Watch/Discuss: J.J. Abrams's new series, Revolution, gets a trailer. Or the inherent peril of close-ended television.

The premise is genuinely chilling, and the opening moments have a real kick to them.  But once the show starts up its real storyline, we quickly see the problem with this kind of seemingly short-term narrative storytelling.  By the end of this four-minute clip, we already know that there is some amulet that apparently makes electricity work again.  So it appears that the core arc of the show will be a journey to find this amulet and theoretically use it to restore power to a world that currently has none.  Fine, but does that not presume that the show will in-effect be a long waiting game as we (im)patiently wait for the core problem to be solved.  Yes we can hopefully become invested in certain characters and enjoy the two decent actors on display (Gincarlo Esposito and Billy Burke), but won't every would-be goal post be a false alarm, every climactic reveal be the equivalent of 'Your princess is in another castle'?  

Community, TV's best show, returns next week. If you trust me, you'll watch it...

If you don't watch this show, you're an idiot.  Really, there is no excuse not to check this out... It's as laugh-out-loud funny as The Simpsons in its prime (seasons 5-9, although the last two seasons have been pretty terrific too), and often almost as moving as Scrubs in its prime (seasons 1-4, plus 8).  Yes geeks will obsess over the various pop-culture satire, but what makes the show work is how it works all of its genre deconstruction into real stories that constantly develop their core characters and always make sure every single moment has consequences for the long story.  Creator Dan Harmon has done something tricky here... he has taken the sitcom format and built a show that plays like an operatic drama, with season-long arcs, heroes and villains, and actors who play the serious moments every bit as raw and real as if they were on Mad Men (which of course, Alison Brie also co-stars in).  Community returns next Thursday.  If you value my opinion at all when it comes to art (and if you don't why the heck are you reading my site?), then you'll tune in on March 15th.

Scott Mendelson  

Thoughts on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Meloni and Hargitay step down.

For about six years, from season 2 to season 8, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was a pretty terrific procedural drama.  While people are understandably skittish about the subject matter, the show is generally less graphically violent than any of the CSI shows, let alone something like Criminal Minds.  But somewhere around season 9-ish, the show started getting silly... really silly.  The show went from a somewhat restrained 'just the facts, mam' procedural to a nonstop barrage of 'This isn't just any other case!!"  John Munch (Richard Belzer) was more-or-less written out of the show, Fin' Tutuola (Ice-T) became relatively scarce, and the series went from being a genuine ensemble cop show to the Benson and Stabler show, complete with 'will they or won't they?' teases and oodles of needlessly personal subplots.  Every season had at least one 'PLEASE give Mariska Hargitay an Emmy!' episode, which usually resulted in a season-low point (SEE Benson get raped in jail!)  that actually snagged her that Emmy nomination.  

Must-Watch: Aaron Sorkin on 30 Rock

I don't know what it is about fifth seasons, but getting to season five often seems to creatively recharge long-running shows (Homicide: Life on the Street, Gilmore Girls, Law and Order, 30 Rock, 24, etc). Point being, 30 Rock is having one of its strongest seasons yet.

Scott Mendelson

Why Wonder Woman belongs on television, where female superheroes thrive.

I have written a couple times about the David E. Kelly Wonder Woman reboot that is apparently scheduled for this fall on NBC. The show will allegedly involve a somewhat 'realistic' take on the Amazon warrior, with Diana being a CEO by day and a vigilante at night. The pilot is allegedly going to be directed by McG, best known for the Charlie's Angels movies but also one of the creative forces behind the popular spy-comedy Chuck (he directed the pilot for that one too). Much of the discussion over the last few months has revolved around 'why television and not a movie?'. Warner Bros. has struggled to get a big screen Wonder Woman feature off the ground for nearly a decade or so, with Joss Whedon giving over three years of his life to make it a reality. But the cold hard truth is that a character like Wonder Woman is frankly a better fit for television. I say this not because the lower budgets for television action shows won't hurt (they will), or that superheroes in television have always been huge successes (catch The Cape before it's gone...), but because television has been a gold mine for three-dimensional female characters for the last twenty years.