Since the 2014-15 TV season is currently about halfway through, I decided it was a good time to review the seasons so far of the shows I'm currently watching. Of the 12 shows listed below, I give my opinion on the first half of their seasons and I try to look at each show independently. I selected both the best and weakest episode of each of those, and I also give a grade ranging from A+ to E. Choosing a best and a weakest episode is relative to the show itself, meaning for example the weakest episode of show X might still be ten times as better as the weakest episode of show Y. Be aware that my reviews might be critical, as I am not one to shy away from criticism. However, I really love to get into discussions, so I would love to hear your opinions of the shows below in the comment section. Also, I of course can't discuss every episode or character in detail, so if you would like to know what I think of a specific character, episode or storyline, feel free to ask me in the comments.
For the record, I am fully up to date with all the 12 shows listed below. The shows I currently watch consist only of broadcast network shows. I usually watch only shows of the Big Five, but I have followed some cable shows and am planning to watch a few. I have included my watchlist at the end of the review. If you have any recommendations for my watchlist, I would love to hear your suggestions!
Now let's get on with the review. The shows are listed in alphabetical order. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a comment and tell me what you think of the shows you've watched so far.
Also check out other mid-season reviews from SpoilerTV members:
Gavin's Mid-Season Review
Robert's Mid-Season Review
Ben's Mid-Season Review
ARROW
Latest episode: "The Climb" (the show returns January 21)
Best episode: "The Climb"
Weakest episode: "Guilty"
RENEWED FOR SEASON 4
Arrow, you have failed this viewer! Or at least, partly. Arrow had the opportunity to learn from its mistakes. In the beginning of season 2 a lot of characters were barely given anything to do, most notably Thea and Diggle. This improved as season 2 went along, and the last six episodes of the season were awesome. And then season 3 began and Arrow just repeated the same old mistakes and made some new ones. It started with a season premiere that was way too busy, with so many things going on that they weren't properly developed. For example, Diggle's baby was born before we even knew Lyla was nine months pregnant and the baby had two seconds of screentime before we ran off to the next underdeveloped storyline.
Subsequent episodes, save for a few exceptions, haven't been much better. An episode that was billed as focussing on Thea ("Corto Maltese") instead focussed more on Diggle and in an episode that was supposed to be all about Roy ("Guilty") we hardly saw any Roy till the final few minutes. Also, while I like Oliver and Felicity, this show is called Arrow and not Olicity. The show needs to focus on the adventures of the Arrow, and not on the epic love story between its leading characters. Another criticism about season 3 is the weak villains of the week. They are hardly noticeable (Peter Stormare, anyone?) and tend to be solved within a few seconds. The flashbacks of the season are OK, though they have nothing to add to Oliver's character. Lastly, killing off Sara was the biggest mistake the show has ever made.
One highlight is the presence of Malcolm Merlyn. The episodes that prominently featured him, except "Corto Maltese", are outstanding. Sadly, therein lies another problem: Malcolm is hardly present in the episodes. I was so looking forward to Thea and Malcolm's storyline before season 3 began, but it has been heavily underused this season. Instead Thea regained Verdant and clashed with some DJ guy and Malcolm was absent for about half of the season.
However, Arrow is not all bad. The crossover with The Flash was awesome and "The Magician" and "The Climb" were excellent episodes. All in all, the season has been very uneven, but I'm hoping for improvement in the second half.
Grade: B-
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER
Latest episode: "Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me" (the show returns January 29)
Best episode: "Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me"
Weakest episode: "Smile, or Go to Jail"
I have a lot of trouble picking a weak episode here. This is because How To Get Away With Murder is the best new show I'm currently watching, and my second-best show overall. The story is compelling and the narrative outstanding. The use of the flashforwards has greatly enhanced the show's quality, as it was an interesting storyline to follow. The mystery of who killed Sam was a gripping one, and led to great speculation and wild theories of who did it. As evidenced by the SpoilerTV Poll on who killed Sam, people had very different opinions of who killed Sam. One of the highlights of the show was reading the various plausible theories and speculation.
However, it's not just the flashforward story that was interesting. Most episodes have also featured a case of the week, which were very strong. The courtroom and the classroom scenes are among the best of the series. To watch Annalise raging in court is a real pleasure. Viola Davis is an outstanding actress that takes the character of Annalise to the next level. The various supporting characters are also great. I know a lot of people have been praising Jack Falahee, and while I agree, the other characters deserve some recognition as well.
I am curious to see how the rest of the season goes without the use of flashforwards. I am also wondering how future seasons will look, because this show undoubtedly will run for various seasons!
Grade: A+
MADAM SECRETARY
Latest episode: "Chains of Command" (the show returns at an unknown date)
Best episode: "So It Goes"
Weakest episode: "Blame Canada"
RENEWED FOR SEASON 2
Madam Secretary has been a fresh addition to my schedule. It's my first political drama but I have been really enjoying it so far. Téa Leoni is a great leading actress and it's entertaining to watch her juggle her political career with her family life. Also particularly good is the mystery surrounding the murder of Elizabeth's predecessor. It was intriguing to find out whether or not the White House was involved in it, and now that we have confirmation that it wasn't and that the Iranians were behind it, I am curious to see how the story continues.
I still think it's a bit unrealistic seeing Elizabeth deal with a new case every week, but I have gotten used to the show's format now. The cases tend to be pretty interesting and reflect current global issues. The stories at the McCord mansion have also gotten better lately, and it's great that Henry and Elizabeth have a pretty stable marriage. However, the supporting characters are still a bit underdeveloped and I would like to learn more about them. I'm especially curious about Blake, he adds a nice touch of humor but there has to more to the guy. I am glad there doesn't seem to be a focus on Matt and Daisy's romance anymore, because I haven't been wild about that.
(Note: You can read reviews of individual Madam Secretary episodes by going through my author box below and to my author page, or find them here.)
Grade: B
NCIS
Latest episode: "The Enemy Within" (the show returns February 3)
Best episode: "Check"
Weakest episode: "House Rules"
After a not-so strong season 11, NCIS returned with a very strong season 12 in what is its best season in years. The mothership is my favourite of the three NCISs and I have been very happy with this season. The reason I love NCIS is because of its characters, and we have seen plenty of character moments in season 12. We had an entire episode centered around Ducky in which we discovered why he was never married, we saw Tony deal with and finally talk about Ziva's exit and we met Bishop's husband in the Thanksgiving episode. I really enjoyed all these moments and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the second half of the season.
