Talk About It Thursday (#3): When TV Shows Lose Momentum

Every other Thursday (probably; this one is the most subject to change) I will make a post that's meant to bring about some conversation, discussion, and perhaps even a debate. This can be about a book, movie, artist/album, or anything!

Well, this is going to be a long post...and one filled with confessions and a little bit of sorrow. And this will also be filled with many case studies based on shows I watch, as well as my own personal OPINION(S).

Basically, this post is about when TV shows lose steam. I'm sure we've all seen a beloved show start to fade. We're probably in denial about it, but we know it's true. So the problem becomes, do we stop watching the show if it's not that well done anymore? Do we stop watching the show because we know it likely won't get better anytime soon? Or do we keep watching, hoping it will turn back up again? Do we keep watching if we know the show is almost over anyway? Do we keep watching out of loyalty? Or because it used to be one of our favorite shows? What do we do and should we try to focus on the positives rather than the negatives?

Case Studies:

NCIS

Confession: NCIS used to be my favorite show.
Confession: It isn't anymore, thus the "used to be."

A lot of people that watch NCIS blame its recent downturn on Cote de Pablo, who played Ziva David, leaving the show and Emily Wickersham (Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop) entered. But in my opinion, the show started going downhill long before de Pablo's departure from the show.

The plots were getting old. The relationship between Tony and Ziva was stretched out for too long. Ziva wasn't the same Ziva we knew anymore, for better or for worse. To me, it didn't leave the same impact it used to anymore. If I missed a few episodes, I didn't really think twice about it. Not a lot pulled/pulls me back anymore in terms of the actual show.

But I LOVED the show before. It was my #1 favorite show just a few years ago. So I keep watching it, keeping up with every episode as best I can. Because I feel like I should. Because I keep hoping it'll get better again. Because I know there might be one episode or one plot arc that I'll be interested in. Because I'm not quite ready to leave all those characters yet. Because I know the show probably won't end soon because of it's high viewership. Because I want to believe that it'll get better.

But will it? I don't know. Maybe not. Probably not. The show is in its 11th season. I think everyone's running out of fresh ideas. They're not exploring issues as well anymore. They're just trying to fill in with episodes such as ones with Gibbs' ex-wife or that one with the awkward flashbacks to Mike Franks. Bishop isn't that great, at least in MY opinion. (I know a lot of people like her and are happy to have her on the show.)

Psych

I always give Psych such high praise. It deserves it...generally. It's a funny crime show with lots of awesome references in it. The cast is amazing, and everyone involved just appreciates the fans so much and tries their best to interact with fans.

But confession: I'm still around 6 episodes behind.
Confession: I've been procrastinating on watching those episodes. I don't know why exactly.

The thing is, I know the show is waning too. Season 8 is likely to be one of the last seasons, if not the last season of Psych. Shawn and Juliet are together. Gus has a girlfriend. Lassiter is married. Shawn and Gus, I feel in many ways have went back to their extremely childish ways. The episodes seem to try to please the existing fans more than to try to make them better to appeal to others. The musical was okay but not spectacular. I feel less and less invested, and it makes me feel a bit guilty, to be honest.

I love the show to pieces. I love the character interactions. I loved watching Shawn and Gus grow and mature and LEARN. But are they regressing? Is the show losing its steam, now that Shawn and Juliet are together? We know Shawn's secret will be out any day now.

But I adore the show and the cast. It's nice to watch when I want to watch something that's light and funny (although it can involve ALL THE FEELS). I want to be invested in the show again. And I mean, in some ways I still am, but in other ways, I'm not. And that makes me so sad.

Doctor Who

This one probably upsets me the most. 

Confession: I'm most certainly NOT a Moffat sympathizer. 

Confession: Eleven was okay for me but not as great as so many people believe. Again, that's just me.

Confession: I don't like Amy, and I DEFINITELY don't like River Song (is she finally gone???)

Confession: I like Clara, but I hate how the show treats her. *ahem*Moffat*ahem*

Two summers ago, I fell in love with Doctor Who. I watched it with a friend(ish). We talked about the show. I fell in love with the show and the story and the Doctor and the Companions and the TARDIS. 

But I personally feel like the show's gone downhill since Moffat took over. Seasons 5 and on just weren't the same. It didn't feel like the Doctor Who I'd come to love anymore. I want to go into everything but that would end up in a rant and that would not be pretty and it'd be very long. If you ever want to discuss it with me, feel free to email me, but yeah.

I feel as if I HAVE to continue watching the show because I love(d) it so much. I liked some of the recent Companions. But I feel as if Moffat has honestly ruined Doctor Who. I don't want to continue to watch the show go down, down, down. BUT I have hope that it'll continue on. That someone will eventually (FINALLY) take over and that maybe that person will handle the show better than I believe Moffat has. I am not aiming to bash Moffat, but I believe that a lot of the problems stemmed from him. Don't get me wrong, there were some things I wasn't too fond of when Davies was in charge, but I liked how ran the show. 

So, I know with Doctor Who, I'll continue to watch the show, holding out, waiting for the day it gets better again.

Covert Affairs

Last one, promise! This is getting SO long, and I'm getting tired.

I'm one of the people that started watching this show ever since it began. One of the original fangirls. But now? I'm behind by half a season AT LEAST. Although I want to watch the show and catch up, there's a small part of me that doesn't care anymore.

The thing is, many of the characters kind of bother me now. Annie doesn't seem like the spy she used to be. She's gone rogue. She doesn't follow the rules. She does what she wants. And on the show, when she does that, things still work out in the end. That bothers me. She never learns from her mistakes. She keeps on making reckless decisions. She needs to learn and she hasn't yet (at least up to the part I've seen).

The show has also jumped the gun on the Annie/Auggie relationship. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE them together. I ship them so hard. But I don't want them to be together yet. I want them to be able to handle it like NCIS:LA handles Kensi/Deeks and Nell/Eric. I want them to be able to (sort of) handle it like NCIS (they dragged it out for too long, and it backfired, but the idea of dragging it on for a little bit). I want them to be able to handle it like Fringe. I want them to be able to handle it like Psych. BUT NOPE. I don't know...a lot of people like it, but I'm not a huge fan of it. I'm happy they're together, but this show doesn't rest on much. Their relationship was their safety net once they ran out of plot lines and needed a boost. Oh well.

The story lines are becoming more and more predictable and less and less exciting. Again, maybe it's just me. I don't know. But there's something about the show that's changed, and that has affected my view on the show. I'll continue to watch it/catch up, but we'll see where the show goes...

What are some other "case study" shows? What do you do when a show you love starts to lose momentum? Do you have any advice for me on what to do with some of these shows?
Let me know!