It was a really short week and that was a good thing, since this is when my computer decided to die. As such, this is late and short. Normally I would add marathoned shows but since I watch them on my computer, that couldn't happen. Instead I have added my Top 10 Moments of 2015 that was originally posted to my blog instead. What were your favorites? I hope your Christmas was lovely and that you've been able to catch up on a few shows too. Don't forget to let me know in the comments how your hiatus TV viewing is going. Hopefully you've gotten more off your to-watch list than I have.
Dahne's Top 10 TV Moments of 2014:
SpoilerTV is doing an article on the top moments in TV this year, so of course I had to participate but it was much harder than I expected. I went through all my Last Week in TV articles and compiled a list that was 4 pages with over 30 shows represented. Of course it didn't include those few weeks in the summer when I didn't do Last Week in TV due to vacation or our big Character Cup contest. Therefore I'm sure there are even more great moments I forgot. Below you will find the top 10 I submitted for SpoilerTV.
PS - I only allowed myself one per show or else half would be from Teen Wolf season 3B. It was that good.
PPS - Below the regular column are other moments/scenes that almost made the top 10 list.
~In all honesty, I could have filled 5 out of the 10 from season 3 B in Teen Wolf alone. The season was that engrossing. Still I promised to share the spotlight, so I chose this hearfelt moment. It is the 2nd best scene in Teen Wolf history and one of the best of all TV I have seen. I love this scene because it emphasizes the brother bond between Scott and Stiles. The acting is superb as Stiles is clearly terrified of what the test results might be and Scott is trying so hard to stay strong for his best friend. When they hug and the camera turns to their parents watching the whole thing, it gets me straight in the heart. Best Scene of the entire year.
~Nothing was more shocking all year than Henry telling Ichabod and Katrina that he is their son. Then to top it off, he is working with their biggest nemesis. The whole reveal blew my mind and is one of the best twists in TV.
~The 100 has had many fantastic moments but this one sticks out to me because of the complete selflessness of these 320 people. It proved the best in human nature and had me tearing up. When that dad says goodbye to his daughter but can't tell her that he is about to die, it broke my heart.
~It is rare that a comedy have the best drama scene in a TV week, but this was a masterful way to say goodbye to a fan favorite character and it was done in true Community style. I loved when Abed admitted that he couldn't let Troy go, so they both become clones in Abed's mind to make the transition a little easier. This episode not only allowed Abed to say goodbye, but it allowed the audience to do so as well.
~One of the best character interactions of the season was the tense relationship between Hatake and his adopted son, Daniel. A once ultraloyal and obedient son, things got rocky when he learned Hatake kidnapped him from a loving family. Just when they were reaching a turning point, a psycho kidnapped both of Hatake's kids and gave him time to only save one of them. It was Sophie's Choice and Hatake was clearly distressed. Daniel took the choice out of Hatake's hands, said his goodbyes, and then triggered the bomb around his neck.
~Enlisted was the best comedy no one watched last year. As such it was really hard to narrow this down to one moment. I strongly suggest everyone watch it. In this episode, the Hill brothers watch a video of their own dad coming home together and then plan a special homecoming for Derrick's girlfrind's ex-husband as a special gift for her son. It's one of the few comedies that had me laughing until I cried and touched my heart as well.
~The most recently aired of all my nominations, the entire episode more than deserves to be in this list. In fact, I can't choose just one scene since each team member got a chance to shine. There's something about the clock ticking down on a child's life that adds extra tension and the pacing of this episode was superb. If you haven't tried Scorpion yet, check out this episode.
~This one makes the list on sheer scting talent alone. First it is rather shocking to see someone become so real on screen both physically and emotionally. Keating let herself be completely raw and vulnerable and we saw this strong woman break with every step of her nightly routine. Then the sheer anguish and rage that poured from her made this the most powerful performance of the year.
~The Goldbergs is my favorite comedy for 2 years running because it does such a great job of combining laughs and heart. While there were times more heartfelt than this one, I chose it because it was the big gesture. Murray is not one to stand on ceremony so when Beverly tells him she wants to renew their vows while the whole world celebrates Princess Diana's wedding, he is not into it. However after watching his wedding video with Barry, he explains how much Beverly means to him and rallies the entire family to create a thoroughly Goldberg cermeony and it's beautifully funny.
~Jakes, a normally dour man, thinks that he may be a part of his son's life so with unusual joy and care, he moves into an apartment and creates the perfect room for his son. However when he goes to meet with his ex about it, she has him arrested for violating the restraining order. A devastated Jakes comes home and takes a baseball bat to the room he spent so much time and money creating, utterly desolate. It a powerful, physical scene that takes no words.
Nominated Show:
The Walking Dead - 5.01 - No SanctuaryAgain I have zero idea what in the world is going on, but man is it disgusting. They have human slaughter down to a science on this show and in this so-called sanctuary. I originally dropped The Walking Dead after season 1 because I found it came in 2 flavors, gross and boring. Nothing here changes my mind about that and this episode felt 6 hours long. I did like seeing the flashbacks, allowing viewers to see how the butchers became like they were. If I hadn't just sit through an hour of nasty, I might have even felt a bit sorry for them. They did start as peacemakers until rapists and murders twisted them into the same people they originally fought off. It's rare to see a show devote much back story to the villains, so that last 45 second scene was even more powerful. I also liked that they have some strong females in this show. Maggie is a cool character and not just because she is played by Lauren Cohen. Michonne has the best weapon in a dystopian show ever. The dichotomy between Carol and Tyreese was refreshing, although I hate that Tyreese had to become a killer. It was nice to hope for a moment, in between all the guts. Still I generally find The Walking Dead boring with a plot that creeps around when they aren't trying to gross everyone out. I need more action and less gore.
