The Riches was one of those shows that suffered from the p-word: potential. With an interesting story -- a family of Travelers settle into a stolen life as an upper-middle-class suburban family -- and excellent acting performances from Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, the show had the same breakout potential as any of FX's other dramas.
But the show's potential was never realized, either creatively or in the ratings. The show always had trouble balancing dark comedy and intense drama, and it strained to make the audience care about the Malloys, who were dealing with the consequences of stealing the American Dream. At the end of its aborted second season, FX had not committed either way to bringing the show back. Well, now we know: Mike Ausiello of EW confirmed yesterday that The Riches has been cancelled.
There are way too many layers to that quote. For Vic to say something like that and to actually believe it just goes to show you how delusional a person he truly is. For him to actually believe that he's somehow better than Shane Vendrell is just about as hypocritical as it gets. Bad behavior leads to more bad behavior by setting a precedent and if you're a longtime fan of The Shield, you know the original sin: Terry Crowley.
With a healthy stable of hits including The Shield, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck, and Damages, you can easily make the argument that FX has a pretty good idea of what makes a good drama and what doesn't. Unfortunately, you can't say the same thing for comedies.
The cable network has scored a huge hit with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (now in its fourth season), but they've had no other comedic successes. You might recall that when Sunny premiered back in the summer of 2005, it aired in tandem with FX's only other sitcom attempt, the Eric Schaeffer vehicle Starved. Personally, I thought Starved was a great show and deserved a second season but the ratings didn't justify it. The subject matter (eating disorders) probably didn't help either.
So after a long hiatus, FX is finally giving comedy another shot with Testees, a new sitcom from the mind of Kenny Hotz (Kenny vs. Spenny). I had a chance to see the pilot episode and after viewing it, I think it'll probably do OK.
With Rescue Me failing to bring in the ratings FX really needs or wants, and even this final, and for the record brilliant, season of The Shield under-performing, it's pretty awesome that new series Sons of Anarchy seems to have found an audience. I'm a couple episodes behind (so I'm not helping with the ratings I guess), but after a slow start, this story of a biker gang of criminals is really starting to suck me in.
Apparently I'm not the only one. In five short weeks, Sons has managed to not only retain 3.5 million viewers in the adults 18-49 demo, but it's retained 97% of its total audience since the premiere. Which is why FX decided to pick the show up for a second season.
(S07E05) "Putting Pezuela away is a down payment on me being able to live with myself." - Vic
Vic Mackey expressing regret? Wha?!? If that isn't a sign of the end, I don't know what is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but up until now, I don't think we've ever heard Vic say he felt bad about what he'd done. At least not say it and mean it. Sure, he's expressed distaste for some of his actions and more often than not he spouts the "I did what had to be done" rhetoric, but now he's finally starting to realize that this is it.
(S07E04) "Cut off the head and the tentacles get frisky - it's a risk." - Vic
Things are starting to heat up in the Mexican/Armenian feud! While it still astonishes me that neither Pezuela nor Rezian seem to realize how they're being played so perfectly by Vic, I'm still in awe of the entire situation. Vic has got each them believing his lies so fully that it finally pushed Pezuela to go as far as burning two of Rezian's lieutenants alive. Not that Pezuela hasn't killed before, but c'mon - Vic is good. Realistically, that's two less people who know about the money train hit.
It's a huge mess and even though we're seeing glimmers of an end game, I think it's safe to say that it won't be that easy. Credit to Shawn Ryan and Co. for giving us The Shield that long-time fans are accustomed to. Four episodes into the final season and it's clear Ryan didn't reinvent the wheel, which is why I know that fooling Rezian and Pezuela can't be this easy for much longer.
(S07E03) "I don't need the box. I have you." - Vic
Quicksand. Vic and Ronnie finally uttered the one word that has been lingering over The Shield since the beginning. Sure, as a team, they've had some wins and some losses. Despite the fact that they seem to keep coming out on top, it's finally becoming clear that they've been slowly sinking all along.
You'd have thought that after 32 episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (premieres on FX, next Thursday, 9/18 at 10PM) that Mac, Dennis, Dee, Charlie, and Frank would have tackled just about anything you can think of that's offensive. They've hit on underage drinking, Nazis, sex offenders, dumpster babies, religion, retardation, homosexuality, and homeless people. Well I'm here to tell you that it's far from over. There's still plenty of off-color material for these five fools to rape (considering the context... I think that is the right word) and it isn't stopping with this season, which will run for 13 episodes. FX president John Landgraf has confirmed that 39 more episodes will follow. But I'm getting ahead of myself. My thoughts on the season four premiere are after jump.
(S01E02) "I will not look the other way Jax." - Hale
I'm still on board with Sons of Anarchy, but there are just too many things that are rubbing me the wrong way. Much like my minor complaint on this season of The Shield, Jax's father's manuscript has reached the point of becoming über-important just like Cruz Pezuela's blackmail box (the one Mackey stole) without any solid explanation. One gets the feeling that without that manuscript, the story would just crumble.
