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Ben's Mid-Season Review : Chicago Fire, The 100, Stalker, The Flash, NCIS: Los Angeles, Hawaii Five-0 & Much More

Jan 3, 2015

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Now that shows are going to begin returning, I thought it was a good idea to evaluate and review shows as they currently stand. I currently watch over 35+ shows, most of which I am not caught up on, I am only reviewing a select few here. I will also select a best episode and give the episode a grade from A+ to E, A+ is the highest. I have also dropped 4 shows, and plan to watch a few in 2015, and also have a few shows on my watch list. You can see that list down below. Hope you enjoy my review!

Gavin's Mid-Season Review
Robert's Mid-Season Review


ARROW


Network: The CW
Currently on hiatus, returns January 21, 2015

After hearing many great things about Arrow after the 2013/14 TV season, I decided to binge watch seasons 1 & 2 before season 3 started. I ended up really enjoying both of those seasons of Arrow, however this season has failed to impress me as much. I must admit, the 'Sara's Killer' arc has been quite interesting, and the Flash vs Arrow crossover was absolutely exceptional.

I think Roy's character has been underused a bit this season, his character has so much potential, and to just see him sitting in the background is quite annoying. I like his character, like.... a lot. Something that did surprise me this season was the surprise death of Sara, for a moment I was quite annoyed that she was killed off.

Felicity still remains my favorite character on the show, and The Brave and the Bold was a great episode that gave us insight into her character. I really enjoy learning more about my favorite characters, after all it just allows me to love them even more. Roy is my second favorite character, but unfortunately his character has been underused this season, which is a bit of a disappointment.

Best Episode: The Brave and the Bold
Rating: B-


BLACK-ISH


Network: ABC
Currently on hiatus, returns January 7, 2015

As with every new show, I try it and give it three episodes before making a decision, this show really surprised me. The pilot was a bit flat, but once I got into the season, I really started to enjoy it. Out of all the comedies I tried (A to Z, Bad Judge, Marry Me and Black-ish), I enjoyed Black-ish the most.

Black-ish certainly is enjoyable, I was skeptical at first, when I thought it was going to be full of racist jokes, but that seems to have been toned down now. I really enjoyed the holiday themed episodes, especially the Christmas episode.

As far as character development goes, this show has done really well, we know a lot about each of the characters, however I have missed seeing Pops the past few episodes, he really adds a nice dynamic to the show. However the tension between Rainbow and Andre's mother certainly provided a nice storyline for us all to enjoy.

Best Episode: Prank King
Rating: B+


CHICAGO FIRE


Network: NBC
Currently on hiatus, returns January 6, 2015


Chicago Fire has been fantastic so far, the ending of last season left us not knowing the status of everyone except for Chief Boden. Chicago Fire always does a great job of cliffhangers, the mid-season finale of season 2 left us not knowing the future of Firehouse 51. As we got close to the premiere we started to think about who might die....

As far as characters go, fans were not happy when newcomer, Sylvie Brett came as Shay's replacement. I personally am growing to like her, but no one can replace Shay in my book. Dawson and Casey remain my favorite characters on the show, but on our current cliffhanger they are going through a tough time. I think Dawsey is probably the best relationship on the show, and really want Casey and Dawson to get their stuff sorted.

Something I have enjoyed this season so far, is the return of the Chicago Fire comedy. I have been loving the Cruzzumba scenes, especially the one where the firehouse showed up to surprise Cruz at his Zumba class. We also got the return of the pranks this season, since Dawson was now a candidate, Truck 81 got back to their tricks. I have been loving the comedy this season.

Best Episode: Always
Rating: A


CHICAGO PD


Network: NBC
Currently on hiatus, returns January 7, 2015

Chicago Fire's sister show, Chicago P.D. has again been at a very high standard, I especially enjoyed the crossover with SVU. Some interesting plot-lines this season have been very good, especially Lindsay's job offer for a federal task-force. The characters on Chicago P.D. are some of the best characters you can find on any show, they are just so likable.

There has been only one newcomer this season, with the addition of Roman as Burgess' new partner. I personally think he brings a unique sort of feel to the show. He is something different from the rest of the characters, but his supposed affair with his ex-partner, that is pretty weird.

The crossover with SVU was one of the best crossovers I have seen to date, the way Voight and Benson conflicted was some great scenes. I also loved that two teams came together to solve one case, and the fact that it was personal for Lindsay -- that just added to the emotional aspect of the crossover.

Best Episode: They'll Have To Go Through Me
Rating: A


HAWAII FIVE-0


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 2, 2015

Hawaii Five-0, is seriously an excellent show. Season 5A has been an incredible start to what should be a fantastic season, pity the ratings have been pretty average. I absolutely loved the 100th episode that Hawaii Five-0 produced, and the way the emotional character of the show was weaved through the entire episode was incredible.

