Hello and welcome back to Last Week in TV. In an effort to get the column back on a regular schedule, this edition is going to be a little short. I'm caught up on The Blacklist and Lethal Weapon but I didn't have time to transcribe my notes. Let's just say that I am happier with Lethal Weapon than The Blacklist. I'll cover both of them next week, along with Speechless, Designated Survivor, Frequency, MacGyver, Pitch, and Supernatural. I'm partway through my Pitch marathon but shockingly, I didn't have time to watch the Supernatural premiere yet. Here's hoping Mama Winchester isn't causing too much trouble. Next week, work is a bit easier so I'm crossing fingers that I can get caught up. How was your TV week? Anything really stick out to you? I'm really excited about next week's nominated episode because my dad has been raving about his Prison Break marathon. Since I haven't seen anything but bits and pieces, I'll finally be able to discuss the show with him. Well, the pilot at least. If you have an episode to nominate, please fill out the short 2-question form below. Until next time, happy TV viewing.
Episode of the Week
Again, This is Us delivers a strong, heartwarming, character-driven episode that had me caring about each one of these characters. That is nearly impossible to do. I even care about Kevin, who is often self-centered and narcissistic. I thought this was going to be the episode when I did not feel for him but in the end, he pulled through with his speech, firing Kate. It has to be the sweetest firing ever. Randall continues to be amazing as well, but so is Beth, who is the most perceptive wife on the planet. She has his back every step of the way, even when it is Randall who needs the push. Still, this was Mandy Moore's episode. She shines as an overwhelmed mother dealing with the grief of losing a child while still having to take care of three more. It's a nuanced performance that shows just how far she has come as an actress. I especially like her gumption in finding William and how through that we get to know William and his story better. I wondered why Randall didn't have a name that started with a "K" so I am glad that they addressed it. Plus, it just fits that Randall was given a name tied to William. I certainly hope that he never realizes that his mom and William have met before because I don't want to see that bond break or his trust shatter. The reason this show works so well is that it is melodramatic for sure but it doesn't falter into emoangsting or sappiness . It's a balance that tugs at my heartstrings but keeps me from rolling my eyes, and I can't wait to see more of these characters.
Grade: A-
Best Reason to Watch - all the amazing heart they put into these characters
Best Awww Moment - Kevin fires Kate
Best Detective - Rebecca when she tracks down William via the bus
Best Way to Show the Past - William goes from a healthy young poet to an addict that can't take care of his son through a series of vignettes of him on the bus
Best Confidence Builder - Toby bringing Kate to the nursing home to sing
Best Reference - Cyndi Lauper
Best Back Story - how Randall got his name
Best Speech - Dr. K to Jack
Worst Plan - stopping by to see your kids unannounced
Most Talented - Kate's singing
Most Presumptuous - Kevin thinks Kate is going to move to New York with him
Least Romantic - making out in the janitorial closet
Biggest Turn Around - Toby immediately accepts Kate's apology when she whips out a condom
Biggest Twist - Rebecca already knew William and made a deal with him
Smartest Woman in the Room - Beth, who gets Randall so much and gives great advice to him
Strangest Address - Randall calls his mom 'Mommy' when he's about to tell her about William
Best Music - Never Been to Me, which I loved as a kid / Blues Run the Game by Jackson C. Frank
The "Welcome Back" Award - Doctor Katowsky, who was one of the best parts of the pilot
Best Quotes -
1. Rebecca: "If you hurt him…" William" I won't." Rebecca: "Fine then. But know this, my son, who I raised, is gonna put everything he has into trying to save you because that's who he is. It's gonna come in front of his job, in front of his marriage, and in front of his time with his kids so you better damn well be worth that."
2. Toby: "Alright, I booked you in their prime slot - 3:oo pm. It's right after Jell-O but before their nap. Perfect place to break your seal, right? Now remember, most of them will probably be asleep, the rest won't remember this tomorrow, and most of them lived through World War 2 so no matter how bad you are, they've seen worse."
3. Randall: "Hey babe, have you seen my keys?" Beth: "I think you left them in the plan you never made."
4. Jack: "What if she doesn't find her way?" Dr. K: "She will." Jack: "How do you know?" Dr. K: "For the same reason that I know you're gonna give her the space to find it…cause I believe in good people. Of course, I voted for Nixon so you've got to take everything I say with a grain of salt."
5. Randall: "Look this doctor.." William: "Isn't gonna tell me anything I don't already know." Randall: "But he might." William: "But he won't." Randall: "But he might and something tells me he might be a little more thorough than the doctor at whatever free homeless clinic you've been going to to get your free medical counsel at. To say nothing of the fact that I had to kiss up to the biggest d-bag at my firm just to get you this appointment. So yes William, you are getting in the car right now and we are going to this doctor's appointment, and then and only then will I give you permission to hobble off like Hobo Joe without saying so much as goodbye." William: "Starting to not feel so bad about leaving you at that fire station."
