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Great Second Seasons In Television History
"The shocker twist - "evil Angel" emerging after the hottie couple make love for the first time - was both brutal and deliciously effective." |
Great Second Seasons In Television History
March 26, 2006
Eric Berlin
 Shortly before the sixth season of The Sopranos (finally! blessedly!) debuted a few weeks back, I indulged myself with a weekend spent watching the great and arguably best second season. For casual Sopranos fans, that's the one where Big Pussy buys it on the boat, a big shocker that forced viewers to realize for all time that a) these fellers don't play nice b) in fact, really aren't very nice when it comes down to it and c) big characters - even big loveable H-dealing under-the-thumb of the feds ratting Big Pussy - are just as disposable as last night's Satriales trash.
This led me to think about great second seasons of great shows. There's a magic to first seasons, of course. It's like a new love, a new magic, a new spark that's exciting and blood pumpage-promoting. There's nothing like being on the front lines of such a new discovery, a new creation that's been brought into the world. I'll never forget that rush of adrenaline I felt, for instance, when I watched Rescue Me or The Wire for the first time.
Then there's that feeling of being in the know and being able to Spread the Word to all who would hear. The Internet is perfect for this kind of sharing and kibitzing, of course.
You mean you haven't checked out The Shield?
No, dude, I just haven't had the time.
Well, you better make time then, my friend!
The second season, however, is telling. Of course, it means that the show was enough of a popular draw to get renewed! Some dearly beloved and obscenely promising shows were never awarded that opportunity: Firefly, Wonderfalls, Life As We Know It, how we do miss thee and thine ... sniff. But it's also the time where we see if the whole operation is a fluke or if it has the wings and stamina to fly off into true and lasting kingdoms of greatness.
Here are some of the great second seasons in television history. I'll go nowhere near claiming that they're The Best, and I encourage you to contribute your own thoughts and ideas in the comments.
[...]
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The second season is when Joss Whedon and crew really find their sea legs and a loyal and devoted cult fan base in the process. Moving definitively toward a season-long story arc plot structure (a bold move that required an attentive and returning audience) allowed this unique genre-blend of a show (who the hell would ever imagine a drama/comedy/horror show about a teenage girl with superpowers battling vampires and demons at her high school could work?) to blossom and then soar.
The Angel-Buffy storyline perfectly encapsulated young love that could never be. The shocker twist - "evil Angel" emerging after the hottie couple make love for the first time - was both brutal and deliciously effective. Joss Whedon's ability to suck (sucker?) an audience in with likeable characters and witty pop culture-laced dialogue and then literally claw us all underneath to the dark side is fully operational at this early stage in his television career. David Boreanaz displays a wonderful acting range that later is rewarded with a spin-off (Angel) that had its own five-season run. The Dru and Spike subplot allowed for wonderful and cathartic comedy, gallows humor delivered with high British charm by the lowly undead.
And, come on, let's face it: all middle class kids would gladly throw their real-life friends under the bus to hang with the Scooby Gang - Xander and Willow and Cordie and Giles.
[...]
Check out the source-link to read the complete article!
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, and the Buffy logo are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB Television Network, and Twentieth Century Fox. Angel-The Series, its characters, and the Buffy logo are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB Television Network, and Twentieth Century Fox.Other Series, their characters and logos are property of the proper right owners.
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