Hawaii Five-0 is also known for it's bromance, between both Steve and Danny, these two are seriously one of the best reasons to watch this show. They have such a unique relationship, and are there for each other no matter what. For instance, this season when Danny shot and killed someone, Steve was there to back him up.

This has been an incredible start to Five-0, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the season holds. As far as my predictions go, I don't think that Danny's troubles are behind him, and I'm sure we'll see something new go down for Jerry. I'm also hoping for some character development with Lou, he's such a unique character and I'd love to learn about his past some more! If you are looking for something to watch in the next few months, give Hawaii Five-0 a shot!

Best Episode: Ina Paha
Rating: A

MODERN FAMILY


Network: ABC
Currently on hiatus.

I recently got back into Modern Family, and I enjoyed most of the fifth season, but the sixth season has failed to impress me. I don't think Modern Family is as funny as it is made out to be, Modern Family definitely receives far too much credit than it deserves. I personally prefer Black-ish, The Middle and The Goldbergs much more than Modern Family.

None the less, Modern Family has still been decent this season, there have been quite a few hilarious scenes, and the characters are still very solid. The dialogue this season also has been decent, producing some great punch lines.

I hope Modern Family can improve and be up to same standard as the other ABC Wednesday comedies, because for multiple Emmy wins, Modern Family is not doing very well. However it still is a great comedy to watch when your in the need for a good laugh.

Best Episode: Marco Polo
Rating: B-


MADAM SECRETARY


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 4, 2015.

I haven't always been an avid fan of political dramas, but Madam Secretary caught my eye. The format this show uses is rather good, and the characters on the show are very good and rather likeable. I like the way the show balances the storylines at Elizabeth's home and at the State Department.

Some interesting episodes have been produced this season, my favorite was So It Goes, as I am yet to watch the last two episodes. I have rather enjoyed the subplots in Madam Secretary, especially the whole suspicious death of Elizabeth's predecessor.

Overall Madam Secretary has had a solid start to the season, developing the characters are long way, and producing some fine episodes. I'm interested to see where Madam Secretary heads in the second half of the season, and how the season will end.

Best Episode: So It Goes
Rating: B+


NCIS


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 6, 2015.

The mother-ship of the NCIS franchise has begun it's twelfth season and has had a pretty solid season so far. The mid-season finale was a fantastic episode producing some fine moments with McGee. However something that has annoyed me this season is the absence of Vance in the last few episodes.

Vance is one of my favorite characters in the NCIS franchise, and to see his character not be put to good use is quite disappointing, but I hope to see more use of him in the second half of the season. I once again enjoyed Tony's dialogue, he is certainly the best part of the show for me, and I've quite enjoyed his quirky dialogue this season.

Overall, NCIS has produced some interesting episodes of the season, and developed some characters further (specifically Ellie Bishop), but again, it's disappointing to see such a great actor and is character be put to waste, I really hope Vance returns in season 12B.

Best Episode: House Rules
Rating: A


NCIS: LOS ANGELES


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 5, 2015.

NCIS: Los Angeles is my favorite show from the NCIS franchise, mainly because of the characters. Now I can't say I'm a hardcore Densi fan, I do enjoy the chemistry between Eric & Nelle and Sam & Callen. But seriously, Kensi & Deeks make this show seriously awesome.

Something else this show has been known for, is the high-octane action it produces, that aspect of the show has been exceptional this season. Something interesting this season has been the plot-line with Hetty and her troubles in Washington, even though it was revealed that it was a setup by Vance, I am not sure that Hetty's troubles are over just yet.

One moment that I really loved so far this season was the ending of season 6A, when Kensi & Deeks finally kissed. I have to admit, I did not know what the writers wanted to do with their relationship, but I'm glad to see they seem to have made up their mind. I'm really excited to see some more action, quirky humor, and some great moments from NCIS: LA in 2015!

Best Episode: Humbug
Rating: B


NCIS: NEW ORLEANS


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 6, 2015.

Despite not being up to date with the latest episode, NCIS: New Orleans has been decent this season, it hasn't amazed me, but it hasn't disappointed me either. I currently review this show for SpoilerTV, so feel free to browse my reviews of individual episodes on my author page.

This was actually one of the few shows I was excited for this season, the episodes NCIS: New Orleans produced were mediocre at first, however delving into the season a little more, and NCIS: New Orleans actually was pretty good. The characters on the show are actually very good, and I find myself laughing at the dialogue, quite a lot.

None the less, NCIS: New Orleans still doesn't beat the other two shows, I think it will take time for it to get up to the standard that both NCIS and NCIS: LA are producing at the moment. I think NCIS: New Orleans has spent the first half of it's season finding it's feat and as we head into the second part of the season, we might start seeing some standout moments from the show.