Twelve seasons in it's a big challenge to present unique cases of the week to viewers. Nevertheless, we have seen some interesting ones this season. The first that come to my mind are the one with the cannibal and the sociopathic little girl from episode 6, and the case at the airport with Bishop's husband from episode 9. I have also been really enjoying the season-long villain Sergei Mishnev, which became even more interesting with Diane's death in the post-holiday episode "Check". There have been a few weaker cases this season, but not as many as in season 11. The weakest case was in the Christmas episode, an episode that I still have very mixed feelings about.
(Note: You can read reviews of individual NCIS episodes by going through my author box below and to my author page, or find them here.)
Grade: A-
NCIS: LOS ANGELES
Latest episode: "Spiral" (the show returns January 19)
Best episode: "Praesidium"
Weakest episode: "Leipei"
NCIS: Los Angeles is a show I tend to fall behind on pretty quickly and this season was no exception. I was behind nearly ten episodes when I caught up during the Holidays, but I am so glad I did. I always forget how much I enjoy this show and its characters. This season has also been great in terms of the story. Hetty's storyline at the beginning of the season has been excellent and I'm looking forward to learning more about who the mole worked for. Of course, our mole turned out to be someone we have never even met but that was to be expected.
Episodes after that got back to the random terrorist story of the week, but there have been some pretty good ones amongst them. I particularly enjoyed the episode where Callen and Sam had to go to Mexico to find a witness of a case. The Christmas episode was lovely and it was great seeing the team and their families together. I also love the progression of Deeks and Kensi's relationship and I am excited about what's in store for them.
Grade: A-
NCIS: NEW ORLEANS
Latest episode: "The Abyss" (the show returns February 3)
Best episode: "Chasing Ghosts"
Weakest episode: "Musician Heal Thyself"
RENEWED FOR SEASON 2
Like the other two NCISs, I watch NCIS: New Orleans primarily for the characters. And the second NCIS spinoff has done a great job of developing them. I really like Pride and am curious to learn more about his imprisoned father and his family feud with the Hamiltons. LaSalle is a great second to Pride and I really enjoyed his search for his brother. Sadly, we don't know a whole lot about the other three main characters yet. We know some things about Brody but I believe we're still in the dark about what she is running from. The only thing we know about Loretta is that she has never been married, and I feel like we know virtually nothing about Sebastian. Sebastian has been a bit annoying at times, but he is always of great help in solving the cases. The show has also done a good job of developing recurring characters, with Laurel Pride and Patton Plame standing out. I do hope we will soon see Linda Pride again (hopefully when Paige Turco wraps filming on The 100's second season) and as I said, I am eager to learn more about Councilman Douglas Hamilton.
Sadly, the cases of NCIS: New Orleans haven't been all that interesting. In fact, when you ask me what cases we have seen so far, I can only name 3 or 4 out of 12 from the top of my head. The cases tend to be weak and unoriginal, and usually the killer is pretty predictable. Sometimes the cases are also overly complicated and illogical. However, thinking back to the first seasons of both NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, neither of them really had many standout episodes. There are a few exceptions of course, but mostly their first seasons haven't been of much note. I am hoping NCIS: New Orleans too improves as it goes along.
Grade: B
SCORPION
Latest episode: "Kill Screen" (the show returns January 18 and 19)
Best episode: "Dominoes"
Weakest episode: "Risky Business"
RENEWED FOR SEASON 2
Before the start of the 2014-15 TV season, I wasn't very interested in Scorpion at all. Mostly because I wanted to see another CBS pilot picked up to series. When I saw the series promo, I thought it looked OK. And then I received the screener of the pilot, and I was so pleasantly surprised by it. In fact, it turned out to be one of the best pilots of the season and one of my favourite new series overall. It is fast-paced, the characters and their interactions are very enjoyable, and its cases are usually interesting. I got a bit behind on the show after episode 3, but when I caught up I actually noticed how much fun this show really is.
The cases are usually pretty intense and high-stakes, but there have also been a few that I found somewhat less interesting. Overall though, the episodes have been pretty good. However, I do think the team looks a bit omnipotent. I know they are all smart people and, as such, can solve a lot of problems, but they can't solve everything. Right now it looks like they can solve everything from a nuclear reactor powerdown to a mole in the CIA. Also, I think Walter is looking the most omnipotent of the entire team. He is even running around with a gun sometimes, which is not what he is trained for. This team is a think tank, and not a team of federal agents. Leave that to Cabe please!
Grade: A-
STALKER
Latest episode: "Secrets and Lies" (the show returns January 22)
Best episode: "Secrets and Lies"
Weakest episode: "Manhunt"
The pilot episode of Stalker was destroyed by critics before it even aired. I still have no idea why. Sure, the series started with a woman being burnt to death, but so far she has been the only deadly victim on the show. The show can be pretty creepy at times (see also the Halloween episode), but unlike other procedurals there are not a lot of dead bodies. Also, critics complained that the show looked sexist because they thought every victim would be female. However, not only have there been more than enough male victims, there have also been a few female perpetrators here and there. The cases of the week tend to be strong, although sometimes predictable. Stalker definitely follows a formula and sometimes it feels very similar to its lead-in show Criminal Minds, but that's OK as long as it doesn't get as violent as Criminal Minds.
Besides the mostly strong cases, the longer character arcs have also been interesting. With Beth's stalker Perry, we have really seen how stalking is built up and it has been great to watch that unfold. I am very intrigued by Beth's backstory and I am hoping we will get even more insight into her past. The other long arc has been that of Jack and Amanda. I didn't really like that one in the beginning when Jack went full-on stalker mode. I am glad they seemingly dropped that, and it's good that Jack is getting to know his son.
Something else I have to mention is the use of music. The show uses songs that sound totally normal and have nothing to do with stalking. These songs are then covered and turned into some creepy songs which usually relates to the case. The use of music is definitely a highlight of the show.
(Note: You can read reviews of individual Stalker episodes from episode 4 onwards by going through my author box below and to my author page, or find them here.)
Grade: B
STATE OF AFFAIRS
Latest episode: "Ghosts" (the show returns January 19)
Best episode: "Secrets and Lies"
Weakest episode: "Pilot"
Another show that got a lot of pre-airing criticism, but this time I can actually understand some of that. The pilot of State of Affairs really wasn't that good, mostly because it was very confusing. Subsequent episodes have been better, although it surprised me how serialized the show has become. I thought there would be cases of the week, but that aspect was almost completely dropped after episode 3. Frankly, one of the few episodes that did have a weekly case was my favourite.
The serialized story has been hard to follow at times and I sometimes mix up some random story elements or terrorist names (Sheikh Hakam is the boss of it all, right?). However, it has been pretty interesting to watch the story unfold and how everything relates to one another. The acting of Alfre Woodard has stood out among the various characters and I think Katherine Heigl does a good job too. However, the other characters haven't been developed that much and are not getting a lot of screen time. Only Maureen is one that we really got to know a bit, but we don't know much about Kurt, Lucas and the third guy. Hence, I have trouble remembering their names as well. There also appears to be some love triangle between a Maureen, Kurt and Lucas but I couldn't care less.
