Note - I am taking a 3 week hiatus from Last Week in TV so the next column will be on June 23. At that time I will be adding a new section called Marathoned Shows. Some shows I plan on marathoning include Alias, Buffy, Burn Notice, Teen Wolf, Supernatural, Arrow, and Sleepy Hollow. I would also like to include Vikings, Chuck, Scandal, and Leverage. If you have any suggested shows to marathon, add them in the nominations box. One of my favorite thing about summer is finding new shows I missed the first time around. Also in this edition, I am handing out my overall awards for the 2013-2014, which is why this addition is so long. Please add your own TV awards for this season in the comments below and why you gave them. It's a great way to encourage people to try new shows. Until June 23, happy TV viewing!
Overall Awards (2013-2014 Edition):
Best New Show (Drama) / Most Anticipated - Sleepy Hollow
I don't even have to think about this one. Sleepy Hollow was the most dynamic, fun, fast-paced show of the season. In fact it ties for best drama period for me. I have never been more shocked by a revelation in TV as I was in that finale. Best thing is that the show doesn't take itself too seriously so it remains a fun ride for the audience. I cannot wait for the new season to begin.
Best Comedy - The Goldbergs
This was a golden year for comedy for me. Granted, many of my favorites were cancelled but I've never made so many comedies weekly viewing in my life. Of all these comedy gems, The Goldbergs wins the top prize for its consistent combination of laughs and heart. These characters grew on me more in 22 minutes than almost every drama I watched this year.
Best Recurring Show (Drama) - Teen Wolf
I will say it again, if you haven't checked this show out you need to. Don't let its terrible title or network deter you. Teen Wolf has always been swift moving from its pilot. However this season ramped everything up. From the Darach and Alphas energy to Dylan O'Brien's amazing performance as Dark Stiles, everything got better this season. Season 4 starts on June 23 so you have plenty of time to catch up.
Best New Summer Show (2013) - Graceland
Graceland had a rough beginning but unlike other summer shows with more recognition (cough Under the Dome cough) it steadily got better until I was anxiously awaiting the next episode. However, Graceland would win this award based on the twists alone. Just like Sleepy Hollow, things happened on Graceland that completely blew my mind. Plus the characters, for the most part, were incredibly well-developed for as few episodes as they had.
Best Episode / Best Exit - Community - Geothermal Escapism
It's hard when writing off a main character to do both the plot and the character justice. For a comedy it is even trickier. While I had my issues with Community this season, Geothermal Escapism sticks out in my mind as one of the best comedy episodes ever. It had all the laughter a comedy needed, but where it really soared where the great character scenes. I love how Abed uses a game to show love towards his friend and an unwillingness to let him go. Troy, on the other hand, gives Abed what he needs to move on. It is a beautiful episode about the power of friendship and a fitting goodbye to a beloved character. Kudos all around for doing such a brilliant, tough job.
Worst Network / Worst Cancellation (Drama/Comedy) - FOX - Almost Human and Enlisted
Shows get cancelled. I get that and I tend not to rail against the system too much because new shows take cancelled shows' places. Inevitably some of them become new favorites. That's TV natural selection. Still FOX totally screwed up Almost Human by airing the episodes out of order so there was no continuity or character development. In sci fi shows, even procedurals, the sequencing is vital and when audiences know something is strange, you've screwed up royally. To have Almost Human cancelled in favor of The Following is a double blow, since that show is still winning my Worst Renewed Drama of the Decade. Same thing goes for Enlisted, which never had a chance given that it debuted midseason on Fridays. Every show deserves a least shot. Plus FOX also aired these episodes out of order to make matters worse. We got an episode where Derrick tries to help out his girlfriend's son before the episode when he gets the girlfriend. Bad FOX, bad! I will miss the Hill brothers more than most characters this season. They made me laugh and encouraged my heart. At least we have the final 4 episodes to look forward to starting on June 1.
Best Action - Arrow and Agents of SHIELD
Let's face it. James Bamford is the best in the business when it comes to making action sequences dramatic, entertaining, and unique. How the man has not been nominated for an Emmy on Arrow is a complete mystery and points to the bias in the business. Even with only seeing the first ¾ of Arrow's season, Bamford has created memorable sequences. My favorite is the clock tower fight with Sarah, Oliver, and Quentin against the League of Assassins, but there are a surplus of great fight scenes to choose from. Still, nods have to be given to SHIELD as well on the strength of every single fight scene May is involved in. It's hard to believe the woman is in her 50's. She's flat out amazing and SHIELD does a great job of capitalizing on action scenes with her.
Best Character - The Blacklist - Reddington
No lie, The Blacklist frustrates me more than most shows. I hate its lack of answers, but there's no question that Reddington is fascinating. It's not all the acting, although this is James Spader at his finest. It's the way they have built the character so that it's hard to guess what he will do next. In most shows you can guess how the character will react in 98% of the situations they're in. Not so with Red. He's capable of great compassion while at the same time one of the most violent characters on TV. He's also the most manipulative. I am never quite sure what game he's playing but I know the scene will captivate me in the end.
Most Surprising - The 100 and Star-Crossed
On face value I should never have liked these shows. They were marketed poorly as teen fare with Star-Crossed having the added burden of everything showcasing the Romeo and Juliet love relationship. However, both ended up being smart, edgy, sociopolitical thrillers that went deeper than most fare on the CW. It's a step in the right direction by Mark Pedowitz. Now if they could only stop the fascination with silly love triangles on that network.
Biggest Disappointment (Drama) - Warehouse 13
More on this below in the recurring show section, but Warehouse 13 ended its series run with 6 episodes that can at best be considered poor and at worst a stain on the very legacy of the show. Instead of giving fans a great 6 episodes to tie together loose strings and send the show out on a high note, the writers decided to go for the outright bizarre and not in a good way. What a waste of 6 episodes! What a shame for a previously delightful show.
Biggest Disappointment (Comedy) - The Michael J. Fox Show
I fully admit that my upbringing in the 80's whetted my appetite for this show and caused my expectations to soar. Instead I got a very bland show with few laughs and nothing to make the characters stick out from any of the other bazillion shows that aired. I stuck around longer than I normally would because hey, that's Alex P. Keaton. Still even I couldn't withstand the general blasé feeling forever and dumped the show.
Least Expected Hit - Resurrection
Resurrection has a slow, staid pace that normally I would find boring. In one of the biggest shocks of the year, I was actually entranced by the mystery (instead of frustrated by a lack of answers - hmm, The Blacklist) and the characters. There's something about this small town being torn apart by the dead coming back to life that appeals to me. Maybe it's the way nothing about it feels campy. They might have been dead but there are no zombie references and the show respects its actors enough to let the pauses and facial expressions do the work instead of constant dialogue. One of the most powerful scenes of the season came when Henry broke down over a box of his dead son's things. No words but a lot said.
Best BBC Show - Orphan Black (2013)
I had to think about this one more than most because for the most part I really enjoyed The Musketeers and it's insane fun. In the end it was the affair between D'Artagnan and Constance that annoyed me so much that it tipped in Orphan Black's favor. (Note - I have not seen any of season 2 so this is strictly given to season 1.) While I occasionally have issues with Orphan Black's plot, the acting is superb with Tatiana Maslany leading the charge. In addition, the idea of clones and the genetics discussion has been fascinating. It's also done a great job of balancing new questions asked with old questions answered so that the show doesn't feel like it's collapsing under the weight of its own mythology. This is one of the few shows I have to make a concerted effort to find to watch but it's been worthwhile the entire time.
Best Costuming/Make-Up- Defiance
This show was runner-up for best new summer show, but what really sticks out is the elaborate costumes and make-up that sell this tale of a town trying to thrive with multiple species. I like how unique every character is and the costuming is a great physical representation of that.
Best New Addition to a Recurring Show - Teen Grimm (Grimm) and Rebecca (White Collar)
Sometimes shows get stale and it takes a fresh new story idea or character to re-energize them. That is the case of Grimm, where adding a younger Grimm has not only ramped up the action but has also given the main character something to do. Win all the way around. On White Collar, it wasn't that things were getting stale so much as the character was just really, really cool. I like Neal having a smart nemesis this time around and one who outconned him to boot. I hope both characters show up in the next season because they made their respective shows far more interesting.
Greatest Character Death - Helix - Daniel
Now I haven't seen the Person of Interest episode where Carter dies, so I understand that my mind might change afterwards. However, Daniel's death was such a sacrifice and freaking tragedy for the show's writing that it sticks out above the rest. The best thing about Helix has always been the complicated relationship between Daniel and his adoptive father, Hatake. To say they have baggage is a major understatement. However in the end, Daniel sacrifices himself to keep his father from having to make an impossible decision. The best character on the show (and the only one who actually seemed competent at his job) left on his own terms, but man am I sad to see him go.
Worst Plot Device - Arrow
Arrow's season 2 had its fair share of the absolutely ludicrous. Moira's whole storyline is a great case in point. However, the most blatantly ridiculous thing they ever did was turn the show into a freaking episode of Maury Povitch. Having Malcolm return was bad enough. Seriously, is there any sci fi show were the dead will actually stay dead? It's become as clichéd and boring as love triangles. But then they had to top it by making Thea his child. The amount of wrong in this is staggering and it killed all the enjoyment I had for the show. Worst showrunner decision of the year. (Well until I see what joys Jeremy Carver brought to season 9 of Supernatural.)
Best Historical Drama - TURN
To be honest, as a history buff, I usually find historical dramas to be ludicrous or dull. It's a shame since there is so much out there to mine for stories. That's why TURN has been a relief. It's an actual story, not just a fictionalized documentary, but it still feels true to its time period. It's not about gratuitous sex or violence like Black Sails, but it doesn't shy away from the horrors of the time either. Plus I am learning new things every episode. Since I love spy dramas as well, TURN is a great combination of intrigue and historical relevance.