Nominated Episode
This comedy is not for me. It's not a bad comedy but to find these two episodes funny, you have to see the humor in incompetence and overgrown man children. I find neither funny. My biggest problem is Andy Samberg, who admittedly always rubs me the wrong way. I have yet to find him funny and his aggressive insubordination and childish behavior here make me wish for his downfall, even if he is one of the few competent detectives in the precinct. Still I loved Jake standing up the police commissioner, whose bratty son is a direct result of the commissioner's bad parenting. I think enjoyment of Brooklyn 99 begins and ends on whether you find Jake Peralta charming or annoying. For me, it's annoyance. I do, however, like Andre Braugher as an actor so when I originally checked out this pilot, it was for him. While he plays the comedic straight man well, his character was also too brusque and unbending for me too. Good leadership requires some give and take, which is missing in this character. If I didn't dislike Jake so much, I would be on the side of anyone taking down the micro-managing new boss. While most of the characters bugged me, I did really enjoy Rosa and Terry. Rosa because she's her own unique person, who doesn't take anything from anyone but is also competent and interesting. Terry because he defies stereotypes and provided some of the more funny moments. As far as the cases go, I found them to be interesting if a bit rushed. However, that falls more on the format of the sitcom than it does on the show or its writers. The cases are not meant to be the focus. In the end, I think that Brooklyn 99 would appeal to many people, especially those who like workplace comedies that lean towards the farce category. As for me, I prefer Angie Tribeca for my over-the-top cops.
Grade: C
Ranking: 1+
Audience - people who find the characters funny instead of irksome, which should be a lot of people
Best Reason to Watch - Rosa
Best Scene - Jake arrests the commissioner's bratty son
Best Character - Rosa Diaz
Best Compliment - Rosa tells Boyle that she likes his company because he's sweet
Best Reference - Highlander
Best Names - Jeffords named his twin girls Cagney and Lacey
Best Revenge - Holt brings everyone in to see Jake in his underwear when he tries to be a joker
Worst Parent - Deputy Commissioner
Biggest Opportunist - Santiago, who makes herself look good in front of the deputy commissioner while he's upset with Jake
Biggest Say What? - Unless that ham is lined with gold flakes, why would anyone spend $6,000 on a ham?
Most Annoying by a Country Mile - Jake Peralta
Most Worthless / Second Most Annoying - Gina
Most Uptight and Somewhat Unreasonable - Holt
Least Helpful - the custodian who refuses to move for the cops
The "I'm with You" award - I think Citizen Kane is highly overrated too, Rosa.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Andre Braugher from Homicide: Life on the Street / Terry Crews from Everybody Hates Chris
Best Quotes -
1. Gina: "She's got a type, which is really anyone but you." Boyle: "Yeah, that was my ex-wife's type too."
2. Peralta: "We? You're coming with me? Sir, with all due respect, I don't need backup." Holt: "It's not backup. It's babysitting."
3. Jeffords: "Jake Peralta is my best detective. He likes putting away bad guys and he loves solving puzzles. The only puzzle he hasn't solved is how to grow up."
4. Santiago: "I'd like a list of your employees, whoever had access to the store. I'd also like to apologize for my partner. His parents didn't give him enough attention."
5. Rosa: "You know what they don't teach you at the academy. It's better to be a criminal."
Guest Reviews
BY Swanpride
I guess after classics like "It's a magical place," "Happy to comply," and "Discovery requires experimentation", the tagline of this season is "A team divided is a team defeated." And I can't express enough how happy I am about it. I was kind of afraid that the show would be so distracted with finding ways to tie in the mystical side of the MCU that it would overlook the greater theme of Phase 3, which is, after all, the fallout of Civil War. With its Inhumans, Agents of SHIELD is the show most primed to address and discuss such issues, and this episode brought up a slew of points. Mainly it showed why putting people on lists can have terrible consequences, especially if said list ends up in the wrong hands. But there is also some really settled parallel storytelling going on there, for example when the question is asked "How do you cure fear?". While the line refers to May, it also ties into the bigger illness which ails the world, with humans being afraid of powered people, and powered people having to go into hiding. Thus said, the whole storyline with crazy May feels like a pointless detour at this point, unless there will be consequences later on. Especially since the power going on in the crucial power was the most predictable thing which happened in an episode which was not that difficult to predict otherwise already.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - Choose a side!!!
Best Scene - SHIELD being officially back! I was kind of teary eyed.