Grade: C-
Ranking: 1
Audience - those who find artistry in gore and have a high tolerance for watching people walk
Happiest Moment - Carol meets up with Rick's party and I guess they thought she was dead because everyone is amazed / I guess the baby is Rick's because he's also very happy to see her.
Best Character - Carol, that's one grandma who knows what it takes to survive
Most Clever - all the people locked in the train making weapons out of their clothing
Best Switch - the grandma looking woman has to kill the zombie because the football player looking guy can't do it
Best Reveal - Dr. Eugene thinks he has a way to kill the zombies
Biggest Question - How are there still so many bullets around? Haven't they been in this zombie apocalypse for years now? With the amount of shooting done in one episode, I'm surprised they got through half a year with any ammunition left.
Most Kick Butt - that double-sided sword thing Michonne uses
The "Welcome Back" Award - Lauren Cohan, aka the totally awesome Bela from Supernatural
The "Wow, It's Been Awhile" Award - I would never have recognized Denise Crosby in this if it weren't for her face begging me to look her up in IMDb. She was Tasha Yar from ST:NG. I never would have guessed.
Best Visual Effects - the makeup people doing the zombie effects should really get a pay raise
Coldest Move - Carol lets the zombies have Mary
Biggest Huh? - Zombies can't climb fences? Who knew?
The "I Don't Get It" Award - Why are all these people yelling when the noise attracts the zombies. Should they take a page from Bugs Bunny cartoons and be "vewy, vewy qwiet"?
Most Disgusting - Considering there was a trough to contain people's gushing blood in an assembly line of death, it takes something special to win this award. I thought the close-up of the zombie eating the guy's face off was taking it, but I'm pretty sure these people were cannibals and that's so much worse.
Most Evil - Alex makes Tyreese go outside with the zombies and now I need him to die. Now.
The "Payback Sucks" Award - pardon me while I don't mourn Rick killing the two death squad members
Best Plan - Not listening to Rick. Forget about those people and just leave.
Best Visual - Rick changes the sign to warn others that there is no sanctuary there
Best Quotes -
1. Glenn: "We've got to let those people out. That's still who we are. It's got to be."
2. Tyreese: "Nobody's got to die today." Alex: "Man, if you believe that then it's definitely going to be you and the kid, even if that place is burned to the ground."
3. Dr. Eugene: "I'm keenly aware of all the details behind failsafe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in DC, we can flip the script. Take out every last dead one of them. Fire with fire. All things being equal, it does sound pretty bada**."
4. Alex: "You're a good guy. That's why you're going to die today. That's why the baby's going to die. Or you can get in that car, get out of here, keep on being lucky." Tyreese: "You think you're going to kill me?" Alex: "Why haven't you killed me? How…how does having me alive help you? Why the hell you even talking to me? Take her, take the car, and go. I don't want to do this today."
5. Carol: "What happened?" Tyreese: "There were a bunch of walkers out here and he got his hands around Judith's neck. No, he's dead. I..I had to so I did. I could."
Weekly Shows:
The Librarians gave its viewers an early present over the weekend, their own piece of holiday fluff designed to make them cheer. This was a fun, sweet episode that managed to incorporate its own take on the Santa legend, making it original and compelling. Simply put, Santa is an “avatar of goodwill” that comes in many different incarnations throughout the world. It was an effective way to make the episode a bit more multicultural and a whole lot more fun. Getting Bruce Campbell to play Santa was a genius stroke as well. While speaking in third person and Cassandra’s high-pitched squeal did drive me nuts, I found my Christmas cheer returned and ample goodwill to the show.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch – great twist on the Santa myth and his various incarnations
Best Hint – Jenkins knows a lot more about Dulaque than we do. There’s history there.
Best Scene / Best Plan – Jake starts throwing around priceless art to distract the bad guys so Ezekiel and Cassandra can go down the chimney to save Santa
Best Moment – Fake Santa just keeps on eating chili while real Santa talks the guy down / Jake refocuses Cassandra / Jake and Santa fist bump after the bar brawl
Most Far-Fetched – In a show starring Santa, the biggest implausibility is every single thing that happens on the plane. Every single person would have been sucked right out and that’s only the first problem.
Most Annoying – Cassandra’s high pitched happy voice / overuse of third person / Baird’s constant negativity
Best Honorary Blind Person (according to the movie Sneakers) - Cassandra
Best Silent Conversation – Cassandra tells Jake that her parents told her about Santa at 3 years old / Jake pulls out his knife and twirls it while Ezekiel picks up the presents he’s wrapping
Most Fun – Ezekiel in the Santa hat plays with kids on the steps / Ezekiel in the apron bringing in hot chocolate
Sweetest Gesture – the LiT’s throw Baird a surprise birthday party
Best Reveal – Jake speaks multiple languages, including Cockney slang
Best Reaction – Jake is proud when Lamia calls him special, which causes Baird to hit him
Best Santa Power – Super speed. I could use that in traffic.
Best Save – Apparently Google can tell you how to land a damaged plane. Good to know.
Best Quotes –
1. Baird: “And you’re going to talk in the third person all day. Awesome.”
2. Jake: “He’s Odin, the Viking god of battle and death.” Baird: “What? The hell kind of Santa is that?”
3. Cassandra: “Mrs. Claus is real.” Jenkins: “Oh shiny balls, yes.”
4. Baird: “Great. Road trip with a psychotic, shape-shifting avatar of goodwill.”
5. Ezekiel: “So that’s why everyone’s always cranky around the holidays. Because we’re running low on goodwill.”
6. Santa: “Somebody jacked Santa’s ride.”
7. Baird: “You suck at being subtle. Work with that.”
8. Jenkins: “The being often called Santa…” Baird: “Not calling him Santa.” Jenkins: “…is an immortal avatar of goodwill. All year long he travels around the world, witnessing, participating in acts of kindness, humanity…absorbing all of that good spirit. On Christmas Eve, he rises into the atmosphere, releases all of that goodwill back into the human race, recharging our karmic battery as it were.”
