The Because-You-Demanded-It Cowboy Pete wrap up: LOST and ALIAS

Y’know, the ol’ cowboy isn’t exactly sure WHY you guys are so anxious to know what he thinks of TV shows. In fact, when he used to do this regularly, people complained, “Gee, all he talks about are TV shows.” Sometimes the cowboy thinks that what fans want is whatever they don’t have at the moment.

And since we don’t have LOST or ALIAS ‘cept in reruns right now, lessee what we had for the season enders.

COWBOY PETE ENDORSES A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Yes, Cowboy Pete followed the stuttering beginnings of the presidential campaign on “West Wing,” suffered through the shark-jump-worthy fist fight between Toby and Josh, and even managed to find some of the episodes engaging in a hit-or-miss manner.

After much thinking, the Cowboy is ready to state his preference for the new President in the next season:

COWBOY PETE SELECTS THE MOST UNPREDICTABLE SERIES ON TV

Until recently, it was “Lost,” with “Desperate Housewives” a close second. And in a few weeks, it will go back to that, most likely.

But right now, for the time being, the most unpredictable TV series on the air is “Tru Calling.”

Now the ol’ Cowboy doesn’t generally wish unemployment on anyone, but really, the chowderhead at Fox who chose to cancel TC in favor of the already-cancelled “Point Pleasant” deserves to be given the heave ho. Progressing from a first season which already left me impressed by how many ways they could come up with to provide variation on what would seem a repetitive theme, the second season of “Tru Calling”–truncated as it is–progresses with a confidence and ingenuity that makes the show’s woefully premature dumping all the more regrettable. Not since the chuckleheads at the WB tacitly admitted that they’d screwed up by canceling “Angel” with their floating notions of a “Spike” series has a network’s complete and utter balls-up been so screamingly evident.

The addition of Tru’s nemesis, Jack, to the cast was nothing short of a masterstroke, and the backstory and mythos being steadily built for the series is quite simply brilliant. So much so that it seems to the casual observer that the producers of the struggling “Joan of Arcadia” are following suit by giving their protagonist her very own evil opposite. But that seems slapped on, whereas Jack’s introduction and involvement–whether intended or not–at least seems to have developed organically from the series’ progress.

And they just keep peeling the layers, like an onion, but without the unfortunate stinging smell. Just when we think that Jack is perfectly happy in his job, convinced of the rightness of his actions, we discover, no, that’s not so much the case. And the upcoming episode seems to be sending Tru tripping over into Jack’s territory, as she appears to be drawing a line in the sand and picking and choosing who she’s going to save, whether they ask for her help or not. Plus we’ve not seen hide nor hair of Tru’s annoying sister, which is fine by me. They’ve got enough going on right now.

I keep hoping that either the boneheads at Fox or perhaps someone at Sci-Fi will realize what a worthy series this is and keep it going.

PAD

COWBOY PETE–CLIMBING BACK INTO THE SADDLE: SMALLVILLE & WEST WING TO START OUT

It’s been a while since I put on the spurs. I missed a couple of episodes, got behind, didn’t even know where to start to catch up, and then just kind of backburnered it. But let’s start climbing back in while we’ve still got some season left of stuff, shall we?

Spoilers: