherlock canon, but I hadn't been enamored with any of the other adaptations. I think Elementary is even more than that and really exceeded my expectations. It's the only procedural type show I watch. Even though S2 was not as strong as S1, I love the characters.

 

Same here.  I had no intention of watching until a friend said she was going to check it out.  She ended up forgetting to watch it and I ended up hooked.  I knew nothing about the ACD stories or any other version of Sherlock Holmes, and barely knew anything about Lucy & JLM, so I went in pretty much blind and totally fell in love with everything about it.  Especially the Holmes/Watson partnership, which easily helped me forgive some of the weak writing during the first part of S1.  Sadly, S2 pretty much killed my love for everything about the show except Lucy/Joan, but I still think back on those halcyon days of S1 with great fondness LOL 

[Portia]

I submit, somewhat sheepishly, Friends. When it first came out it struck me as incredibly shallow. I was busy making ends meet and raising three little kids in middle America, and I couldn't imagine caring about about the exploits of a gang of pampered pretty people in New York. It also struck me as just another lame sitcom, and oh my GOSH, what a lot of hype it was getting. (I remember getting a haircut around 1997 and being absolutely horrified when some people commented, "Oh, you got a 'Rachel'!") Anyhoo, when I finally started watching it in bits and pieces--and I'm pretty sure this was after the turn of the century!--I was truly surprised by the quality of the show's comedy writing and, for the most part, its lead performers,

[Kel Varnsen]

I submit, somewhat sheepishly, Friends. When it first came out it struck me as incredibly shallow. I was busy making ends meet and raising three little kids in middle America, and I couldn't imagine caring about about the exploits of a gang of pampered pretty people in New York. It also struck me as just another lame sitcom, and oh my GOSH, what a lot of hype it was getting. (I remember getting a haircut around 1997 and being absolutely horrified when some people commented, "Oh, you got a 'Rachel'!") Anyhoo, when I finally started watching it in bits and pieces--and I'm pretty sure this was after the turn of the century!--I was truly surprised by the quality of the show's comedy writing and, for the most part, its lead performers,

I sort of had the same revelation with The Sopranos. I remember in the first few seasons I thought to myself, that with all the hype that show was getting there was no way it could be anywhere near as good as people were saying. Then one summer between semesters at school I didn't really have a job so I started renting the seasons on DVD, and I found out that for the most part it was that good and I was totally hooked. 

Same sort of thing happened with the show ALIAS for me. I remember how much hype the first two seasons got both on the internet and in magazines like EW, and I figured it can't be that good because the ratings aren't great, But then I remember before season 3 started I was home from work one day and Jennifer Garner was on Regis or something and they showed a clip where she blows up a car. I didn't have cable so my choices on what to watch were pretty limited. I stated watching, then I think for Christmas I got the season 1 DVD and watched the whole thing between christmas and new years.

[ParadoxLost]

I submit, somewhat sheepishly, Friends. When it first came out it struck me as incredibly shallow.

 

Friends was incredibly formulaic when it started to the point of being unwatchable.  It got exponentially better around the time they stopped doing every single running joke, like ugly naked guy, every single episode.

 

Community was one I didn't give a chance because of the premise of community college sitcom.  Season 3 rolls around and I get sucked in by the hypnotic documentary style of relating the epic battle of pillows and blankets and realize it's my favorite show, retroactively.  As usually happens, it started slipping once I realized what I'd been missing.

[kathyk24]

I think Grimm belongs here. Smash received most of the publicity the year they debuted I watched because it seemed like my type of show and I was hooked. I watched the first seasons of Eureka and Sanctuary on DVD and followed them on Syfy afterwards.

[ybrik]

A show that really surprised me was actually a cartoon. Transformers: Beast Wars. As fan of the original as a child I have watched them as an adult and found a lot of the episodes don't really hold up. However, Beast Wars really surprised me with how good the storylines they had and how well rounded they made the characters. The episode 'Code of a Hero' is probably one of my top 10 episodes of all shows. And Beast Machines goes beyond anything I would have ever understood as a kid.