Best Character - Fitz, who is sciencing the sh... out of needles and bowls of water.
Best Fight - Team Coulson taking out the watchdogs
Best Team-up - Mack, Coulson and Fitz for the win!
Best Effects - The way they showed off Elena's power was easily the highlight
Most Iffy Science - Shouldn't an EMP fry the electronics for good? But I guess this one was designed to not do permanent damage but to just suppress them for a while? Even Mack says that there is something not right about this.
Worst Friend - Honestly, even before she rejected Elena, Maria really annoyed me with her self-absorbed attitude. With those friends, you really don't need any enemies.
Most Missed - Joey. I hope he is okay and not on the casualty list.
Most Pleasant Surprise - Elena getting her own storyline this time around. I hope she'll become a regular or at least a regular guest.
Most Random Observation - It was treated nearly as a side-note, but it is chilling that 17 peaceful Inhumans were hunted down and killed during the blackout. Well, or at least 17 people the watchdogs thought were Inhumans. In any case, it is such a useless loss of life and that is not even counting all the people who get hurt during the riots.
Prediction of the Week - I wonder if using Aida's energy source to cure May will somehow have a negative effect on Aida.
Best Quote:
1. Coulson: "Does the backseat science department care to weigh in on this?" Fitz: "She is at a bachelorette party. She's probably having a good time dancing and drinking with a lot of sexy Latino guys." Mack: "I am not taking that beat."
2. Fitz: "Yeah, no big deal, just rudimentary science, maybe saving the day."
3. Jemma: "Hell no, I am not ready! We are about to kill May!"
BY Emma
Everything is right in my world again. Emily Prentiss is back and she’s staying. She doesn’t exactly get off on the right foot with Luke but during a stakeout they seem to find some common ground. Speaking of Luke, I knew Roxy was a dog, and a beautiful one she is! I couldn’t find anything online about the pup (please share links in the comments if you’ve seen anything) but she looks like a purebred Belgian Malinois – which would make sense given Luke’s military background. I love how Luke dotes on her but I’m sure my Veterinary Nutrition professor would be pitching a fit about her diet. This was the first episode without Hotch and his absence was explained by having “temporary duty” elsewhere. I hope he is permanently written off by deciding to make the temporary duty permanent to spend more time with Jack instead of him being killed while on this temporary duty. Hopefully, we find out in the next couple episodes and this isn’t dragged out until midseason. Paget has taken his place in the credits and the line-up and if we hadn’t already gotten casting news for the new unit chief, I would’ve assumed she was taking the job. As for the case – pretty straight forward. I saw the twist coming from a mile away and there was no obvious tie in to the escaped serial killer.
Grade: B+ (B without Emily’s return)
Best Reason to Watch – Emily is back!
Best Scene – Luke’s morning routine that appears to revolve mostly around his dog
Best Character Interactions – Emily and Luke
Best Addition – Luke’s dog, Roxy. She needs to start traveling with the team
Biggest “Oops” – Emily profiling Luke whilst he stands behind her
Worst Place for a Romantic Evening – illegal dump site also used by a serial killer to dump bodies
Worst Way to Find Out Who Your Birth Mom Is – when she rejects your sexual advances
Best Mystery – why Luke wants to keep his Ranger unit info quiet
The “Welcome Back” Award – my dearest, loveliest Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster)
Best Quotes:
1. Emily: “If I never do another stakeout again, it’ll be too soon.” Luke: “Like ‘em that much, huh?” Emily: “Let me count the ways; the a** numbing boredom, the greasy fast food, the cold coffee and may I tell you how much I hate peeing in the woods?”
2. Luke: “Can you send us his home and work addresses?” Garcia: “Ugh, noobie. Already sent.”
3. Luke (voiceover): “Three things cannot long stay hidden; the sun, the moon and the truth. Buddha”
BY Laura Markus
This episode surprised me in a few different ways. Phil's story with Rainer Shine was a bit cliché, however it did remind us that Phil Dunphy is no straight guy. I found great enjoyment from that, at least. The show continues to hammer home that Alex is nothing without her intelligence, which bothers me to no end. Really hope one day they'll put a stop to that. Mitch and Cam, once again taking in Dwight, dealt with very appropriate backlash from Lily. They were completely ignoring her, and sure, it was played for laughs like everything else, but this was pretty serious. They embrace at the end with a hilarious tea party scene. Joe had to go to speech therapy, and as someone who actually went through speech therapy, this was an interesting approach. Of course it turned out that Gloria was some of the problem. And lastly, Manny was trying to film his video for application to Juilliard. There wasn't a lot of great substance for this, that was until the end. That last scene with Manny on voiceover with pictures of his childhood, talking about how he is the son of an immigrant, but his businessman father also took him in, was beautiful. It's scenes like this where Modern Family is best. I hope they remember this, because that was refreshing to see.