Grade: B-
THE 100
Latest episode: "Spacewalker" (the show returns January 21)
Best episode: "Spacewalker"
Weakest episode: "Many Happy Returns"
RENEWED FOR SEASON 3
The 100 has been included in several 'Best of 2014' lists, all of which is thoroughly well-deserved. Deciding which episode was the weakest is hardly impossible as the episodes have been outstanding. Season 1 of this show has already been excellent, but season 2 has been exceptional so far. The 100 has built a sci-fi show that has both a great story and great characters. The show managed to build an intriguing post-apocalyptic world that consists of various inhabitants. Season 2 has given us answers on how the various tribes co-exist with each other, and who is at war with who. The storylines have been fast-paced, and have built up to an incredibly powerful mid-season finale.
Another highlight of The 100 is the use of its characters. Each character has its strengths and its weaknesses, and we have seen every character struggle with that. This season has shown us character development of nearly every character, from Clarke to Kane and from Lincoln to Finn. However, the recurring players have also played an important role in this part of the season. One reason why I love The 100 is its portrayal of women. Nearly all the women are badass and have (had) some power or leadership position. Again, each character has its flaws and nobody in the show is portrayed as being perfect.
I do think some characters have been underused (like Bellamy and Lincoln), but overall season 2A has been phenomenal. Obviously, the most polarizing part has been Finn's character development from peacemaker to cold-blooded killer, and the eventual outcome (a.k.a. Finn's death). I liked Finn and think he snapped when he killed 18 people, and I will miss him. Still, the episode in which he was killed was the best episode of the season and possibly of the entire series. I am so glad the show has been renewed for a third season because it absolutely deserves that.
(Note: You can read reviews or roundtables of some individual The 100 episodes by going through my author box below and to my author page, or find them here.)
Grade: A+
THE BLACKLIST
Latest episode: "The Decembrist" (the show returns February 1 and 5)
Best episode: "Lord Baltimore"
Weakest episode: "The Front"
The Blacklist was one of the best new shows last season. It had a great story and phenomenal acting by James Spader. Its cases of the week were well-exectued while its serialized story was gripping and left me hungry for more. The season 1 finale was disappointing, but the show came back with a great season premiere that set the stage for what I thought was going to be an exciting season.
Sadly, subsequent episodes have failed to impress me. Spader is as good as ever and he really carries the show, but the Blacklisters of the week are not as strong as the ones from season 1. The mystery of Liz and Reddington is just being dragged out and does not seem to pick up pace. It's a slow-burner and I don't mind new questions as long as we also get some answers. They never got back to the fact that Red has burning scars all over his body, something that was revealed in the season finale. Most of all, The Blacklist suffers from overhyping both by the show itself (Red teased at the end of a season 1 episode that a war was coming, but I have yet to see the first casuality) and by the NBC promo department (some promos suggested that "All your questions will be answered").
I still have hope for The Blacklist though, and I should keep in mind that we have only seen 8 episodes of the current season. The post-Super Bowl episode is shaping up to be a great one that also provides some answers on the fire that Liz was in when she was young.
Grade: B
THE FLASH
Latest episode: "The Man in the Yellow Suit" (the show returns January 20)
Best episode: "The Man in the Yellow Suit"
Weakest episode: "Fastest Man Alive"
RENEWED FOR SEASON 2
The Arrow spinoff is another show that hardly has any weak episodes. This show is a lot of fun and very light-hearted as opposed to the often dark Arrow. The Flash's first season has been way better than Arrow's current season. I really enjoy the metahumans and seeing a different one each week with different powers has been great. Also, the mystery about Harrison Wells has been quite an interesting one and I hope we will soon discover what he's up to. How it is possible that he is the Reverse Flash while at the same time getting beaten up by him, is a question I would like to see answered.
The characters on The Flash have been good too. Barry is a likable guy, although he can be quite stubborn at times. He has often done something that his team didn't agree on. I really enjoy his team, and Cisco and Caitlin add some laughs to The Flash. I think Joe is the best surrogate father you could have, and he has been a good father to Iris as well. Also, I like Iris and Barry's chemistry, but I do think the show is moving a bit too fast on their relationship. The love triangle is not as annoying as in other shows, but it's obvious that Iris and Barry are endgame.
Grade: A
WRAP-UP
Best new show: How To Get Away With Murder
Best returning show: The 100
Most improved from last season: NCIS
Most decreased from last season: Arrow
Mid-season shows I'll be trying:
Agent Carter (I know this has premiered already, but I haven't had the time yet to check it out)
Allegiance
American Crime
Battle Creek
CSI: Cyber
Odyssey
Secrets and Lies
Shows on my watchlist:
Breaking Bad (which I started last summer but have yet to finish)
Person of Interest
The Good Wife
Extant
The Last Ship
Fargo
The Americans
Banshee
Broadchurch
24
Scandal
Revenge (though this kind of depends on whether the show gets a proper ending)
I couldn't agree more about arrow, despite it being my favorite show.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being the first commentator :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, Arrow was really good in seasons 1 and 2 but season 3 has been a letdown so far. Hopefully the show picks up in quality in the second half of the season.
I can't really agree on some things about Arrow. It's baffling how many people believe that Olicity take up so much time, when in fact they take up VERY little in every episode. It only seems like it takes up a lot of time because it's a persistent storyline, and you're looking at it from a POV that only includes the sum of its parts, but they are in fact just small parts in almost every single episode.
ReplyDelete"Also, while I like Oliver and Felicity, this show is called Arrow and not Olicity." PREACH. Though I wouldn't agree that The Climb was the best, nor that Guilty was the worst (Flash vs. Arrow and Draw Back Your Bow)
ReplyDeleteAgree with HTGAWM, The 100 and Flash. Also agree with Blacklist, it's been so poor this season. Spader carries the show.
Nice review. I really wouldn't bother with Extant. I was amazed by how terrible the pilot was that I stopped watching. But you know I want you to watch POI, 24 and Banshee ;)
I still enjoy arrow but It's nor what it used to be My two absolute favorite shows are the 100 and the flash and I cannot wait for them to return this week!!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, the premiere focused a lot on Olicity. And episode 7 was like an early Valentine's Day episode. Also, Ray's attempts at getting Felicity's attention take a lot of screen time. Oliver witnessing the two of them kiss was so overdramatic. In general, the show is not a love story and should not put too much emphasis on that.