 

I will also say the early seasons of both Psych and Monk were really good. The premises for both seemed pretty silly but the characters and their relationships with each other really drove these shows.

[Kromm]

In the movie sections, there is a topic for movies that exceeded expectations. For this topic I want to make it a little broader. So what shows, characters, storylines, etc were better than what you expected?

 

I just binged watched Brooklyn 99 over this weekend and I have to say the show and the character Jake Peralta turned out better than what I expected. I figured it would be a show that was primarily used for Adam Samberg to be over the top goofy. Yes the character can be silly but isn't that over the top. Also the show has built a strong supporting cast that each get to showcase their own comedic talents not just Samberg. Also the character of Peralta is goofy but isn't over the top and comes off as a good guy that you would want to be friends with which is something that for some reason comedies don't have. Usually lead characters in comedies have to be funny at other people expense.

Brooklyn 99 came very close to that abyss.  The pilot did it all wrong.  But what seemed to happen was that they course corrected when the show actually got picked up and made the next bunch of episodes.

Elementary: I watched this from the pilot on and had low expectations. I really like the Sherlock canon, but I hadn't been enamored with any of the other adaptations. I think Elementary is even more than that and really exceeded my expectations. It's the only procedural type show I watch. Even though S2 was not as strong as S1, I love the characters.

For me, sadly the longer the show goes on, the more I'm disappointed.  Oh, it's not a bad procedural.  It's just the longer it goes on, the less reason I see for it to even be linked, even a little, with the name Sherlock Holmes.  The small attempts they've made to connect to names and concepts from the books have only made it worse, because they really ARE just names and concepts being brought forward, and not actual adaptations.  

 

Again, it's not a bad show.  I just have to watch it with a kind of mental firewall--be a little intentionally schizophrenic in my thinking I guess--to enjoy it.

Cougar Town. I remember when it premiered my wife wanted to watch it because she was a Courtney Cox/Friends fan. To me it looked bad and really cheesy. Midway through the season I watched some of the eps with her because there was nothing else on and I kind of liked it. By season 2 it was my favourite show on tv.

I never had the time to sit down and watch it, but always intend to at some point.  Not because of Courtney Cox, but because of all of the connections to Scrubs. The fact that conceptually it sounded like the dumbest, most genetic concept ever battled with it's pedigree.  Then again, Bill Lawrence has also made a few shit shows as well (although more recently--back when Cougar Town came out he was coming right off of Scrubs, so the good expectations were fresh).

[andromeda331]

Elementary also was one for me. I never planned to watch it because I thought the previews for the show were horrible. 

 

Once Upon a Time surprised me I finally watched the pilot on a night when there was nothing on and by the end I was hooked. I was surprised by how much I loved the fairytale characters and how quickly I loved Emma. But the best part about the show for me was it was fun. As much as I love crime shows,  I loved how fun it was. Watching Snow White rob Prince Charming or the Dwarfs staging an Intervention. 

[Pollock]

Brooklyn Nine-Nine fits the bill for me too ! 

The short lived Trophy Wife. I really thought they were going for cheap laugh about a stupid blond girl and that was the opposite of that. It had heart, awesome cast and clever writing.

 

In the Flesh, the british zombie drama. I watched the first episode thinking I would give it a 15 minutes shot because of the theme but ready to check out because the theme seemed washed and I was so wrong : it was brilliant from the get go.

[Jeebus Cripes]

I would also say the show Spartacus was more than what I expected. I was going to watch it since it was historical fiction show which I like but was expecting it to basically be what it was titled at TWOP Rome with more porn. Yes it had lots of blood and nudity but the show told a good story and had a real heart.

 

ITA. I remember lots of eye-rolling during the pilot because I couldn't shake the feel that I was watching a discount 300, but man, everything following that pilot blew me away. Turned into one of my favorite shows ever.