Grade: B
Best Scene - Manny's final video for Juilliard.
Best Reason to Watch - Also Manny's video. Even if it was short, it was so sweet.
The Welcome Back Award - Nathan Fillion.
Funniest Moment - The tea party / Dwight carrying Mitch to avoid getting his new shoes dirty.
Best Accidental Reference - Cam hired a "Hot Cop". I remember those from _Arrested Development_.
Worst Aspect - Claire and Luke cheating at Scrabble to make Alex think she got dumber from her Mono.
New Shows
Two words - grow up. Or maybe 3 - get over it. I won't lie. This pilot was rough. Most of it wasn't funny and sassy comes off as whiny and neurotic when it's paired with low self-esteem and a general feeling that everyone in your neighborhood is working against you. No wonder the kids are a mess. Well, at least 2 of them. I'm not sure what Taylor's issues are going to be. Maybe a bulimia very special episode in the future? To be fair, Greg has his own mental health issues with his germophobia. Not that I can't relate. The whole household just comes off more sad than funny. I'm not sure this is what the people campaigning for more neural atypical diversity in TV were looking for. Not everything is bad though. I think that Mixon has the chops to be a good leading lady, once she gets better and less repetitive material to work with. Plus Bader has already proven his comedy chops and it is great to see him as the most normal one in the mix, if a little weird. In the end, this could be a modern times The Goldbergs if they tighten up the story and make Katie come off as less paranoid and less self-destructive. Running off potential new neighbors is taking things way too far.
Grade: D
Rating: 2
Audience - those who are patient TV viewers and wish the Drew Carey Show were told from a female point of view and took place in the Hamptons instead of Cleveland
Best Reason to Watch - the fish out of water making no attempts to fit in story has potential even if it doesn't live up it
Best Scene - Greg reassures Anna Kat that she will make friends later
Best Advice - "Friends are more important than germs."
Most in Need of Therapy - Katie, by a long shot, and Anna Kat is OCD
Most in Need of Being Dropped - the voiceovers
Most Annoying Kid - Oliver, the unfunny Alex P. Keaton, so far but I'm guessing Anna Kat will top him soon
Most Shameless Product Placement - FitBit
Phrase Most Needing to Go - any variation of the word fat, which is said about every 3.6 seconds
Least Timely Joke (By 2 Decades) - Katie: "It was right in front of me the whole time. If it was OJ, it would have murdered me in front of my own dog."
Biggest Laugh - when Take My Breath Away comes on
Biggest Insult - apparently "being real"
Biggest Double Take - I originally thought Taylor here was Dana from The Goldbergs. And I thought Teen Wolf was bad with actors that look alike.
The "I Don't Get It Either" Award - Why DOES someone need 2 Fitbits?
The "Welcome Back" Award - Diedrich Bader from The Drew Carey Show and apparently every show, movie, and animated anything that has ever needed voice work / Katy Mixon from Mike and Molly
Best Quotes -
1. Katie: "My fulltime job is to make sure that 2 of my kids fit in less and one fits in more."
2. Oliver: "Mom, I've thought about it and I refuse to participate in the school food drive on principle." Katie: "And what principle is that?" Oliver: "Westport homeless people have better stuff than we do. Nude Norman rides a bike that's worth more than our car."
3. Katie: "I'm straight up mentally healthy in the germ department."
4. Greg: "So you're acting crazy…"
5. Anna Kat: "Would now be a good time to ask for a pet owl?" Greg: "I don't know if there's ever a good time for that."
Weekly Shows
These were fairly typical episodes of The Big Bang Theory. Each had a scene or two that raised their grades but a lot of it was ultimately forgettable. In the first one, I loved how panicked they were at not being able to meet their military deadline and then how quickly the Colonel shrugs it off. Talk about panicking for nothing. The best scene though was definitely Raj's dad comforting Bernadette when she's not excited about having the baby. I tend to like both Raj and Bernadette better when they are together…or at least when Bernadette isn't being a complete harpy to Raj. Seriously, tone her down please. She used to be so nice. In the second episode, I like the setup to Sheldon and Amy moving in and how Amy isn't going to always take Sheldon's attitude. It ought to be interesting to see if Sheldon can indeed compromise. While I didn't understand any part of their science fight, it too made me laugh. I'm with Penny here. I also like how this gives Penny and Leonard time to be a couple too. It's about time.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - the touching moments
Best Scene - Raj's dad comforts Bernadette
Best Product Placement - Pringles
Best Pun - Penny's granite joke
Best Revenge - Amy uses flash photography on Sheldon after he knocks her out of bed
Worst Babysitter - apparently Bernadette
Worst End Card - Lorre is pouting about people saying TBBT uses a laugh track instead of a studio audience. The effect is the same. It still sounds like a laugh track, it still works like a laugh track, and it's still as distracting and annoying as a laugh track. This isn't the 70's. Time to stop telling viewers when they are supposed to think something is funny. I promise I can figure it out on my own.