Best Characters in an Otherwise Terrible Show - Once Upon a Time in Wonderland - Red Queen and Knave
Wonderland was much of the time a suckfest for me. I hated the two main heroes and their sappy true love speeches. Still I watched every single episode based on the power of the Knave and Red Queen to steal and save every scene they were in. I have not wished for a spin-off show with secondary character more since Leverage ended. I'm not about to follow the Knave into that hot mess called Once Upon a Time, but if they do any other spin-off shows I hope he's included and he brings his love with him. They have more character and charisma together than both casts combined.
Worst Show (Drama) - Dracula
Of all the drek I watched this season, Dracula wins hands-down for the worst drama. Even the hideous bore Mind Games, where every single character yelled their lines, made more sense than this anachronistic mess. Dracula went from a cool horror character to a boring businessman, whose ranting against big business made zero sense for the time period. In fact the only thing that made sense for the time period in the entire show was the setting, which was pretty impressive.
Worst Pilot (Drama) - Black Box
Narrowly beating Killer Women, Black Box had the absolute worst writing of any pilot I've ever had the misfortune to watch. It's heavy handed preachiness wearied by the first 10 minutes. The character talking in a baby voice to all of her patients undermined the whole message that the mentally insane are adults too and should be treated as such. Add in an assortment of some of the least pleasant characters ever to be thrown together in a pilot and it's no wonder people turned it off.
Worst Pilot (Comedy and Possibly of All Time) - Mixology
Talk about a cast of unredeemable, awful characters. I was only 10 minutes into the Mixology pilot when I felt an overwhelming need to take a shower. These characters were downright repulsive. Given that the entire series was supposed to take place with these characters in this night, the idea of watching anymore than22 minutes made me nauseous.
Nominated / New Shows:
Nominated Show: Chuck - 1.10 - Chuck vs. the Nemesis
I already watched all of season 1 of Chuck and part of season 2 a few years back during the Best Show contest, so I kind of remember this episode. Mostly because of Matt Bomer to be honest. I also remember liking Chuck, but it seeped down lower in my to-watch list until it disappeared from memory. It's kind of nice to get re-acquainted with the show now. Since I adore Matt Bomer on White Collar, it's a little weird seeing him this young but he's always a plus. I like the complicated relationship he has with Chuck and the revelations he gives later to Chuck about why he did what he did. Still the best reason to watch this show is because it doesn't take itself too seriously, which allows the audience to have fun with it as well. I know when I watch Chuck I'm going to laugh throughout. This one is even better because it has that great action scene as well. So, Chuck rises higher on my summer watch list and I hope this time I will actually get to the rest of it.
Grade: B+
Ranking: 4
Best Scene - Buy More fight
Best Quote - Big Mike: "No, I'm talking about Black Friday, people. The biggest shopping day of the year. When regular housewives transform into a crazy mob, blinded by door prizes, sales, and the urge to get the Christmas shopping done early."
Best Reason to Watch - the show doesn't take itself too seriously and that's exactly why it is so much fun
Best Action - Sarah and Bryce tandem fighting while Casey lays down cover fire
Best Action (non-gun) - Big Mike clears the counter like a Dukes of Hazard car slide and tries to stop the mass exodus, while Morgan tries to save Anna from being trampled
Best Code Word - Pineapple
Funniest Moment - Bryce and Chuck speak Klingon
Best Stash - Casey has automatic weapons stored under the showroom table at the Buy More
Biggest Surprise - Bryce (meaning Matt Bomer) was back, which made my day the first time around
Best Cameo - Campbell from Burn Notice. Yeah, that's only a cameo for me. For everyone else, he's random fire guy #3. Love him.
The "This is NOT a Good Idea" Award - Who decided to give Morgan a bullhorn? Not smart.
Hokiest Dialogue - Sarah: "Why shouldn't I arrest you right now?" Bryce: "Because I'm not a rogue spy, because Intersect was a mission, because Sarah you're still in love with me."
Best Speech - Morgan to Jeff and Lester
New Show - Gang Related - 1.01 - Pilot
This is TV's version of a summer blockbuster. It's got all the action, explosions, and moral ambiguity that Hollywood strives for when's school's out. It's also likely to be hampered by the same issues. It seems unlikely that a gang task force would not be monitoring gang activity on a constant basis. How no one knows of Ryan's relationship with the Acosta family is a bit strange, especially if he shows up at family BBQ's. Still the idea of an undercover drug agent instead of an undercover cop is novel and I look forward to seeing where this goes. I will give it 3 episodes before I decide if it goes on the summer to-watch list. Here's hoping there will be someone in the show I can root for, although that doesn't seem the point
Grade: B
Ranking: 4
Best Scene - Ryan is revealed to be a plant from a gang
Best Reason to Watch - All the action. It's like watching a war movie.
Biggest Shock - Ryan gives Carlos up to a rival gang, instead of having him be his biggest nemesis in future episodes.
The "Now That's What I Call an Opener" Award - After the flashback we get a heist, landmine explosion, and enough gunfire to make my heart race. Nice!
The "Who are the Good Guys Again" Award - I'm not sure I can root for a guilt by association targeting. It's bound to catch up people whose biggest crime is being born into the wrong family. Planting evidence and torture are not usually the tactics I root for either.
Biggest Psycho (1990's) - Carlos Acosta, who breaks a kid's arm for no good reason
The "Warning Please" Award - If you are going to make homemade tattoos with a blowtorch, please let me know so I can leave the room. Thanks!
The "You Did NOT Just Go There" Award - a police officer tasers a guy in his privates
The "Points for Guts, None for Brains" Award - Ryan takes on Carlos even though he's badly outnumbered
The "Does This Job Come with Health Insurance?" Award - Gang banger doesn't seem to be the best plan when it comes to safety.
Most Cocky - Tanner, who keeps scores of how everyone on the Gang Task Force is doing. I foresee pride and a fall. Wow, that was fast. 7 minutes later and you're dead.
Worst Sign - Burn Notice's Brennen is playing Internal Affairs. If he's supposed to be a good guy, I'm in trouble because he's always played the most loathsome of characters.
Most Fun - Cassius with his music and his long-lost love
The "Say What?" Award - The cop is actually a double agent for the gang? That's a switch. Unless he's a double, double agent and then my head is going to hurt.
The "Yeah, I'm Not Buying This" Award - Javier is the newer, kinder drug lord/mafia boss? Hmm.
The "Seriously?" Award - Even a drama about gangs and double agents has a love triangle? Give me a break.
Biggest Sacrilege - Hiding the murder weapon in the Bible. Not good. Not good.
Weekly Shows:
TURN - 1.07 / 1.08- Mercy Moment Murder Measure / Challenge
1.07: Taking a break from the spy business, TURN got far more personal this episode. Basically it came down to a love triangle between the crazy. It's actually the first time this year that I enjoyed the fall out of a love triangle, mostly because Simcoe cracked me up and Abraham surprised me. Seriously buddy if you miss the first shot by a country mile, you really should not insist on a second go-around. Do you have a death wish? I will say that the speeches were excellent this time around, and generally I prefer action to speechifying. Mary's plea to release Selah Strong in order to save her own marriage was touching, whereas Judge Woodhull brought the truth home by reminding Abraham of his son and ironically, his job as a spy. Even Anna's speech to Simcoe was moving in the way she played right to his pride and hope. All in all, this episode didn't move much of anything forward but it was a satisfying piece of TV. Plus next week looks like things are heating up again. Bonus points to Ensign Baker, who may be the smartest, most honorable man on the whole show.
1.08: I decided at the last minute to review this one a week early because there will be no Last Week in TV for the next 2 weeks. Kill everything about the Abraham and Anna affair and this was a great episode. The standoff between Ben and Rogers was particularly engrossing and I love how Caleb was smart enough to know it was a trap. Things are getting more intense and someone important most surely has to die soon. Here's hoping it's Simcoe, although there's no way it will be. Here's hoping even more that this show will get a second season because it's one of the best paced shows on air right now.
Grade: B-
Best Scene - the duel / Abraham tells the story of his brother's death
Best Quote - Abraham: "Emergency?" Baker: "Isn't that what you'd call it?" /
Best Reason to Watch - Abraham vs. Simcoe / Ben vs. Rogers
Best Reason to Fast Forward - Anna and Abraham
Best Save - Ensign Baker keeps Simcoe from beating Abraham
Best Interaction - Ben and Caleb
Biggest Douche - Simcoe / Rogers
Best Reveal - Abraham started the riot that killed his brother
The "I Think You Might be Crazy" Award - How Simcoe got that Anna wanted him to avenge her honor instead of that she wanted him to leave her alone, I have no idea. Insanity is the only explanation.
Worst Surprise - Abraham wakes up to see Caleb sitting next to him, ready to train him in code work
Most Disgusting - Party where everyone drinks until they puke and then drink some more / prison ship delousing and general conditions
Best Plea - The Judge tells Abraham that he can't just think about himself. If he dies in the duel, it will have consequences for his son too. / Mary asks the judge to release Selah Strong so that she can get Abraham's attention back
Best Moment - Everyone's joy that Abigail's gift to her son has come, including the British soldier who delivered it
The "Die Already" Award - every story needs its villain, but this one has plenty. Simcoe needs to die or at least be transferred to another part of the story. He was fine as a snarky captive.
Best History - The Star-Spangled Banner as an English drinking song
The "Doesn't Anyone Else Think This is a Trap?" Award - Caleb merrily heads to pick up Ben's brother in prisoner exchange. Perhaps people were more honorable back then but this screams trap to me.