State of Affairs is getting more interesting every week. Now that we know what really happened the day Aaron died and all the information on Fatah is out to us at least, it should pick up the pace even more. While the stuff with Charlie and PotUS is fascinating, I am actually more interested in New Hacker. She’s playing with Kurt, likely to get him busted as the mole to cover up the real mole. Since Kurt is one of my favorite characters on this show, I hope he turns the money in and informs Charlie about his concern about Hacker’s info. Since they used it to corroborate that Kamal’s info was false, it seems like it was given to them just to debunk his info, which was probably true. I think Hacker works for the same group that kidnapped Nick, who gets his own bonus points for not revealing anything about Charlie’s involvement with Fatah.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch – Charlie gets demoted so she has Maureen drug her to find out the truth about the night Aaron died and we finally see the truth of what happened
Most Interesting Subplot – Melissa
Best Scene – Kurt confronts Lucas about trying to sober up in a crisis
Most Annoying – the voice changer of the guy who is torturing Nick
The “Are You Kidding Me?” Award – Kurt blackmails Lucas to stay away from Maureen. Are you kidding me? What is this? A soap opera?
Best New Addition – the computer hacker
Smartest Guy in the Room – Kurt, who realizes Bullwinkle had surgery, Lucas is off the wagon, and that the hacker’s timing is suspicious
Most Intense – Nick’s torture scene
Best Awww Moment – Charlie offers Kamal asylum in Canada
Biggest Reveal – Fatah is still an asset
Best Quotes –
1. David: “It’s never a sunny day with you, is it Charlie? Huh? It’s never simple. You never make anybody’s job any easier. You’re just lucky that you were right this time.”
2. PotUS: “She’s hiding something, David. I get the feeling that she is buying time.” David: “Well then stop selling it. Why do you trust her so much anyway? Because she was going to marry Eric?” PotUS: “Because she’s family. She’s almost family.”
3. Kurt: “You’re sweating, you’re glassy eyed, and your hands are shaking. I don’t know how many nights you’re into this bender, but trying to sober up now is slowing us down.”
4. Nick: “What is my relationship with Omar Fatah? Oh it was just a one-time thing.
5. Dash: “That boy’s got it so bad for Maureen I can’t even enjoy mocking him anymore.”
6. David: “So you want to smuggle the most wanted man in Qatar out of the most watched location in Qatar and bring him to the most popular shopping center in the country.” Charlie: “That about sums it up, yeah. Would you like to know more?” David: “No, sounds great.”
7. David: “You’ve thought this through.” PotUS: “I’m not just a pretty face, David.”
8. Maureen: “Okay Charlie, if you absolutely need to remember this, there is a way to do it. It’s painful, it’s dangerous, and it’s totally illegal.” Charlie: “How are you going to get it?”
9. Lucas: “What’s that going to give us?” Kurt: “What’s that going to give…It’s going to give us his known associates, his current location, a cure to cancer. Who knows?”
10. PotUS: “And you trust Kamal?” Charlie: “I’m inclined to.” PotUS: “Based on what?” Charlie: “Training, instinct, faith.” PotUS: “So once again, I should just take your word.”
Benched - 1.10 - Solitary RefinementBenched continues to impress based on the interactions of the characters. Still this was not as funny as last week. They had 2 topnotch guest stars and yet they seemed to be wasted in their parts. Last week we had a less known comic with an outstanding part. I'm also not a fan of turning this into the Phil and Nina relationship show, so I'd rather they back off this typical and fast forward the funny. There was nothing funny about the double date from hell or Harold, who comes across as a much bigger douche than Trent ever did. I do like Francine though and I hope we see more of her. She keeps Nina from verbal vomit and seems like a lot of fun.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - Nina gets out of her funk for a little while / Nina and Phil do NOT hook up
Biggest Douche - Harold, who is a complete jerk to Nina and it's completely uncalled for. Worst date ever!
Best Moment - Nina's client pushes her rolling chair back to Micah and represents himself
Worst Moment - Harold actually puts his hand out to keep Nina from talking / Phil takes a selfie of himself and boxed wine
Best Sob Story - Judge and all her dead husband stories
Biggest Mess - Nina, who is even crying at car commercials
The "Yeah, You Know You're in Trouble" Award - …when you use The Bachelor being on the night before as your final argument
MVP - Francine, who gets Nina out of her slump…kind of, stops Nina ranting for my sanity, and in effect keeps Nina and Phil apart after her shindig with Harold fell apart
Least Used - Who gets Molly Shannon on their show and then uses her for less than 5 minutes?
Most Confusing Gestures - I don't blame Nina for not getting "fancy" out of Phil's charades
Least Knowledgeable about Liquor - I didn't know what a Malbec was or how to spell it until I Googled it. In my defense, neither did my spell check.
The "Way to Go" Award - Boring Larry maces the sexual harassment judge twice
Sweetest Gesture - while inviting Nina to go to the restaurant she's always wanted to go to is sweet, I still think Phil offering to help clean up from the date was even better
Best Meltdown - Morris when he finds out the judge has been sexually harassing him more than Carlos
Coolest Spot - hey, a speakeasy Laundromat sounds pretty cool to me too
The "Welcome Back" Award - Nat Faxon, who played Ben in Ben & Kate and Sad Steve in Trophy Wife. Both were vastly superior to this schmuck.
Most Clueless - Carlos
The “Welcome Back” Award – Molly Shannon, best known from SNL, and Jim Rash from Community
Best Quotes –
1. Phil: Did you really cry in a car commercial?" Nina: You know what? Everyone hugged, even the Wheaton terrier." Phil: "Well that is a very lovable breed."