ReplyDeleteDraw Back Your Bow had the best case of the season. Carrie Cutter was great as the Arrow-obsessed Cupid.
ReplyDeleteExtant recently started in the Netherlands and the promos made it look interesting (but then again, don't all promos do? And yet I always fall for it). And yeah, I know how much you want me to watch these three ;)
I agree on Arrow. I can't wait for the return of the CW shows either!
ReplyDeleteI honestly think it deserves a C. The plotting, pacing, and use of the ensemble have all been very poor.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know people are salivating over the ending of The Climb but the whole set up of that episode was extremely weak. Then the fight was the most poorly choreographed in the show's history.
Yeah, it had the best case and was handled the worst. Gumenick was brilliant but I couldn't get past the fact that all her story did was to fuel a jealousy storyline. Also, that was the episode that the DJ got introduced and it was the one where the first flashback featured Oliver being told to do his laundry.
ReplyDeleteIt looked intriguing from the promo back in June. Then I watched it and it was a waste of 40 minutes. Just watch the other things on the list ;)
Well, it certainly wasn't the worst choreographed action sequence (ugh, the automated gun things in 3.05).
ReplyDeleteThe fight was extremely awful, couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteYou summed up my problems with Arrow, and the show also suffer from the EPs overhyping everything. "Best emotional episode yet", "Most epic fight ever" and so on. With all that hype, an episode will quickly disappoint.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did really like The Climb and the fight was a good one, though not its best. It was too short as well.
Arrow is the best season 3A is strong.......so I disagree
ReplyDeleteSo Olicity is being blamed for scenes they don't even interact in now? Even the ones that have almost nothing to do with Olicity at all? That's reaching.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say that Ray's storyline has nothing to do with Olicity. It is obvious that Oliver is jealous of Ray.
ReplyDeleteAnd again, I do like Olicity but I just think the show should focus a little less on the pairing and more on Arrow and his team saving the city.
NCIS is my favorite show and I do agree with you. 12 is way better than season 11, not just because of stories but because of Bishop, i still do not like her character(again character not actress) but we can see that they are trying to improve it. "Check" is indeed best episode. Hope Vance will appear in every episode from now on, he was missed.
ReplyDeleteNCIS:LA is great spin off of NCIS. It is so different and sometimes i like it even more than NCIS. Characters are great, humor in the show is one of the best things and they are even bigger family than what we can sometimes see in NCIS. After really shocking and great season 5, season 6 started again with great stories. My best episode is Humbug. Yeah i like them together.
Gtg but Scorpion and NCIS:NOLA are also great shows and they have interesting stories too.
I respect your opinion, I really do! May I ask why like this season so much? I guess we have different points of view but I would just like to know your reasons why you think Arrow's third season is so good.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Draw Back your Bow being the worst. Hated that episode
ReplyDeleteI cracked up about The Flash barely having flaws! #LMAO I do like The Flash, but the show and the eps 1-7 were practically the same a Meta with a revengenda and Flash saves the day. Yes the show has a lot of soul but still the characters barely get enough focus. I assume it'll change in the 2nd half but I wouldn't say it's better than current Arrow, I would say they are on par.
ReplyDeleteIn the Arrowverse I enjoyed Guity, but was let down by The Magician and Corto Maltese. Think Sara was the best ep of Arrow 3A, it had so much soul from so many characters.
Agree with your take on The100, Stalker, HTGAWM( just the Asher centric ep was the worst for me).
Dominoes was not the best Scorpion ep, Elsey's acting was so terrible. Think Revenge was the one to win it over.
I find it always funny how other people see shows I follow and love. It is strange, you and I are mostly on the same page about stuff but I'm surprised we differ so much in this round up.
Something to add about Arrow: I hate when people state "this show isn't called Olicity". The ship was more exposed on Season 2A(2x06, 2x07, 2x08 and 2x09 were big Olicity episodes) but the big difference is we had a present menace on the show(Sebastian Blood aka Brother Blood) so the show had a storyline that had most of the viewer atention. The show was more serialized.
ReplyDeleteThis season the only serialized thing was Olicity, while the main linear story was nowhere to be found(Ra's popped in episode 3x04 for a minute and then went to sleep until 3x09). Laurel's training was cut short because the actor playing Wildcat landed a regular spot on another show. So we got a simple villain of the week with no tie with the main storyline(Even the count in 2x07 we found out was given money by "someone who hates Oliver" aka Slade). This was too obvious when, in order to get a link between episode we got the "after credit scene" with Cupid and Boomerang.
Olicity was the only serialized thing and that's why it seems it dominated the show when, in reality, we only had episodes 3x01 and 3x07.
Bye.
NCIS has been so great this season and I love it! They have definitely improved a lot from season 11. And I do miss Vance as well, he has been absent for 8 episodes or so. Fingers crossed he will appear more in the second half.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy NCIS: LA as well and season 6 has been great so far. Hetty's story was pretty intriguing and the character are so enjoyable! I really like Kensi and Deeks' chemistry.
Scorpion and NCIS: NOLA have been pretty good, though both, but especially the latter, have some work to do.
I agree with you a lot. The fact that 2a has a menacing villain and linear storyline was a huge part of why it was so good. This season has been really all over the place.
ReplyDeleteThe extended cast is used a lot better in The Flash than this season of Arrow. They interact a lot more and have more to do.Malcolm, Quentin Thea and Roy barely had any lines this season and Diggle was barely given anything to do. Ra's was just in 3x04 and then in nothing else until 3x09 (and there wasn't much build up to the Oliver/Ra's fight) Laurel's story-line wasn't consistent. Ray Palmer almost seems like a different show since he only interacts with Felicity. And the mystery of Harrison Welles/Reverse Flash was a lot more interesting and better done then the mystery of who killed Sara imo. Although i love Arrow I feel The Flash 1A was better than Arrow 3A. But this is just my opinion. :)
ReplyDeleteIt really had no story. NOT AT ALL. It would be different if, for example, Merlyn was a more prominent force of evil scheming behind the curtains or if Ra's had send Nyssa or Maseo to control and press on Oliver to give Malcolm.
ReplyDeleteBut they didn't... The show became a procedural. Is that bad? Nope. It was a good procedural. This season can't compare with Season 1B, 2A or 2B; this Season is really like Season 1A. But Arrow is at it's best when it's serialized.
It's really funny how much people's opinions can differ so much.
ReplyDeleteThe Flash has followed a formula for its first episode, but the murder of Barry's mother and the secrets of Dr Wells have been pretty fascinating. Perhaps it's because I binge-watched episodes 1-7 in two days that I enjoyed the show so much. I think the characters have had enough screen time but there has been a lot of focus on Barry. Hopefully we'll also see more of the other characters in 1B.
