Due to Thanksgiving in the United States, it was a pretty light TV week this time. I kind of like that because it allowed me to review 2 of my favorite episodes of all time, Buffy's Becoming Part 2 and Supernatural's WIaWSNB, for Throwback Thursday. Plus enjoy family and shopping traditions of course. As we head into the midseason hiatus, if you have any series you think I should watch please nominate them in the short form below. This week I had the pleasure of watching the limited series, Missing from 2012. If you are a fan of spy movies or action thrillers, I highly suggest you check it out. It did not get renewed for a second season but if you shut it off about 3 minutes before the end it has a great conclusion. Any farther and you are stuck in an unresolved cliffhanger. Fair warning.
Next week I am reviewing Once Upon a Time so I need your help. I stopped watching it relatively quickly into season 1 because I rarely hate characters as much as I hated Emma and Henry. I completely loathed them and wanted them to be sucked into a parallel world where there was no communication with my TV. Therefore I am really worried about episode selection for this review. The nomination randomly picked had no specific episode listed but other OUaT nominations include Rocky Road, Breaking Glass, and Family Business. I'm looking for an episode that isn't heavy mytharc so I'm not confused, doesn't take shipping overboard, has a lot of action, and uses Henry and Emma sparingly. Are any of the nominated episodes a good choice or is there an earlier one that might work better? If it helps I loved Regina and my favorite characters on the spin-off were the Red Queen and Will. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. (See poll below)
As always, please share your reviews and episode awards for last week's TV. I always like hearing alternative perspectives and sometimes people's reviews inspire me to add another show to my weekly watching list or to try a show I've dropped again. I know others do the same. Until next week, happy TV viewing.
Nominated Show:
Technically the nominated episode was Missing 1.05, but I really liked this show so I watched all 10 episodes of the series. I saw some of it when it aired originally so it was fun to go back. Basically it is the story of an ex-CIA mom whose son is kidnapped in Europe while studying abroad. She goes to any lengths to get her son back and the series includes the requisite number of twists. One big plus was the acting, being one of the first limited series with celebrity casts like Ashley Judd and Sean Bean. I think it worked well as a limited series although it was definitely designed to continue farther than it did. Mostly though, this show rocks because of all the great action. Becca Winstone can kick major butt! In some ways she reminds me of Melinda May because you don't want to mess with her but she isn't a young thing wither. If you like spy series with good action throughout, I highly recommend marathoning this one from Hulu. Fair warning though - Stop the final episode when there is about 3 minutes left. If you do everything ends nicely and all major plotlines are tied up. If you go to the end it leaves on a cliffhanger and since this show was not picked up for a second season, you'll have to resort to fan fiction or making it up in your own mind. Still you won't miss a thing if you stop it when Becca goes to get the car. It makes the perfect ending.
Overall Show Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - Becca is one of the most kick butt moms on TV ever
Best Twist - Paul is alive / Martin is the criminal mastermind / the kid killed his mom
The "Glad You're on My Screen" Award - Ashley Judd and Sean Bean
Best Moment - finding out that Becca can fight because she used to be CIA
Biggest Smartypants - Michael, who is a refreshing change from most hostages because he actually is smart enough to fight for himself
Best Realism - Becca is all bruised up after a fight and needs help getting her shirt off
Biggest "You're Not My Kid but I'm Still a Mom" Moment - Becca tells her son's girlfriend not to smoke because it's bad for her health / Becca tries to keep the other kid alive after he kills his father
Biggest Lesson Learned - Don't get between a mother and her child. It's not a pretty place to be and there will be nothing but pain for you.
Most Intense - Becca tortures the mole for information
Most Annoying Plot Device - Mary, who just stops by Europe to get in the way. She was much better as Mama Mills from Sleepy Hollow.
Best Quotes -
1. Paul: "Blood is thicker than water, but nothing is thicker than money."
2. Martin: "Anything?" Violet: "Saw a fat guy in Speedos. I may need trauma counseling."
3. Michael: "Mary gave me a pamphlets about STD's." Becca: "Let's just live forever as if you didn't tell me that."
Weekly Shows:
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - all the great speeches, especially between Ichabod and Abraham, but also Henry vs. Katrina
Best Scene - Abraham and Ichabod sword fight in the cave
Best Twist - Medusa guarding the sword
Biggest Laugh - Ichabod waxes poetic about making torches when Abbie just buys flares
Biggest Huh? - Is this phone game being product placed on every TV show? I just saw it on The Big Bang Theory, where Sheldon cracked wise about Jay-Z.
The "Say What?" Award - Since when is Abbie the rash one who goes in without a plan? Role reversal much?
Best Plan - Abbie decides to use Headless to get the sword for them
Worst Plan I Love - Irving decides to head back to Sleepy Hollow undercover. This can't end well for him but I am so glad he's going to be part of the action.
Biggest HMM - If the cave is enchanted, why could no one see Abraham's head until he beheaded the gorgon
The "What Was He Thinking?" Award - Why exactly did Henry dispatch Abraham after the sword when he knows that he can't be out in daylight? Doesn't he have scores of other non-light impaired minions at his command?
Biggest Exposition - not sure why the writers felt the need to spell out the entire plan to us as if we can't just watch it unfold
Biggest Eye Roll - Again I refuse to believe that something made in the 1700's would still be in that good a shape. These things never make sense whether on this show, National Treasure, or their ilk.
Best Quotes -
1. Abbie: "It is one of these swords, right? Because if it's not and I die in here, I'll be kicking some serious Templar a** in the afterlife."
2. Ichabod: "I want redemption for you, Abraham, yet all I see is the ghost of a man I once knew." Abraham: "Well Ichabod, that is because I am dead." Ichabod: "Your path was on course already towards this creature of darkness you've become." Abraham: "I am what you made me. I am the one who traveled to the New World to forge a new path. You forced you way on to it. I found a wife. You stole her from me as if it were your destiny and not something you arrested from a man you dared to call friend." Ichabod: "Abraham that is not what…" Abraham: "No, I was supposed to be the hero of this story, not the villain." Ichabod: "Do not dare put this on me. You chose the mantle of death. You chose Moloch. Two choices made in an instant that insured Katrina would never love you."
3. Ichabod: "George Washington? He was our Liar in Chief. He formed the Culper spy ring. That was a network of liars." Abbie: "Thank you Colonial Mythbuster."