Best Episode: Chasing Ghosts
Rating: A-


PARENTHOOD


Network: NBC
Currently on hiatus, returns January 8, 2015.

When I discovered the news that Parenthood was having it's final season this season, I was quite annoyed, but happy at the same time. I'd rather have a clear final season, than have it canceled right on a cliffhanger. None the less, Parenthood is doing rather well for it's farewell season.

I think Parenthood is making good use of it's 13 episode final run, producing some great emotional scenes, as well as some great funny moments and the usual family conflict you would expect. I like the interesting plot-line, with Zeek and his health, and I am seriously hoping for Julia and Joel to reconcile!

I am going to be incredibly sad when this series ends, however Parenthood has had an incredible run. It was something different. As far as the ending goes, I'm hoping for something happy yet clear, I don't want to have to create my own ending. I'm hoping for something that will be remembered as a great ending for a fantastic show. I highly recommend watching Parenthood if you are looking for something with a lot of emotion, a lot of character and a whole lot of heart.

Best Episode: Lean In
Rating: B


PERSON OF INTEREST


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 6, 2015.

Person of Interest is absolutely insane, this show always impresses me every single week, there is just so much of everything that I enjoy about this show, and not to mention the characters are exceptional. Person of Interest changed gears this season, when they assumed new cover identities, I must admit this was a very interesting twist in the show and I was ecstatic to see what the show could do with this type of plot.

Reese still remains my favorite character on the show, and he has got even better this season. He really suits a detective (no pun intended), and I've really liked him working with Fusco a whole lot more. Something awesome that happened in the season premiere, was the fact that Reese was given Carter's old desk, that is a great way of honoring Carter.

Person of Interest is full of high octane action, and partnered with a group of unique characters and incredible dialogue, this creates an outstanding piece of television. I'm really interested to where Person of Interest heads into season 4B, as the start of the season has been absolutely superb.

Best Episode: The Devil You Know
Rating: A


SCORPION


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 5, 2015.

Scorpion was probably the show I was most excited for going into the 2014 Fall Season, the premise was really interesting and I thought it could turn out really well. Once I watched the pilot, I was hooked, and once I started watching episodes throughout the season, the series got better and better.

Scorpion's characters are the main reason to watch the show, they offer something new to CBS' current lineup of it's shows characters. My favorite character is probably Toby, he's a quirky humor type of character, he reminds me a lot of Deeks on NCIS: LA, Scorpion actually is quite similar to NCIS: LA.

I really hope Scorpion's second half has a big case that spans across multiple episodes, the case's of the week that Scorpion have produced over the first half have been very interesting and a great mix, but a big case would test the team and produce some fine television. Scorpion is something different, something unique, and is definitely worth a watch.

Best Episode: Revenge
Rating: A-


STALKER


Network: CBS
Currently on hiatus, returns January 5, 2015.

Stalker has been yet another fantastic show this season, it shares a lot of it's traits with Criminal Minds (a crossover between both of those shows would be awesome!), a very intellectual show focusing on a assessment unit. One thing I loved about Stalker this season, is it's subplots, they have been the best part of the show, especially Beth's stalker.

The characters in Stalker are a fine bunch, I like them all, but Jack is my favorite. Jack and Janice have some interesting chemistry, and I am wondering where their relationship will head in the season. Perry sure does add some quite interesting storylines to the show, though I'm not sure whether the worst of him is over yet.

Stalker is quite an interesting show, I enjoyed it much more than Criminal Minds (but CM is still an amazing show), and I really enjoyed the cases of the week it produced. In season 1B I hope for Stalker to continue to produce some great episodes, and I'm interested to see where the Perry arc is headed.

Best Episode: Fanatic
Rating: A-


THE 100


Network: CW
Currently on hiatus, returns January 21, 2015.

The 100 is really really good this season, like really good. I binge-watched this show during the hiatus, and can I say it is the best show I have seen in like a long time. I'm really starting to like the survival genre, and reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games movies. This season of The 100 has been even more incredible and much better than season 1.

I have enjoyed this season immensely, The 100 has delivered in every aspect possible in a TV Series. There has been romance, action, emotion and all out outstanding dialogue in The 100. Season one was a developing season for The 100, whilst in season 2 the series has excelled far beyond my expectations.

One moment I really loved this season was the death of Finn Collins, this was such a defining moment in the show, it really showed what potential this show has. The fact that Clarke was the one to kill Finn, really added so much more emotion and character to the death, so much more meaningful. The 100 has been outstanding this season, and I can't wait to see season 2B.

Best Episode: Spacewalker
Rating: A+



THE BLACKLIST


Network: NBC

Currently on hiatus, returns February 1, 2015.

The Blacklist has been quite good in it's second season, however I really haven't been paying much attention to it. I think I may have to re-watch The Blacklist season 2 so far, and pay much more attention to understand what's going on. The Blacklist is quite an intense show, and I kind of lost things a bit towards the end of the season.

Liz seems to be quite a different character this season, she is getting quite a lot like Red. Raymond Reddington remains the best part of the show, his lines are just the best of the best and they just keep getting better season after season. Berlin was an interesting arc this season and I'm interested to see what happens, now that he is dead.

The Blacklist has been decent, but I am definitely going to re-watch season 2 to get a better understanding of the events this season. I quite enjoyed the show so far, and am hoping that The Blacklist can continue delivering superb episodes.

Best Episode: The Decembrist
Rating: A-


THE FLASH


Network: CW
Currently on hiatus, returns January 20, 2015.

Okay, this show is the best show ever, okay I said it. I absolutely adore this show, it is by far the best show on my schedule at the moment. The Flash has incredible characters, and the twists and turns along the way make it that much better, I love the way The Flash creates interesting cases of the week.

The characters on The Flash are extremely likable, Barry is by far my favorite character and Cisco is probably my second. There is just something about the characters on The Flash that make them so very likable. The crossover between Arrow and The Flash was probably the best part of the season, the way these two shows combined was just so good, the characters interacted on both shows incredibly well.

The Flash has been incredible in the first half of it's freshman season, and my only hope is for the same awesomeness in the second half of the season. The character development thus far has been excellent, and the twist and turns have been incredible.

Best Episode: The Man in the Yellow Suit
Rating: A+

WRAP-UP


As promised, here is my list of other shows I plan to watch in 2015, as well as the ones that didn't do it for me in 2014. Be sure to submit your lists in the comments section below!

Best New Show: The Flash
Best Returning Show: The 100

Shows Dropped:

A to Z
Bad Judge
Manhattan Love Story
Red Band Society

Shows Yet To Premiere in 2015:

The Following
Glee
Aquarius
Allegiance
Odyssey
Fresh Off The Boat
Secrets & Lies
Battle Creek
Agent Carter
CSI: Cyber

Shows On My 'Watch' List:

Revenge - This show is amazing, I can see myself really enjoying this show, thanks to Revenge OUAT for the suggestion!
Scandal
Once Upon A Time
Sleepy Hollow
The Walking Dead
Z Nation
The Goldbergs - Completed watching season 1

Thanks everyone for reading! If you have any suggestions on what shows I should watch, please let me know in the comments! Also please note that these are my own opinions, so don't get offended if I said something bad about your particular show etc.

HOW IS YOUR SEASON GOING SO FAR?

About the Author - Ben Norton
Ben is a teenage entertainment fanatic, he enjoys Music, Movies and especially TV Shows. Some shows he enjoys are The 100, Chicago Fire, NCIS: Los Angeles and The Flash. Aside from entertainment, Ben is a fan of the LA Clippers, PS3 gamer, and a photographer. Feel free to contact him socially, or email him at ben@spoilertv.com
Recent Reviews (All Reviews)

54 comments:

  1. A great start to the season! What are your thoughts?

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  2. Shows absolutely loved this year-TF,JtV,AoS,HTGAWM,The Affair,OUAT,The 100,Stalker,GoT,Outlander & RBS.
    Still pretty great-Chicago Fire,H50,MF,TO,Arrow,Castle,GA,SH,Babby daddy & Melissa & Joey .
    Decent but not great-Grimm,TVD,Reign,PLL,Teen wolf,Haven,Downton abbey & TMP.

    Can't wait for it's return-Hannibal,OITNB,Bates Motel,Devious maids

    Excited to watch-Better call saul,True detective,Eye Candy,12 Monkeys,Secrets & Lies,Sherlock & TWD.

    Need to catch up-POI,TB,Scorpion,SPN,Forever.
    Dropped this year-Mistresses,Revenge,Elementary,CPD,New girl,Awkward,Faking it,Looking,Salem,Penny dreadful.
    Horrible/Pretty bad but still can't stop watching-Under the Dome,Hemlock grove& The Following.

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  3. Jane The Virgin has always interested me, just never got around to trying it for some reason.

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  4. Give it a try.I was also skeptical for some period.I binge watched the 1st 4 episodes and then all my doubts went away!

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  5. I'm curious to hear more specifics about your thoughts on The Flash. In your review you just call it "incredible" and the characters "likable" without actually explaining why. I don't mean to be super confrontational/rude because i do like the show a lot, but I think it has a fair amount of flaws. For example, something that bothers me is that every episode ends with Dr. Wells doing something mysterious and there doesn't seem to be any actual development to that story. I know that it's supposed to be a mystery so obviously it shouldn't be spelled out for the audience, but almost half the season has gone by and there hasn't been a whole lot of development in terms of his agenda. Reminds me of Pretty Little Liars ending every episode with A doing something mysterious that eventually rarely has any significant ramifications in future episodes. And again, I want to clarify - i really do like the show, but I disagree with the super super high praise and would love to hear more of your thoughts.