Biggest Hmmm - Why would you have a duel where one person gets to shoot first and then the other shoots second? If the first person hits, then there's really no second. This is very bizarre.
Worst Plan - Anna goes undercover as a prostitute.
24: LAD - 9.04 - (2-3 pm)
One of the best compliments I can give to any show is that I didn't notice the time going by. That's exactly what happened with this episode. I was on the edge of my seat for nearly the entire time and was actually shocked when it ended so soon. The stakes are now higher for everyone. Between the phone call with President Heller and Momma Terrorist having her own daughter's finger removed, the adrenaline was pumping throughout. I am so glad that I gave this show a shot after dumping 24 years ago.
Grade: A
Best Scene - How to choose? I guess when Kate drops in on Jack from the ceiling and says she believes him. I'm glad someone finally does.
Best Quote - Heller: "To be honest with you Jack, I never thought I'd have to hear your voice again. I liked it that way."
Best Reason to Watch - constant action and all the little climaxes in plot
Smartest Move - President Heller demands to talk directly to Jack to figure out what's going on. First good move by anyone in the series. Then he follows it up with the dumbest move, but hey, he started well.
The "I Smell Double Cross" Award - My reigning theory is that Adrian is involved in the drone program as well and that is why he wanted Jack to be caught
The "No, I Don't Think You Understand" Award - Chloe, it's not over. He still has 20+ hours left and he's Jack Bauer.
The "This Won't End Well" Award - Naveed plans to flee but there's no way his wife is really going to run off with him. She's been trained too well by Momma Terrorist.
Best Turn Around - President Heller takes a very hostile crowd and gets them to applaud for him at the end. That must have been one heck of a speech.
Worst Mother Ever - Margot has her goons cut off her daughter's finger to convince her husband to fly the drones
Warehouse 13 - 5.06 - Endless
The more I watch this episode, the more disappointed I am. This may be the worst series finale, when the writers knew it was ending, I've ever seen. I dropped LOST and never watched The Sopranos, Newhart, or St. Elsewhere so I realize there is stiff competition to the title. Still there's no excuse for this paltry season as a whole, which damaged my overall feelings toward the show. The plot contained everything the writers wanted as a pet project but didn't get to do in previous seasons, causing the entire season to feel rushed, illogical, and overly packed. I get that they only had 6 episodes, probably more than the writers did. That's why they should have simplified instead of made this season a tribute to writer fan fic. It was like someone said, "Hey you all get to do that 1 episode you really wanted to tell and you have 15 minutes in which to do it." That's not a successful plan and not worthy of the Warehouse 13 legacy. Far better to keep Paracelsus as the Big Bad (even as much as I adore Mark Sheppard) and let it carry through all 6 episodes, culminating with his defeat. Better yet, have Paracelsus and Valda work together so we get both Anthony Stewart Head and Mark Sheppard. Win-win all the way around. It would help story cohesiveness and could incorporate the Claire saga left hanging last season. Instead we got Paracelsus is defeated in one episode so he didn't feel threatening at all, a second episode that completely sucked out loud, wacky Ren Faire and telenovela shenanigans, Valda rising to power and defeated in the same episode in the most contrived manner, and an emoangsty clip show. Sadly, I wish Warehouse 13 had ended at season 4 when it could still go out on top.
Grade: D (and that's generous)
Best Scene - Artie breaks down while talking to the warehouse and it refreshes him and gives
him an apple
Best Awww Scene / Best Character Interaction - Artie tells Claudia that it's okay to be a little selfish and be your own self
Best Quote - Pete: "Okay I've got an idea. How about instead of sitting around the mystical table of kumbaya, we do something crazy like, I don't know, stop it from moving, right?"
Best Reason to Watch - It's the finale. If you need a reason, it's not worth watching.
Most Surprising Cameo - Lena
Best Tagline - Endless Wonder
Best Action - Ninja cat burglar kung fu fighting
Most Way Out There - Steve's heart epiphany
Biggest Shock - Artie has a son
Funniest Scene - the entire cast tap dancing to 42nd Street
The "I Wish I Were You" Award - Steve, who gets to see a lot of great warehouse moments we don't get to see. Not fair! He even got to see Mr. Frederic.
Bittersweet Moment - all of them shouting, "Best job ever."
The "You've Thought Too Much on This" Award - Steve knows exactly which one of the Munsters each of them are
Best Surprise - Kipling was a Warehouse agent as well
Biggest Hypocrite - Artie
The "What the Heck?" Award - the flash forward at the end that pretty much negates much of what happens in the episode
The "Say What?" Award - With all the times that Claudia has said that she wants to be caretaker, how did Steve not call her out for lying if she really did not want to be one? He seems as surprised as everyone else. This makes very little sense and in light of the flash forward, it serves no purpose except to get Artie to reveal his son. Foul on that play.
Playing House - 1.05 - Drumline
Usually it is Emma being the crazy one and Maggie doling out good advice. It's nice to see such a complete role reversal here. This is one of the best portrayed female friendships on TV and it is a refreshing change. Plus it makes me laugh. What more can you ask out of a comedy?
Grade: B
Best Scene - Emma reassuring Maggie in the police station
Best Quote - Emma: "Listen you do not make it to this very young age we're at without having made some major league mistakes. And guess what? You would not be the interesting, amazing women that you are without having made those mistakes."
Best Reason to Watch - still Emma and Maggie's relationship. They have great relationship.
Most Supportive - Emma, who talks Maggie down from so many ledges this week
Most Shocking (pun intended) - Rodney gets himself tased for Emma
The "Say What?" Award - What's up with people on this show quoting the 80's and not knowing it. CJ quotes Dirty Dancing in this one. Emma's mom goes by Phylicia Rashad in a previous episode. Were all these people high during the 80's?
The "Bail Now" Award - If I were Emma, I would say goodnight and make sure that Maggie has a cell phone to call me.
Funniest Moment - Maggie tries to flip the table but the cop nonchalantly says it's nailed to the floor
Most Ridiculous - Maggie's band uniform
Biggest Surprise - Rodney, who would be nice to see again
The "Really?" Award - Do adults actually go skinny dipping? I mean anyone after college age? I can't imagine.
Best 80's Reference - Rodney says, "As you wish." Can't go wrong with The Princess Bride.
Motive - 2.01 - Raw Deal
Motive and Graceland were my two summer surprises last year. I was getting weary of police procedurals and I didn't think knowing who the killer and victim were at the beginning would be a big enough change to keep my interest. I was wrong. Let's face it. Generally it only takes about 15-20 minutes in any crime procedural to know who did it. The victim often appears before the title card. So it's not that different to get them right from the beginning. However I've found that it takes longer to guess a motive and a couple of times I didn't figure it out until right before the police did. Because of the twist, I pay more attention and get more out of it. This season opener was no exception. While this motive was easier to guess than many, it was a fun, twisty episode. I like the redemption arc although I am very skeptical about the new character, Mark Cross. At least they aren't trying to pair off Vega and Flynn, because I am so sick of that cliché.
Grade: B
Best Scene - Bloom and Flynn have drinks and talk about Cross
Best Quote - Lucas: "Kevin didn't call the Keaton residence from any of the motel's phones." Flynn: "What, so you decided to punish me with vegetarian food?" / Cross: "So where are we on the suicide that wasn't." Flynn: "You know we try not to make our cases sound like Hardy Boys mysteries."
Best Reason to Watch - Angie Flynn, who is a sharp, sassy investigator with multiple great quotes this episode
Best Character Interaction - Flynn and Vegas, who make great, sympathetic, platonic partners. They make me laugh during the exposition as well, which is hard to do.
Best Wedding Proposal - Yes, the guy is a killer, but you have to give him props for the splashy public wedding proposal.
Least Welcoming - the grandfather, who while having great instincts, is a complete douche
Funniest Moment - Rogers ogles Cross, but Angie pulls the blinds shut and says he's not delicious
The "Say What?" Award - Vega purposely throws the interview to keep from getting a promotion. While I am happy he is still partners with Flynn, it does seem strange.
The "Poor Baby" Award - Robin, who falls in love with the man who accidentally killed her boyfriend. Ouch!
The 100 - 1.10 - I am become Death
I want to follow Lincoln. He's off exploring the world and can give me answers about the grounders and other tribes. Plus he's more interesting than 99% of the 100. Since that is not going to happen, I have to pin my hopes on the Grounder Queen next time. As for this episode, we get 2 explosions, some gunfire, and biological warfare. Plus half a dozen relationships in different stages of life. That's a lot for one episode. Probably the most far-reaching is the return of Murphy, whom I couldn't wait to die in the second episode. He's going to drive me nuts but I am anxious to see how long he can hide his true nature. If they are going to discover his treachery in the next episode, they should kill him off and move on. However, if he plays a double game for awhile, that could be interesting. Even better would be if he were a spy for the grounders. I don’t think that will happen but I would love if it did. Note - for here on out, The 100 will get the CW treatment, meaning one grade for the episode as a whole and 1 grade for the episode minus shipping issues.
Grade: B / A
Best Scene - Octavia nurses a sick Bellamy / Monty encourages Jasper to get it right
Best Quote - Octavia: "Hey, big brother." Bellamy: "I'm scared, O." Octavia: "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." Bellamy: "That's what I said to you the day you were born." Octavia: "I know. You've told me that like a thousand times." Bellamy: "I'm glad you're here." Octavia: "Just get some rest now, okay?"
Best Reason to Watch….Next Week - Grounder Queen is back! Woo hoo!
Biggest Awww Moment - Octavia nurses a sick Bellamy
The "Oh Great, It's Him Again" Award - Murphy returns and I roll my eyes. Time for him to go. Again.
Biggest Douche - Jasper
The "Well There Goes that Theory" Award - It was definitely NOT a piece of the Ark that crash landed. Bye Diana. See where your lack of planning got you.