Weirdest and Worst Hallucination - Fake Flash peer pressures Sheldon into having an energy drink like it was a drug
Most Impressive - Leonard's Dance, Dance Revolution moves and Penny's ability not to laugh
Most Spastic - Sheldon on energy drinks
Most Confusing - Sheldon and Amy's fight leaves me feeling like Penny to be honest
Biggest Laugh - Sheldon loopy on energy drinks / Leonard and Penny dancing in their underwear
Biggest Break Through - Sheldon admits that he can't figure out the math for the project
Strangest Reference - Sound of Music
Person Who Knows Sheldon Best - Leonard because he convinces Sheldon to stay with Amy via Star Trek while Amy tries to use science
The "About Time" Award - Penny and Leonard are going to live with each other without Sheldon for 5 weeks
The "Welcome Back" Award - Bert, the geologist / Raj's dad / Colonel Williams
Best Quotes -
1. Raj's Dad: "Look, some people are baby people and some people are not baby people. It doesn't mean you won't love your own baby." Bernadette: "But I thought I's be more excited." Raj's Dad: "Oh being excited isn't a guarantee of anything. Rajesh's mother was thrilled when she was pregnant with him. After he was born, she doted on his every move, and you know what happened? He broke her heart, moved halfway around the world, and dates only poor white women. So you never know." Bernadette: Thank you. I feel better now." Raj: "I don't."
2. Colonel: "You think you're the first government contractor who isn’t gonna deliver on time? We're still waiting for a big space laser Reagan order to beat the Commies."
3. Sheldon: "I accept this 5-week mission to share a living space with my girlfriend." Amy: "Oh, this is so exciting." Sheldon: "Well now, don't be surprised if like Star Trek, it's canceled in three."
4. Sheldon: "Ah then again, what are the odds of someone attacking me?" Amy: "Rising rapidly."
5. Amy: "What?" Penny: "You tell me about your foot fungus, but this is a secret?" Amy: "I'm sure it's just because I'm dating Sheldon." Bert: "Actually I think Sheldon's popular because he's dating you." Penny: "Now Sheldon's popular? What is happening?"
This is my favorite episode of Bull so far. First, the client was super sympathetic, making it the best case they've had yet. It's hard to not feel for her and her plight. It's also hard not to cheer for her when she gets up the confidence to defend herself against the prosecutor. Plus, there was no doubt about her innocence even from the beginning because Bull had no doubts. This show will get really interesting if he's ever wrong about a current client but I don't see that happening. The second reason why I liked this better is because I liked Bull better. Getting a tiny glimpse into his past helps me understand him and I think his abusive childhood is an angle they need to explore more to make Bull more accessible. I didn't find Bull to be obnoxious or douchey at all in this one. Instead, he was extremely helpful, especially during Reese's panic attacks. This gives me hope that the show might stick around longer than I expected on my TV schedule. Other positives include getting more of Benny's background, even if they need to share that love with the female characters. Currently Benny is my favorite character by sheer fact of his integrity, which also makes him a character that I root for. I love how his confidence at the end of last episode carries over here, even when he's going against someone he really cared about. Then there's the rest of the team and how everyone respects each other for what they bring to the group. It's here where Bull really shines because he gets the best out of each member without bullying them. Instead he encourages and nurtures their self-confidence so they can do their best. All in all, this show is growing on me.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - the teamwork, which may end up setting this procedural apart from others
Best Scene / Best Speech - the rape victim stands up for herself after the prosecutor bullies her
Best Plan - go after the podcaster, who turned their client into a pariah
Best Distraction - Chunk choreographs a spontaneous dance to keep reporters away from their client
Best Reference - Jerry Maguire
Best Slogan - Cable's t-shirt says, "Say no to drugs and yes to pizza."
Best Back Story - still Benny
Most Needed - background on some of the females
Most Interesting Solution That May or May Not Be True - you can stop a panic attack by repeating numbers out of order
Most Honest - Benny admits that he would get back with Amanda "in a heartbeat"
Biggest Huh? - Why would someone taking steroids, who is having a great career that might go further, suddenly decide to tell on his coach and teammates? That doesn't make any sense to me, especially since the rapist obviously didn't have a lot of morals guiding him.