 

Sleepy Hollow owns this thread for me.  I watched the first episode purely for the snark potential, but was HOOKED within a half an hour.  It was my favorite new show of the 2013 season by a long shot.

 

Same here. Not necessarily my favorite new show, but I never expected it to actually be good. I'm grateful that Tom Mison is so hot, otherwise I never would have tuned in at all.

 

I'm glad my brother convinced me to watch True Detective. I hesitated because I wasn't a Matthew McConaughey fan, but I sure am now.

[Hybridcookie]

Hemlock Grove for me, not saying it's a great show, but I do like it. All I knew about it beforehand was that Famke Janssen was in, that was rich and lived in a big house, and that there might be something supernatural in it. For some reason I was expecting something like The Gates (I never saw it, but that sort of gated community type thing).

[blueray]

Teen Wolf I honestly was on the fence when I heard that they were make a tv show loosly based of the 80's movie. But one day I was really bored and netflix was recommending me it, so I decided I'll check it out, it'll probably suck. The next thing I know I had watched first 6 episodes and was hooked.

Edited July 9, 2014 by blueray

[amaranta]

The short lived Trophy Wife. I really thought they were going for cheap laugh about a stupid blond girl and that was the opposite of that. It had heart, awesome cast and clever writing.

 

I'm going to make Trophy Wife's Christmas episode annual viewing.  Never mind I've already watched it at least 4x.  So, so funny.  And any show that can use Ace of Base's "The Sign" in such a fantastically hysterical manner is all right by me.  That tag will forever take me to a TV happy place.

 

This show and Cougar Town are cautionary tales: Hey Show Creators! Don't give your series a misleading and crappy name!

[Tabbyclaw]

Jennifer, the new girl that Haven dropped on us in the fourth season. She's cute! She's quirky! She has a Mysterious Past! She's clearly being set up as a love interest for Duke to provide a way out of the unnecessary love triangle they dropped out of the sky in season 3! She is somehow the secret to solving the centuries-old mystery that drives the entire show! Are you ready to punch her yet?

 

Please don't, because it turns out she's actually precious. Like, "I want to stuff her in my pocket and take her home" precious. The actress is adorable, she has excellent chemistry with Eric Balfour, and after a shaky introductory episode it turns out that this writing team is actually capable of writing 'quirky' that doesn't turn into 'grating and twee' within seconds. Practically every scene she's in, even the ones where something terrible and plot-threatening is happening, I end up wanting to just pat her on the head and tell her how cute she is.

[tennisgurl]

To me, Spartacus pretty much own this topic. It just looked so utterly awful in the early promotional stuff, that I never even gave it a shot until recently. Turns out, its actually amazing, and probably one of the most tightly written, creative, well acted shows I have seen in ages. Like, right up there with all the multi award winning "prestige" dramas.

 

Also, I thought that Josh Hartnett's Ethan Chandler was going to be a waste of screen time in Penny Dreadful, as, what I assumed, was the American audience surrogate character. However, I ended up being genuinely impressed with his performance, and by the end of the season, Ethan was probably my favorite character (maybe tied with the always awesome Vanessa) and I'm really excited to see where his story goes from here. Go figure.  

[QTBlueMoon]

Parks and Recreation for us.  We watched the first one live, didn't enjoy it much, never turned it on again.  Earlier this year, looking for something to watch, at our son's suggestion, we tried again.  One of our favorite series now.  Just finished Season 5 on Netflix, waiting for Season 6 to be queued up there, and will save Season 7 on our DVR until done with 6.  

[MaryMitch]

I've been avoiding "The Goldbergs", but about a month ago my cousins and sisters got into a conversation about how cute it was, so I've been catching up. I'm glad it got renewed.

[Kromm]

I've been avoiding "The Goldbergs", but about a month ago my cousins and sisters got into a conversation about how cute it was, so I've been catching up. I'm glad it got renewed.

It's the best comedy of the past year, with the possible exception of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (it's about a tie between those two).