The "I'm with Him" Award - I'm am 100% with Finn on this one. The Grounders have every right to retaliate and when they do, it will completely be Bellamy, Clarke, and Jasper's faults. You screwed everyone.
The Least Surprising - They use the flammable fluid (hydrazine) to create a bomb against the grounders. Called it from the second Raven said it was unstable. 30 minutes later - boom!
Best Save - Monty, who helped Jasper take the shot
Best Revelation - The earth is inhabited in other places as well and they are in organized clans too
Biggest Morons - Bellamy and Clarke for giving all these idiots guns. Panicked people with guns spell disaster. Either train them up right or give guns only to those who aren't likely to shoot you by accident.
Most Brutal - Murphy kills Connor gleefully and smiles afterward
Bye Red Shirt - Derek, who just died, also just got a name. Nice not knowing you.
The "If I Have to Have Love Dynamics, I Choose You" Award - If you are going to cram love relationships down my throat, then I pick Lincoln and Octavia. Please let them run away together and please let me watch them instead. They aren't in a triangle. They guarantee that I learn more about the grounders, who are by far the most interesting part of the show right now. They will allow me to see more of the earth than just the camp. Call it a winning trifecta and the best I can expect from a CW romance.
Best Plan - Clarke has Octavia sneak out to see if Lincoln has a cure
The "Say What?" Award - Why are they using such a complicated plan to blow up the bridge? Why not just spread the fuel over the bridge and throw a flame on it? All Raven had to do before was toss a little bit of it into the fire. They wasted all their gun powder for nothing.
Thanks to everyone who made Last Week in TV much more successful than I ever thought it would be in its first season. I appreciate all the discussion we've had this season. The column is going on a 3 week hiatus, so I hope to see you back here on June 23 with lots of great discussion on your summer TV viewing. Until then, what TV awards would you give out this season?
ReplyDeleteI think you are being way too hard on Arrow; what's wrong with Malcom Merlyn coming back? Yeah, the plot device has been used before, but that doesn't make it bad. I find everything on the second season well executed, the whole Slade Wilson is the big bad thing kept me at the edge of my seat, I just couldn't conceive how Oliver would beat him until he did. Bringing Malcom in the midst of this fight and making Thea his child makes season 3 all the more interesting to me, as the big bad from season 1 took advantage of the whole Slade Wilson situation to get close to Thea and he can potentially become a much bigger threath in season 3 than he ever was in season 1. I find that very interesting, and in that regard the plot device worked wonders.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that sci-fi/fantasy tends to bring back the dead way too often, but as long as it's well executed I have no trouble with it
I agree with you on most of your overall reviews, except for maybe your hate of The Following which I love but definitely not for its brilliancy, obviously, but I just love the subject so they really have to try very hard to loose my vote.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of wich, I continue to watch Black Box only for the subject and I have to say I still can't get over that awful musicalization, and the main relationship has to be one of the worstr written and acted in the history of TV; but, in defence of the show, I have to say that the child like way Dr. Black talks to her patients is not such, it's just how the actress talks most of the time when she's trying to be calm (and many other situations for that matter), and it is very annoying but it doesn't have anything to do with the show's idea of mental illness.
As for The 100, I'm totally with you on team Finn, the people they had in the trees wasn't more menacing than the ones they had under the bridge with guns.
"The Least Surprising - They use the flammable fluid (hydrazine) to create a bomb against the grounders. Called it from the second Raven said it was unstable. 30 minutes later - boom!"
One thing that calls my atention is that in spite of the many things they do well, they never manage to include information that'll be important for later without us noticing something's up with that, like with the poisoned knife and Octavia, that would be a good thing to improve, I'd love to really be surprised by this twists.
And as for the gunpowder thing, they did say that bridge was strong enough to survive everything while they were in the ark, so that's why they needed a big ass explotion.
By the way, the title of worst series finale has to go to How I Met Your Mother in my opinion: it has been nearly 2 full months and I'm still mad! 43 minutes of crammed time passage, horrible make up, bad direction and poor writing. By the end of the first 21 minutos I already felt like the whole thing was about to fall apart, and those last 2 minutes... oh my god... I haven't seen another HIMYM episode since (and I used to watch at least 5 episodes a week)
ReplyDeletePart of our difference of opinion is that I thought Malcolm was a joke in season 1. Way over the top acting and ludicrous motivation made him less threatening and more of a cartoon character for me. Killing him off in the season 1 finale was part of why it was so awesome for me. For me, bringing him back is a joke. Making him Thea's father turns the entire show into a bad soap opera. Promoting him to regular in season 3 means that I am done with Arrow.
ReplyDeleteHow you feel about the HIMYM finale is a lot like how I feel about season 5 of Warehouse 13. I'm sorry it ended so badly for you.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't take one more moment of FBI ineptitude on The Following, which is the foundation of my hatred for it. When all the main characters came back after all 3 should have been realistically dead it turned into my least favorite show of the decade so far. I could take the gratuitous violence if they had just had a new killer and a new detective chasing him in season 2. I think it would have worked well if each season was a totally different story, similar to how American Horror Story does it. As for Black Box, that is an interesting acting choice. I'm glad it is not about talking down to people with mental illness though.
ReplyDeleteThe 100 is not subtle for all its good qualities. They often feel the need to throw anvils at us to make sure we've got the point or leave big neon signs as clues. I agree that season 2 should address this, especially since it has overcome many of the typical issues shows have in their first seasons. I would add balancing the Ark and earth stories a little more as well. It seems like they have been focusing on one or the other lately. I like it better when the were more intermeshed. I am glad to hear that someone else is on Finn's side here. Because the fandom is largely composed of Bellamy and Clarke shippers, it feels like he gets a lot of hate but I firmly believe he was right here. Jasper, Bellamy, and Clarke were in the wrong and a coming war seems to be the consequence of Jasper's rash actions. I still think they could have blown the bridge up without the gunpowder based on the demonstration in the first scene and that this was more of a plot device to increase tension more than anything else. Still I can't complain about 2 explosions in one episode.
Wholeheartedly agreed on "Sleepy Hollow" and Troy's final appearance on "Community". With "Sleepy Hollow", the cast chemistry is what grabbed me right away. There's a breezy, fun banter between everybody, I like that during the sentimental moments they keep it sincere and true to the characters instead of going for the cliché (see the conversation between Jenny and Abbie when they're saying goodbye to each other in the season finale for a great example). And they hit just the right notes with Ichabod's commentary on and experience with the modern world (the Yolanda thing was priceless :D). Plus, like you said, it doesn't take itself so seriously. I really cannot wait for that show to return this fall-the wait seems to be taking FOREVER some days!
ReplyDeleteAnd "Community"-Troy and Abed's friendship has been one of the big cornerstones of the show over the years, obviously, and I like how they addressed that in the episode where Troy left. Abed was able to allow himself to have some emotional reactions to everything happening all at once, and Troy did one last awesome act to help make his friend deal with what was happening in a reassuring, true to their friendship sort of way. Jeff's respect and admiration for Troy setting out on this journey as he did was a nice touch, too, as was finding out who Troy's sailing partner would be at the end! I freely admit to sobbing my eyes out during the latter half of that episode, but I mean that in a good way! So moving and bittersweet and yet, still within the wacky spirit of the show.
I must admit to not having had a chance to check out this feature much thus far, but now I'm thinking that's going to change. Enjoyed reading your write-ups and recaps!
I haven't seen "How I Met Your Mother", but I'm familiar with the overall concept. And yet even I was sitting there reading about the finale and going, "...really?". I'm thinking that's not a good sign for the show if even those who haven't seen it are having that kind of a reaction.
ReplyDelete(See also: the recent season finale of "Castle".)
I still believe Clarke made the right call bringing back up, the same way the grounders did, otherwise it would've been too naive, but the wrong choice was bringing Jasper, seriously one of the least trustworthy characters ever, specially with a gun on his hands. But I love Finn's attempt to make a better world than the one they came from, when it's not impossible one should always give that a try.
ReplyDeleteI'm so with you on Sleepy Hollow, I hope they keep adding that special gems of Ichabod's interaction with the present.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree
ReplyDeleteBest new drama: The Blacklist
ReplyDeleteBest recurring drama: Person of Interest
Best episode: The Devil's Share (Person of Interest)
Worst episode: Blind Spot (Arrow)
Most emotional episode: Past, Present, Future (NCIS)
Worst network: FOX
Best action: Arrow
Best character: Reddington
Biggest disappointment drama: Intelligence
Best death: Carter in Person of Interest
Worst plot device: Anything that Laurel did
Best characters in an otherwise terrible show: Revolution - Miles and Monroe
Worst show: Crisis
Best removal of terrible plot: The Following for drastically reducing the amount of FBI shown this season.
Seems to drag the most: Elementary
Best premiere: 24: Live Another Day
Best finale: Person of Interest/Arrow
Worst premiere: Revolution
Worst finale: The Blacklist
Best redemption episode: Live Bait (The Walking Dead) - though his redemption didn't last long.
Darkest show: The 100
ha, FBI ineptitude is what the FBI is known for. I had dealings with them over a bank robbery and they could not figure out who did it, never did figure it out. I tried to tell them and they did not want to hear it, oh well, another unsolved crime for their log. So not a big fan and that is an understatement. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat list, agree with most of them.
ReplyDeleteThe Blacklist is the show I am hooked on, had never heard of James Spader and wondered where he had been all my TV watching, am now watching Boston Legal and loving it. Red has me spellbound and his stories mesmerize me and have me wondering just how many of them are true. Without Spader there would not be a Blacklist.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason I try and stay away from Fox after what they did to Firefly, so I figured since 24 has hours they could not screw it up and so glad Jack is back.