The Magician was one of the best Arrow episodes in season 3. Very interesting conflict with Oliver/Nyssa/Malcolm and John Barrowman was great. I was so excited about Thea and Malcolm in Corto Maltese but there wasn't enough of either of them. Sara was OK, but I hated Oliver's lack of grief and it's ridiculous that nobody told Quentin (and still hasn't!).
I think Scorpion's best episodes so far have been "Pilot", "True Colors" and "Dominoes". However I have enjoyed nearly all of the episodes.
Finally someone else who sees The Flash is not perfect. I think everyone is wet on this show because of how famous the character is, cause I didn't like eps 1-7 at all (except #5). I'm still watching it cause eps 8-9 were really good, and because last year I almost dropped The Tomorrow People, but then ended up loving it. I hope this show gets better too.
ReplyDeleteI was also incredibly disappointed with "The Climb". I actually found the episode as a whole to be one of the weakest ever shot. It seemed rushed in general with the whole "You must present Sara's killer right now even though I took the stance she wasn't important a few episodes ago". Ra's seemed totally unconcerned and then all the sudden demanded answers? WTF?!
ReplyDeleteAlso I know everyone is asking when certain characters will get screen time together. I'm actually curious to see Thea come face to face with Arsenal. I understand she knows he's involved in the Arrow Team and I'm sure she's made the connection Guy in Red=Roy but it's just a scene I want to see. I'm curious to see Roy dealing with "Oliver's death". I think he could command some of the most interesting scenes and I cannot wait for the scene teased between Malcolm and Roy.
I agree with every point you made about Arrow. The show is about a hero called "The Arrow" not about Oliver and his troubled love life. What is the point in having a villain in the episode if they will be in it for all of 5 minutes, it really bugs me. I agree also about the storylines, they have started so many, but have yet to wrap anything up before they start a new one. So many existing things happen, and I had hoped that Arrow would start to share the screen time between all characters, as the constant absence of some in episodes, and then a sudden reappearance the next episode is really frustrating to watch, especially if that character has an ongoing storyline.
ReplyDeleteThe 100 and How to get away with Murder have had excellent starts to their seasons, both have exceeded my expectations by a mile. Is the Flash worth watching? I dropped the show after episode 3, as I wasn't enjoying it one bit.
To be fair comic book series have always had the endgame love story as an undercurrent. I mean look at Superman and Lois Lane or Spiderman and Mary-Jane/Gwen Stacy. Remember Smallville of all shows?! That was Clark loves Lana...just kidding Lois for the whole 10 years. He practically salivated over Lana in every early episode.
ReplyDeleteVery insightful comment! And I agree, if there was more of a serialized storyline Arrow would probably have been much stronger. The show is at its strongest when it's serialized, though I must say I really enjoyed season 1A with the cases of the week. This season they have been pretty weak.
ReplyDeleteHarrison and Joe were used pretty well, can't argue that. But again it were just major teases, no real resolution.I like the show delivering new questions with all those small answers but it seems the show is more about that. Think Arrow did a better job in S01 with Malcolm slowly coming from the shadows into the spot light, so we grew into the whole Queen family easier and it served the story better.
ReplyDeleteThe loopholes I see in the Flash is premise wise, the show doesn't steps much out of their comfort zone and besides those single tidbits that we get from Wells, most of the eps seemed the same. Arrow on the other hand, felt much more emotional and real this ms. I mean I was thrown away by Barry in ms finale( on my blog I gave him the "award" for most emotional performance of the ms), but Arrow grips me much more. Probably just personal vibe.
Arrow has had big plot holes and various inconsistenties this season, I agree. But The Climb was a great episode in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Thea knows nothing about Oliver/Roy/Malcolm is becoming irritating now. She must really learn the truth about them soon.
Season 1A still had Moira's secret and the Felicity/Walter mistery that was tied to Oliver's notebook. It was serialized but without a menacing presence.
ReplyDeleteRa's was handled like Merlyn in Season 1A, but there were other things there too. In 3A there was nothing, wich is why i found funny when Nyssa told Oliver in 3x09 "It's time you remember" about Sara's killer(That was 3x02 and then it appeared again a bit in 3x06 and revealed in 3x09). It was very badly executed.
Olicity wasn't as much a focus as it seems, but it was the only thing with continuity over the episodes: They were great(3x01), they clashed(3x02), they were in "just business" mode(3x03, 3x04), they started to rekindle(3x05), Oliver got jealous(3x07) and he finally told her how he felt(3x09).
That's the only reason it feels it's a lot when it actually wasn't. I realize when my sister pointed that out, so i rewatched and realize she was right.
I love the Wells mystery and it is working for the show, but think they are just trying to hard at some points. The show is more about trying to shock us than give us some real story or characters to follow. That is at least my impression.
ReplyDeleteI liked the build up of the Magician but the resolution after the fight just felt boring, I'll go for that term. I liked CM cause of the emotional moment and Oliver confessing Thea about Robert killing himself, but overall overpacked and to ambitious.
I on the other hand understood Oliver's lack of grief in Sara, cause Moira's death changed things. He isn't the same guy, the place he goes when he griefs won't happen anyone. I would've appreciate a moment where he was alone and teared up but we survived without it.
Overall Scorpion is a win win for me. Can't wait for 2 eps this week.
I am a Flash fan but there is a lot more space for the show to improve and go far! Think they were building up a story for now and will explore the individual characters more and give the story new whole feeling.
ReplyDeleteI too was about to stop watching The Flash because I wasn't liking it at all, but I kept watching cause last year I almost dropped a show which I was feeling the same way about, but it got a lot better and I ended up loving it. I liked episode 5, really liked episode 8 and loved episode 9. I'm really hoping it keeps getting better cause I'm finally enjoying it. My suggestion would be to watch eps 8, 9 &10 (this Tue), and if you don't like those either drop it completely or wait till the season ends so you can hear what people say about the second half.
ReplyDeleteI do think The Flash has been pretty fast-paced, especially when it comes to Harrison reveals and the Iris/Barry pairing.
ReplyDeleteHowever, don't forget that Arrow's pilot ended in somewhat the same twist as The Flash (a seemingly good guy turns out to have sinister plans). Of course Moira was more of a grey villain than Harrison, and we only later saw that she was a pawn in Malcolm's plans.
Also remember that Arrow is in its third season so it's natural that you are more invested in these characters than the ones on a freshman show.
I think episodes 8 and 9 were the best but I've reall enjoyed the other ones as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd I still miss The Tomorrow People! Forever bitter about its cancelation :(
Yeah, 3A has been really inconsistent. I liked 1A better for the reasons you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more about Arrow! Especially Malcolm's on-and-off presence has been irritating.
