Dead Already

It's been a long, long, long time, but I'm interested in sharpening my blogging skills, so back to Pop Culture Depot I go!

Everyone by now has heard the critical acclaim for AMC's "The Walking Dead." And while I have to give kudos to them for their dramatic, earnest approach to zombies that remains irony-free and kitsch-free, it often feels a little cold and lifeless (pun intended). But this week's Fall finale (how crazy is it, by the way, that so many shows have mid-season finales anymore?) ended in five minutes of top notch, not-to-be-missed television as the season's main story arcs came to a head in a core-shaking confrontation. I don't want to give anything away, but the last scene is such a fitting resolution that even though you should see it coming, you totally don't.

Unlike last week's "Dexter" reveal, which was ruined by Internet speculation that turned out to be disappointingly spot on. Since nearly the first episode of the current season, online reviewers have have been wondering if Edward James Olmos's Professor Gellar was, in fact, actually there at all. Turns out Colin Hanks's Travis has been hallucinating him all along. And if you've been watching these past few weeks with that idea planted in your head, you've noticed how no one but Travis ever interacted with Gellar, or saw Gellar, etc. At least the "is he real?" tension is finally over. But in a season that, to date, I've really enjoyed so far as it plumbed themes of light and darkness, I have to say I feel cheated out of what would've otherwise been a fantastic twist, as in Psycho or Fight Club.

On a lighter note, NBC's "Community" is having its best season so far, as it approaches "Arrested Development" levels of wit and cleverness. So it's probably no surprise that, like "Arrested Development," it's unlikely to go beyond a third season. The show is simply too smart for its own good, as evidenced by NBC taking it off the midseason schedule. While nothing is set in stone re: cancellation, this is definitely a bad sign. Which is unfortunate, because they've been knocking it out of the park so far this Fall, with episodes like "Remedial Chaos Theory," in which six alternate realities are explored following the roll of a die (seven, if you count the one where Abed calls Jeff out on his ploy to avoid getting the pizza). And I couldn't stop laughing out loud until this week's anime foosball sequence was over.

Finally, "Fringe" remains one of my must-see shows, although I don't feel like it's been delivering the originality of season three so far this Fall...with one notable exception: "And Those We've Left Behind." That week's exploration of time displacement was imaginative and just plain fun. Unfortunately, "Fringe" is on hiatus again already and doesn't return till mid January. Here's hoping the second half of the season has lots of twists and surprises in store.