This is our first in a two-part installment about Must-See TV. Stay tuned for Dave Coleman’s follow-up article later this week.
The New Year doesn’t just mean the dawn of 2015, it also means the return of some of people’s favourite shows. Some have already returned, some are almost here, while others will still be a small ways away. But if you’re like me and you enjoy everything in the comic book subculture, ridiculous humour, or a large dose of suspense and drama, then the following list of shows would be right up your alley. Tuning into the new seasons would be perfect for someone who’s already a fan, but I urge any others who haven’t seen them to check out the whole thing.
Spoiler Alert!: If you haven’t seen every show I’m about to list then don’t read what is going to be said. It may ruin some parts for you.
Gotham: Kicking off our list is the prologue to the ever popular Batman franchise. Though many critics were on the fence about this one, I personally love what they have been doing with it. Seeing the characters in their younger years as they slowly make their ways to the Batman storyline has created a comic book drama that I can’t get enough of. The mid-season premiere aired on January 5th and two episodes have come out since its return. When last left, Det. Gordon had been stripped of his rank with the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD for short) and became a security guard at the nut house Arkham Asylum. Will Gordon return to the GCPD? Will the murderer of Bruce Wayne’s parents be captured? Will Penguin’s underhandedness pay off, or blow up in his face? Tune in on Mondays to find out.
Agent Carter: Those of you that enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) should without a doubt tune into this newly coined gem. With Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. not returning for a few months and the next Avengers movie even further away, Agent Carter has become the solo storyline progressing at the moment. Personally, I can’t get enough. Taking place almost right after the first Captain America movie, Agent Carter takes the public back to the late 1940s in America and gives Peggy Carter (a character from the same movie) the lead role. Though it still keeps one entertained as well as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it also introduces something not seen in most modern television shows: sexism. It’s a well known fact that women were not given equal rights until just a few decades ago within the U.S., and Agent Carter doesn’t sugar-coat that fact in the slightest. Many of the female characters are constantly abused by and looked down upon by some of the male characters. Peggy isn’t seen as an equal in the Agency she works for anymore, but rather is slightly scorned simply for being who she is. This adds an amazing element of plot to the entire show. Not only is she doing her best to try and solve a mystery surrounding a close friend, she is also dealing with several people brushing her aside simply because she was born with two X chromosomes. Though only three episodes of Agent Carter have premiered since January 6th, something tells me that this one may very well stand the test of time.
The Flash + Arrow: Two DC favourites that have gained great popularity amongst television fanatics, and now take place in the same universe as each other. Arrow is currently on its third season while The Flash is brand new in its first, though both just returned from their mid-season breaks. Arrow stars a classic comic character named Oliver Queen, an expert marksman who returns to his hometown after being presumed dead for five years and takes on the guise of a vigilante known as The Arrow. The Flash‘s main character is a young man named Barry Allen who, after being dosed by experimental rays from a malfunctioning particle accelerator, gains the ability of super-human speed and becomes the fastest man alive, moving quicker than the human eye can follow. Though they take place in the same universe and will often exchange characters from one show to the next, the overall tones are very different in the two shows. Much of Arrow‘s stories are designed to be crime-based and try their hardest to involve characters that could exist. Super-powers don’t play much of a factor (aside from the odd drug that makes people stronger or more durable) and it is mostly weapon experts that get involved, giving the show a more serious feeling where you sometimes fear for the characters lives. The Flash, on the other hand, is full of characters with super-powers. The Flash will often get pitted against these people in a test of seeing if his speed truly is enough to conquer whatever gets thrown at him, though the odd normal villain still gets thrown in from time to time. If you’re like me and you enjoy seeing superheroes in live action situations, then these two are perfect for you. Though if you’ve already started watching the shows then I have just two questions for you: will Barry Allen solve the mystery of his mother’s killer? And what is the fate of Oliver Queen after his fatal-looking injury? Flash and Arrow return on January 20th and 21st, hopefully with some answers to a few questions. Tune in to find out!
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) isn’t stopping any time soon, having at least another ten movies already planned for the future, and Joss Whedon’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a large part of that entire universe. Taking place in the current time frame of the movies, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. features a small cast of fallen S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who are trying to protect their world from the terrorist organization known as HYDRA, a group of activists founded during WWII. At least that’s one of the main problems. The MCU is quickly expanding and this show is doing the same thing. It is currently on its second season and a large factor now in play is extra-terrestrial life and how it impacts the people on Earth. Both groups, S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA, are currently locked in a race to try and harness the power of these aliens. HYDRA wants to claim it for themselves, S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to make sure that doesn’t happen. Season one intertwined perfectly with the premiere of Captain America; The Winter Soldier, which makes me hope that season two will somehow build up to The Avengers, Age of Ultron. Currently on its break, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. left us with a cliff-hanger that has the agents checking out a long-abandoned alien city where one of the main characters, a hacker named Skye, activated something and (apparently) became more than human. There are many questions up in the air at the moment and hopefully the return will bring some long awaited answers. But we’ll have to wait until March 3rd to really find out.
And there you have it readers. Great shows already here and well on their way, to spend an evening sitting down and getting involved with. But don’t fret if your tastes aren’t similar to mine. These are simply suggestions for anyone to consider if you maybe feel like switching up your style every now and then. It’s not for everyone, but consider for a moment what happens within shows every now and then. There’s always a change from the norm; maybe you all should do exactly that. Step outside your comfort zone for a while.
You just might find something you like.