4. Ichabod: "Our quest will not be without peril." Abbie: "Crane, you and I can't have lunch without peril."
5. Ichabod: "I made torches. Fashioned my socks into batting and soaked them in pitch I dug from a new pine bough." Abbie: "I brought flares. You just light 'em." Ichabod: "Well one can never have enough torches."
I love this show. I really do, but they do not need Walter rescuing everyone every time. There are plenty of other people who can as well. He's starting to get too "Chosen One" for me. Other than that and some of the Toby and Happy scenes, this was an excellent episode. There was more action than previous episodes and both Walter and Jim created a working relationship in which they both got to shine, for the most part, in their respective fields. I wish it were Jim saving Walter from thugs instead of the other way around, but I can deal especially since we got so much back story. I liked Sylvester and Megan together and I hope we get more scenes with them. She pulls him out and he keeps her from being obnoxious in her sickness. While this episode stretches believability as much as the others, it was grounded in action and great character interaction that continues to make this series shine. Another winning episode.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - back story on Walter, Toby, Sylvester
Best Scene - Sylvester tells Megan that he feels guilty about staying behind
Best Trade - Jim gives Walter their unit's challenge coin & Walter gives him free war movies for life
Best Aww Scene - Megan tells Walter that she wants to make new memories together while she's alive
Best Back Story - Toby's parents / Sylvester and Walter
Best Sherlock - Sylvester, who notices every little thing on his desk to a 16th of an inch
The "Welcome Back" Award - Walter's sister Megan
Best Physical Comedy - the Scorpion team getting on the plane in contrast to the Seals
Biggest Laugh - They're storming a rebel base but have to stop to braid toilet paper. Only on Scorpion.
The "Yeah, That's Not Going to Work" Award - Sylvester tries to distract Megan with Solitaire
The "Say What?" Award - Why have lights on in the back of the truck if it is unsafe to turn the headlights on? If Happy's little flashlight is a problem, the 4 lights on in the back for no reason should be too. Not to mention all the noise the truck is making to begin with.
Biggest Ewww - I'm sure tongue is delicious but even the idea makes me gag
The "Nothing Like Tipping through the Tulips" Award - So flowers aren't just pretty but can help avoid landmines. Who knew?
Best Nostalgia - The Facts of Life
Best Leadership - Cabe, who puts Happy in charge of Toby and drives both sides of the team under one mission / Paige, who keeps heads cool
The "I Guess Sometimes Littering Does Help" Award - one of the Seals casually tosses his trash in a field and sets off a mine, letting them know they are in danger
Biggest Hmm - How is it that neither Happy nor Toby heard the truck right behind them?
Best Quotes -
1. Happy: "Look, maybe there's supplies up there." Toby: "Oh that's a great idea, Gretel. Let's go to the creepy cottage on the hill."
2. Happy: "Hey, I'm Happy." Megan: "And I'm dying but you don't see me telling everyone."
3. Paige: "I don't remember Old Macdonald having a gun in that song."
4. Toby: "Did we enter a cabin or a wormhole?"
5. Paige: "I can handle this. I'm part of the team." Cabe: "Part of it? You're the glue, kid."
Wow! This is one intense episode and a big improvement over the pilot. Working in the CIA cannot be easy which this episode bore out. What I liked most was seeing a more vulnerable side to Charlie. Yes, she lied her butt off to get what was needed done, but there was real emotion when she wanted to plead for Anatoly's life with the President, when he gave his last words, and when she played them back while watching his daughter. At the very least, I hope the government pays for the kid's schooling. Her father deserves something for his sacrifice. Other than that, the mystery of who is texting Charlie is getting deeper but not more interesting. Until I get some answers, it's just a subplot distraction I can do without. I'm not sure where this thing with Nick is going either. Nor do I care at this point. In fact the most interesting thing about both of these is still Sid. That's the character I want to learn more about.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - the heartbreak of a Russian man dying not for his country but ours and not even getting his last wish fulfilled
Best Scene - Anatoly tells his daughter goodbye as Charlie and the team listen in
The "Welcome Back" Award - Courtney B. Vance, formerly of Law & Order and The Closer
Best News - the annoying CIA guy was fired but sadly didn't take his briefer with him
Worst Timing - Lucas makes Hunt for Red October jokes in the middle of a very real crisis
The "Say What?" Award - The guy from the Russian branch doesn't speak Russian. How does that work?
Most Clandestine - Charlie keeps meeting people in the most "spy" of places
Most Obtuse - Kurt, who keeps talking to Mo about business when she's obviously distracted by Nick
Most Cryptic - Not the mysterious texter surprisingly but Sid, whom I still want to know more about. Here's hoping he's not Charlie's father.
Best Quotes -
1. Anatoly: "Sabina, my angel, I'm seeing you now waving to me from the window of the cab where I last saw you. I had the best time. We talked about…so much. I will not see you graduate or become a doctor. I will never meet my grandchildren, of which I wish you many, but I've spent these last hours imagining the long life that awaits you. It was wonderful. I'm in the last moments of my life but I'm not sad. I'm relieved. I've done things in my time, treacherous, unforgivable things. I've engaged in the most nefarious of professions out of a profound sense of duty. For the lies I've told and the lives I've taken, I ask only forgiveness from you, my love. No matter what is said about me after I'm gone, know that I always, always loved you, my darling. You were the only good, true thing in my life. I will miss you."
2. Charlie: "Alright, I know you were never a big fan." Mo: "On your list of understatements, that one is top 3."
If I totally forget the first 30 minutes (and let's face it - they were totally forgettable), this would be another stellar episode for Supernatural. The first part was pure filler but once we got to Cole vs. Dean the story picked up rapidly. I like that we finally got Dean's side of the story and I really like that we don't have Cole skulking about like a Dean-obsessed, second-rate Gordon anymore. I mean Gordon's crazy was entertaining for awhile but Cole's no Gordon. To have Dean with an assist from Sam talk Cole down was fantastic and I even felt sympathy for all parties. Again I think Sam is right to call Dean on what he said and I am not looking forward to the emoangst that's to come. Still it was a powerful scene. As for the rest, it seems like Supernatural has this weird equation going on. I can only get Crowley if I take Cas too. I'm not sure why that is but I found Cas and Hannah less annoying this time even if they are still the most fast forwardable for me. I did like the Crowley reveal, mostly because Rowena was fun. I hope she stays awhile and makes Crowley's life miserable. Just thinking of it makes me laugh.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - resolution of the Cole problem
Best Scene - Dean and Sam talk Cole down
Best Action - Dean vs. Cole
Best Twist - Rowena is Crowley's mother, which I didn't guess until Crowley went to open the door and see her and I was wondering why they would show the King of Hell visiting a prisoner
Best Continuity - the pearl-handled pistol
Best Nostalgia - Cole throws holy water on Dean, which reminds me of when Bobby did it in Lazarus Rising
The "Please Tell Me More" Award - if we have a hunter network now, I wouldn't be adverse to seeing more of them…as long as they aren't Garth
The "Are You Kidding Me?" Award - Dean is on a dating service? Mock, Sam. Mock away. I mock with you.