    Great article in general and thanks for taking the time to write up reviews of so many shows! :)

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  6. Well said about The Flash,couldn't agree more!

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  7. I tried not to go too in depth just to save space, but happy to explain in the comments here.

    I think every show has some flaws, some more than others. This shows flaws aren't as noticeable or that big of a deal that impact my opinion on it. But I do understand what you are talking about with Dr Wells, I really hope they take that storyline somewhere this year, it will really make this show shine. However I do think that the stuff Dr Wells is doing will have some significance later down the line.

    I guess I got carried away with the praise, because I just love the show so much :)

    Thanks for your comment!

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  8. haha no I'm totally familiar with singing praises for your fav show. and i'm sure the Dr. Wells stuff will go somewhere, the progress has just been slow. i just fear that the reason so little has been given to us is because what the writers have planned isn't super complicated with lots of twists and turns, which would be a bummer. I am definitely hoping to be proved wrong though, because it is an awesome show for sure.


    the other thing is that though i've been disappointed by the dr wells mystery, I think the mystery surrounding Barry's mom and the other Flash has been handled really well and definitely giving me that feeling of like "i feel like we've been told really little so i probably shouldn't care that much quite yet but i cannot help but be sooooo freaking curious and invested" lol.

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  9. B- for Arrow! really?!
    Arrow is like my kid, it should be A.

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  10. My Name is mentioned :) nice to see that you will Start Revenge. You will not regret it !!!!! :) it would be nice if more people tried

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  11. Sorry guys.. But The 100 is the best series on The CW!
    must have a 3rd season!

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  12. Nice article. I sort of agree about Arrow - Roy has been underused and the Flash crossover was fantastic. But I'd disagree on the Sara killer arc - that was dragged out and came with a conclusion that I was unhappy with. The Oliver/Felicity story has seriously dragged the quality of the show down this season. Also, the flashbacks have been poor. I'd rank it at a C+.


    Hawaii Five-0 has been pretty good this season. I wasn't too fond of the episode where Danny killed the guy because it felt very rushed to get there (early in the episode he tells Steve about it, next we hear about it it's the final scene) - and there wasn't really enough fallout from it imo, but it was a good moment for Danny. The 100th was great and the rest of the season has been solid.



    Behind on NCIS. NCIS LA has been ok, though I'm still annoyed that they brushed over some potentially great Nell development after her shooting and sort of rushed the Hetty story.


    Completely agree with your thoughts on POI and The 100.


    Totally disagree on The Blacklist. It has been awful in 2A I think. Spader has been given much less to do and on a show where he is often the only good thing about episodes, that's really not a good thing. Berlin, having been built up as this huge, dangerous villain, suddenly wasn't and I was unhappy with that. Both Tom reveals (him being alive and him working with Red) were poor - the former was obvious and the latter was a terrible way to cap off the midseason finale. Liz is really no different to last season, except that it took her 8 episodes to realise it. They developed her as this strong person and then just obliterated it, which was seriously annoying. Really hoping that 2B improves.


    I agree The Flash has been great, though I wasn't too fond of the Wells reveal, but I'm sure there's more to it than just him being the Reverse Flash, which is ok.

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  13. It's for the episode mentioned, not the whole series.

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  14. Thanks, nice article. Arrow, POI and Chicago PD are my favorites. I enjoy Haway Five-O, NCIS LA and Scorpion as well, but binge watch them.


    I am one of those who hated the Mis-season finale of The 100. Not only because of Finn dying but because having to watch a teenage girl kill the boy she is in love with to prevent him from being tortured to death - to me that is a story which is just not my cup of tea. It feels like shows have to be dark to get attention. To me Clarke killing Finn was more cruel that the 300 sacrifying themselves.


    Now that I kind of have a vacancy on Wednesday, maybe I should give Stalker another try, which I actually dropped after the pilot even tough I am a huge Maggie Q fan. And Chicago PD is one of my favorite shows, so I have to tape one of them.

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  15. I can't comment on all the shows as I don't watch them all only The 100 and Person of Interest, but fantastic article!
    As far as Person of Interest goes I completely agree with everything you said, the show for me has managed to improve upon a already great Season 3. The new direction the show has taken I think has been good for the show, it also creates a lot more scenes for Fusco after not having that much to do Season 3B.


    My favorite character remains Finch who inches past Reese. Mainly because Ben (Michael Emerson) was my favorite character on LOST. He in this role has always been brilliant, and I love how he this season is slowly starting to trust the machine again. The honoring Carter was really thoughtful of the writers, especially since John loved her.