I tried getting back watching Graceland, watched the first 5, stopped, you talked me back and I watched 2 more and am done. Just can't get into any of the characters, so don't care what happens to them..
I tried watching Dracula, have never liked that actor and thought he was a bad choice, did enjoy Renfield(Nonso Anozie), best part of the show.
Playing House is one I am still trying to decide if I am going to stay with it. Each ep I ask myself why am I watching this, then a laugh comes along and I stay. It will never be a Community or TBBT to me, but then what is.
Supernatural is better this year than last, BUT it would not have to do much to beat that season. I so miss my show of old and the "Family Business" and the brother bond, but to stay sane I have just treated these last 2 seasons as a NEW series and don't worry about past canon being trashed..SIGH. So my biggest disappointment is Carver, I had such high hopes since I loved most of his written eps. As a showrunner he fails, does not seem able to keep the writers on a path and the eps are choppy and do not keep the overall plot moving, but I did LOVE the finale and Dean's "I'm proud of us".
Same here, it's a shame when good shows end poorly :(
ReplyDeleteOk, I get it now. You are right about Malcolm being over the top, actually I just went with it. I honestly saw a lot of potential with this upcoming storyline so I didn't mind that at all.
ReplyDeleteTo each his own I guess
Same here about Graceland, I saw it was good when I watched the first season but when you don't care what happens to the characters it makes no sense to force yourself into it. I'm definitely not watching season 2, there so many other shows to check out.
ReplyDeleteBest new drama: Sleepy Hollow/Agents of SHIELD (tie)
ReplyDeleteBest recurring drama: Elementary/The Good Wife (tie)
Best new comedy: Trophy Wife
Best recurring comedy: Parks and Recreation
Best new summer show: Orange is the New Black
Worst network: FOX
Worst cancellations: Trophy Wife/Almost Human
Best action: Arrow and Agents of SHIELD
Best character: Victoria Grayson (Revenge)
Most surprising: Enlisted/Reign
Biggest disappointment: The Crazy Ones/Resurrection
Least expected hit: The Millers
Worst plot device: Revenge (David Clarke being alive)
Best historical drama: Reign
Worst drama: Killer Women
Worst comedy: Super Fun Night
To be honest...the season managed to make Slade an annoying character to me. His motivation made no sense at all, even less at the very end, and him repeating the same nonsense again and again pushed him from "badass" to "bit annoying narm".
ReplyDeleteI agree though that there were worse decisions than the whole "Malcolm is Thea's father" thing...I can see something good developing from it, as contrived as it is.
Agree about Graceland...none of the characters clicked for me, at all.
ReplyDeleteAlso Dracula...tried the pilot, gave up on it.
I still can't live with the thought that the next season of White Collar is supposed to be the last....but it is comforting to know that I am not the only one who watched a couple of carefully choosen Chuck episodes just for the fun to see a young Matt Bomer.
ReplyDeleteYes, the biggest disappointment for me last season was Slade's motive to kick Oliver's ass. I like romantic stuff and all that but him having such a lame excuse to torment Oliver was just unbelievably annoying and not so much fun to come back each week. I like Arrow in general a lot but this season baddy bad was just uninteresting to root or to hate. Would prefer Slade's obsession because of just insanity, like Joker, not a girl stuff. As for Thea and her "new dad" - the turn was not so bad, really. Actually gives some interesting thoughts and possibilities for next season to watch so I was quite ok with the turn. Oh, i forgot to mention the whole genre change thing - from down to earth to supernatural and fantastic stuff. I really hoped for down to earth plots but guess it would be quiet impossible for the future stories to create and to handle so I managed to embrace in order not to loose fun.
ReplyDeleteBest new drama: Chicago PD
ReplyDeleteBest new comedy: The Goldbergs
Best recurring show: Scandal
Best character: Ichabod Crane (Sleepy Hollow)
Most surprising: Reign
Most improved: Revolution
Best episode: Ozymandias (Breaking Bad)
Best finale: Mizumono (Hannibal)
Worst new drama: Dracula
Worst new comedy: Mixology
Worst season for a recurring show: The Vampire Diaries
Most annoying character: Slade Wilson
Biggest Disappointment: American Horror Story: Coven and Resurrection
Worst cancellations: The Crazy Ones and Community
Worst episode: Pilot (We Are Men)
Worst finale: A Tale of Two Confessions (Twisted)
Least expected hit: The Millers
Least expected flop: The Michael J. Fox Show
Worst plot device: Revolution (The nano being an artificial intelligence)
Worst drama: Killer Women
Worst comedy: Super Fun Night
For me best new show: Sleepy Hollow, the Blacklist, Agents of SHIELD. Best new character: Reddington (for unpredictability and deep range if emotions). Best action: Arrow, Agents of SHIELD. Don't like comedy so just don't watch though the Crazy Ones was not so bad. Biggest disappointment: Tomorrow People - so much I don't even know where to start... Intelligence on the same page actually. The worst antagonist - Slade Wilson (for annoyance). Best come back: 24 (Jack forever!) Well, and Supernatural is just off the list - I just love it and finale was great! Oh, and "too long for not happening at all" prize goes to Grimm.
ReplyDeleteI liked Chuck for not taking it serious and rare but wonderful moments of true drama to root for the plot and characters.
ReplyDeleteI think the core problem is that they keep handing guns to people who are most definitely unstable. Fewer guns and more science, even more exploration, would help them out more.
ReplyDeleteBest new drama: The 100/Sleepy Hollow (tie)
ReplyDeleteBest recurring drama: Revenge
Best new comedy: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Best recurring comedy: Parks and Recreation
Worst network: FOX
Worst cancellations: Community/Almost Human
Best action: Arrow and Revolution
Best character: Tyrion Lanister (Game of Thrones)
Most surprising: Sleepy Hollow (I thought it would be bad)
Biggest disappointment: The HIMYM Finale
Least expected hit: Resurrection
Worst plot device: Once Upon a Time (bringing Marian back to the future, because love triangles!)
Best historical drama: Vikings
Worst drama: Lucky 7
Worst comedy: Super Fun Night
Thanks! So glad you chose to read and respond to the column. I love great discussion about TV and getting to hear what other people think deserves being awarded. I love how Sleepy Hollow can switch back and forth from humor to drama to scares. By not taking themselves so seriously they are able to create outlandish plots and keep the audience with them. When I went into Salem, I kept thinking that they should have gone for a tone more similar to Sleepy Hollow instead of taking themselves so seriously.
ReplyDeleteTroy and Abed's friendship was my favorite part of the show, the heart for me. When I heard Troy was leaving, I instantly got nervous of how they would do it but they exceeded my expectations marvelously. I agree that Jeff telling Troy he admired his decision was a beautiful touch and you could see how much it meant to Troy. I also like how we as the audience were allowed to let the character go through Abed. Even the wacky solution made sense in the Community world. I was hoping there would be a 6th season in which Troy came back but they did an exquisite job in letting him go.
I almost gave an award to Yolanda for being the most memorable performance by a character never seen. That is still my favorite moment in Sleepy Hollow even over the big twist.
ReplyDeleteWould be a shame to give up Arrow just because of Malcolm, I hated to whole Mirakuro (or whatever it was called!) plot. I love Arrow for its action and actually the stories around team Arrow (only Oliver,Felicity and Digg). What is the point of fight scenes if one part has super powers? It was so predictable, you had to either drop a building on them or find a cure.
ReplyDeleteWith Malcolm we hopefully go back to good old fashion fights and archery. Though I have to admit that Thea's anger at Oliver is a bit over the top, it wasn't Olivers secret to tell and he only knew for five minutes before her. Just because Oliver is alive, he is the one to blame? With the new chapter with ARGUS we might get even Dead shot back! So too soon to give up on an awesome show like Arrow.
Besides what else is there to watch before The 100 on Wednesdays in fall? I am with you on Team Finn, they probably cannot beat the Grounders in a fight anyway, so they have to search for way to call a truce or other solution instead of just arm everyone. I think there are lots fans of Finn's character out there, it just takes longer for them to speak up because the storyline is in their favor and it is always easier to complain than praise.
Intelligence kind of petered out on me too. I think it is hard to make the concept work without everything going off too easily. I really did like the banter between Riley and Gabriel though. I would pick Nora as the best character on Revolution before they killed her, which was Revolution's key problem for me. They kept killing off all the best characters and sticking us with the Mathesons, whom I really wanted to die. Definitely agree about 24:LAD premiering well, Blacklist ending badly, and The 100 being far more dark than I ever expected. 24:LAD has been a great surprise, intense and fun, and this from someone who dumped 24 in the season the cougar did not eat Kim. The Blacklist killed (maybe) 2 of the best characters and offered zero answers, which will have me marathoning it next year instead of weekly viewing, even if I really like it overall. As for The 100, I really wish people who still don't think the CW has good shows would give it a try. The fact that young kids can die in it shocked me.
ReplyDeleteAgreed - Spader is Blacklist. I actually have a love/hate relationship with most of his characters. I didn't care for Boston Legal, but he was mesmerizing as the douche in almost every 80's movie he was in. You gave Graceland more than enough of a shot, so I'd say it definitely is not for you. I am fascinated by how my feelings for the characters change, sometimes liking them and sometimes wanting to reach into the screen and smack them. For me Briggs is equally complicated to Reddington so he's a large part to why I like the show. Playing House is charming for me, based solely on the leads' friendship. If they ever messed with that, I wouldn't watch it. It's one of the few TV shows in which women are the story and not just orbiting around the men's stories. I find that refreshing.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the last several episodes of Arrow but I suspect that I will be Thea's corner when it comes to being angry at Oliver, if only because he was such a hypocrite to his own mother. I do like the fighting but I detest the idea of Malcolm coming back so much that it will curb my enthusiasm for Arrow much in the same way that I still haven't finished this season of Person of Interest in large part to how much I detest Root. I would come back to that show in a heartbeat if only she would die. As for Wednesday nights, that is usually when I am podcasting so I don't need any show before The 100. I'm happy when we wrap in enough time to see it. I hope more Finn fans start rallying because it is disheartening to go on social media sights and continually see him being bashed for being right. I find him fascinating and think he would make a good leader/liason when the Ark's people actually do arrive.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I second that!