Biggest Cautionary Tale - running in heels is never a good idea and can actually get you killed
Biggest Hmm - If only one person knew the spell, why is it on the internet? Just saying.
The "About Time" Award - Dean finally explains what happened with Cole's father
The "I Don't Get It" Award - why are they tracking down stray angels again and why is it on my screen?
Biggest Idiot - tie - Dean for not figuring out the woman is a prostitute, the woman's boss for sending her to a Winchester, or the girls who watch the man burn and go with Rowena anyway
Best Return - Crowley, who has been missing for far too long
Best Addition - Rowena
Smartest Plan - Sam tells Dean there are witches in town and Dean sets down his drink. No need to tempt fate.
The "Will Wonders Never Cease?" Award - never thought I'd see Winchesters hit a 5-star
Biggest About Face - Hannah - too bad she didn't think this way when those 2 angels who just wanted to stay were killed
The "Second Verse Same as the First" Award - Dean getting taken down by a hooker. Suddenly Tall Tales is on my brain.
Best Quotes -
1. Crowley: "So you and your halfwit pal threw me into the sex trade. I'm evil. That's just tacky
2. Cole: "How can I believe you? My whole life I've…" Dean: "I get it. That was your story. Look man, I've got one of those two. Okay but those stories that we tell that keep us going…man, sometimes they blind us. They take us to dark places. The kind of place where I might beat the cr** out of a good man just for the fun of it. The people who love me, they pulled me back from that edge. Cole, once you touch that darkness, it never goes away. Now the truth is I'm past saving. I know how my story ends. It's at the edge of a blade or a barrel of a gun. So the question is, is that going to be today? It going to be that gun?" Sam: "You've got a family Cole. I heard you on the phone that night. I'm guessing they need you to come back and they need you to come back whole."
3. Crowley: "Wipe that ridiculous smile off your face. What? You want a medal? A thank you for cleaning up a mess you made? Everyone working for more is touched, touched in the head. Squalling, incompetent infants."
4. Rowena: "The King at last. King of what? Lilliput. I mean I heard you were short but…Well, get to it. Time for the coup de grace. Wee boy, something the matter with you? Cat got your tongue. Meow." Crowley: "Mother."
I think I would have liked this episode of The Flash better if Barry hadn't got his superpowers back so quickly. Basically it felt like a copout that he just needed a jumpstart like a dead battery. I did however like that Barry is so accepting of his powers. It becomes a drain when heroes are always complaining about their lot in life or have no ideals, making them only one step better than the bad guys. Barry is a refreshing change and I really like it. Plus, he's an all-around nice guy. I think that's why I can stand all this metahuman stuff. Barry is a compelling character. Iris also stepped up this episode, no longer a damsel in distress or just another Lois Lane wannabe. I love how she took on the Clock King and won. In fact if we see this side of her more often, I think her character will rise in the fandom. Mostly though it was Wells stepping up his inner shady that was the best part of Power Outage. I still have no idea what his end game is or why The Flash would go missing in the future but his creepster level is on the rise. That makes him the most intriguing character of the night, especially since Barry is beginning to be suspicious of him.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - Wells reveals himself as cold-blooded to Barry and becomes even more diabolical
Best Scene - Barry calls Wells out for Tony's death
Most Fun - Eddie on painkillers
The "That's Different" Award - The Flash does its first vampire episode but it sucks power instead of blood
Best Change of Pace - Iris was able to protect herself from the Clock King
Best Continuity - the Clock King on Arrow shows up on The Flash and I'm guessing is part of the crossover
The "Refreshing Change" Award - instead of being the reluctant hero, Barry completely embraces it
The "Pot Meet Kettle" Award - Wells calls Zappy a murderer but Zappy is more sympathetic than Wells could ever be
Best Quid Pro Quo - I get Greg Finley back on my screen as Tony Woodward at least for a moment and he can't spill Barry's secret either
Best Stall Tactic - Joe tells the Clock King to let Iris say goodbye to Eddie so she can get his spare gun
The "We're Not Stupid" Award - no need to spell it out that Iris got Eddie's holster gun
Best Quotes -
1. Iris: "It's okay. A girl's got to be her own hero every now and again."
2. Barry: "If there was an Olympics for bad luck, you didn't just medal, pal. You Michael Phelps-ed."
I'll say it. I want Grumby back. I have no idea if he is a shark like Nina suspects but he is fun and quite frankly, hot. Yeah, I went there. Other than Mehcad, the best thing about the episode was Phil actually getting serious. It was a refreshing change watching him be competent for once. I wish it had worn off on Nina, who almost made competent before wacky hijinks blew it.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - Phil trying to be serious
Most Awkward - still Nina although Carlos comes close
Best Turnabout - Phil, who looks dapper with his new look and attitude
The "Welcome Back" Award - Mehcad Brooks, formerly of Necessary Roughness, and Sandra McCoy, formerly a crossroads demon on Supernatural
The "Missed It by that Much" Award - Nina almost makes a brilliant move by sending the other lawyer to change his shirt, but she still gets caught going through his stuff. No stealth whatsoever.
The "At Least it's Not Monopoly" Award - The lawyers work to add the word of the day into their statements in a game against each other. I guess working in 'magisterial' is easier than Park Place but neither would give me much confidence in my lawyer.
Best Quotes -
1. Carlos: "Well we're public defenders. How successful can we be?"
2. Micah: "I feel like the kid in Kramer vs. Kramer."
3. Nina: "Who ordered the discount Don Draper?"
Whoa, that's a whole lot of love drama. That's a whole lot of love triangle. That's a whole lot of me being out. Just like Brittany. Just like Emma. This is the kind of episode that makes this show's soon-to-be cancellation easier to swallow. It's a real shame because this series can be so good.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - I like several of the characters so even if I don't care about the events of this episode, I do wish them well.