[Brandi Maxxxx]

I wouldn't call it a great show but Last Man Standing is surprisingly watchable. It usually provides a decent amount of laughs and isn't quite as insulting to one's intelligence as other sitcoms that shall remain nameless. I don't know how it became shorthand for "terrible show that is still on the air while [some other show] gets cancelled". While I don't like that they do so many political episodes, I can give them credit for making fun of Tim Allen's (well, his character but probably not too far off) conservative views as much as the opposing side. And I actually find it sweet that the youngest daughter totally idolizes him.

[Actionmage]

I was surprised that I ended up genuinely liking Oliver Queen on Arrow. The promos kept showing the chiseled abs and broodiness, but I was okay with that. If this Amell guy was just nice to look at, I was okay with that. (Long-time comics geek here. I was happy it wasn't Superman or Batman for the umpteenth time.) Then, as I watched, week after week, I really enjoyed Oliver and his different facets. Hell, in season one, there was an episode that showed three different sides to the same character in the same episode! After that, I cannot sing Stephen Amell's praises enough. Whether anyone else with the show has a plan for Oliver Queen, I am certain Mr. Amell does and I trust him.

 

Also Hannibal.  I just never got into The Silence of the Lambs (no book, no movie), so while I had an inkling of what to brace for, what I actually got just won me over, including the gore and and uncomfortable scenes that tend to lead to the gore. That Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy and Lawrence Fishburne are there to metaphorically hold my hand helps, but I am eagerly awaiting season three!

 

Another in the apparently small audience of Trophy Wife!  One of the funnier comedies about blended families since The Brady Bunch. I still hope that the dvd set will make it to a store near me so I may watch the episodes as many times as I wish. Bradley Whitford was sharp, Marsha Gay Hardin was deliciously uptight, Michaela Watkins has a convert in me ( her Jackie was as flaky as a biscuit), and Malin Ackerman became the glue for the cast! The balance wasn't perfected yet ( there could be a teensy bit too much Bert, as adorable as he is), but it felt right and landed more jokes than misses. I could go on, but there's another thread for the gushing.

[GreekGeek]

I didn't expect to like The Middle, because I was prejudiced against Patricia Heaton. I didn't care that she was Republican, but I did get annoyed at her on a celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire? plugging her new show. She said that she thought Midwesterners were nicer than New Yorkers--in front of an audience of New Yorkers. She then drew a complete blank on her last question, which was a basic math problem. Regis did everything but tell her the answer. She was ready to walk off without even answering, but then at Regis' urging she asked those nasty New Yorkers for help. (They came through.) And I hadn't liked Debra on Everybody Loves Raymond. But I'm glad I gave The Middle a try. I enjoyed it the first season, especially the episodes revolving around holidays.

[galax-arena]

The CW's Reign. It's so ridiculous - King Henry sexing a woman out the window to her death was a thing - but that's part of its charm.

 

Historical accuracy? What's that? 

[Princess Sparkle]

The CW's Reign. It's so ridiculous - King Henry sexing a woman out the window to her death was a thing - but that's part of its charm.

 

 

Sexing a woman to death?  How DARE they steal plot lines from Nip/Tuck : )

[Raja]

That they got the absurd high concept of get away driver turned into a taxi driving consultant for a NYPD detective to work in Taxi Brooklyn

[galax-arena]

How DARE they steal plot lines from Nip/Tuck : )

Ahem, but did Nip/Tuck involve thrusting at the woman so hard that she was shoved out the window  (to her doooooom), necessitating wacky hijinks as the man and his wife then tried to cover up the whole thing?

[Princess Sparkle]

Ahem, but did Nip/Tuck involve thrusting at the woman so hard that she was shoved out the window  (to her doooooom), necessitating wacky hijinks as the man and his wife then tried to cover up the whole thing?

 

Well - close.  Christian had sex with Gina on a rooftop, and on one of his final thrusts, she flew off the side of the building.  I don't think they ever had to cover it up though.  I feel like it was more "whoopsies, sucks to be Gina.  Ah well."