2. Nina: "She's a divorcée with no standards. I told her that you were like the hit it and quit it, one and done, woof it and hoof it, love 'em and leave 'em, lick it, stick it, leave before you get a ticket, kind of guy. She was all about it."
3. Judge: "It's an emotional rollercoaster huh? It's like a season pass to Tragic Mountain."
4. Carlos: “No one’s going to laugh, Phil. Did they laugh at Susan B. Anthony? Did they laugh at Rosa Parks?” Phil: “In what universe is this the same as either of those?” Carlos: “Did they laugh at the ladies from 9 to 5?” Phil: “Yes, it was a very popular comedy film.”
5. Micah: “Wild weekend?” Nina: “What? No, no, I stayed in. I stayed in and I uh, watched some TV. Got caught up on my old DVR. I cyberstalked a few people from high school so they’re doing well.” Micah: “I was being sarcastic.”
6. Nina: "What did you think of Francine?" Phil: "What, like a number?" Nina: "Yeah or words like an adult."
7. Harold: “You’re a person, you know, and then you’re just so many objects on the sidewalk.”
8. Phil: “Uh, do you need any help?” Nina: “Oh no, no, no. I mean there’s probably still time. You can go find a rando. You guys could find some secret tequila bar inside of a post office or whatever cool guy thing you do on a Saturday night.” Phil: “Well you know it’s not going to be cool if dorks like you know about it.”
9. Carlos: "Micah, what does she mean overruled?" Micah: "I think she's means, didn't I get you a sex tie."
10. Nina: "Wow, I don't know what's more surprising, the fact you didn't strip her or that you know what Malbec is."
11. Phil: “So it seems that the key to this case is just don’t be you.”
Other Great TV Moments from 2014:
24:LAD - 9.04 - (2-3 pm) - Momma Terrorist has her own daughter's finger chopped off to get her husband to start the terrorist attack
The 100 - 1.04 - Murphy's Law - Murphy demands that Charlotte be hung for killing Wells
The 100 - 1.09 - Unity Day - introduction of the Grounder Queen
The 100 - 1.13 - We are Grounders 2 - Abby describes earth to Jaha, who opens a scotch
The 100 - 2.02 - Inclement Weather - Clarke learns the Mountain Men are draining grounders of their blood
The 100 - 2.08 - Spacewalker - Clarke kills Finn to keep him from being tortured to death
TBBT - 7.15 - The Locomotion Manipulation - Sheldon and Amy kiss
TBBT - 8.08 - The Prom Equivalency - Sheldon tells Amy that he loves her.
Black-ish - 1.02 - The Talk - Dre is uncomfortable with his son sharing his sex thoughts with him
The Blacklist - 1.19 - The Pavlovich Brothers - Elizabeth interrogates Tom
Community - 5.13 - Basic Sandwich - At the very end, they run a fake commercial for new NBC shows with the tagline, "Depends on What Fails"
The Crazy Ones - 1.13 - Outbreak - Andrew risks contagion to get Sydney her phone
The Crazy Ones - 1.15 - Dead and Improved - Simon has to give the eulogy for a man universally hated and he ends up making it a tribute to the father-daughter bond with much pomp and circumstance.
Dominion - 1.02 - Godspeed - Arika kills everyone in her party
Elementary - 2.13 - All in the Family - Bell and Sherlock air their grievances
Elementary -2.20 - No Lack Of Void - Sherlock grieves the loss of a friend who OD's after years of sobriety
Elementary - 2.22 - Paint It Black - The Holmes brothers work together to find a kidnapped Joan
Enlisted - 1.03 - Airstream - Randy, with help from Cody, realizes Pete needs time alone so he organizes a quiet housewarming party
Enlisted - 1.08 - Vets - The Hill brothers have to show a trio of vets around and learn more about themselves in the process.
Enlisted - 1.13 - Alive Day - everyone joins Pete on the beach / the company creates a ball in Cody's honor
The Flash -1.08 - Flash vs. Arrow - the actual fight between them
The Flash - 1.09 - The Man in the Yellow Suit - Joe tells Barry not to lose the light within him
Enlisted - 1.08 - Vets - The Hill brothers have to show a trio of vets around and learn more about themselves in the process.
Enlisted - 1.13 - Alive Day - everyone joins Pete on the beach / the company creates a ball in Cody's honor
The Flash -1.08 - Flash vs. Arrow - the actual fight between them
The Flash - 1.09 - The Man in the Yellow Suit - Joe tells Barry not to lose the light within him
The Goldbergs - 1.18 - For Your Own Good - Murray waxes poetic about his old chair to the tune of Glory of Love
The Goldbergs - 1.21 - The Age of Darkness - Murray tells Erica that time will heal her broken heart
The Goldbergs 2.09 - The Most Handsome Boy on the Planet - Murray reassures Adam that he will always be there, even if his own father was not there for him
The Goldbergs 2.09 - The Most Handsome Boy on the Planet - Murray reassures Adam that he will always be there, even if his own father was not there for him
Grimm - 3.17 - Synchronicity - Mama Grimm returns and brings Adalind and the baby with her
Grimm - 3.19 - Nobody Knows the Trubel I've Seen - introduction of Trubel to Grimm
Grimm - 3.22 - Blond Ambition - Rosalee and Monroe get married only to cause a Grimm panic and find Nick has lost his powers / DeEtta ruins Rosalee's horrid wedding dress
Grimm - 4.02 - Octopus Head - introduction of Hexen Mom
Grimm - 4.07 - The Grimm who Stole Christmas - Rosalee and Juliet save the train
Growing Up Fisher - 1.13 - Growing Up Fairbanks - Joyce and Mel team up to ream the hotel manager only to have it backfire when Elvis gets into breakfast
Helix - 1.01 - Pilot - Rat frenching = one of the most disgusting things I've seen this year
H2GAwM - 2.09 - Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me - it's revealed that Keating knows Wes killed her husband and is helping him get away with murder
The Last Ship - 1.02 - Welcome to Gitmo - warehouse standoff with terrorists and introduction on Tex
The Musketeers - 1.01 - Pilot - Swordfight when D'Artagnan challenges Athos...and every other sword fight in the series that follows. I love the action in this series.