ReplyDeleteThe 100 and HTGAWM have been outstanding and I can't wait for their returns this week and next week.
I really enjoy The Flash but it might have helped that I binge-watched eps 1-7 in two days. There are people that haven't been enjoying it that much, see the other comments above/below.
Sometimes it just feels like The Flash is working more on their special effects than on their stories, don't say it Arrow isn't sometimes more about its fights than the story.
ReplyDeleteOf course its easier for me to feel for the Arrow characters cause I know them 2 more years, but from the begging Arrow was also about how Oliver's absence and comeback affected his family, Laurel, Quentin, Tommy. Overall it isn't fare to compare the shows cause of the tone, approach etc etc. I would just want for The Flash to let's say take on an ep without Metas just the characters and work with them. Their everyday problems, them just being them.
I had hoped since John became a regular we would see a lot more of Malcolm,but I feel that we saw more of him in episode when he was a guest star...
ReplyDeleteI might give The Flash another watch to see if I can get into it, binge watching might be a good idea.
A lot of people wouldn't like an episode with no villain that focused mostly on family drama lol. The abundance of drama was big complaint I read about Arrow early on. I guess different strokes for different folks.
ReplyDeleteI might just do that! I did watch The Flash/Arrow crossover, because I watch Arrow regularly and I enjoyed that episode so I will probably give the show another chance. I don't like to drop shows, but I do drop them when it the show fails to keep me interested all the way through episodes (Elementary & Resurrection= Dropped)
ReplyDeleteAmong this list,i only watch Arrow,HTGAWM,The 100 & The Flash.I hate procedural & love highly serialized Storylines,only exception being H50.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your Arrow's review.Last season was brilliant but i feel like this season is trying to cram in too many random storylines together & end-result is shaky.The FBs this year is very weak compared to the earlier seasons.Every random character is on the verge of becoming a superhero-Laurel,Ray-both of the characters i am least invested in.Now i'm hearing they are planning an entire spin-off about Atom.Great!
The Flash-It's fun and light-hearted but i expected much more by now.The main story arc is moving slower than a turtle IMO.I really hate the romantic melodrama of this show.Everyone knows iris and barry are endgame,so what's the point?Even so,quite enjoyable if watched without any expectations.
As for The 100 & HTGAWM-These two shows have surpassed my expectations by a wide margin this year.No weak point in either of them IMO.
I liked Sara but lm glad the show followed through and killed her , they have already let fans have too much power by making olicity canon , Arrow would have completely turned into a fan fic.
ReplyDeleteI knew Sara would die it was a matter of when but l was worried the writers were going to listen to fans on this too, Laurel could not be the canary if Sara was still alive people would always compare , Sara was a better fighter yes but she was a killer BC is no killer in the comics , Laurels personality fits more in that way.
Saras death also made Laurel arc this year better and her better too , Thea is now the most hated character for her stupidity. I cant wait till wednesday to watch laurel finally become who she is meant to be.
Caity Lotz acting when she was telling Olly not to kill Nyssa and she fell from the poison in season 2 made me crack up , it seemed so hamy.
Emily Bett needs to learn how to cry properly , I cant stand when she cries she overdoes it.Emily's strength is the comedic stuff.
I love all the actors but l think Arrows stronger actors dont get much good material to work with , Moira , D Lance, Malcolm even Katie C who is good at dramatic material , she gets asked to play unlikeable Laurel on paper and she delivers it so well half the fandom hate her, thats basically season 2 for you.
Yeah, well... stating the show focuses more on Oliver's love life(Olicity) is a wrong statement by a big margin.
ReplyDeleteYou can like/dislike how it was executed, but the love story is the only thing that was done properly. Your problems with the show aren't about Olicity(you don't seem to have a problem with it's execution or the almost-love triangle) but with a lack of focus of the main story. Those are two different points.
That's what i think it's wrong in your review: you blame the lack of continuity of the main story on the love story of the show.
I do agree with you about The Flash and The 100 in about everything.
I always prefer character and story development instead of villain chassing through towns. But as you said different people different prefferances. We'll see how things will go down with Cisco's brother appearing soonish and the story progressing further.
ReplyDeleteLaurel and Ray are not random characters , thats like saying Clark Kent should not be Superman because he is a random character.The only thing interesting me on Arrow this year is Laurel storyline l dont care much about anything else going on , Diggle is quite useless at this point he can fight yes but l dont think theres anywhere interesting left to go with him, they wont get rid of him because hes the typical token black character on the show.CW does this all the time , it a bit insulting to the african american community.Thea is well dont get me started on her stupidity.
ReplyDeleteThe 100 has been really good this year.
Agree about HTGAWM and the 100- Great Shows. Although I don't like the romantic story-lines in HTGAWM. They are under developed
ReplyDeleteThe Flash- I completely disagree about it being slow paced quite the opposite actually :P
I hate the characters laurel and Ray to my core and not for the shipper reasons at all.They are terrible characters & portrayed by equally bad actors IMO.But that's just me.So,we'll agree to disagree on this matter.
ReplyDeleteI never said the show is slow-paced itself,we have resurrection for that!
ReplyDeleteWhat i meant was the central storyline is not developing at all.We still don't know anything about harrison's agenda or the character Eddie.I am not a comic book fan so i don't know what's the deal with these characters.All i have is the show which is not giving me any answers.
I watch only Arrow and The Flash on this list. I agree with both of your reviews on them.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely about the Flash. The Flash is by far not a perfect show. Not to mention that the lead needs to work on his acting a bit.
ReplyDeleteI watch Arrow, The Flash, The 100, Scorpion, NCIS in catch up marathons and I mostly agree with everything. Great reviews.
ReplyDeleteI tried HTGAWM, Stalker, MS and SoA. None of them are for me. If I wasn't rolling my eyes, I was scrolling twitter. Good TV doesn't give me time to do that. I know they're favorites of many but just not me.
Keep up your reviews, I enjoy them.
I know right!! I would be happy with a movie though! lol
ReplyDelete"How to Get Away with Murder" is just crazy. I love that it got people throwing theories out there about whodunit with both murder cases-I'm all for shows that allow fans to participate in the mystery like that. And the end of the episode right before the winter break was...whoa. I'm very interested to see where they'll go next, and I've been growing to like or be interested by the characters thus far, so I'm hoping we'll get much more development with them as time goes on, too. I want to learn so much more about them.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen "Stalker", but in regards to the complaints about the violent nature of the show and the violence against women, I'll say these two things, since I watch "Criminal Minds" and that show also gets a similar complaint:
1. Most victims of violent crimes are female. So logic would dictate if you're going to do a series focusing on violent crimes and the victims of it, the vast majority of them are going to be female, 'cause that's kind of true to real life that way. And you make a good point about shows like this also having male victims sometimes, too.