    The 100 has been incredible this season, it has outdone itself in every single department, and when compared to season 1 it feels like a completely different show. It has gone into areas I didn't think it would touch upon. Currently it is my favorite show on at the moment, and just inches past HTGAWM and Person of Interest.

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  16. I totally agree 100% on H50 just hate how this show gets overlooked. I have seen far worst at the shows that the media are craving on but there is always one show like H50 that gets ignored because of the way people are thinking it's a remake or there are too many big named stars on the show. Really take a good look on some other shows and watch H50 properly before you think before saying it :)

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  17. Great article Ben! I won't go too much in depth as I'll be writing my own mid-season review (which hopefully I am able to publish within a few days), but I agree with most of your thoughts. I too have noticed the absence of Vance in NCIS, and I'd like to see him return asap. He's a great character. However, I disagree with "House Rules" being the best episode of the season. The episode wasn't poor but there were various things I did not enjoy about it. In fact, for me it might be the weakest NCIS episode of season 12 so far. But overall, NCIS has been very strong and has improved significantly from season 11.

    Out of curiosity, what other shows do you watch? You mention 17 shows here, which should be about half what you watch.

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  18. I feel so awkward when I read all the amazing things people say about The Flash. I'm really not feeling the show. And I feel there's always something missing for me in The 100 (except 1x12, 1x13 and 2x08). Also, the thing with Arrow is that they couldn't get deep into the Ra's stuff in eps 1-4 cause then there was the Felicity episode, the Roy ep (kinda), the Cupid ep and the crossover. But I think know that they're done with that they will go full Arrow mode-on.

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  19. Yay excellent mid-season review Ben (and thanks for linking to mine, appreciated). So glad you decided to pick up Arrow before Season 3 started and I'm sure you're not regretting it since you have enjoyed it. Score one for Team Felicity! You're preaching to the choir about Modern Family, there are definitely better comedies out there that get less recognition. I think since the first few seasons were so critically lauded and had many award recognitions, that's the only thing Modern Family has going for it at the minute. Episodes here and there are enjoyable but I agree, season six just hasn't failed to impress (yet I did enjoy Season 5 as a whole so we'll see how the rest of Season 6 holds up). Scorpion definitely adds something new to CBS's line-up of cast members and I love their interactions. Stalker has been the nice surprise for me this year as I have really enjoyed it and look forward to 1B. I also can't wait to see where it heads and I hope the Perry arc isn't over.

    Love the Flash too, if it keeps this up for a couple more years, it probably could be a contender for best show. I usually find secondary characters overshadow main characters but this isn't the case with The Flash as the cast really are so likeable. Grant Gustin does a fantastic job.

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  20. I am very happy as well that he will try revenge :) Especially because of my recommendation

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  21. You're a good salesperson. I bet you could sell a pig to a priest! Keep on spreading the Revenge love!

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  22. Thx :) oh i will!!

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  23. Great article! I only watch Arrow, H50 and The Flash from your list, and I agree in general. As I mentioned in another post on here I will give The 100 a try.

    Arrow: A show I binge-watched within a month before season 3 began. :) It's true, Roy is underused this season, but I think (I hope) we'll see a lot more of him in 3B, especially in the first two or three episodes after the hiatus. My fav episodes are the Arrow/Flash crossover (I would rate it at least A-, Arrow-sided), the Felicity back story in 3.05 because she's my favorite character and I love to know more about her (Will we see her father some day or at least get to know who he is? Somehow I'm afraid it could be Fyers...) and 3.09 (I know he will be back, but I'm still not over it...). Does my love for Oliver and Felicity make me a shipper? I don't know. I simply love to see those two together, especially in the Flash-part of the crossover.

    H50: It took me a while to get into it four years ago, but since then I love it, the characters, the bromance, the plots, the scenery. And, most of all, 'ohana. It has it's flaws (like every other show), especially the christmas episode this year IMO, BUT overall it's way too underrated. The 100th episode was mind-blowing!

    The Flash: I love this show! Period. :) And it only took me nine episodes. Ok, not quite right, it exactly took me seven episodes and the first ten minutes of the eights. The crossover episode(s) with Arrow was (were) great, the interactions of the casts simply brilliant. Do I exaggerate a bit? Maybe, but I don't care. :) One of my fav interaction scenes of the crossover episodes was during the before mentioned ten minutes into episode 8 of The Flash (Diggle: "You're fast..." // "Awesome!" Stern look by Oliver. "I mean... awful!"). Or Barry's Sushi comment on Arrow episode 8. The list goes on. I love the lightness of The Flash (and their ability to sometimes get dark), as much as I love the darkness of Arrow (and their ability to sometimes get light). I don't know much about the comics, and I'm very curious about where the writers will lead us. I definitely need more Arrow/Flash crossovers. And I need more of Cisco, who is my favorite character on the show. We hopefully get to see a bit of his back story in 1B or 2A.