Red Band Society - 1.07 - Know Thyself - Nurse Jackson gets suspended and the teens, led by Dash, protest
Resurrection - 1.05 - Insomnia - Henry breaks down over Jacob's photo album
Resurrection - 2.03 - Multiple - Deputy shoots his horror of a returned brother and then eats his dinner
Resurrection - 2.04 - Old Scars - Lu breaks down in front of Margaret on the anniversary of Jacob's death
Resurrection - 2.05 - Will - Margaret convinces Barbara to literally disappear
Rizzoli &Isles - 5.02 - Goodbye - Jane gives the eulogy for Frost
Scorpion - 1.06 - True Colors - Sylvester little kids out over his favorite comic, Super Fun Guy
SHIELD - 1.11 - The Magical Place - Coulson's brain surgery reveal
SHIELD - 1.17 - Turn, Turn. Turn - SHIELD falls apart and Garrett reveals himself to be Hydra
SHIELD - 1.21 - Ward ejects Fitz and Simmons from the plane to their death
SHIELD - 1.22 - Beginning of the End - May vs. Ward fight
SHIELD - 2.04 - Face My Enemy - May vs. May fight
Sleepy Hollow - 2.06 - And the Abyss gazes Back - Irving confronts the man who crippled his daughter
Sleepy Hollow - 2.09 - Mama - The ghost of Mama Mills says goodbye to Abbie and Jenny
Sleepy Hollow - 2.10 - Magnus Opus - Ichabod vs. Abraham sword fighting
Stalker - 1.08 - Skin - the team protects a former skin head from a stalker
Stalker - 1.10 - A Cry for Help - Perry confronts Beth and Beth finally reveals what is going on to Janice
State of Affairs - 1.02 - Secrets & Lives - a former spy for the US tells Charlie his last words for his daughter
Supernatural - 10.01 - Black - Demon Dean has a great time complete with karaoke
Surviving Jack - 1.01 - Pilot - Jack teaches Frankie to drive through extreme pressure
Teen Wolf - 3.13 - Anchors - Mama McCall's "Be Your Own Anchor" Speech and Sheriff Dad holds Stiles as he screams in terror from a nightmare
Teen Wolf - 3.14 - Scott talks Stiles down from a panic attack / Lydia pep talks Stiles into releasing her foot from the trap
Teen Wolf - 3.17 - Silverfinger - Mama McCall helps a terrified Stiles fall asleep and he calls her, "Mom" in his delirium.
Teen Wolf - 3.20 - Eichen House - Sheriff Dad flips out over forgetting to bring Stiles' pillow but he's really upset about leaving his son in a mental hospital even for a short period.
Teen Wolf - 3.24 - The Divine Move - Dark Stiles stalks Lydia and Real Stiles down the hallway saying that they can't kill him / Danny reveals he knew about werewolves all along / Bad Moon Rising hospital slaughter
Teen Wolf - 4.01 - The Dark Moon - Malia tells Stiles she would never leave him but she'd leave the others in a heartbeat
Teen Wolf - 4.02 - Sheriff dad asks if time travel is real
Trophy Wife - 1.12 - The Punisher - Diane and Kate mock fight for the kids' benefit
TURN - 1.07 - Mercy Moment Murder Measure - Abraham explains that he is responsible for the death of his brother
TURN - 1.10 - The Battle of Setauket - Mary confronts Abraham about being a spy
Warehouse 13 - 5.06 - Endless - everyone tap dances to 42nd Street
White Collar - 5.10 - the depths of Rebecca's con are revealed
White Collar - 5.13 - Diamond Exchange - Neal tells Peter that Mozzie comes before anything, even the most important diamond in the world
White Collar - 6.03 - Uncontrolled Variables - end scene where Keller tells Neal the Panthers won't stop coming after them
White Collar - 6.06 - Au Revoir - episode wrapup: baby Neal Burke, Peter and Mozzie talk in teh park, Diana promotion, Neal fakes his death and moves to Paris
Z Nation - 1.02- zombie baby attack
Screencaps from Tumblr, TV Ate My Baby, SpoilerTV, Zap2It, Showcase, Really Late Reviews, CPR Kids, Scraping the Edge, Tumblr, and me.
It was a very short TV week for me, but that jsut meant more time to reflect on the best of TV this year. What were your favorite TV memories? I may have time to get yearly awards ready for the column next week. Any awards you would give out?
ReplyDeleteGreat list Dahne! We have different preferences in a lot of things so those wouldn't have been the moments I would have picked but I was glad to see the mentions to Enlisted, Community, Sleepy Hollow, How to Get Away with Murder and, of course, Scorpion and, of course, The 100!
ReplyDeleteAs for The Walking Dead, that's my favorite show on television right now and that's one my favorite episodes but I 100% respect that's not right up your alley!
One thing that I wanted to ask though: should I watch Helix? Is there any show that you think if people like, they would like Helix? I've watched the double premiere last year and I thought it was okay but a bit slow, I wasn't blown away. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best moment to watch the show when I did so might not have been as focused as I should have. Still, it's Ronald D Moore and the man who has created Battlestar Galactica is a man that should get a big chance from me all the time. Is it worth it?
The Walking Dead is mixed up for me. I started watching Season 1 while Season 3 was going on and caught up by the end of the 3rd season. I don't like the gore, I don't like the slower episodes (which tend to usually be the ones with the group separated) but I'm so into seeing who can survive another day and their struggles that I still watch.
ReplyDeleteThere have been many heartbreaking moments and struggles that I think that's what drew me in once I gave it a chance. This show can make me cry (not that that's hard to do but usually TV shows don't do that as often as movies or, well - real life).
