Back in action

Four top-rated TV shows return for their fall season

By: Ben Tepfer and Rebekah Jones

Posted: 9/29/08

"Heroes," "The Office," "House" and "Grey's Anatomy" - four of television's most popular shows, returned this past week to tie up loose ends and create new twists and turns for their new seasons. However, the theme of most of these shows seems to be "same problems, different season," as almost none of the shows seem to veer off their familiar, formulaic paths created at the beginning of the series. While audiences might be a bit more impressed if writers stepped out of the box, there's no doubt these four shows will have successful seasons.

"The Office" - Thursdays at 9 p.m. on NBC

Most of the employees at the Scranton, Pa., branch of Dunder Mifflin are back for the fifth season of the British spin-off series, "The Office." The hour-long season premiere recapped the summer, following the office's journey of the corporate-sponsored weight loss competition.

The employees weighed in weekly on an industrial-sized scale and went through extreme measures attempting to be the victorious branch. Dwight Schrute, the assistant to the regional manager, replaced all vending machine snacks with fruits and Kelly Kapoor, human resources, drank a mixture of "maple syrup, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and water."

The highlight of the weight loss competition occurred when Dwight took overweight sales associate Phyllis Lapin five miles downtown and abandoned her with no money or cell phone. Phyllis returned from her five-mile walk exhausted, and the audience's patience with Dwight's antics transition from amusing to annoying. Along with his lucid affair with accountant Angela Martin, Dwight's character is crossing the line from funny to when can we kill his character off in a tragic plane crash?

There are no new cast additions, although former secretary Pam Beesly is now studying art in New York City and former VP of Dunder Mifflin, Ryan Howard, is back in Scranton working as the branch secretary, an interesting twist because Ryan's character wasn't an audience favorite, and his arrest last season seemed like a good way to get rid of him.

The new human resources woman, Holly, continues to romantically pursue regional manager Michael Scott, but in the mix of a communication error, Michael missed another opportunity to take Holly out by buying her Counting Crows tickets and ripping them up, instead of taking her to the show. Of course Michael's socially awkward approaches to dating are still funny, but audience frustration with the long-awaited hookup, along with the tension from pregnant former lover Jan Levinson, make the complex love octagon unnerving.

This season will surely be filled with the expected, as well as some surprises. Pam and sales associate Jim Halpert are finally engaged, though Pam seems to have met a new guy friend at art school, sure to make that octagon a nonagon. Angela and Andy are busy planning their wedding, but organizational disputes (and Angela's secret meetings with Dwight in the warehouse) make their relationship's length questionable. It is going to be another wild year in the life of employees of the paper industry.

"House" - Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX

The tragic death of Dr. Amber Volakis has continued to be a moving theme in the medical mystery's fifth season.

Dr. James Watson has chosen to resign, but knowing television these days, he will most likely be back soon. In the mean time, Dr. Gregory House has hired a private investigator to keep an eye on Watson.

In Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, things seem to be the same as always: House has an adversarial and sexual-tension driven relationship with Chief Hospital Administrator Lisa Cuddy, the doctors who work under House like to roll their eyes at him and no day is complete without the breaking of some ethical or hospital rule.

The new patients this season are not any more or less unique than the previous ones. Yet, in every episode, around twenty minutes in, the doctors misdiagnose the patient. All the same, House manages to keep its medical curriculum innovative and House's wit fresh.

"Grey's Anatomy" - Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC (though it won't be on this week because the vice presidential debate)

At the end of last season, we left Meredith Grey surrounded by candles that formed the outline of the house she hopes to live in with McDreamy (Dr. Derek Shepherd). By the end of this season's two-hour season premiere, the two are not any closer to moving in. After all, how many times have the two of them been together and broken up in the past four seasons?

Grey and Shepherd aside, the episode wasn't too much different than the finale, or, for that matter, every other episode: Mark Sloan creates sexual tension with every woman, Cristina Yang is in desperate need of a man, George O'Malley is oblivious that Lexie Grey likes him, and Izzie still has not gotten over the death of her fiancé. Dr. Erica Hahn and Dr. Callie Torres have finally admitted they are attracted to each other; though neither have expressed they are lesbians.

The season will be undoubtedly filled with everyone sleeping with each other, new relationships (as well as several breakups between Grey and Shepherd) and the sound of heart monitor alarms when an emotional conversation is taking place. Also, there may be some medical cases in between all of that. If for nothing else, watch the show for its soundtrack that is rich with diverse and always mood-appropriate songs.

"Heroes" - Mondays at 8 p.m. on NBC

Heroes is back again after last season's suspension. Well, it was on last season, but even the producers know it was bad, posting a quote from USA Today on the show's Web site stating "…if you liked Heroes in the first season…you'd be wise to give the third a try."

The season kicked off with the shooting, death and resurrection of New York congressman, Nathan Petrelli, all within the first five minutes. A bit confusing if you didn't closely follow the previous season, but makes for an interesting sub-plot that has been foreshadowed to come.

Two seasons ago, the villain known only as Sylar was assumed to be dead by everyone in the free world. Viewers refused to believe that one of the main characters and principle eye-candy would be killed off so easily, and the super-villain has been united once again with the all-star cast.

This season, titled "Heroes Volume Three: Villains," Sylar is back trying to steal the special powers of others yet again. While Sylar is running around opening people's brains up, which we actually get to see this season, Hiro Nakamura is turning back time, and, of course, confusing us all.

Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) isn't doing much this season aside from running around in clothes that seem to become more risqué with each season. Her character, despite the brunette upgrade and implants, has fallen flat.

Other characters, like Peter Petrelli, save this season, and keep the plot from becoming overly complex. A new theme worked its way into this season: God. While it was a highlight of the first season, the religious motives behind the heroes' talents took a back seat to the action-run second season.

The product placement for Sprint aside, "Heroes" is sure to take a turn for the better with a more singular plot focus that unites all the characters. Oh, yeah, and more gore and boobs.

bstepfer@syr.edu
rdjone03@syr.edu