Biggest Awww Moment - Jackson tells Kara her job is to protect her heart / Leo watches Emma drop off her red band
Worst Plan - McAndrew and Brittany sleep together
Biggest Mood Buster - Jackson, who peeps over the stall and breaks up Kara and Hunter's make out session
Queen of Mixed Messages - Dr. Gray
Best Dichotomy - Emma vs. Leo's reaction to the possibility of going home
Least Subtle - McAndrew with Erin's date / Dash when wanting to sleep with a celebrity
Either Biggest Douche or Most Obtuse - McAndrew, who totally deserved to be punched
Best Rescue - McAndrew gets Brittany out of a bad blind date by concocting a wild story together
Best Manipulator - Delaney, who tries to exchange fame for drugs
Best Reference - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
Most Wacky - Leo sets his leg on fire in an attempt to be romantic
Worst Timing - Jordi, every single time
Best Quotes -
1. Jackson: "I have no idea where this is going but it can't possibly be good."
2. Jackson: "Do you remember what I told you this morning?" Kara: "That I shouldn't have sex because I'll have a heart attack and die." Jackson: "No, I said you were going to get hurt. My job is to protect your heart, Kara, in every possible way."
3. Leo: "Well see this is exactly what first dates are for - learning incredibly boring things about each other."
I am a huge fan of Beth learning that Perry is still stalking her. Now we can move forward with this subplot and hopefully get Perry locked up and off my screen. It's about time. I don't envy Beth telling her friend that her new fling was using her though. While watching Beth vulnerable made for some great acting moments, still the best part about this episode is that it gave Janice a chance to shine. I like that it used her skills in psychology and that she knew how to make an effective plan. It would be nice to see her more involved like this in the future. Adding the Deputy Chief who knows Beth's background was also a good plan. It helped clear up some plot holes and hopefully will allow us to know more background on Beth without Perry being involved. The biggest drawback to this episode is that it feels like just a place marker until the next one, which should be very dynamic.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - it was a nice change to have Janice in control instead of Beth
Best Forward Progress - Beth finally knows Perry is stalking her
Biggest Hmm - Stalkers would make good spies. They can shadow someone better than most cops on TV and have that stealthy thing other people tend to lack.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Jay Karnes will ever be Brennen on Burn Notice to me, where I hated him with a passion. His character was slightly better in Gang Related and a lot better here.
Most Creepy - living in a house with dressed up mannequins is not normal, not at all
Biggest Wuss - Me. No way I would search corridors to find someone without a phone in my hand and 911 on speed dial. Just saying. I also only watch this show in the daytime.
Biggest Baby - Ben, who really, really needs to get over it NOW
Best Advice - Tracy tells Beth that she needs to let the team in on her stalker
Best New Character - Deputy Chief Diane Kindrick
Doubly Bad Luck - when you have not one but two stalkers, it's not a good day to play the lottery
The "You Really Need to Talk" Award - hey therapist guy, you should probably try talking to your wife because it is apparent you aren't on the same page on anything
Best Quotes -
1. Beth: "I'm sorry to bother you with this. After you pushed my background check through the Academy, I promised that I would never ask for another favor." Diane: "It's not a favor. It's a viable threat against one of my officers. Run forensics. It's not a suggestion. It's an order."
2. Diane: "Are you saying that my detectives don't deserve the same protections we afford our citizens?"
If I had known this episode did not include any Watson at all, I might have gone into it prejudiced. I'm glad I didn't because it gave me a much better feel for Kitty than all the other episodes combined. Since she's obviously going to be an important character, it was nice to view her unimpeded. More than her interactions with Sherlock, it was a refreshing change to have her spend a good portion of the episode with Gregson. He never gets enough screen time to begin with and I would love to see Kitty and he become closer. The case itself wasn't anything special but the character interactions were well done. Oh and does anyone know why Lucy Liu was not in this one?
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - surprisingly Kitty
Best Awww Moment - Sherlock tears up the non-disclosure agreement
Best Twist - Kitty gets the officer that hit Gregson's daughter to leave the force
Best Back Story - Captain Gregson and daughter
Most Justified - While I usually don't agree much with Sherlock on emotional issues, I do get his sense of betrayal from Watson. She should have talked to him about her note taking.
Most Perceptive - Kitty, who is insightful about everyone tonight
Best Return - Clyde the turtle
Best Plan - Sherlock gets a blood sample by socking a man in the nose / Kitty destroys the laptop
Best Quotes -
1. Kitty: "I hereby forgo my right to tell my non-existent friends that I am pet sitting a sociopathic tortoise."
2. Sherlock: "Of all the traits that can be ascribed to a criminal, tech-savvy has got to be my least favorite." Bell: "Well how about bloodthirsty?"
3. Sherlock: "Paranoia is the byproduct of being consistently right. You should aspire to it."
4. Sherlock: "When we find this man, he should stand trial for murder and crimes against the English language."
5. Kitty: "No luck at the precinct. Competitive weightlifters are a surprisingly law abiding bunch."
I never had a problem with Nick being without his Grimm powers because I think he made a better mentor to Trubel than he did a Grimm. Still I am happy for the fandom that he is repowered and back to business as long as this doesn't mean Trubel is out. I was far less thrilled with the utter fan fiction drivel of Juliette turning into Adalind and having sex with Nick. At first I thought this was a sure sign that the writers had run out of ideas and resorted to trolling social media. Now I fear something worse. That Juliette is going to have yet another bad reaction to a spell and this baby she's carrying will turn into a supernatural being called Ye Olde Plot Device, taking her/his mother's usual role. Can we please have one season that does not involve Juliette spell issues? Please. We already have Adalind's wonky baby so do we really need another infant? Here's hoping that Juliette is not pregnant or at least it is a normal kid that isn't born by the end of the season and wreaking terror in the next. On a plus side though, we did get Nick kicking Wesen butt again and more importantly we get a Juliette that is fun, flirty, and toting a gun. That's more interesting than anything else they have done with her.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - Nick is repowered
Best Reason to Fast Forward - any plot that comes straight out of fan fiction / anything Adalind
Best Twist - the three women bonding and protecting each other
The "Say What?" Award - Who takes the scenic route at night? It's not like you can see the scenery.
Best PSA - Don't make out and drive is the next no texting and driving trend.
The "I Guess Super Strength isn't for Everyone" Award - these Wesen look like they should be able to get a woman out of a car, but no
Word of the Night - "Hey." I think it is said 6 times in 10 seconds.