If this thing is so important, then why didn't Gemma or Clay have it destroyed years ago? Did they even know it existed? It was just lying out in the open in the family storage unit. While I appreciate the tension that builds as Jax slowly reads one page at a time, I'm still unconvinced that when he gets to, I dunno, "page 86," that we're going to be that shocked when the inevitable bomb is dropped. Why else would Gemma want it so bad if there wasn't some horrible family secret buried in it?
(S07E02) "Look, this list is like the standings in the sports section and every gang is making a playoff push." - Vic
The cohesiveness of the Strike Team has always been paramount to their successes. Trust is key and the second it ever lacked, people (Terry and Lem) got killed. More than anyone, Vic should know this. So for him to start this episode off by telling Shane that he doesn't trust him almost feels like the beginning of Vic's end. Regardless of Shane's past actions, Vic needs to trust him now if he wants his family safe, and more importantly, if he wants to save himself.
(S01E01) "Just pretend it's carve-your-own steak night at Sizzler." - Jax
FX is taking a fairly big gamble with Sons of Anarchy. With their trademark drama The Shieldending its seven season run this fall and their other two big hits (Damages and Rescue Me) pushed to 2009 because of the WGA Strike, the network is in dire need of some fresh buzz. The one thing they have going for them? Even FX's previous flops (Dirt, Starved, Over There, Thief) were better than a lot of other things on TV and Sons of Anarchy certainly fits that mold. Once the fall season is in full swing, the only network competition will be CSI: NY, as I don't see Lipstick Jungle or Dirty Sexy Money getting in the way. Sons has the potential to do well. It'll just rest on creator Kurt Sutter and how he plans to make the show appealing beyond this pilot episode.
(S07E01) "The Armenians know about the money train!" - Shane
The beginning of the end. One down and twelve to go in The Shield's final run. As depressing as that is, a.) at least it's not over yet and, b.) it started out with one hell of a set-up, huh? Vic and the rest of the Strike Team (what's left of it anyway) have gotten themselves into some serious messes in the past, but something tells me that stirring up a manufactured feud between the Armenians and the Mexicans isn't going to lead to a happy ending.
(M10) Well, now - wasn't much going on there, huh? That isn't a negative comment though. Other than the 9/11 minisode featuring Jimmy, "Smoke" was probably my favorite one out of all ten. Just the 62 Truck boys doing what they do best - saving lives. No words were spoken (hence, the lack of a quote at the beginning of the post) as the guys rushed through one of the worst fires I think we've ever seen on Rescue Me. Tommy saved a young girl and Lou brought out a dog. Not bad.
Can't get enough It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia? The irreverent FX comedy is back September 18th (10/9 Central) for a fourth season of shenanigans unlike anything live action non-sketch television comedy has ever given us. Except for those other shows you are about to fill the comments with. If you're anxious for the show to start, and want more of Charlie, Mac, Frank, Dennis and Sweet Dee then have I got a treat for you.
Okay, well that's not fair. I really didn't have anything to do with it. But show writers Patrick Walsh and Sonny Lee aren't here to take credit for it, so we'll just say it's all me. That's right, come check out Paddy's Pub, the new production blog for the upcoming season of It's Always Sunny. It features cast interviews as well as excerpts from Dennis' erotic memoir and even an advice column written by Frank. Now there isn't much there right now, but it only launched August 26th. I mean seriously, what the hell do you people want from me ... I mean from staff writers Patrick Walsh and Sonny Lee.
You're going to hear a lot of things about FX's new motorcycle club drama Sons of Anarchy. It's different, it's edgy, and it covers a fairly taboo topic that, up to now, hasn't really been addressed in a TV drama.
However, strip away the leather jackets and exhaust fumes and you're looking at something we have seen before: Sons of Anarchy is The Sopranos on Harleys. You've got your powerful crime family, illegal gun smuggling, rival gangs, conspiracy, and for good measure? Drea de Matteo (of Sopranos fame) plays a crank addict. Trade the crank for blow and we've seen that before too.
The Riches was one of those shows that suffered from the p-word: potential. With an interesting story -- a family of Travelers settle into a stolen life as an upper-middle-class suburban family -- and excellent acting performances from Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, the show had the same breakout potential as any of FX's other dramas.
With a healthy stable of hits including The Shield, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck, and Damages, you can easily make the argument that FX has a pretty good idea of what makes a good drama and what doesn't. Unfortunately, you can't say the same thing for comedies.
With 
(S07E04) "Cut off the head and the tentacles get frisky - it's a risk." - Vic
(S01E02) "I will not look the other way Jax." - Hale
(M10) Well, now - wasn't much going on there, huh? That isn't a negative comment though. Other than the 
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