Biggest Hint - Bull's father(?) was abusive
Biggest Twist - the podcaster is murdered when she agrees to release the research
Saddest True Statement - Woman: "Doesn't matter if you really did it. All that matters is that people think you did it."
Weirdest Name - tossup between Cable and Chunk
The "It's All in the Family" Award - Benny and Bull are ex-brothers-in-law
Best Quotes -
1. Reese: "You're right. I couldn't stand Mike, but I was the last person who wanted him dead. I wanted him alive because I wanted him to pay for what he did. I wanted him to go to prison. I wanted him to feel what I felt and I wanted to ask him, "How powerful do you feel now?" And I'll never get that chance. He is the one at peace, not me. Yes, I get these panic attacks because I was raped and bullied, which is exactly how you're making me feel. I couldn't stand up for myself then, but I am stronger now. So, ask your questions, Ms. Prosecutor. I have nowhere else to be. I did not kill Mike Tasker."
2. Benny: "I quit when I realized I worked for a place that cared more about getting convictions than having them."
3. Chunk: "Reese, you're going to appear in front of the jury today. What you wear in court is as important as what you say. You're wearing…I don't know what you're wearing but it's at least 3 sizes too big." Reese: "They're comfortable." Chunk: "That's not comfort, Mama. That's camouflage."
4. Bull: "You know, if hacking doesn't pan out for you, I think you have a career as a shoddy journalist."
5. Bull: "You've been running since your senior year of college and I have some news for you. What happened to you isn’t going to change, but you can't let it define you."
Okay, I am saying this right now. If Mike dies in 2 weeks, I am going to be ticked off. Just saying. This episode of Code Black is really hard to grade and review because parts of the episode were so great but others were mind-numbingly bad. What I like about Code Black is how it takes all these different stories and weaves the essential heart of each of them into a more realistic view of hospital life. The penis subplot had zero heart, just idiot. But the other two stories were full of heart. I felt so much empathy for the father who thought he overdosed his son. The actor who portrayed him (Jamil Walker Smith) did a fantastic job of showing the heartbreak and guilt. The boiler room story also worked for me because it showcased Noa so well. She came off even better than last week. Ethan also scored high points in this one for his compassion and sticking to his convictions no matter what. The new characters this season are phenomenal. Sadly, their awesome makes Campbell and Heather's utter suckitude even more glaring. Not kidding, they need to go! Now! Every scene they are in drags down the episode with unnecessary, contrived drama. We don't need that kind of pointless drama because the cases provide enough drama on their own. Campbell is no longer a foil for Rorish. He's just a straight up douche.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - everyone who gave Campbell what's what
Best Scene - Angus tells his dad to stuff it
Best Character - Noa
Best Back Story - Elliot was put into the foster care system when he was two
Best New Character / Best Problem Solver - Nolan for bypassing the psychiatric rules for the medical to keep the patient in the hospital for a longer time
Best Life Hack - Putting your tongue to the roof of your mouth steadies your hands? Interesting…if it's true.
Most Ingenious Solution - Noa uses a skateboard to get to her trapped patient
Most Likely to Fight for Her Students - Rorish, who doesn't want Charlotte sidelined
Biggest Smack Down - Noa to Heather over Barry
Biggest Mystery - Ethan's death
Biggest Heartbreak - the kid OD'd on cough syrup because he didn't want his mom to yell at his dad over him getting sick
Biggest Shock - Campbell seems halfway human when he's worried about the baby and starts smiling when she takes her first breath
Biggest Brat - the teen who got jumped into the gang
Dumbest Storyline - Adding a supernatural element with ghost patient. What the heck?
The "Most Right and Yet the Most Wrong" Award - Campbell is dead right that they cannot have someone under review practice medicine without opening themselves up to a huge liability case. However, he is a dead wrong douche about every other thing he does in this episode.
The "What an Idiot!" Award - there is nothing romantic about putting an engagement ring on your penis, even if it doesn't get stuck there
The "Just Go Away" Award - Campbell and Heather, who about ruined the episode for me
The "Welcome Back" Award - Kathleen Rose Perkins from Fresh Off the Boat and Colony / Angus' dad
Best Quotes -
1. Noa: "I got stuck like this once. I was scuba diving in some caves." Barry: "How'd you get out?" Noa: "Just kept kicking toward the light." Barry: "You seriously telling me to go towards the light?" Noa: "I'm telling you to keep kicking."
2. Angus: "Mike was with me when I was in rehab. He was the only person who was there for me during my darkest time. I will not abandon him when he is at his."
