This is one of the few TV shows that I watch ( Besides Public Television and other nerdy shit....oh yeah, the Wire)...It's wonderful. Well acted and realistic...

Of course it has low ratings; most Americans really enjoy their trash. The finer things are rarely popular.

Of note, the second season wasn't quite as good as the first.

I agree that the second season faltered somewhat. I think they lost some of what the article was praising: this effective, inclusive portrait of a small town. They were too dragged down in some ill-conceived subplots. I still think it is one of the best shows on television right now and have high hopes for the third season.