Nothing will ever beat Ghost Whisperer though. I'm re-watching all the seasons right now and 90% of the endings so far are making me a mess. lol
Thanks. One thing I love about the SpoilerTV community is that not everyone watches TV the same way or for the same reason so it allows us to have great discussions or agree to disagree. I am not one for gore for shock value's sake and gore never equals action for me, so The Walking Dead, one of the most popular shows on the planet, will never be for me.
ReplyDeleteAs for Helix, it depends. If the incompetency of the Feds in The Following bothers you, then you will have a hard time with the equally incompetent CDC workers in Helix. They are shockingly bad at their jobs. Still it has the same kind of gore you find in The Walking Dead - not as much but there are times when you can see a kind of artistry in it. It also has the pacing of Resurrection in that it seems to take forever to get answers and yet the character interactions and the overall plot in some ways mitigates it. Mostly I think Helix is a marathon type show. Much of its pacing flaws are soothed over by the marathon format and if you give it a few episodes, the characters grow on you. Well not Alan, who I still wish had died in the second episode and had taken his annoying love triangle with him. They also bring in Constance and Anana midway through, which I thought was a brilliant move.
I guess to sum up, if you have patient and like a good sci fi storyline, Helix is worth checking out. The father-son dynamic between Hatake and Daniel was one of my favorite things about summer TV this season. It well made up for any character problems I was having with others and the story twists kept my interest. It's not going to light up the charts but it was a decently crafted story with some great characters.
I rarely cry at TV so if an episode manages that, I know it was awesome. I am glad that you have been enjoying TWD. I bought the season 1 DVD's when they came out because of all the fanfare and ratings love it was getting. I stuck it out through the entire season thinking that it would get better, but for me it did not. I gave the DVD's to my kiddo though and he loved it. He's still watching the show when he can and that's unusual for him. For me though, TWD goes in the same category as Hannibal, Dracula, and The Leftovers - largely snoozers with critical fanfare. They may look good, but the pace is much too sedate for me.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe we are knocking on 2015's door already! My New's Resolution this year is to actually start the blog I've been talking about for the last three months (life has quieted down for now so there is a 85% chance of success :-)
ReplyDeleteFavorite TV Moments (in no particular order)
1. The 100, 1.05 "Twilight's Last Gleaming" - the voluntary culling of 320 people. Cried like I was two years old again.
2. Star-Crossed, 1.04 "And Left No Friendly Drop" - Sophia is poisoned with caffeine and there is an Atrian/Human rumble in the aqua center. First time we see human and Atrian teens fight together.
3. Agents of SHIELD, the whole back half of the series. Things went crazy in "Turn, Turn, Turn" and have been building from there.
4. Supernatural, 9.23 "Do You Believe in Miracles?" - Demon Dean gave me hope for S10.
5. Grimm, Everything Truble, Mama Grimm and HexenMom (these three seriously need a spin-off)
Awards:
Most Improved: Agents of SHIELD
Favorite New Comedy: Black-ish (HM: Cristela)
Favorite New Drama (non-comic book based): Forever
Favorite New Drama (comic based): The Flash
Favorite Returning Drama: The 100
Biggest Surprise: Jane the Virgin
Favorite Likely To Be Cancelled Show: Constantine
Most Anticipated Mid-Season Premier: (tie) Agent Carter and iZombie (HM: Galavant)
Favorite Finished Show Found During Hiatus: Warehouse 13 (HM: White Collar)
Interesting and honest answer, I appreciate it, thank you. I still have it stored and what I was planning to do with it was a marathon anyway, so it's great that you think it's a better show marathoned. I will try it out again I think.
ReplyDeleteIf you do get to it, let me know what you think. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI strongly suggest you start your blog. It's cathartic to just put your thoughts and opinions out there and when someone else bothers to read them, it's quite the validation. I never thought I would be blogging but I recently reached 300,000 views and there's something very satisfying about seeing people across the world reading what you wrote. I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I forgot that scene from Star-Crossed. It was fantastic to see them all on the same side for once. I also liked how they all worked together to find the beacon/bomb in the last 2 episodes. There was a lot about Star-Crossed to love. To bad they had to push the inept romance angle on what was a great sociopolitical drama.
Demon Dean was a whole lot of fun. I kind of wish they had let him play for a bit longer. Not only was it refreshing to see someone on Supernatural enjoy themself, but I also adore exasperated Crowley. As for Mama Grimm, HexenMom, and Trubel, they are the clear winners of my Most in Need of a Spin-Off Award. You've got to love that combined female kick butt power they would have.
Star-Crossed was one of the most underrated shows of last season IMO. I think they should have kept the original series name though, like Jane the Virgin and Teen Wolf, I think some of its suffering was due to a horrible name. However, I do place a fair share of blame on the CW's marketing group for this shows failure - it was so heavily advertised as a "star-crossed lovers" show that I initially didn't check it out - wasn't until I saw the comments on STV that I gave it a shot. The show was at it's best when it focused on the political and social aspects of the show.
ReplyDeleteI haven't watched any of S10 yet - I am clinging to the hope that DD gave me and I'm afraid to be let down. Again. I hated the Amelia storyline but I was able to push thru S8 because I marathoned it...S9 was painful to watch week to week so for S10, I will marathon it when it comes out on DVD.
I'd be interested in blogging too possibly. On something free and easy to use.
ReplyDeletePicking only 10 moments sounds like a pretty difficult task so I commend you on that, I agree with your first three choices completely though I do have a preference for the ark people's sacrifice since I can't remember a more heartbreking moment on TV this year.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of the honorable mentions too:
The 100 - 2.02 - Inclement Weather - Clarke learns the Mountain Men are draining grounders of their blood.
The 100 - 2.08 - Spacewalker - Clarke kills Finn to keep him from being tortured to death.