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  24. Great article! I already watch way too much tv, but I think I'm going to start watching Scorpion again. I watched the first three episodes and got bored, but I've heard it's pretty good now.

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  25. Niceee! I loved this. Although I have to disagree about Roy, I don't think he's been underused. (And I love Roy), if anything I've felt he's gotten a little more screen time. (Not as much as season 2 but still). I absolutely love his scenes with Oliver, and Team Arrow as a whole. I really want to see more action scenes from him, which I'm sure we'll get in the second half. I do wish they'd give him more dialog though. I'm loving Arrow this season, well except for Sara's death. (I'm still mad about that) And Laurel telling everyone about Sara's death except for her freaking father, and DJ Douchebag, and no mention of Sin whatsoever. And all things Ray Palmer. (Ugh) But other than that, I'm liking it. Felicity Megan Smoak! I love that woman and I am dying to see her reunion with Oliver, and her reaction to the news. Same goes for Diggle and Roy, I think the second half of the season will be HUGE! And that crossover....OMG my feels!!! That was amazing.

    The Flash!!! Barry is my favorite. Cisco is definitely my second. I don't have one single complaint about the first half of the season. I am loving all of it. Barry and Joe's scenes are the highlights for me and they knock it out of the park every time. The Man in the Yellow Suit was definitely my favorite episode. Can't wait for the second half! C'mon Iris, get it together and kiss Barry. LOL

    Oh andI can't wait til you start watching Sleepy Hollow.

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  26. I saw some episodes of the flash in a marathon they did on warner channel yesterday (they show all the 11 or 12 episodes i think?), i liked it but as i didnt watched them all i dont understand when the wheel chair guy started to walk and why he killed Barry's mom (tho i ahve a theory, that she to die for all the evnts to be possible and the future doesnt change and all that stuff xD).. yeah dont mind me. I havent watch all so i dont understand most of things. I will see if i give it a chance once it returns.

    Man you have to re-watch The Blacklist, It's a bit diferent from S1, we see a Liz that is not willing to take all Red's crap and she is starting to do things on her own, she is starting to doubt what Red says and wants some answers about everything. It's has been a great season so far. Tho kind of dissapointed on how Berlind ended but i like it anyways.

    You should definitely watch Penny Dreadfull, Salem and The leftovers this are summer shows and the three are great.

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  27. The last few episodes of Scorpion have been really really good.

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  28. Totally agree, Five-0 is definitely something different and TOTALLY overrated.

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  29. About H50: We've been told in a few spoilers that there will be fallout from Danny's trip to Colombia as well as Chin getting the money from his former brother in law.


    The problem I have with the show is that big things like that are sort of left hanging for 5 to 10 episodes and the casual viewer isn't going to know what's going on. Also, it comes across as bad storytelling, in my opinion, for it not to have been mentioned by someone, somewhere, even in passing, so that it's still fresh in the viewer's head.

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  30. Vance (Rocky Carrol) is also techinical adviser of the show and now is directing the episodes... Not enough time to act...

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  31. Ben, I hope you meant underrated !!!

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  32. Actually the technical advisor is Leon Carrol, not Rocky Carrol. And Rocky is only directing one episode so there's no need for him to not appear. Also, Michael Weatherly has directed episodes in season 8 and 10 and yet he never missed an NCIS episode. There's no-one to blame for Vance's absence but the writers.

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  33. Rocky Carroll is one of the technical advisors.... The absence is because of his contract. He said on twitter that being technical advisor takes a lot of his time and in this season he would be directing some episodes so he would be acting less...

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  34. Oh really? Hadn't heard that. Could you tell me which tweets they were?

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  35. Heard great things about The Leftovers might try that.

    Yeah, I did enjoy The Blacklist season 1 a lot, so I really want to try and understand what's going on in season 2.

    Thanks for your comment!

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  36. Seriously?!? Hawaii 5-0 is a ridiculous show, & Lou is the worst character played by the worst actor on the cast. Sadly, I do watch it & contribute to their undeserved ratings, but only because I'm a homesick Native Hawaiian.

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  37. It is my opinion that it's overrated. It's like I'm watching a cartoon. But I keep watching it 'cause I miss my island home.

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  38. When anyone asks for a suggestion for what show to watch I always tell them Sons of Anarchy. I think that and Justified are the 2 best shows of this decade and probably longer. And yes I realize that includes LOST and Breaking Bad.