The "Welcome Back" Award- Erick Avari from Stargate, The Mummy, Burn Notice, Warehouse 13 and others. I love this guy.
Best Reference - apparently Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, was a Grimm
Worst Return - InstaNight. Seriously, Farris and Hank are talking via phone in broad daylight and then suddenly it's night and Wesen are ready to sacrifice her. Is this junk yard in Seattle?
Biggest Kudos - police officers that actually use gloves when handling potential evidence
Best Nod to Harry Potter - Juliette breathes in the potion from the Sorting Hat
The "I Second That" Award - Renard tells HexenMom he'll miss her when she leaves. Can I speak for the fandom and say we'll miss her too? She's my favorite thing about this season so far.
Most Kick Butt - Trubel stabs the tail's tires / Nick takes down everyone with his returned powers
Newest Addition to Nick's Halfway Home for the Grimm Afflicted - Josh
Best New Addition - Deputy Sheriff Janelle Farris, who isn't above doing some evidence digging herself
Worst New Addition - Josh, who feels like one eternal whine fest
Biggest Idiot - Wesen son attacks a police officer who just got off the phone telling people where she is
Best Quotes -
1. Juliette: "Sorry I'm late. I had to pick up more ammo." Monroe: "I'm sorry. You brought your gun." Juliette: "Yeah."
2. Hank: "What the hell is this?" Wu: "The stuff nightmares are made of…or bad art."
3. Trubel: "I'm really happy you're you." Juliette: "Me too cause let me just tell you I did not like being a blonde."
4. Monroe: "I mean the whole thing is like some bizarre, convoluted ménage a trois." Rosalee: "Monroe, we have a guest." Monroe: "Sorry Trubel." Trubel: "Oh I know what convoluted means."
5. Rosalee: "I can't imagine how difficult this must be for them." Monroe: "I think the word is creepy."
So how was your short TV week? Hopefully it was filled with good food and good characters. This coming week is pretty booked for me so we aren't into midseason hiatus yet. If you have any good marathon shows for the hiatus, don't forget to add them to the nominations. Speaking of, if you are a fan of OUaT, please comment on a good episode for me to watch. Many fans of OUaT have different TV tastes than I do so I am a little nervous about it.
ReplyDeleteConsidering your criteria for an OUAT episode Breaking Glass is the best option; very well developed drama, action and overall it is very enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteAnother great option would be this week's "Fall" (4x09) which is pretty much outstanding; there's very little shipping, a lot of fun, some action in between and it is developed greatly. Personally, it is one of my favorite episodes of the show - if not my actual favorite.
My good food went to waste. We had a snow storm come my way that knocked out power for 2 days. I heard nothing but bad reviews about State of Affairs,especially the pilot so i'm happy your review and a few others had good thing to say about it.Now i feel more optimistic and will start watching.
ReplyDeleteI can't pin point why but Elementary is lacking something for me. I don't know if its Kitty or Joan getting her own apartment but something is off. I do agree having Gregson-centric episode was great.He doesn't nor Bell get enough air time.
Wish i could give you a OUaT episode but i'm 4 eps behind and i'm horrible with titles and names! I find i'm limping along ever since last season.I think some of it had to do with the fandom going and the rest the show itself.Too many highs and way too many misses for me..
Thanks so much for your help. I appreciate it. I am glad to hear that in its 4th season it had an episode so awesome that it might be your favorite. That's the hallmark of a good show.
ReplyDeleteI just had Scorpion and OUAT this week. I felt kind of last having so little in the week but that OUAT episode made it all worth it!
ReplyDeleteI liked Scorpion, the Happy/Toby thing is starting to grow on me too, I like the fact they are acknowledging it in the show (that scene they had at the end when Toby something like "i could take better care of you") instead of just giving each other looks like most shows do for ages. This show does action really well to when it has it. I really loved Walter with his sister, it's a nice relationship.
As for OUAT, that was just an outstanding episode, easily one of it's strongest. We finally got the reunion which I loved and all those emotional scenes with literally every character having a goodbye with someone. The ending was brilliant too I can't wait to see what happens.
As for what OUAT episode for you to watch I pretty much agree with what Pablo said. 'Breaking Glass' from the nominated episodes but I'd highly recommend last night's episode 'Fall'. Just a great episode all round, plenty of action, has nearly every character in it with a nice balance, it has comedy and some very good acting and emotional scenes from everyone. The Hook/Rumple story would probabaly confuse you but the 'previously on...' covers everything else you need to know pretty well.
Glad I could help :).
ReplyDelete"Fall" took my completely off guarded; I had very low expectations for this week's episode and it just went and blew my mind! And it ended just perfectly; the closing montage is really arty and extremely well shot.
OUAT can be very inconsistent, sometimes great, sometimes really bad, but as a whole I think it is a very entertaining series, and so far its 4th season has been mostly balances and has had some great moments, with "Fall" becoming an easy favorite.
There's many great OUAT episodes across its 4 seasons, but I'd surely recomend the one that it is coming from its most balanced season (the current one).
I wouldn't recommend any episodes from the fourth season because I think the story is just too convoluted by now. The shepherd (1x06), even though I liked it, I think is too similar to the tone of the first five episodes.
ReplyDeleteI would actually recommend 1x07. it was until that episode I saw myself sticking with the series. Other episodes of the first season I really loved are: 1x15, 1x17, 1x18. Hat trick (1x17) is probably my favorite.
From the second season my favorites are: 2x04, 2x16, 2x20, 2x21 and 2x22. 2x21 and 2x22 should be watched as a two parter.
From the third I would recommend you to watch the season finale. it works nicely as a stand alone episode because the midseason arc got wrapped the episode before it.
If you are only going to watch one, watch Hat trick.
Sorry, this was meant to be a short post.
I am so sorry your Thanksgiving was messed up. That's terrible. We had snow before but for the day it was pretty nice if cold.
ReplyDeleteI thought the premiere of State of Affairs was far too meh to continue watching in a busy TV schedule, but I try to give all new shows 3 episodes. I ended up liking this second pretty well, mostly because of the case of the week. The mytharc isn't grabbing me yet, so that might be problematic in the future. I'm still iffy about the lead as well but some of the secondary characters have been intriguing.