 

And now I'm cracking up that two separate shows featured "death by hard sexing."

Edited September 4, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[Kel Varnsen]

Well - close.  Christian had sex with Gina on a rooftop, and on one of his final thrusts, she flew off the side of the building.  I don't think they ever had to cover it up though.  I feel like it was more "whoopsies, sucks to be Gina.  Ah well."

 

And now I'm cracking up that two separate shows featured "death by hard sexing."

I think there was a law and order SVU from last season where a guy died in the same way (sex on a rooftop near the edge with a woman). The whole SVU case was trying to figure out if it was an accident/self defense/ or premeditated murder, because the woman had accused the guy of stalking her.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Farkle from Girl Meets World. He's really surprised me. He went from being way over the top, to being one of the more balanced characters of the series so far. The actor who plays him has done really well so far, character wise.

[Sister Havana]

Nowhere to Hide on ID. Their previous series about a private eye, Cry Wolfe, was terrible and I thought this was going to be more of the same. But one day I was flipping channels and the first episode ("Three Doctors, One Wife") was on and it just hooked me right away. The cases were so interesting and Steven Rambam tells the stories well. 

[joelene]

Well - close. Christian had sex with Gina on a rooftop, and on one of his final thrusts, she flew off the side of the building. I don't think they ever had to cover it up though. I feel like it was more "whoopsies, sucks to be Gina. Ah well."

And now I'm cracking up that two separate shows featured "death by hard sexing."

Christian covered it up by telling the cops that Gina jumped. It was only mentioned in passing though, there wasn't a big investigation or anything. I'm pretty sure that's what happened. Then Sharon Gless entered the scene... Oh, Nip/Tuck.

[Haleth]

Sleepy Hollow was better than I expected, mainly due to the incredible chemistry between Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie.  Forget the monster storylines, I could listen to them banter for the whole hour.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Haleth

[Jipijapa]

Empire.  I was only going to check it out, out of loyalty to Taraji Henson (her exit from Person of Interest still smarts), and I don't even like nighttime soaps, or hip hop, or shows with songs in them.  But, it keeps me coming back.

[Chaos Theory]

Archer:  I had heard about it a bunch of times but I don't usually watch animated series.  I don't even like the Simpsons or Family Guy all that much.   However I was bored and it streamed on Netflix.  Well next time I looked up I was half way though season 2. 

[memememe76]

Happy Endings was so much better than anyone planned. It came out the same time as Traffic Light, Friends with Benefits, and Perfect Couples. They were all the same show! Somehow, Happy Endings was the only one that got renewed, because it was the best of the four, in my opinion.

 

To mention a character that surprised you, I would mention Elisha Cuthbert's Alex. Who knew she would have such awesome comedic chops? 

 

In terms of a show that I didn't expect to enjoy, I would add The Ghost Whisperer. Boy, I loved it. I think its greatest influence was to show a happily married young couple relatively free of angst. 

[Rick Kitchen]

To mention a character that surprised you, I would mention Elisha Cuthbert's Alex. Who knew she would have such awesome comedic chops? 

 

In terms of a show that I didn't expect to enjoy, I would add The Ghost Whisperer. Boy, I loved it. I think its greatest influence was to show a happily married young couple relatively free of angst. 

 

Until the husband got reincarnated as a much younger man.

[Snow Apple]

I didn't know why I watched the first episode of The Big Bang Theory since the promos made it look like nerds lusting after a dumb blond. But I'm glad I watched and was pleasantly surprised with the guys personalities and Penney wan't a dumb blond (sadly that came later, but happily she's improved again).

 

Raising Hope. Again, the promos made the characters look like obnoxious trash, but the show was so sweet.

 

White Collar. Thought the show was about a smarmy smirking conman who keeps one-upping the FBI. But it turned out the conman was really funny and charming, and the FBI  agents are smart.

[Aquarius]

In terms of a show that I didn't expect to enjoy, I would add The Ghost Whisperer. Boy, I loved it. I think its greatest influence was to show a happily married young couple relatively free of angst. 