3. Ethan (to Campbell): "Do you want to treat anyone at this hospital?"
4. Ethan: "See. I think you're missing the obvious diagnosis. She's a ghost." Nolan: "Then she's a ghost with depression or a psychosis."
5. Ethan: "Soy taco? What the hell's that?" Charlotte: "This is Los Angeles. It's not uncommon." Ethan: "This is occupied northern Mexico, young lady. I'm not saying we should give it back, but please. A little respect."
6. Heather: "This might be the coolest procedure you ever do here." Noa: "And here I am worried about Barry…the patient?"
7. Campbell: "I need to do something about him." Rorish: "Is it Willis you don't like or the fact that he's right?" Jesse: "It's probably both."
After the pilot, I needed Hayes to grow on me fast. Instead, I found her more appalling in this episode than the first one. She is way too bratty for me, going after a case just to screw with her boss. It would be different if justice were even a part of her consideration but instead she seems to focus solely on how much pain she can cause others in her life because she's unhappy. GROW UP!!! While I like the team and the cases have been interesting thus far, Hayes is deal breaker for me. I have no time to devote to an adult who acts more childish than my elementary school kids.
Grade: C-
Bottom Line - dropped due to Hayes being a bratty douche
Best Reason to Watch - the case
Best Scene - Hayes and Jackson dance
Best Played - Conner takes credit for Hayes re-opening one of his old cases
Best Reaction - no one on the team cares if the only reason the Senator knows their names is because a staffer briefed her on them
Best Gesture - Maxine gives Tess the location of the man she falsely put away even if Tess throws it back in her face
Biggest Douche - surprisingly it is the media instead of Hayes for going after the attack victim
Biggest Good Guy - Sam, even though Hayes is a witch to him
Biggest Dilemma - let all three people go free when you suspect one is a psycho or let all three stay in jail when you think 2 are innocent
Biggest Smoking Gun - the lying schmuck whom Zadie slept with
Most Manipulative - Harper visits Hayes so she can tell Conner what Hayes is working on
Most Uncomfortable - Hayes when her mother says she's proud of her
Most in Need of Furniture - Frankie
Most Tenacious - Lisa, the reporter who's determined to bring down Hayes even when Sam sticks up for her
Most Scary - when the psycho kid grabs Hayes' arm and says the beads are his
Most Bratty / Most Vindictive - Hayes wants to only go after cases Conner prosecuted just to hurt him for…giving her positive press???
Most Wonky Science - Timing the assault victim and the attackers because they have nothing to base how fast the victim walked or if she went directly to the spot they are timing. No one walks home as fast as Maxine is going.
Funniest Moment - Hayes sees a stranger in her bed and checks his pulse to make sure he isn't dead
The "I Don't Get It" Award - Why did they change the brother? The one in the screener was fine.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Daniel Franzese from Recovery Road / Frederick Waller from In Plain Sight
Best Quotes -
1. Hayes: "Next time you want to check up on me, find a different spy because I'm never sleeping with someone already in bed with my mother."
2. Frankie: "So much for keeping Wallace in the dark." Sam: "We've been pulling files, asking questions. Word gets around." Hayes: "Says the guy who probably helped it get around, but what's done is done. Let's get back to getting these kids off." Sam: "Says the woman who claims to have no agenda but the truth."
3. Conner: "Checkmate."
4. Harper: "Conner Wallace is our friend." Hayes: "We're Morrison's. We don't have friends. We have supporters." Harper: "We also have enemies. Don't turn Wallace into one."
5. Hayes: "She only knows your names because a staffer briefed her." Sam: "I don't care."
Let's face it. The first half of this episode pretty much sucked. Felicity telling Barry to get off his keister, stop lying, and fix his mess was about the only plus. Well, and Tom Felton who is always a welcome sight. Here's hoping he doesn't end up being Alchemy or another bad guy. It is a switch that someone is anti-Barry and I don't need that to be a big, glaring sign that he's evil. Barry lying to everyone was a straight up course in what NOT to do in any sci-fi/fantasy show. The team was emoangsty with drama or irrelevant to the story (looking at you, Wally). Plus, the whole mood of the show made me wonder if I was watching Arrow, and not just because Felicity showed up. Team Flash was a huge downer in this first half, and I don't ever need mopey Cisco again. Good thing the second half fixed everything in trademark Flash style. Have a problem; resolve it in 30 minutes or less. While I tend to make fun of this facepalm way of writing, I was glad for it here because everyone is reunited again and in 2 episodes we are so close to being back to where we were last season. Not excited about the hint that Alchemy is going to restore everyone's superpowers because that means Wally is going to become the umpteenth speedster on this show. At this point, everyone should just become one and level the playing field.