Elementary is off. That's for sure. I think it is definitely because Watson and Sherlock are off for me. I like there give and take so when they are awkward around each other and at odds it can be hard for me to take. I'm not a fan of contrived drama. I also think that the cases of the week have been more forgettable, so the two combined together have made for a lackluster start to the season. I am glad that I am warming to Kitty though. If I still felt the same way aout her as in the premiere, things would have gone downhill rapidly. At least now I can see the potential for things improving at midseason. Personally I think they need to bring Moriarty back. She makes everything better.
By the way, I have to catch up with Sleepy Hollow; now that I have summer vacation here on Chile I plan to watch the whole season up to now. I just have one question: what's the whole deal with Katrina? I just have heard that it has been handled horribly, but is it really that bad? If so I'd like to prepare myself if I have to endure a bad hour or two
ReplyDeleteWhile I disagree with the notion of the 4th season being convoluted (though it has some missteps along the way) I 100% agree that the 2 hour 3rd season finale is a great choice; though not my favorite episode of the show, it does act as a perfect standalone, it is very funny, enjoyable and as a whole pretty well made. It is certainly the highlight of season 3 and something I'd recommened to anyone who wants to see if they can get on with the show
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think low expectations are a blessing. Many times I have gone in with preconceived notions about something only to be blown away by it in the end. So I can watch Fall without knowing the mytharc, right?
ReplyDeleteThere's only a couple of things you have to know: there's a spell coming to Storybrooke that will turn everyone against each other, Rumple has Hook's heart so he can control him at will and there's some Frozen characters in the mix (the arc includes Frozen characters). I think that's all you need to know in order to watch "Fall"
ReplyDeleteI am less excited about Toby and Happy getting together but I am glad that they seem to be moving away from the endless "will they-won't they" that usually precedes partners getting together these days. Mostly though I like the family feel of Scorpion so I hope this relationship doesn't become a focus. The same thing goes with the eventual Paige and Walter one. Megan was a real highlight for me, maybe because she makes Walter human more than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Fall was a real winner. I am good with previouslies catching me up or if I have any real questions, I can ask you guys to help clear things up. Really the only characters I remember well are Regina, Rumple, and Emma, but I do periodically read comments about it or hear spoilers so I may not be as out of it as I think I am. Thanks for your help in choosing an episode.
Great. I added it to the list of choices in the poll.
ReplyDeleteWill do! And that's really sad to hear! I expected that Katrina would be this badass witch on the war against the horsemen this season, but seems like it won't be the case. I think it's better for me to know all this beforehanded so that I can watch SH without crazy high expectations. The season premiere was so awesome that it's sad to hear that the show made such a huge mistake with a character that had so much potential.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm sure there's also very good things going for it regardless, so I'll watch the whole season before judging it.
Supernatural best show ever!!! :D ♥
ReplyDeleteIt certainly used to be. I do like how they have called a cease fire on the brother rifts so far this season though.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure!
ReplyDeleteI can't really pinpoint what stood out for me. It was a combination of everything I guess. I liked the pacing and tone of it; it was a bit darker than previous episodes but still very very enjoyable. At the end of the day I guess that's just it, it's an episode I like to rewatch.
There is action throughout and it kept me on edge. It centers on the mad hatter story as you might have guessed, and I liked how they tackled it.
To me it has a lot of heart because they showcased a father-daughter relationship really beautifully. I also was not a fan of Emma by that point; I couldn't really connect with her. In this episode I finally enjoyed her scenes and her character.
Sebastian Stan's acting is another highlight for me.
I believe the only thing you need to know is that Mary Margaret had been previously arrested for being a suspect in David's wife's disappearance.
Throwback to Missing>> I loved that little show...
ReplyDeleteDid a lot of catching up this week so I can actually start commenting again AND I nominated a show :-) The episode I nominated is the first of a two parter but the first part is really the turning point in the tone of the show. Anxious to hear what you think of it as Merlin is one of my top 10 favorite shows of the last decade....anyway, I digress.....
ReplyDeleteAs I was playing catch up the only two shows I'll comment on are the ones that I have remained current on: Grimm and The Flash.
Grimm - loved this episode but it also very much worries me. I am REALLY glad that Nick got his powers back. Was very nice to see him fully charged and confident again. I think they handled the whole Juliette-as-Adalind-sex-with-Nick thing well considering it's kind of a tacky premise to begin with. Claire Coffee did a great job playing Juliette - both ladies really hit it out of the park when portraying the others character. Basically, tacky premise made watchable by good acting. But, that's where the happy ride ends....I am twitchy about Juliette's abdominal pains. If they go down the GrimmHexenHybridBaby route, I am going to be extremely disappointed. Like "haven't told Wu" disappointed. I hope that her abdominal pain is actually her developing powers. The way I see it, when Adalind became Juliette, it was just a Hexenbeist using a spell to look like another human, she was still a Hexenbeist at her core. Now Juliette on the other hand, she was a normal human that used a Hexenbeist spell to become Adalind (those were the actual words used - by HexenMom when she found the spell??? - can't remember) so if she used a Hexenbeist spell to become a Hexenbeist, then perhaps SHE is now linked to Adalind instead of Nick and is linked to her thru her powers. Personally, I think this would be a much more entertaining storyline for Juliette as we could see her come to terms with being linked to the very woman she wishes dead and all the things that come along with suddenly having powers (she is now a Wesen that would be hunted by anoher Grimm, does she take her revenge on Adalind now that she is powered up, and the baby thing could still be explored without there actually being a baby). Bonus is that after everything Adalind did to get her powers back, she ends up powering up the one woman on this earth who has every reason to want to kill her. But alas, it's all just a pipe dream...since they still haven't told Wu, I don't have high hopes for this storyline.
The Flash - I cracked up at Barry's attempted mugging scene. I saw several comments on Twitter that people think he is becoming a douche and I think it is just his way of being super excited about having powers now. Before he was hit by the lightening, he would have been a victim in this scenario and now he is the hero - even if he is only his own hero in this case (like Iris was later in the episode). Eddie on pain meds was hilarious and seeing how relieved Joe was that Barry was up to speed again (see what I did there, c'mon! that was funny!). I am also glad that Barry's rosy Wells glasses were removed for a bit. It sounds like his suspicion of Wells' motivations deepens after Oliver's visit to Central City this week. I love Barry's entrhusiasm too - nice contrast to Oliver but Wells is fast becoming a favorite a la Joe and Barry - Mr Shady stepped up the "What are you up to?" factor to a whole new level this episode. Can't wait for the cross-over this week :-)
Oh boy,,,,wrote a novel again, good thing I limited it to only two shows!
