In this age of hook-laden, high-concept summer TV shows, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. “Fargo” (FX) maintained its momentum all the way through its first season, culminating in Tom Hanks’ son satisfyingly blowing away Billy Bob Thornton’s almost parodically vile Lorne Malvo. And it looks like “The Strain” (9 p.m. Central Sundays, FX) is in the process of solidifying its spot as a horror classic.
Both of these series started with a mood that you could cut with a knife – the snow and cold of the North in “Fargo,” the grimy sprawl of New York City in “The Strain” – and peppered in great heroes and villains and wild but plausible storylines without flying off the rails (OK, sometimes the boundaries were pushed, in the case of “Fargo’s” fish storm). “The Bridge” (9 p.m. Wednesdays, FX) is a similar mood piece, and although it is in danger of having too many disparate storylines going on at once, I think it will coalesce around its drug-war theme for a strong finish to Season 2.
(On a side note, has any other network ever had a 1-2-3 punch like “Fargo,” “The Strain” and “The Bridge” all in one year? Maybe back when The WB had “Buffy,” “Angel” and “Gilmore Girls” simultaneously, but there’s nothing comparable in recent years.)
“24: Live Another Day” (Fox) and “Extant” (8 p.m. Wednesdays, CBS), on the other hand, started strong and then petered out (well, “Extant” is in the process of petering out), which is why I almost forgot about “24” when preparing this summer-in-review piece and why I don’t give a rip about “Extant” anymore. “Live Another Day” – the first “24” season in five years, and the first 12-episode season — had a strong anti-drone-warfare message, but (let’s face it, in classic “24” fashion) it gradually got sillier with each passing episode before ending with an extremely distasteful coda of Jack turning himself in to the Russians. I’m tired of Jack being increasingly superhuman as the 24 hours tick by and then giving up at the very end. I’d rather the show just go all-out and have him blow away everyone in his path instead of tacking on a “sobering, realistic” end note.
As for “Extant,” I have no idea what the hell is going on anymore. A robot kid and an alien intelligence are reliable sci-fi staples, and the show started off well enough, with a good performance by the boy and his parents (including Halle Berry as astronaut Molly). The alien dead boyfriend “impregnating” Molly was weird, but I was willing to go with it. I lost interest when “Extant” began to build drama around the alien fetus manipulating people and sucking peoples’ brains out (think Glory from Season 5 of “Buffy”) WITHOUT EVER SHOWING WHAT THIS ENTITY LOOKS LIKE. It’s as if the digital effects team went on strike and the producers decided to just air what they had so far. At this point, it seems like even the actors have no idea what’s happening.
It used to be that summer was not a time for high-concept shows, but rather, fun throwaways. There are still a couple of those around, and they’ve brightened my summer after the drudgery of “Extant” and the wonderful bleakness of those FX shows (plus Netflix’s Season 4 of “The Killing,” which I need to watch).
“Penn & Teller: Fool Us” (7 p.m. Wednesdays, The CW) actually aired three years ago in Britain, but it’s new to me and most of us Stateside. Magicians perform in front of an audience, with Penn and Teller getting prime seats in front, where they watch closely. If the magician fools the legendary duo, he or she gets to open for them in Las Vegas. “Fool Us” achieves a delicate balance, as the audience and home viewers aren’t let in on the trick, but P&T have to say whether they were fooled or not. (An off-stage magic expert settles any controversies.) Each episode ends with a classic P&T bit, and the whole hour is fascinating for viewers who enjoy magic and the mysteries of the art form.
“Garfunkel and Oates” (9 p.m. Thursdays, IFC, pictured above), featuring the comedy/music duo of the same name (real names: Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci) is in the style of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and the “Chelsea Lately” spinoff “After Lately,” but less funny than the former (which is no insult, as “Curb” is a standard-bearer) and less cruel than the latter. Often featuring other B-list comedians in supporting roles, most episodes find G&O – who somehow come off as equal parts endlessly curious and always bored — doing impromptu social experiments. While the song interludes are old (if you’re familiar with their work), the concepts are humorous commentaries on human behavior. The women switch hair colors and experience the culture shock of being treated like a blonde instead of a brunette, and vice versa. Or they see how long a relationship can last without the girl saying a single word. Only about half the jokes land, but “G&O” is harmless fun – the way Summer TV used to be.