2. Okay, the violent nature of these sorts of shows bothers some people. Fine. I completely understand that-hell, I like "Criminal Minds" and there's moments that are really tough for me to watch. I'd be totally fine with critics choosing not to watch a show like "Stalker" because of that fact.
But I think I'd take said critics' complaints about that issue much more seriously if they didn't then turn around and watch cable shows, or shows like "Scandal", that, as I understand it, are pretty rife with violence as well, some of which is targeted at...women! I seem to recall a notable female character on "Scandal" getting raped, and then there's all the violent content on "Game of Thrones", and so forth. So because of that, I'm a little bit mystified as to why it's worth overlooking that issue with some shows, but with others, it's a dealbreaker all of a sudden.
While I think that season 12 has been stronger than season11 I have to disagree about the best episode. I thought that Grounded, although only a one and done was the best and that Parental Guidance Suggested was also very good. I thought that Check required way too much suspension of disbelief to make it credible and frankly, I'm super tired of the Gibbs versus personal enemy arc that we've gotten every season for about five seasons now. Enough already. I do agree that House Rules was a bore and hardly appropriate for Christmas. I thought the season premier was a disappointment too because it was all Gibbs and McGee, who no matter how much danger, drama, and trauma they write for them are just not a very compelling pairing. I miss significant, bad ass agent Tony. He has done almost nothing of significance this season. I hope he'll be more than comic relief in the second half of the season and that the big GIbbs personal enemy arc will end soon. I hope even more that it won't be replaced by another one.
ReplyDeleteReally you guys do surprised me. While I am all for Olicity (I do get your concerns), I had fun with the Felicity Episode but imo is the weakest episode, so far.
ReplyDeleteCan't agree with the fight on The Climb. From a martial art point of view it was fantastic. It showed Olivers character in his fighting style. My favorite though was in the Corto Maltese episode (3x03), when Oliver is Backup for Diggle. but generally I have been very unhappy about stunt editing, the technique on the sword fighting and imo they are going the wrong fighting style for Thea and her physique. Found Sarad death ok opened a new storyteller door. I found her too much in S2.
Mhhm while I understand your issue with Arrow, I am more disapointed with The Blacklist. While writing in general is better, the plot has been so predictable, there is no suspens at all in the case of the week and dragging out the questions is makeing me sleepy. In Arrow at least we get some character development and interactions. Even though Spader s awesome, it's the only thing on the show and for such a great actor I wishes to see more range.
ReplyDeleteThe 100 amazing so far, but I see the fast pacing starting to catch up with them.
It you want to try out high quality fast paced action, you should check out Strike Back.
Yeah, HTGAWM is crazy. That twist at the end of the winter finale changed everything. I would like to learn more about the characters as well. Can't wait for the show's return on January 29!
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point regarding Stalker and Criminal Minds. I do think the critics are naive when they critise both shows but then watch violent cable shows instead. I'd say that is a pretty inconsistent opinion.
I must say that I dropped watching Criminal Minds full time in season 7 when the show became more about the violence than about the profiling. I have watched random episodes here and there (e.g. season finales and 200th episode) but no more full seasons. I'm not sure if the show has improved. Stalker is sometimes tough to watch as well, especially the Halloween episode was very creepy, but usually I can take it. I just make sure that I watch the episodes in broad daylight lol.
I've watched (or tried to watch) most of the shows reviewed, but I've mainly stuck with include Arrow, Flash, Stalker, HTGAWM and The Blacklist. I tried watching Madame Secretary, The 100, State of Affairs and Scorpion, but I just couldn't get very invested in the plot, and I while I thought the casting was OK, I just couldn't really connect with the characters in Scorpion or Madame Secretary (and I agree about the supporting cast being the weakest link). I tried the 100 last season because I loved the concept, but the first season was a turn-off for a number of reasons. I even tried watching it again this season, due to all the positive reviews but my dislike of the show didn't change.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely about Flash and HTGAWM having terrific seasons. I agree about the Blacklist being disappointing this season and I also don't like how they've drawn out the mystery of how Red and LIz are connected. I watch Stalker sporadically, but I think it could be improved with a better dialogue or chemistry between the characters.
However, I don't agree about this season's Arrow being ruined by an epic romance story, For starters, Arrow devotes very little screentime to romance drama, especially when compared to other CW shows. The excessive attention to Olicity is generated by fans, but it doesn't really transmit to the actual storytelling. For example, I don't think that Olicity would seem excessive to those viewers show stay away from the internet. The internet can be great if you want to hear people's perspectives, but sometimes it can actually ruin one's viewing experience. I do agree about the villains being week. but I also felt that this half-season was meant to serve mainly as a buildup to events in the 2nd half of the season. I'm not really sure how I feel about Malcolm Merlyn's return. I'm more interested interested in Ra's al glul in the upcoming shows.
I too hoped that, but I agree we probably saw more of him in the first half of season 1. We saw him in episodes 3, 4 and 9 and briefly in 2 and 5 I believe. I was so looking forward to Malcolm and Thea's storyline but it has been underused this season.
ReplyDeleteThe Flash has been great this season, and the mid-season finale was awesome! I see that you are thinking of giving it another try, good!
Oops, thanks for spotting the mistake! I have corrected it.
ReplyDeleteTo each his own, I do watch various procedurals and enjoy them, but I also watch increasingly more serialized shows. Just curious, what makes H50 an exception to you?
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if I would watch an Atom spinoff. I would watch an Argus spinoff, or Suicide Squad or League of Assassins, but not sure about an Atom spinoff.
In The Flash it's obvious Barry and Iris are endgame, but then again before Felicity was introduced on Arrow, we would have said the same about Laurel and Oliver. I agree The Flash is fun and light-hearted, not as dark as Arrow.
Only two more days till The 100 returns, and 10 till HTGAWM. Very excited for both!
Thank you! No point in watching shows you don't enjoy. I watched the pilot episode of The Mysteries of Laura, but it was so bad that I never watched another episode of it again.
ReplyDeleteYou watch NCIS in catch-up marathons? But you have seen the most recent episodes right? I am not sure how much you keep up with spoilers, but have you seen the press release of episode 12x13? I think you would like to see who's returning in that episode, you recently said that you wanted that character to come back (this sounds very cryptic lol, but I hope you know what I mean).