ReplyDeleteI really liked Trophy Wife too, until it became all about how wacky things could be. I know they were trying a different tack for ratings but what charmed me the most were the small family moments in which you knew they all cared about each other deeply. I really liked how the 3 wives bonded too, which made the show for me.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by Enlisted as well. It looked goofy and frankly too juvenile at first to me, but all it took was watchign the pilot and I was hooked. I adore how the Hill brothers played off of each other and still had each other's backs even when they were snarking at each other. I have to admit that Derrick made me laugh the most but the cast of other soldiers were hilarious too. Still I think it is the heart that Randy brought that I will miss the most.
It is always a joy to see him on screen. In fact, I was kind of hoping that he would bein more episodes but that's not to be. I will miss White Collar after its run is done. It's been a fun series and the cast has been amazing. At least they are giving us some closure, although White Collar is destined to be in my list of most missed shows with Leverage and Burn Notice.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen a lot of Chuck but I too liked the whimsical, fun tone it had in the episodes I've seen. The characters could easily be way over the top but by not taking it seriously, it really worked for them.
ReplyDeleteYeah, someone else who really liked The Goldbergs. I am hoping that it will get the recognition it deserves when it moves to its new night next year. They really deserve it. I also agree that Ichabod Crane is a fascinating new character. They did a great job of making him sympathetic and witty. By having him intelligently react to this newfangled world and giving him a sense of humor, they succeeded in walking that fine line that makes him so much fun. We disagree about We are Men though. The pilot was better than I expected it to be, which to be honest is not saying much. But I thought it was okay enough that had it stayed on longer I probably would have watched a couple more episodes at least.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of your awards. I liked the Crazy Ones and I really enjoyed the interaction between Simon and Sydney. Andrew took me by surprise how much I was rooting for him. Even Lauren made me laugh a lot. As for The Tomorrow People, I dropped it the second it turned into a major love triangle. I didn't like the rest of it enough to sit through the Stephen - Cara - John nonsense. Plus I thought the story would have been more interesting if it had revolved aroudn John instead of Stephen.
ReplyDeleteHave to give Revolution props for the great sword fighting. Good call there. It's one of my favorite things abotu the show. when the Sleepy Hollow trailers started coming out, I was leery, especially since I had already agreed to podcast it. It looked like it could go either way. So glad it went for humor and suspense. I do disagree about Lucky 7 though. I thought it had the potential to be something quite appealing and I already liked manyof the characters. I was sad it was pulled so quickly.
ReplyDeleteSleepy Hollow turned out great because it was honest about itself, it knew it was a show that needed humor to carry on its kind of ridicolous premise and it did it with grace while also rising a sense of suspense. Really masterful.
ReplyDeleteThe action in Revolution is outstanding, no wonder it won an emmy for outstanding stunt coordination during season 1 (should be a lock for the same award this year), it just manages to deliver such greatly done action sequences. Same goes for Arrow, which did quite amazing fights this year and could be competition for Revolution in the race for the emmy (if the emmy voters actually gave a damn about CW shows).
About Lucky 7... it was just not my cup of tea, I found it really appaling, but maybe it's because the premise wasn't something I was interested though; I checked out the pilot to see if it could surprise me, but it just didn't. Maybe it isn't the worst drama objectively, but it was the one I liked the least (I didn't watch Killer Woman or Mind Games, so maybe they did a worse job there?)
Agree, Finn would be much better leader. He has that respect of customs and a good set of honor.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen last season of Burn Notice cause it is so hard to tell the show good bye so i am waiting. Guess summer will be a good time to dinally close that chapter of TV wonders. I will miss all of the charactes, especially Michael's Mom! She is something!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly! As soon as love triangle had shown it's face I turned the show down. That crazy love of love triangles lately makes stories stalling.
ReplyDeleteBest new drama: Penny Dreadful
ReplyDeleteBest new comedy: Faking it (I'm in love with this, it's so original and has so much heart)
Best recurring show: Scandal
Best character: Ichabod Crane (Sleepy Hollow), Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf), Tyrion Lannister (GOT)
Most surprising: Teen Wolf (I never expected to like it, much less its third season to be the best one yet!)
Most improved: The 100, The Blacklist
Most wished for Spin-off: Root, Shaw and The Machine saving the world! Or maybe shift focus to them on POI.
Best episode: The Empty Hearse (Sherlock)
Best finale: Mizumono (Hannibal)
Best Exit: Alison (Teen Wolf) I still tear up with the fanmade videos.
Best New Addition to a Recurring Show: Prince Oberyin (Though given it's GOT don't know how much he'll last)
Best Plot Device: Dean's "friendship" with Crowley (YAY demon buddies)
Best BBC Show: Sherlock, Orphan Black
Greatest Character Death: Geoffrey Lannister (Got that comming little bratt!)
Character I'll miss the most: KIng Henry (Reign)
Best Characters on an Otherwise Terrible show: Damon, Katherine (The Vampire Diaries)
Worst new drama: Black Box
Worst season for a recurring show: Once Upon a Time (If it wasn't for Frozen I would have dropped it already)
Most annoying character: Slade Wilson
Biggest Disappointment: American Horror Story: Coven, Black Box
Worst cancellations: Believe The Tomorrow People, Those Who Kill, Enlisted and Almost Human.
Worst episode: Do you know? (Greay's Anatomy, when they show you different paths for Christina)
Worst finale: The Following, Arrow
Least expected hit: Reign (The amount of politics over love triangles saved the show)
Least expected flop: Believe, Intelligence
Worst Plot Device: Having George and Lavone suddenly love Lemon all over again (Hart of Dixie)
Worst drama: Beauty and the Beast, Dracula, Devious Maids (I'm talking quality here, don't take it personally it's just my opinion)
Worst comedy: Anger Management
Maddie is amazing in the final season. I understand where you are coming from though. Some shows are just too hard to say goodbye to. I am doing a complete series rewatch this summer to try to let the show linger a bit more.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't put it better myself. Once love triangles were novel but now they are just boring and repetitive. The real surprise is shows that do NOT go there.
ReplyDeleteI really hope that James Bamford is recongized for his stunt work this year. He does such amazing work. It's not his fault that CW shows always get shafted.
ReplyDeleteYeah. I was so glad they didn't go the relationship route there.
ReplyDeleteMiles became a half-decent character this season - Monroe was brilliant. Those two were pretty much the only reason I didn't quit a long time ago.
Ha! She went on to work for CTU in season 3. Seriously. hands down worst character on the show. But I got over it.
I disagree - Meera was just plain annoying from day 1 and a pointless character after she was outed as the mole. Tom is still alive which is good. But I'm the same - will be marathoning it. And I'm way behind on The 100.
I like the action on Revolution, but I was stunned and livid that it got an award for outstanding stunt coordination over Arrow last year. There is no way in hell that Revolution's stunts are better than Arrow's.
ReplyDeleteIchabod is such a gentleman, I love this aspect of his personality, as well as his hilarious reactions to our century. About We Are Men, what I can say is I didn't find it funny at all. Maybe because it was a straight male oriented comedy, maybe because Jerry O'Connell is so annoying to me... Or maybe I'm just a bitter fan of Partners. I don't know exactly.
ReplyDeleteI agree on Fox - they make bad judgements over there. Though I have no doubt that the only reason The Following is still on is because Kevin Bacon plays the lead and it's going on its second season. Fox doesn't give new shows a chance and lets old shows stay on way after the become dead.
ReplyDeleteI'd add Person of Interest to the best action alongside Arrow and Agents of Shield.
I disagree with Warehouse 13. Outside the soap opera episode I pretty much liked everything else.
I have been buying from half.com again and season 2 of Boston Legal came today. I am really enjoying it, hooked with first ep when Alan tells Denny that he was always thought of as a nut, but after coming to work for this firm he seems normal. lol I have lots of lol moments. What movie do you recommend with James?
ReplyDeleteNah...it's worse. With Leverage, I felt that the show went out just the right moment. The only way to go forward would have been a total overhaul of the concept (preferable without Nate and Sophie) in order to prevent it from becoming stale...and I doubt the producers would have taken the risk.
ReplyDeleteBut White Collar...it is still one of my favourite show on the air, and the writers have prooved again and again that there are still new venures to follow.
It might be unresonable, but as soon as White Collar is finished...I am finished with USA Network. If they are not able to appreciate the gem they have, I have no faith in their future programming.
I'm so agree with you about all your awards except for Best Comedy, Worst Cancellation and Greatest Character Death.
ReplyDeleteThe best comedy and worst cancellation for me is clearly Community. I would have understand last year if they have canceled the show or made openly and publicly the decision to bring back Dan Harmon for the finale season. They would have offered viewers a real closure with this awesome show. But now this ending is just awful to me and it almost ruins all the fun and emotions I had watching the last season.
About the Greatest Character Death...I didn't watched Helix because of a first preview/review you did about it! So I can't agree with you... because of you! Ha! :)
I also would like to know if you've watched Penny Dreadful's first episodes, I really like it.
Now I can't wait for Graceland, Teen Wolf, Perception, Defiance, Ray Donovan, The Killing, Under The Dome and Suits to return.
I think they are in par, especially this season. I find the stunts on Revolution to be amazing (episode 2x09 is emmy worthy), and Arrow really surprised me this year improving even farther than last year, so that's why I have them tied.
