Griffith's TV Reviews

I have not seen Lost. I have not seen Gray's Anatomy. Why? Because they are on opposite my absolutely favorite show, Supernatural.

This is a show that is amazingly well written. It maintains consistency through the seasons and episodes (did he mention that in Season 1? Well, it still applies in Season 3). The characters (through the phenomenal acting of Padalecki and Ackles) actually respond as if they've lived through all the horrors we've seen in the past seasons (and the stuff we haven't seen). Everything about the writing strikes one as exactly as it should be.

The plots are well constructed and the episodes neatly balance the "monster of the week"/horror with the "mythology" of the show. One would assume that mythology to be in tune with the horror, but it's sweeter, more dramatic, and more touching than any of the Weeper of the Week sort of TV movies (but OOOOOH so better acted and written). The Brothers Winchester have been dragged through hell on earth (and perhaps soon in hell) and they show the scars -- emotionally, mentally, and (presumably) physically (one doesn't want to mess up those pretty faces and bodies for the TV audience, at least not for very long).

This is a show that has 2 main characters and then a handful of secondary characters (not including the car) that appear irregularly. Yes, instead of the 20+ characters on those medical or cop shows, we follow 2 characters. Boy, do we get to know those characters very well. And yet, there are always mysteries to leave us guessing.

So there are "per episode" mysteries, "per season" mysteries and then the general mysteries of each of these very rich personalities. And we are not left to linger in doubt forever so that we become irritated (see: Lost). The mystery is presented, dangled, taunting us, and then just when you think it's going to drive you crazy, answers are given. It's satisfying.

So, my review of Supernatural -- one of the best shows on TV that you didn't know existed -- is that it is amazingly well written, well plotted, well researched, and well acted. It's only fault is that it's poorly advertised (oh, yeah, and in a killer time slot) and people dismiss it because they think it's just "horror" (or scifi?).

Catch it on Thursday nights.
Buy the DVDs of the first two seasons.
You will be satisfied.