 

Sigh.  Wasn't that awesome?  I LOVED Melinda and Jim.  Then the show had to ruin things forever for me by turning Jim into a meat puppet.  I will never forgive, I tell you.  Never!

Edited February 19, 2015 by Aquarius

[braziliangirl]

The Mother from HIMYM. Alyson Hannigan and Christin Milotti are so similar that it kinda threw me off when Tracy was introduced. But, damn, CM and JR have so much chemistry. And she's so charming. And the fact that there was so much antecipation with this character...Tough job but they delivered it.

 

Juliette Barnes and Avery from Nashville. I don't know how but suddenly they became amazing and likable characters.

 

Also, Go on and Selfie.

[FormerMod-a1]

Reba - a divorced mom and pregnant teenage daughter?  I thought "no thanks" expecting it to be rife with cliches and predictable tropes, and all that.  Boy was I wrong.  When I started watching in syndication (I have no idea why I started, probably left the TV on or something) I was pleasantly surprised I have since seen every episode and find it imminently rewatchable.  They even do the goofball characters well, and these are the kinds of characters that would normally annoy me.

 

New Adventures of Old Christine - similar story to Reba.  I thought "Oh gee, newly divorced mom trying to make her way... yawn".  Again, I caught it in syndication by accident and loved it.  I was mostly caught up in time for the new season, but then it got cancelled.  Sigh.  I also find this completely rewatchable.

[ParadoxLost]

In terms of a show that I didn't expect to enjoy, I would add The Ghost Whisperer. Boy, I loved it. I think its greatest influence was to show a happily married young couple relatively free of angst. 

 

Didn't the husband die and take over the body of some other guy but always looked like the original husband except when he looked in a mirror or something?

[raven]

Defiance - I thought "oh boy more aliens, whatever" and though it can be kinda silly and a little predictable, it has two great characters in Datak & Stahma Tarr plus a believable father/daughter relationship with Nolan and Irisa.   The "low" episodes are usually just mundane while the "high" episodes are pretty damn good.  I'm interested to see where it goes.

 

Vikings and Black Sails - kind of the same but different - mostly irredeemable characters, not people you'd want to be friends with, but with Vikings you've got one of the best female characters ever on television in Lagertha (based on a real historical character) and played by the terrific Katheryn Winnick; Travis Fimmell is compelling as Ragnar; strong yet difficult family ties, action, awesome atmosphere and now Linus Roache.

 

Black Sails has more assholes for sure but they are intriguing and very watchable.  I'm a sucker for action on the ocean so that's a win for me, but the concentration this season so far on political intrigue off the ship is just as interesting as what's going on aboard ship.  Great production values all around.

[Aquarius]

Didn't the husband die and take over the body of some other guy but always looked like the original husband except when he looked in a mirror or something?

 

Yes!  This is what I meant by Jim becoming a meat puppet.  He died and then jumped into the body of poor Sam, who died in a motorcycle accident right in front of Melinda.  Yes, he jumped into a recently vacated corpse right in front of his wife, whose fucking life's work was getting spirits to move on to the other side because they didn't belong here any more.  Since apparently Jim was a fucking snowflake exception to the rules of the afterlife that Melinda worked tirelessly to get others to accept, no matter the depth of their own earthly ties.  Because. He. Just. Loved. Her. So. Much.  Gah!

 

Melinda saw him as Jim, and I think he saw himself as Jim, but the rest of the world saw him as Sam.  You know, the poor recently deceased-but-not motorcycle dude.  Who Melinda took up with very shortly after the loss of her husband, whom she loved so very much.  So the whole thing was so very WTF-ish that even the show abandoned it the next season.  Fast forward five years, Jim has his own face back, with Sam apparently forgotten, and he's in medical school and he and Melinda have a son who shares her gift  Cancellation followed shortly thereafter.  Much to the surprise of no one.

 

But nope, I'm not bitter.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Aquarius