Teen Wolf - 3.13 - Anchors - Mama McCall's "Be Your Own Anchor" Speech and Sheriff Dad holds Stiles as he screams in terror from a nightmare
Teen Wolf - 3.20 - Eichen House - Sheriff Dad flips out over forgetting to bring Stiles' pillow but he's really upset about leaving his son in a mental hospital even for a short period.
Teen Wolf - 3.24 - The Divine Move - Dark Stiles stalks Lydia and Real Stiles down the hallway saying that they can't kill him / Danny reveals he knew about werewolves all along / Bad Moon Rising hospital slaughter
Teen Wolf - 4.01 - The Dark Moon - Malia tells Stiles she would never leave him but she'd leave the others in a heartbeat (This would be symbolic since I love everything Malía related and this was a great introduction to what her character brings to the show)
But there are scenes and shows I'd add:
From The 100 I'd add Charlotte killing Wells since it was the first scene where the writers showed this was no CW predictable soapy mess. (doesn't mean I don't enjoy some of those soapy messes for the record)
Also from The 100 the scene where Clarke kills one of them while singing so they won't suffer, I loved that that's the moment where she earned Bellamy's (and probably most of the viewers') respect.
From How to Get Away with Murder I'd pick the last scene where Wes sees Annalyse in her home.
Finding Carter - The accidental shooting (I love how bittersweet this show can be and how it never shows anything as truly black or white)
Game of Thrones - Tyrion's speech (There's no need to continue with the praise for Peter Dinklage but he deserves it so much I can't help myself, this was one of the best speeches on TV this year)
Teen Wolf - Allison's Death (I know it was last season but it was early this year)
Hannibal - Final slaughter (At this rate the show won't have any more characters left but it was still stunning to watch and hauntingly beautiful as everything on this show)
Penny Dreadful - Dr. Frankenstein meets his new monster (It was a scene so sweet as it was creepy, and amazingly achieved combination)
Reign - The Scotsmen kneel before Mary (an amazing scene that shows the begining of her becoming a true queen and the show steerring away fron love-triangle-soapy-mess)
Reign - Condé realizes being close to Mary could prove dangerous to him.
Reign - Catherine helps Mary after the intrusion to the castle (an incredibly acted scene, heartbreaking)
Reign - Mary gets her revenge
Sherlock - The explanation that takes place in different establishments as they're kicked out of many of them due to Watson's violent outbursts (this show is always brilliant but the way they dealt with something so complicated was amazing)
Sleepy Hollow - Every scene where Ichabod finds out how the new world works.
The Following - The twins' games
The Following - The slaughter at the library and the cafe (the way they manage to tell the world nobody's safe is the creepiest thing)
It's all pretty messy, I've probably forgotten many scenes and there's really no way to write them ll down without it taking all day. I do love sharing thoughts and opinions in this site and the place they give us to do so.
So I finally caught up with Sleepy Hollow today; season 2 has been a huge let down, but I think some of the grades you gave the show on past weeks (I remember seeing an F around there) may have been too hard. There's still plenty going for the show, some action, some funny moments, and even when sometimes there's plenty of things that seem irrelevant I wouldn't go below a C grade for a regular Sleepy Hollow episode, but not above a B- either; it has been subpar, but not a complete train wreck. I believe it has time to pull a reversal of missfortune on what's to come of the season. It has been disappointing but nowhere near levels to consider dropping the show... yet
ReplyDeleteI am caught up with the Librarians and love it. I love all the characters (Eve, Jake, and Flynn being my favorites) except maybe Cassandra. I'm not totally into her character. It's not even because she sided with the Serpents in the beginning. Just she does come off annoying at times.
ReplyDeleteYou just love making list, do you ?
ReplyDeleteI think you are actually going to make me watch Sleepy Hollow (that, John Noble, and the fact it is still a new show).
I just started Leverage. Biggest surprise and laugh of the day, after 2 minutes of viewing, Saul Rubinek and a company named Bering Aerospace. Hello Warehouse 13.
I have Benched, Scorpion and Fargo on my maybe list. I watched the first episode of The Goldbergs but honestly I am a bit sick of comedy with family these days. Is the rest of the episodes strictly like the first one ?
Star-Crossed was such an icky name. It even sounded like a teen swoonfest. Oxygen wasn't much better, but at least it didn't make me embarrassed to say it. I jsut wished The CW knew who they should have been marketing it to. It would have helped also if the kids were in college instead of high school. Oh well, hopefully it is lesson learned at The Cw the next time a show with that kind of potential comes around.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand the decision to marathon season 10 instead of watch weekly. That's what I did with season 9 and while I didn't liek season 9, I didn't hate it with every fiber of my being like I did season 8.
I use Bloggr because that is what SpoilerTV uses so it is easy to go from my blog to here. Another popular choice is Word Press but I can't stand them because they took my favorite poll place online, Poll Daddy, and made it harder not easier. I would say as a new blogger those two are probably the most user friendly.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same although it was Ezekiel who annoyed me most in the last episode. Cassandra also has that high-pitched squeal that goes right through my nerves. They need to calm her down.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how a show can be everything you don't usually like and still compel you to watch it. How to Get Away with Murder is like that for me. Usually if I hate the characters, I hate the show but this one is done in such a way that I just need to find out more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this great list. You mentioned some I forgot.
ReplyDeleteTeen Wolf - I finally had to stop adding scenes for TW. There were so many fantastic scenes, especially in 3B that it was hard to choose out of the top 5 spots. There would have been a lot more Malia, Argent, and even Lydia if I hadn't felt I had saturated the list with TW already. Derek turning into a wolf was awesome for me more in that it means that they are going to do something with his character besides just have him beat up all the time. He really is the most ill-used character on Teen Wolf, along with Lydia.
