Do You Speak English?

"Do You Speak English?" on Google Video
This is sometimes how I feel here in Japan. Except, you know, in Japanese.

does all tv automatically slide back toward some average level?

Thanks to my iPod and about 40 minutes of commute+wait time each day, I am now five or six episodes into "24" season 3.

I recall the first season having some remarkable requirements for suspension of disbelief, but being basically a full day's worth of action movie.

The second season relieved many of the issues with suspension of disbelief, excepting almost anything having to do with Kim Bauer, Girl Hostage. Surprisingly it had brought the level of action-movie-ness even more into focus. I actually put the show on hiatus midstream because it was stressing me out with the level of action and suspense.

Here I am, well into season 3 -- and I'm bored. There are all these aspects dealing with mushy emotions; was there some complaint that this action-based drama series was not "testing well" with women, so let's insert caring relationships between Chase-and-Kim, Michelle-and-Tony, Palmer-and-Doctor, Drug-dealing-kid-and-His-Parents? Was it missing that third heat? The show feels like some executives, needing to get themselves associated with a successful show, meddled with a formula that already worked. OTOH, The Wife claimed that season 3 was the best of the series when she watched it. 

And as of the end of episode 6, Kim is a hostage again -- the one part of the formula that really doesn't work for me. Not sure if I'll be able to tough it out for another 18 episodes, though I recall hearing that season 3 loses its way but eventually regains its footing.