ReplyDeleteI cracked up laughing when I first saw that scene. Tom Mison played it so straight and serious, and that just made the punchline all the funnier.
ReplyDeleteWholeheartedly agreed on this :). I like when he goes on rants about taxes and prices for things.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I love TV discussion, too, it's great to hear others' opinions on shows...I even like reading about ones I don't watch sometimes (and the comments sometimes make me want to check out those shows as a result).
ReplyDeleteI agree that "Sleepy Hollow" has a great mix of all three of those things-the finale alone, I was laughing one minute and getting all teary-eyed the next, and then of course sitting there all shocked at the very ending. And I love the creativity used in coming up with such crazy plots, too-I love shows where people can let their imaginations go wild (see also: "Community"). I haven't seen "Salem", but I agree that supernatural shows in general could do well to have some fun with the genre-it's such a rich playground of ideas, after all.
Troy and Abed clicked so well-the chemistry between them was perfect. I'm glad that the show was able to find a nice sendoff for Troy, and I like your point about Abed acting and speaking on behalf of us viewers. And I too wish we'd gotten a sixth season and a reunion amongst everyone (especially since last we heard, Troy was lost at sea! What happened to him?!).
CTU hired Kim? Are they crazy? That girl couldn't find her way out of a paper bag except to throw a fit.
ReplyDeleteI loved Meera because she was one of the few kick butt females on TV. She's definitely more kick butt than Elizabeth and it feels like they killed Meera so she wouldn't have any competition.
Ha! Sorry to hear I put you off Helix. I had a love-hate relationship with it for most of season 1. The main character Alan is a hypocritical drip, who stands far too often on his own moral high horse while he's making terrible decisions too. However the side characters are engrossing and the overall conspiracy is well-done. Not that any of them could work for the real CDC without getting fired, given how sucky they are at their jobs. Let's just say the Helix CDC agents are a lot like The Following's FBI. Community has been hit or miss for me this year although I still love the characters. I do agree that it was a sucky ending. I really wanted to see Troy and Abed doing one last morning show together.
ReplyDeleteI have put Penny Dreadful on hiatus for awhile because that opening scene with the spider creeped me way the heck out. I will watch it but only when my nerves are steady enough to go through what I am sure is a wicked spider bite. Blech! I am also looking forward to the return of Teen Wolf, Graceland, Perception, and Defiance. I'm iffy about returning to Under the Dome given my meh feelings for it by the end of last year. I'm finding that there are a lot more summer programs I watch these days than I used to so I'm not sure I will have time for it. Especially when I am going to marathon several shows.
I think he has a great heart and a willingness to put himself in other people's shoes. He is also the voice of common sense a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe donut tax made me roll. It's amazing how much we take taxes for granted. It was fun to see things from an outside perspective.
ReplyDeleteIf in its final season we don't see Yolanda, I will be surprised. I don't think the writers realized exactly how much that scene was going to endear Ichabod to the general audience. My favorite moment this season.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite shows I had never watched until coming to this community and reading people's passion for their favorites in the Best Show competition. This community has definitely expanded my TV viewing and I am forever grateful to SpoilerTV for that. There's great TV talk here.
ReplyDeleteThe Sleepy Hollow finale was the best this season hands-down for me. It had everything and one huge twist after another. I'm not sure any other show took my breath away so many times in one episode. It's the Mary Poppins of finales - practically perfect in evry way. I cannot wait to marathon this show again or to get a season 2 premiere date. As for Troy, he makes his way back to Greendale where Abed and him have a morning talk show on a local cable station and become minor local celebrities. That's my ending and I'm sticking to it.
My favorite movie he was in was the original Stargate movie before it became a TV series. However if you want to see him just getting started in his career he was in the 80's classics Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero. He was particularly repulsive yet mesmerizing in Less Than Perfect.
ReplyDeleteI actually feel the opposite. With Nate and Sophie leaving, Leverage was finally poised to become even better. I watched for Parker, Eliot, and Hardison. The idea of having the show completely revolve around them made me very excited. I think it would have revitalized the series since many of teh people I know who loved it felt the same way about the trio as I did. White Collar, however, I feel has been winding down for a couple of years now. I still love it and I adore the characters. Don't get me wrong. Still the plots have become a little repetitive and strain credulity. Neal runnning as a fugitive and then being welcomed back into the FBI so quickly made very little sense, no matter what criminal he helped catch. The whole thing felt strained at the least.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to see a character so concerned with honor these days. i kind of miss that chivalry. I completely understand not liking a show for a variety of reasons. Some things just don't click with me either.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who doesn't own a TV, I sure did watch a lot of it this season and this feature has been a highlight for me!
ReplyDeleteLots of great moments this season but my awards would be (note that I only watch two comedies hence the lack of awards involving the genre):
*Best New Drama: The Blacklist (even if you frustrate the sh*t outta me)
*Worst New Drama: Dracula (not even my fondness for Katie McGrath could save this)
*Most Improved: Agents of SHEILD (after TWS, it was like a new show!)
*Biggest Disappointment: The Tomorrow People (Really? A love triangle?)
*Biggest Surprise (Fall): Sleepy Hallow (how do you not love Ichabod?)
*Biggest Surprise (Spring): The 100 (been more CW-ish of late but still really good)
*Worst Season of a Veteran Show: Supernatural (Carver - what. are. you. doing?)
*Best Finale: Hannibal (still speechless)
*Best FInale Runner-Up: Arrow (Bam Bam deserves an Emmy)
*Worst Finale: HIMYM (I know I said no comedies but this is the reason I have trust issues)
*Surprise Renewal: Beauty and the Beast (pleasantly surprised, but still surprised)
*Could've Been Great But....: Star-Crossed (far too much geometry)
*Worst Renewal in History: Glee (there are no words)
*Worst Cancellation: Almost Human (don't get me started, still pissed)
*Worst Network: FOX (see above)
*Best Character in a New Drama: Red Reddington (The Blacklist)
*Best New Character on Veteran Show: Trubel (Grimm - bet she would've killed Adalind by now)
*Most Annoying Character: Emery (Star-Crossed)
*Favorite Character Killed Off: King Henry (Reign)
*Best "Twist": Ward is revealed as Hydra (AoS)
*Character Glad they Killed off: that little sh*t in GoT (don't watch it but YouTube clips are enough)
This summer I hope to get caught up on NCIS and NCIS: LA, start Person of Interest and finish Warehouse 13.
That's it for the 2013-2014 season. New shows I'm most looking forward to:
ABC: Agent Carter and Forever
CBS: Battle Creek, CSI: Cyber, Extant, NCIS: NO, Scorpion, and Stalker
CW: iZombie, The Flash and The Messengers
Fox: Gotham, Gracepoint, Hieroglyph, Red Band Society, Wayward Pines
NBC: Aquarius, Constantine, Emerald City, and Odyssey
I've not even heard of Faking It. I'm so out of the loop. What network does it air on? Stiles and Ichabod were both contendors for best character for me, although their shows already got awards so I felt it best to share the love. Ichabod is a real treasure of a character and Stiles had so much character growth and so many good scenes this season. He's the heart of Teen Wolf for me. I like you have been surprised by Teen Wolf from the moment I watched the pilot. It is one of my favorite shows and I am well out of the targeted demo for it. There's something to appeal to all kinds of viewers with it. I didn't have a problem with Alison dying though simply because the actor wanted out. If it had not been her decision, I would still be fuming about it today.
ReplyDeleteHave to disagree about the Spin-Off though. Root is the whole reason why I dropped PoI. I actually hope she's in a spin-off so she leaves Person of Interest and I can return to it. I am glad to hear that Dean and Crowley have scenes together in this season of SPN though. I plan to marathon it over the next 4 weeks. Here's hoping it is a vast improvement over season 8. That was by far my biggest TV disappointment last year. I'm also hoping to marathon Reign so I'm gld to hear the politics outweigh love geometry nonsense. I have no patience with that but I find the idea of a historical drama on the CW intriguing. Besides it keeps Cora from returning to Teen Wolf, which is a big plus in my book. Sorry Arrow's finale wasn't good. Last year it won hands down for best finale for me and revitalized my interest.
I agree about Kevin Bacon being the reason why The Following was renewed while Almost Human was cancelled. I'm saddened by that though. Bacon is a good actor and deserves better writing and plot construction.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that's been the case for you. I know there's some shows I'm hoping to get into further as a result as well.
ReplyDeleteSame here. The last ten minutes or so in particular were just...whoa. I'm anxiously awaiting the DVD release for the first season for the same reason!
Haha, I shall accept this ending, too. Works perfectly for me!
Thanks for being a part of this column. I really appreciate you taking time to read it. I have been doing a lot of streaming TV on my computer lately and as a result I am watching far more TV these days too. You list makes me laugh, mostly because I agree on almost everything. When will the powers that be finally realize that love geometry is just tiring and frustrating these days? I agree that SHIELD is having a renaissance of sorts right now. I am still anxious to know if Ward is going to be phased out of if there is a big redemption arc/villainry in his future. I hope it's the latter. So very sorry to hear that Carver is still up to his tricks, trying to ruin Supernatural one canon bomb at a time. It's so frustrating. I am actually nervous about marathoning it at this time because I knwo I'm going to be furious all over again.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Star-Crossed but I get your dislike for how many times it ran to the cheap drama of love geometry. I really wish they had set the story at the college level and made the story a bit more adult. It had all the political machinations and sociocultural aspects needed to be a truly great show, but it was weighed down by the marketing and an inability to chose an audience to target. Wavering between teenage star-crossed romance and adult situations did this show in. Also the marketing. Did I mention how awful that was. New award - Worst Marketing goes to the CW for misrepresenting key shows and killing any interest in them right from the start. Also I somewhat agree about Emery as most annoying character. She's definitely the worst of all the CW shows I watch. And if it weren't for Sleepy Hollow being so mindbendingly twisty, I would agree about Ward as Hydra for Best Twist. That was amazing and really amped up the consequences. I wish he weren't caught this season but still on the run for season 3.