Dominion - This show and The Last Ship actually suffered the most in my end of the year list because much of the time they aired, I wasn't doing Last Week in TV. If I had the time to go back over both I know I would have had a lot of scenes from them too. I loved the confrontation with Whele and his son and the death of the lion, the reveal of Claire's mother and Noma were great scenes too. I also loved the scene where Alex takes Michael to the hospital because it is the first time Alex unbends and shows how much he truly cares about Michael.
The Flash - For me a lot of the Flash's best scenes were the speeches which become harder to remember. Basically anytime Joe gives an excouraging speech to Barry or they reminsice about the past is a great scene for me. I also loved Cisco comforting Caitlin about Ronnie and Cisco's glee about his ice machine and then tricking the bad guy with a vacuum cleaner. Generally everytime the characters are having fun is a highlight because that so rarely happens in shows based on comics these days.
SHIELD - Almost all the May fight scenes get special recognition from me. She rocks. I also loved the Bobbi and Hunter banter and Tripp's introduction and subsequent acceptance into the group. This is one show that changed for the better every time they added a new character.
Forever - the reveal about Abe was fantastic. I also like the flashbacks of him as a child and how he can get Henry to be less stuffy. Basically everything about those two is fabulous and I will miss them at the end of the year. I also thought the twist that the old lady in the art museum killed herself insted of it being murder was good.
Thanks so much for sharing with us. You picked some great moments. I love how everyone shares their thoughts here too.
ReplyDeleteThe 100 - That scene where the 320 died was absolutely heartbreaking and one of the best scenes of any TV show ever. It was then that I knew The 100 was going to be something special and it was bound to be appointment TV. It hasn't let me down since. I agree that Charlotte killing Wells and then the next episode where they are trying to stop Murphy and Charlotte goes over the cliff were jawdropping. I couldn't believe they showed a kid killing someone and then let the natural consequence of that be her own death. It showed that The 100 was not afraid to get pitch black dark and that there were not going to be any easy answers for the teens.
H2GAwM - I actually debated where to put the end reveal that Keating knows everything over her breakdown scene but the acting was too powerful in the first. This though was a huge twist and actually makes a lot more sense than before we saw that. This show keeps me glued to my seat, one of the best new shows this year.
Teen Wolf - I am still iffy about Allison's death. I have a hard time with dying characters spouting their eternal love and then dying right before they can get the essential info out - in this case that the Oni can be killed with silver. For me probably the part of that scene that hit me the most was Argent's face when he realized Allison was dead. I think I would put the scene before it where Allison and her dad make up and tell each other 'I love you' as my scene from that one. It was a tender moment in a relationship that was too often wasted in the 3 years before it. They could have done so much if they had shown Argent training Allison to become the matriatch of the Argents.
Sleepy Hollow - If Yolanda had been this year instead of last, it would have made my top 10 . Same with sticky notes. I adore when Ichabod is learning how the modern world works and I miss much of that trademark humor this season.
The F was for the Sleepy Hollow fandom, but I did grade this season harshly. I think because Sleepy Hollow and Teen Wolf were my favorite shows last year and this year they have both been my greatest disappointments. I would say that the action is what it has going the most for it, but they have to get off social media and stop playing to certain segments of the fandom. They are ruining the character of Katrina and the second they put Ichabod and Abbie together, I will drop it.
ReplyDeleteBesides that, I think they have gotten away from their successful formula and there is very little humor left to be had because they are taking themselves way too seriously this season. Last season it was like the writers remembered that their show had headless villains and zombie George Washington so they didn't take themselves so seriously. This season it's like the success of last season has gone to their head and we're no into the epic instead of the absurd. It's lost its playfulness and fun. They are also ruining the characters for me, with the exception of Jenny, who remains the best character they have. Any episode without her is lacking from the start.
I agree that there is plenty of time to turn things around but to do that they need to stop writing for social media and tell their own story. Nothing is near as clever this season, the twists are more run-of-the-mill, and they are wasting time on emoangsting every single episode. I no longer like Abbie, Ichabod has become a mess, and Katrina keeps makign the worst decisions on the planet. They need to reunite all the female characters, make them a team, and let them kick supernatural butt together. Instead it is a mess of female jealousy and spite that got old in the first few episodes of this season. If it does not improve, I will fondly remember this as a one season show, find another person to take my place in the podcast, and burn out the memory of this disastrous season with the world's supply of brain bleach.
Tis the season for Top 10 everything. I'm hoping to do some awards next week but I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not. Glad you are looking at trying Benched and Scorpion. They aren't for everyone but they are my pick for Best New Comedy and Best New Drama of the year.
ReplyDeleteSleepy Hollow season 1 was epic - a great fun ride with cool characters and fantastic plot twists. This season not so much. It's just a big old mess, but John Noble is still a highlight.
Leverage is one of my favorite shows of all. Rubinek comes back later in the show as well and it is a whole lot of fun seeing him. You'll actually find a lot of people you know guesting in Leverage. I still miss this show.
The Goldbergs starts off more caustic in the beginning (my first 5 episodes) and then mellows into a show with equal parts heart and laughs. However, it is most definitely a family comedy and that never changes. If that's not your speed, you won't enjoy The Goldbergs. I would say check out episodes 1.07 and/or 1.16 and see if you like them. If you don't then it's definitely not for you. You can watch the episodes in any order so you won't be missing anything by skipping around.
LOL - so true! As soon as I would tell someone that I watched Star-Crossed they gave me this look like "how old are you,12?". I was instantly on the defensive about the show. Oxygen wasn't much better but at least it didn't conjure images of a Gossip Girl wannabe. I agree that making the kids college age would have definitely improved things - the lead actress had far too many wrinkles to make me believe she was a junior in high school!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the key to enjoying the Carver years is to binge watch it. Netflix doesn't give you enough time between episodes for you to think about all the things that pissed you off!