Gotta love me some Missing! That was such a great show, too bad it only had 10 episodes. I think I have watched the series twice but now that I'm reading about it, I think I should watch it again. You are right, Ashley Judd and Sean Bean are great! It was sad that it ended on a cliffhanger with no resolution, but as you said when you skip the last three minutes, everything is tied up.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen Scorpion yet and I'm not sure what to do with State of Affairs. If I read your review, SofA seems to have improved from the pilot so I might just hang on to it.
I am glad Beth finally discovered Perry is her stalker and I am curious what her next move will be. Will she tell anyone or not? Will she go after him alone or will she need help?
I also caught up on The Flash over the weekend and I really enjoy the series. It's better than Arrow currently is. Anyway, I am excited for the big Arrow/The Flash crossover event!
Hey Daphne! No particular comment about any of the shows, but I just wanted to congrats you for the column! I am always a lurker here, I always enjoy reading it. I don't necessarily agree with what you write, but that's actually more than fine since you perfectly explain your opinions. And it's refreshing to see you go through different shows! Great job!
ReplyDeleteI also liked the action and that they always filmed in location.
ReplyDeleteIf Juliette is pregnant, means she's here to stay.. I was hoping she'd leave the show. Though she is less annoying it's still hard to like her. Adalind who was one of my favorites is now one that I can't stand watching because the scenes are so boring... And HexenMom is too weird, she's younger than Renard, is this ever going to be explained? We are living a TV era with Norman Bates and the Penguin in Gotham, so please, explain the HexenMom youth, cause it's starting to make me sick.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about Elementary, it feels like its missing something. I used to enjoy watching it weekly, now I find myself falling behind with the episodes. I am going to jump the gun a little and say that Kitty is the problem for me not liking the new season much.
ReplyDeleteAlso I completely agree about Bell and Gregson not getting enough air time. In Season 2 they barely had any lines (especially the second half). They should get some more airtime.
Agreed about Moriarty,her character was a pleasure to watch.I even miss his brother!
ReplyDeleteMissing was a good show but the ending got me so frustrated! I couldn't believe they left us hanging like that.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't recommend any season 4 episode to you, it feels so different than previous seasons. If you really want to watch some very good OUaT episode than you should try with 2x16 - The Miller's Daughter. It has a lot of action, little to no shipping, great backstory (villains usually have great backstories), great and touching character moments, it is more character than plot driven, acting is top notch . Present day plot is about OUaT heroes fighting against Cora aka Queen of Hearts aka Miller's Daughter (arguably the best OUaT villain) who is trying the kill Rumplestiltskin and thus become the Dark One which would give her an enormous power. Flashbacks show you how and why did Cora become a villain and her connection to another main character is also explored.
ReplyDeleteMy recommendations would be also about these episodes. Ep. 1,17 and 3rd season's finale would be really good. I also enjoyed 1.20 a lot. I wouldn't recommend 4th season
ReplyDeleteFirst of all thank you for the column and the huge work it must require. Plus your opinions are usually pretty different from most reviewer, so that is great.
ReplyDeleteI, for one, am glad that Elementary is back. Now that Kitty left her "Angry at the world" shell behind, She is starting to mix pretty well, I think.
Grimm, well except for the part of the episode that felt incredibly wrong, at least we had a sassy Juliet. I wouldn't have mind either to have a powerless Nick a bit longer either. But I do mind every scenes with Adalind. Those scenes are torture.
And yes, please, can we have a other season without spell issues with... anyone ? It's probably too much to ask...
Second you should run as far as you can from the season 4 of OUAT. Your undying love for ships wouldn't mix well with all the shipping. You even have a sort of love triangle which isn't really a love triangle because of time travel mix-up. Isn't it great ?
With one of the most annoying and useless tv charcater (to me, of course) : hook, involved in a ship. This guy has probably been a puppy to most of the bad guy. Voluntarily or not.
The Frozen bits goes towards sisterhood, at least.
I won't advise you to watch 4.09 Fall. I had a really hard time to keep my hilarity in. I follow the show and still I wasn't able to get into the episode. It's not that the characters reactions were inappropriate or uncalled for, I just didn't manage to take the episode seriously. So to me, viewer, it kind of became hilarious. Except for one scene, actually. But It's not much.
The "shattered sight" eyes effect are pretty good though.
Soppy alert level 5 and all in all nothing really happened. But hey, I might just be weird. I know a lot of people loved it... Maybe if I watch it again...
I don't really know what episode I could lead you toward. They are really great ones, but I don't know the numbers by heart. And since you stop watching in early season 1 and with what transpire of you in that column, I don't think OUAT fits well with you. Plus there so much happening all the time you would probably be a little lost. ><
Maybe the 3x15 "Quiet Minds". There's Action, heart but not to much shipping and very little henry too (the kid is amnesic so it's convenient). as for Emma, well she is the lead so she can't not be there, but she isn't the main focus.. If you don't mind a candlestick with an overdone french accent, It should fit. You may need a little bit of contexte though.
It's an episode I really enjoyed.
Thanks so much for nominating. I am looking forward to trying out Merlin. "Haven't Told Wu" level of disappointment? That's high. I like this theory though. It would give both Juliette and Andalind a purpose for being on Grimm, when quite frankly neither do right now. I don't see them giving Juliette powers though and I think it would be a mistake to do so. She didn't actually become a hexenbiest, just looked like one. She didn't seem to have anymore involvement in the spell itelf than she did with the cat scratch or love spell cookies. It would feel like a major retcon if someone could just become a hexenbiest instead of being born one.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize people thought Barry was a douche in that scene. i thought he was an idiot, but a funny one. I really enjoy his enthusaism even if he comes off a little like a puppy sometimes. It is what makes The Flash different from other comic based shows and a whole lot more fun. Two of teh moments you mention are favorites of mine as well. It was refreshing to see Iris take care of herself. She took down a villain that gave the Arrow team trouble. I also like Barry becoming a shade less naive when it comes to Wells. I love your phrase "rosy Wells glasses." I might have to steal that. :-P I'm not so into Wells as you but he keeps upping the creep factor so at least he's interesting and not too over the top right now.
Thanks as always for sharing. I appreciate that you take the time to write, especially in novel length. :-)
I kind of remembered liking Missing but it was pushed to the bottom of my to-watch list even though I owned the DVD's. It was awesome getting to watch it this week. It's always fun to find those gems I've missed. That's one of my favorite things about having a nominated show each week. Soon I am going to start Alias as well because I have heard so many great things about it.