H50 focuses on the cases just as much as the individual character's storyline.In most procedurals.the supporting characters are under-developed & we hardly know anything about their personal life & that's a deal-breaker for me.Besides,this show portrays the bromance like no other shows.The chemistry between steve & danno is off the charts.The way the team step up for each others problems,professional & personal, like a family(or Ohana in their terms)sealed the deal for me.Another thing was the spectacular location-the way the show is shot in outdoor locations like the mountains,Jungles,seas beach-gives me a break from all those endless NY skyscraper locale monotony.It doesn't hard these are very attractive,good looking men doing kick-ass action in Hawaii,it doesn't get better than this.I also love the fact the team never wear the typical cop uniform,i hate that.
ReplyDeleteseems like u and me having the same view point on "arrow"
ReplyDeleteYou just made my day! I have not seen the press release. I'm going to look for it. Thank you. When I get really behind, NCIS is usually the one I hold for a marathon. Luckily, I caught up on everything during winter break. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! You can find the press release here: http://stvplus.com/show/116/NCIS#episodes
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope Arrow improves in the second half of its season. Looking forward to The Flash and Arrow's return later this week.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope Arrow improves in the second half of season 3!
ReplyDeleteI am disappointed with both Arrow and The Blacklist, but more with Arrow than The Blacklist. Both shows need to improve in their second halves.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever heard of Strike Back but I'll be sure to look it up.
Strike Back is about a british special counter terror unit. It's fast paced action. You also get a lot bromance. But the stunts are so amazing and like on Arrow the leads do most of their own stunt. They shoot in different countires (Bulgaria, South Africa). I started when I saw the trailer for S3 and got hooked imediatly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfp50DpY7zc
ReplyDeleteFunfact: An Australian plays an American and an American plays an Englishman.
It's rather fun to see a show just go for broke with its craziness, where you can tell the people involved are having fun crafting the stories and acting them out and so on. Makes watching that much more enjoyable :). And yeah, where they're going to go from here I can't even begin to imagine-and I like that. I like that there's no predictability. And when a show can get me invested in and caring about the characters, that's a sign I'll be sticking around for a long time, so I look forward to continuing to get to know these people better.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yeah, I don't care if they don't like those kinds of shows, that's fine, to each their own. I just think their viewpoint sounds a bit hypocritical, and if procedurals aren't their thing, then just say that, instead of hiding behind reasons that won't fly with other shows they do watch.
See, your reason makes sense-you have watched these kinds of shows, and in your case it's just a matter of the show going in a direction you don't care for. I feel you'd say the same thing about "Stalker" if they got too gruesome for your liking down the line. And I think you have a fair point. I love the characters on "Criminal Minds", and seeing what's going on with them in their personal lives and so forth, so that's enough to keep me watching, but I certainly agree the show can go a bit over the top with the violence sometimes, and since the show is meant to be about profilers, there should be more focus on them, well, profiling.
I've heard people say "Stalker" is a show best watched in broad daylight, LOL! I'll certainly keep that in mind if I get the chance to check out an episode down the line. I've done the whole "watching scary episodes of shows late at night" thing before...not a fun experience. I often find myself not wanting to move from my safe spot on the couch afterward :p.
There´s only one thing at NCIS, and that is the episode "House Rules" which I personally loved as it featured a lot of flashbacks and was told in an interesting way (I think there never was a case that was told from the perspective of a single character).
ReplyDeleteThe ending was so sad, and even though it was a little predictable towards the end, I still thought it was done really well and brought me to tears.
No point in watching a show that you don't like. To each their own.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right that the dominant presence of Olicity shippers played a role in my review of Arrow. There is also a comment below that notes that the focus on Olicity is partly due to the absence of a serialized storyline (like Brother Blood in season 2) and therefore it seems Olicity is the serialized storyline.
The Americans and The Good Wife are on my watchlist so I hope we'll be able to see them sometime.
I think the Good Wife is an easier show to start with because each episode usually has an interesting legal case each week, so even if you're not following the ongoing stories you can still really enjoy the episode because the writing is so great The Americans has a slower vibe, but the payoff is good.
ReplyDeleteI give The 100 an A+ too! Not even one bad episode in the first half of season 2. I disagree about Spacewalker being the best episode though. Amazing episode, but I think there are better episodes in season 1 and season 2. I believe Rotherberg said his favorite episode of 2A is Reapercussions, I agree with that. Amazing episode from beginning to end.
ReplyDeleteThe women on The 100 are fantastic.I watch a lot of TV, and I find them to be the best female characters of all the shows I watch, with the exception of Carol from The Walking Dead. The 100 ladies are as amazing as Carol.
Rickards being brilliant and the Felicity development kept that episode from being the worst. Story was utter rubbish though.
ReplyDeleteFor me it was the weakest episode, despite all the smoaking things going on, then Corto Maltese that ARGUS Agent was so meh (althoug the rest was awesome.) and then comes Guilty. I liked that it more looked like a serial killer rather than a comicy villain like Vertigo, Cupid although they have far "personality". Boomerang was the best for me this season so far.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Boomerang has been the best villain of the week so far. But even he annoyed me. Those constant boomerang puns... Yes, I get it. You have boomerangs. You throw them and they come back to you - I get how boomerangs work. There is no need to tell me over and over.
ReplyDeleteAgree.. S03 is mostly terrible
ReplyDeleteWhat an insightful and clear comment. People love to blame anything wrong on Arrow on the relationship between Oliver and Felicity. Season 2 had Slade through out the flashback and we could see his relationship with Oliver starting to strain way before Shado was dead. That elevated the show along with Ivo and Sebastian Blood. In season 1 the undertaking mystery with Moira and Walter/Felicity was interesting. This season they tried to replicate that with murder mystery of Sara. But we audience already knew there was only handful of candidates for that prize. Every time they ran behind some one claiming to be a killer I said "but it is not mid season finale".
ReplyDeletewell that's the thing with those comicy characters... knowing that it is easy to overlook such things.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the first half of season 2 had only great episodes! Reapercussions was outstanding as well, as was Human Trials. I had a lot of trouble picking a weak episode for The 100 simply because there was no real weak episode in season 2A.
ReplyDeleteAnd season 1 had so many outstanding episodes as well! Earth Kills, Twilight's Latest Gleaming, Contents under Pressure and We Are Grounders immediately come to my mind. What are you favourite episodes from season 1?
I agree, the women on The 100 are fantastic. Clarke, Abby, Raven, Octavia, Anya, Indra, Lexa are all outstanding female characters. They all have power one way or another.
I have such mixed feelings about "House Rules". I agree the ending was so sad and Sean Murray did a great job throughout the episode. However, the case was so incredibly weak that it became the weakest episode of the season for me.
ReplyDeleteI love Strike Back, but wasn't that a trailer for Season 3 which already aired? Isn't the final season 4 airing this Fall?
ReplyDeleteyes there is no trailer out for S4 yet. We only know it will be aired this summer
ReplyDelete