This year I am bound and determined to watch Alias since it always has a lot of fans and it's a genre I usually like. Somehow though it's always just underneath my summer cut-off.
ReplyDeleteI got rid of my TV because it was such a time suck but now that I am no longer in school, I have become a bit of a TV junkie - with Hulu +, Netflix and Amazon Prime subscriptions, I am watching new shows and finally watching some old ones that I just never got to over summer breaks (like Warehouse 13). I have followed SpoilerTv for quite some time but just started commenting a few months ago - most of the people on this site are respectful and really want to talk about their favorite shows instead of argue over ships (not so much on other sites).
ReplyDeleteI really hope that Ward is a part of next season and I do hope that he has some sort of redemption but I want it to be painful. I get why he did what he did and now that Garrett's influence has been removed I hope that he can see he has worth beyond being "Garrett's lap dog" :-) I don't know that the team will ever trust him again but I hope that it's something the show explores next season.
Carver. Oh Carver. I have gone to SPN Con's for several years and I really do love this show but Carver is really trying my patience. There were several episodes that I watched while cleaning the house or could only get thru the first 15 minutes of. I even skipped three episodes all together. I think where they left Dean in the season finale has the potential to be great next season but I truthfully don't trust Carver to realize that potential. This season had a couple great story lines and he pissed them away. Sorry, apparently I'm still a bit bitter.
I totally agree that the CW hosed up the marketing with Star-Crossed. I wasn't even going to check it out until I saw on Twitter that people we saying it wasn't all about the love triangles and it was great when the romance was left at the door. I agree that it would've been better off set in a college vs high school environment. I think the reverse is true for The Tomorrow People...the tag line was all about "The 3 T's - telepathy, telekinesis and teleportation" but really what we got was four T's - the last one being TRIANGLE. **sigh** both shows had fabulous potential and the CW just shot themselves in the foot with both of them.
Yes, but the only reason Nate and Sophie were leaving was because it was the season finale...I doubt that they would have done this if another season had been planned. And with or without them, the actual cons were repeating themselves in the last two seasons and become more and more unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWhite Collar strained credulity from day one, but I never minded, because they usually managed to sell it in a way that I was ready to believe it in the White Collar Reality. Since the show was always mostly about the characters, I didn't mind - I admit, Eastin stalled a little bit, but I guess that's because he had his eight season plan in mind. It is too bad that it is now cut short. The only advantage of the shorter season is that there are less filler episodes and we can concentrate on the "arc-episodes" - they tended to be the best either way. But I really wish that they were not forced to rush towards the end now.
I have the weird feeling that what you're saying about Penny Dreadful can apply to Helix for me. I have been afraid by what I saw or read about it and I might watch it this summer when I'll get my nerves and peaceful mind ready! :)
ReplyDeleteI can understand your meh feelings for Under The Dome. Actually I had mixing feelings for both The Dome and Defiance last year. I was nicely surprised to like Defiance at the start of the season. Then while I liked the ending arc I was a bit disappointed and frustrated by the lack of depth of the characters and their relationship to each other during the whole season. For instance I really loved the complicated bond between Nolan and his daughter at the start but it was barely exposed all along in my opinion. And then it came finally back by the last episodes, saving the show for me.
Well I'm surely going to watch these two shows with less expectations now, but still an open mind.
Thanks, I will put them on my netflix list.
ReplyDeleteI don't find him listed in Less Than Perfect?
ReplyDeleteThat's because it is supposed to be Less Than Zero. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteI thought I read that Timothy Hutton wanted out of Leverage so I guess that would have meant Sophie's return minus Nate, which I could still get behind. That character always felt too tied to Nate to stand on her own. Having him gone would have made it possible to explore her character more. I look forward to this short season of White Collar simply because of that. Save Neal, take down the bad guys, and ride off into the sunset in a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteHa! If you are no fan of rats or monkeys, then Helix may not be for you. There is plenty of both and they can be shocking and gross. In Defiance, I found the bond between father and daughter the best aspect too. I wish they had spent more time on it as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you found SpoilerTV. Funny enough it was Supernatural in the Best Show competition that brought me to the site a few years back. I agree that this is the best place to talk about TV without having to rehash the same shipper wars over and over. I completely understand your frustration with Carver by the way. I was so annoyed about season 8 that I still haven't watched season 9. I should be doing that over the next couple of weeks and it makes me very nervous. He's got to be my least favorite show runner of all because he just doesn't get the most important elements of SPN to me. I live in hope that he will leave and Kripke will come back. I also live inhope that the CW will stop forcing love geometry and grow up a bit as a network. They've made remarkable progress so now it's time to go one step further. After all, Supernatural is their longest running show and it doesn't have love shapes. They should emulate that in their next batch and see if they won't be more successful because of it. The 100 needs to chuck the lover triangle immediately and go to telling survival stories.
ReplyDeleteLOL, OK already had that one on my list.
ReplyDeleteSomehow she was reasonably competent. Even went out in the field undercover.
ReplyDeleteWhen she got killed off I just went "Meh". I literally did not care.
Absolutely! Leader with a heart and a sense in one package - that is exactley what those teens need. Not an iron fist and all that violence or, yes, reasonable but yet constant blab all the time and no action but a good old common sense supported with necessary acts of tough decisions in order to keep the group alive and well.
ReplyDeleteSame here. I tried watching Breaking Bad once it aired but didn't get the pilot at that time but thanks to wonderful and passionate reviews I tried it again (partly out of curiosity, partly due to nothing to watch during last winter break). To say I was hooked means ti say nothing! My mind was blown away with the set and mythology of the show, character complexity and amazing story to watch in one go.
ReplyDeleteFaking it airs on MTV I think, the thing is because I'm not from the US I usually need to watch things online so if it wasn't for Spoiler TV I probably would be clueless about networks.
ReplyDeleteI too am ok with Alison's death for that exact same reason but it was such a beautiful scene and fans have made so many gorgeous videos on You Tube that whenever I watch one I get that feeling all over again.
As for POI, maybe that would be a good reason to have the spin-off, I mean in my case if it wasn't for her I would've droppted so spliting them up would give tou back POI and I would love that new show much more. I do wonder why you hate Root so much.
You shouldn't take my word on the Arrow finale cause I'm not a good judge of it, my interest in the show is very specific, I like the present, I like the characters from the present but I hate everything that has to do with Oliver's past and Arrow focuses on that A LOT, and between Slade and some other things that finale was all about the past.
A lot of people like Supernatural when it's on a monster-of-the-week period, that's why some aren't enjoying it I think, and the ones that love the Winchester brotherhood could also have a few problems with this season. But I love it specially for Dean Crowley and Castiel so I had a pretty good time with it, though one should try to errase the spin-off atempt from the memory, that was awful and the idea that they would find out about a city run by monsters and not do anything about it is ridiculous.
I do think you'll like Reign but you need to survive the first triangle-based episodes, it's a bit more into the season they realized they were better off without it, no, I don't really know what happened, but it's much better now.
Did you read that article on the plans for Star-Crossed on season 2? They said the star-crossed lovers weren't even end game and the I found out that the show was going to be called Oxygen and have far less geometry but since it's the CW they pushed that aspect down their thoats to make it more "appealing", I got so mad that they ruined a show for nothing, that awful misconception that they can't possibly have a popular show without the love triangles.
ReplyDeleteMy choices only where I differ in opinion with the author:
ReplyDelete- Best new drama: The Blacklist - The fact that James Spader as Redd is even better than my previous favorite role of his in Alan Shore (on Boston Legal) says it all.
- Best new comedy: Brooklyn 99
- Best recurring drama: Person of Interest - Season 3 is leaps & bounds better than the first 2 seasons, which were great to begin with, mainly due to the transition from a procedural to a serialized format. "Fringe" was, to my knowledge, the only recent show to take this approach & PoI has already topped it!)
- Best Episode: Deus Ex Machina (Person of Interest) / Unthinkable (Arrow)
- Greatest Character Death: Detective Carter on Person of Interest. No buzz, no warning of an impending crucial-death from the show-runners. But Taraji Henson who played Carter knew the character was going to die before the start of the show 3 yrs ago! Best kept secret on TV this decade?
Season 8 didn't bother me as much as Season 9 has but I think that is only because I liked Benny and I still hadn't forgiven Gamble for Bobby (correction, I still haven't forgiven her for Bobby, not sure that I will as long as this show is on air). There was a lot of breaks this season where we would get a couple new eps and then a few week break. I am hoping that the schedule it had is the reason the season as a whole felt so disjointed to me - but I think it actually just came down to Carver juggling too many balls and IMHO, he dropped every damn one of them. My dream - Kripke returns and brings Chuck back to clean house and set shit right again!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the CW's progress. A few years ago, SPN was the only show I would even consider watching on the network and now I actually watch as many CW shows as CBS (so does that make me an old lady who is young at heart??). The 100 is a fantastically dark show and they really need to drop any romance that is not directly related to moving the survival story lines along (good example: Clarke sending Octavia to see Lincoln for a possible cure last week). I liked Finn at the beginning of the series but once Raven got to the ground his story line became all about his relationship with Clarke and Raven. We need someone to balance out Bellamy (and even Clarke of late), to be a voice of reason not the camp sugar daddy. Looks like we are going to get more action and some Ark answers tonight so I will be anxiously waiting the new episode on Hulu tomorrow!
I agree
ReplyDelete