ReplyDeleteState of Affairs is by no means a top 10 show for me but I do like to give new ones a 3 episode chance. The second episode was definitely superior to the pilot for me, mostly because of the case of the week. I could see this show being much like Stalker and Forever for me. I will like it just as much as I find the procedural parts fascinating. I doubt the serial piece will ever be the main attraction.
I am intrigued as well as to how Beth handles Perry. I prefer she gets his butt locked up, but I think he's here for the season at least. I feel like she's going to try to deal with it alone but I hope not. She won't want her staff to see her as a victim but it would be good to show how powerful she has become through that experience. It also makes her a little more vulnerable, which she hates but helps me to relate to her.
I am a little concerned about the Flash/Arrow crossover because I stopped watching Arrow awhile ago. Here's hoping I don't have to know anything to follow along. I know the anticipation is really high on both sides.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate the encouragement. Thanks also for letting me know you read it. I do have strong opinions and quite often they are different than most. I'm glad I don't offend you with my sometimes strident reviews. This column has been an interesting endeavor for me but I love how it has let me experience shows that I missed or needed to give another try. Let's just say my to-watch list grows longer every week. :-) Thanks for commenting. If you ever want to share your opinions on the things you watched, we would love to hear them.
ReplyDeleteI hoped first and foremost that the writers would make Juliette interesting. Since they haven't made her more than a plot device, I am fine with her leaving. I wish Adalind would go with her, but to be honest, I never liked Adalind at all. She's always been too cliched for me and then they would insert her for absurd reasons. That whole getting her powers back last season drove me insane.
ReplyDeleteFor me HexenMom's looks have been explained several times. She's said that she's kept her youth through magic and Renard has alluded to that too. I guess it doesn't bother me because we've seen what magic can do on this show and implies that she has a lot of power. I like the idea of Renard coming from a powerful line of witches.
Agreed - they need to do something more with these two beyond girlfriend and nemesis that asks about her baby in every scene. At first I was so creeped out about her having to look like Adalind that I glossed over that everyone keeps saying "become Adalind" (rewatched a couple episodes while I was "doing homework" and Rosalee said it, HexenMom said it and so did Juliette) and then HexenMom said "this SHOULD work" and then the abdominal pains...idk, just seems like the writer's are setting Juliette up for powers and the fact that a Hexenbeist that is just as powerful, if not more so than Adalind, performed the spell and could have added a little something something herself would be a perfect way to justify the retcon (or maybe subconsciously I just prefer a total retcon to another baby storyline?? Hmmmm....could be something to that too).
ReplyDeleteYa, Twitter was full of comments about how Barry's powers have changed him into a total douche. Probably the same people who hate Katrina so I didn't pay them much mind ;-) I love Barry and I love the differences in tone between The Flash and Arrow. I haven't watched this week's Flash cross-over yet as I am waiting for the Arrow episode to post online tomorrow so I can watch them together but from the comments, people seem to be overall very happy with it. I love Tom Cavanagh so that's probably why I like his character so much, even if he's a shady SOB.
LOL - glad you appreciate the novels I write! So glad that life is finally slowing down a bit so I can take the time to watch my favorite shows and chat with people about them while they are still fresh!
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing your thoughts. I like Kitty a whole lot better now as well. She was way too abrasive in the beginning even with her backstory. Now that we are getting to know her better and especially since she's calmed down a lot, I can see her becoming a real asset. I really like how she and Watson are bonding.
ReplyDeleteNo spell issues at all on Grimm? That would be a minor miracle. One I am wishing for as well. I have to admit that this new fun Juliette is a whole more interesting than any of her other personas. I don't mind if she stays...but only if this baby doesn't become a side efffect of the spell or a plot device. If fact, perhaps it can be indigestion instead of a baby and Sassy Juliette can continue to be a welcome distraction.
Time travel mixup love triangle? Wow. Never heard of one of those before. I do love to avoid love geometry in all shapes and dimensions. I don't knwo anything about Hook, so maybe that will work to my advantage and I am a fan of family relationships. I don't expect to suddenly like OUaT either. Like you said, it is not really my kind of show. I watched all of Wonderland but only for Will and the Red Queen. If I could have fast forwarded through Alice and the genie, I would have so I'm not really their audience. However I think because it is not really my type of show, it is even more important that I get a good episode than usual. I like to have positive things to say about nominated shows even if it isn't my thing. That's why I wanted something with lots of action. Even if characters annoy me or the shipping leaves me eye rolling, there's always something positive in action scenes for me. Basically I want to give OUaT a fighting chance with me.
Thank you so much for commenting here. I do appreciate it and I've enjoyed hearing your thoughts. Thanks.
Yeahhh, you're right it has been explained, like, I get that it's a magical thing, but I'd like to know a little deeper, like, what's the character about and why she kept her yputh, is it something that runs in the family... Some more details on who is she and motivations. But they're gonna take her out already, so that's not gonna happen any time soon. They take away all the good characters ! I don't know, I like Grimm, but sometimes, it's not really likeable hahah
ReplyDeleteI like the way Kitty and Watson's relashionship has evolved too.
ReplyDeleteAn indigestion, That would be hilarious. Stomach flu, food poisoning... I'll take anything as long as it's not a baby. Side effects of magic are worst in Grimm than in OUAT...
I do love family relashionship too. I guess it's one of Supernatural assets.
Abby and Clarke in the 100. I've just watch the last episode, I like that Wells was mentioned. I remember you liked him too.
Why is it always my favourite characters who dies ?
Incidentally, the best part of OUAT is the families realshionship in my opinion.
Maybe you should watch the 4x10 of OUAT on Sunday. The character are seeing the worst of each other and are being their snarky selves. Sarcastic characters all the way. I take a sassy Snow White and self-deprecating fairy-tail humour whenever I can. I do love a good sardonic comment. I think I am going to like this episode. The 4x09 was a preliminary episode and lacked in action.
In the latters sesons, there's the 3x15 "Quiet Minds". It's an episode I liked a lot. Very little Henry (kid is ammnesic). Emma isn't the focus. The beginning is a bit slow but there's action, heart but not much shipping. And family. It should fit.
And you are right, sometimes we can enjoy more freely an episode when not following a show. Less things to be bothered by. It works with procedurals and comedies.
Anyway, I look forward to read your thoughts on whatever OUAT episode you'll be watching.