Lara's TV Reviews

I got so tired of watching all those reality and crime shows I tuned in to Ugly Betty to see what the hype was about. Well, it is about an amazing performance by America Ferrera balancing a character that is both awkward and winning masterfully. Vanessa Williams is unbelievable as the conniving artistic director and Erik Mabius is both sympathetic and frustrating as the golden son who can't seem to find his way. I must say, it makes me laugh out loud every week and just keeps getting stronger.

I watched the first episode and thought the storyline and characters were really good, but was unsure how the plot would develop. After getting behind by about 5 episodes, I did a marathon watch of the show and got hooked. The effect on the lives of the characters after the bank robbery are diverse and very believable. It is well acted and I'm glad to see Tim Daly again on a regular TV series. It may be difficult for a new viewer to jump into the plot, but is well worth the time.

There are only a handful of shows I look forward to viewing on a weekly basis, and this is definitely one of them. I thought it was truly ambitious of J.J. Abrams to have so many plotlines co-existing, but it has turned it into a complicated, engaging series that makes me think. The mystery of the island is far from being revealed and I look forward to several more seasons of quality acting, plotlines and suspense.

I practically use the show as a travel guide. It fascinates me to see all the various cultures that the teams encounter. While the tasks can sometimes be not to my taste (pardon the pun, seriously talking about the eating large quantities of food ones), there are some that are truly inspired and really give a taste of the country itself. I love seeing where I've gone and get new ideas of where to go.

I really wanted to like this series when it first aired. The premise seemed promising and had an appealing cast. Once I started watching though, the plotline kept getting thinner and thinner, with nothing to really draw me back. When I started to only record it on the off change Grey's Anatomy ran over time, I knew it was time to delete it off my Tivo. A disappointing execution of an otherwise interesting concept.