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  39. I too watch around 30 series, more or less, And to be honest I have never been such a big fan of a series as I am of The 100. I have never gone to such lengths in knowing more of a series than I did this year for it. In my opinion The 100 is the best series on the CW yet. This article was great. And I must admit, I see eye to eye with The 100 section. :)
    I watch other things apart from The 100 which this article mentioned which I too agree full on with.
    Once again amazing article.

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  40. I don't understand. Why you hate Modern Family? Because it receives many awards?!? I think it's the ONLY comedy makes laugh and it only that deserve the Emmy for oustanding comedy series in 2015. You are ridiculous...

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  41. For the record I don't hate Modern Family, I actually quite enjoy it. I just don't find it as enjoying/funny as the other Wednesday night comedies like The Goldberg's or The Middle. Also I am saying that for a show that has won so many awards, it should be much better.

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  42. Thank you for your kind words, The 100 seriously suprises me every week, its a really fun series to watch. Who's your favorite character?

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  43. Yeh, Sons of Anarchy, LOST and Breaking Bad have really always interested me. Just finding the time to watch the 5+ seasons in each show. But I will some day, LOST is the first on the list :)

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  44. Sorry to hear you don't like the show, what don't you like about it?

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  45. Thanks Gavin! Arrow always interested me, but just never had the time to watch it, glad I dad because it was great in season 1 & 2, and I'm hoping season 3B can be even better.

    CBS has done rather well with its new shows this year, Scorpion and Stalker are my favorites. Scorpion is a show I look forward to every week.

    Yeh, I quite like the format of Revenge, though I've only seen 2 episodes it seems like a good show. It will take me a while to get through Revenge, and then Scandal is probably next on the list

    Thanks for your comment!

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  46. Thanks Daniel, yep Vance is a great character, his scare with his health at the start of the season was relief, but I'd love to see something like that return. If you didn't enjoy House Rules, which one was your favorite?

    Most of the other shows I'm not caught up on, like: Gotham, Forever, HTGAWM, State of Affairs, Agents of Shield.

    Other shows I didn't include: The Middle, The Big Bang theory, Marry Me, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, The Mysteries of Laura, Gracepoint,.

    And some more I can't remember.

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  47. It's a bit of a hard decision for me at this point as I have never thought about it yet, also because every character in this series has its own feature which I love. But I think i will have to go with Bellamy as I love how his affection for his sister grows and brings him to making a lot of hard decisions, ( sometimes stupid ones ) but it shows how much he loves her. His character also evolves from one season to another, as in the beginning he was quite arrogant with his leadership, but on the other hand he kept strong to keep the 100 together, this also indicated how his character is very well built. But the main thing i think I love about his character is that from one season to another his personality changed to the better and is sort of ( less stiff ). This season he finally is agreeing with Clarke which also makes his character better I guess. But to be honest i like Clarke and Octavia too as they both are strong willed and a bit stubborn but sometimes rebellious too. This season somehow made these characters more likable which is good. And i think that this is why I prefer season 2 better.... apart from the amazing storylines and darker episodes. This season the acting is also getting better, and also the episodes are becoming more interesting by the second.
    Who is your favorite character ?

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  48. The writing. Specifically, the big plot holes and inaccurate technicals, but also the highly unlikely scenarios and actions of the characters. It's a hazard of the times I suppose, lots of action & flash has become more important than substance. Don't get me wrong though, I do enjoy action, I just prefer it be based on a plausible plot line.

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  49. My favourite episode so far is Parental Guidance Suggested. It was the one with the creepy sociopathic little girl that killed her mother. Still gives me chills when I think about it. Also, So It Goes was awesome as well because we learned so much about Ducky.

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  50. Oh, LOST is such a great show! I binge-wathed if last summer and was hooked right away. One of the best shows I have ever seen.

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  51. NCIS LA is a action non-navy show

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  52. Don't agree with your Modern Family assessment as Season 6 has been much better quality & consistency-wise compared to Season 5 which contained some dreadfully boring episodes. Safe to say I enjoyed it a lot...the only comedy I enjoyed more was Brooklyn 99. Your review might suit Big Bang Theory though...never remember a time when it was so devoid of laughter despite all the character development that I gave up on it 7 episodes in.
    It's quite the opposite with your Person of Interest review though: It's like you read my mind! In simple terms, PoI has been my favorite current show since that midseason finale of Season 3.

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  53. I didn't think The 100 could get any better, but season two has been really impressive. A+ well deserved.


    Revenge is great, one of my all-time favourites, you need to try it. Please avoid reading anything about season 3 episodes, just a head's up. I'm glad you are giving Sleepy Hollow a go, i find it both funny and I love the four horsemen elements. I'm up to episode nine of the first season.


    Z-Nation I have the first six episodes waiting for me, it intrigued me on its approach to the whole zombie apocalypse concept.


    If you haven't tried Salem, that is great to me. A show about witches that is gruesome, not cheesy :)

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