Grade: C
Best Reason to Watch - the second half
Best Meta Ever - Henry Flash stops Barry in 1998 and Dawson's Creek is playing on the TV. John Wesley Shipp, who plays Henry here, also played Dawson's dad.
Best Tag Team - Cisco and Barry, which leads to their reconciliation (I hope)
Best Workout - Barry running between Iris and Joe to make dinner plans
Best Sounding Board - Felicity, who tells Barry to tell his family and friends the truth, which would be a whole lot more helpful than trying to guess how things changed
Best Speech - Henry Flash to Barry Flash
Absolute Worst Rewrite (plot) - Making Joe and Iris estranged over her mother. The very best thing about Iris last year was that she forgave Joe instantly because she realized he was just doing what he thought was best for her. To erase that, even if only for the span of one episode, undoes all the great insight from last season.
Worst Rewrite (character) - mopey Cisco may be a meatier role for the actor but it sucks for me as a viewer
Single Worst Plan Since the Last Time Barry Had a Plan - Going back in time AGAIN. That's it, Barry. You don't get to make the plans anymore. That's now Wells, Caitlin, or Joe's job.
Most Green Goblined - Rival
Most Repetitive - all the freaking speedsters
Most Needed - Cisco banter
Most Awkward - Barry's team dinner party
Most Ridiculous - These crossovers. I don't watch Arrow so did Diggle have a baby daughter for a few episodes on Arrow and now he suddenly has a son? Or did they ever say on Arrow what gender the baby was? I hope it's the latter because how are they going to explain the change on Arrow to people who don't watch The Flash? These crossovers need to go almost as much as time travel does.
Biggest Blech - It's not even the romance at the end. It's that Jesse the Brat is coming back. Didn't we finally get rid of her? Sigh.
The "Oh Thank Goodness" Award - Iris and Joe reconcile so we don't drag out this estrangement any longer
The "Welcome Back" Award (character) - Felicity from Arrow / Henry as The Flash
The "Welcome Back" Award (actor) - Tom Felton from Harry Potter
Best Quotes -
1. Barry: "Why have these powers if I can't go back and fix what I broke?" Henry Flash: "We're not gods. We're men, who, for whatever reason, have been given extraordinary abilities. The question you need to ask yourself is, what kind of hero are you gonna be? Are you just gonna take a do-over every time you make a mistake or will you live with them and move forward?"
2. Felicity: "There's a whole new guy at work that you didn't even know about?" Barry: "Yeah, he's worked there for almost a year and he doesn't like me very much apparently." Felicity: "Well, that's impossible. Everybody likes Barry Allen. You're like pudding. Everybody likes pudding." Barry: "Not everyone."
3. Cisco: "Stay away from my friend."
4. Felicity: "Okay well, you're gonna figure it out. If there's one thing I've learned from you, it's that with you anything is possible." Barry: "Why? Cause I'm The Flash?" Felicity: "No, because you are Barry Allen, and sweet, loving, kind Barry Allen that everybody likes. The Barry Allen who's just like pudding can fix this, so go and fix this."
5. Cisco: "Epic fail, party of 6."
6. Julian: "You've really got this good guy routine thing down, haven't you? And everyone just buys it. There is something not right about you, Allen. They don't see it... but I do." Barry: "Is that right?" Julian: "Yes. You know why I don't actually like you, don't you? I don't trust you and I don't like things that I don't trust. See you tomorrow, roomie."
Fresh Off the Boat is often my favorite current comedy because of Jessica so it's no surprise that the heartwarming scene between Jessica and Louis is my favorite. This episode gave us a chance to see Jessica in her native land, but it isn't what she expected. Life is different there now, but she soon realizes it is because she was seeing Taiwan through rose-colored glasses. She has changed and she isn't afraid to admit that to Louis when he's feeling down because his brother is doing so well for himself. That, by the way, was the worst part of the episode. Watching Louis sulk and whine because his brother was doing better than he expected was a big letdown. Generally it is Eddie who is the big baby but Louis took that spot in this episode. It's a good thing they reconciled at the end or I would be tempted to throw all the socks at him. The kids didn't have much to do in this one but Eddie took up his fair share of time on the pointless shoe video. Time which could have been spent on Evan, Emory, or Grandma. I would have liked to see more about what Grandma thought about being back in Taiwan. After all, she lived there longest.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - I missed Jessica
Best Scene - Jessica reassures Louis that they are doing well
Best Reaction - Eddie to hearing that the Lakers drafted Shaq
Best Recap - Louis telling the customs agent why he's coming to Taiwan
Best Reference - Ghost and Richard Marx
Worst Job - playing message runner between the two brothers at the hotel
Most Prepared - Evan, who went to AAA to see what he needed to pack
Most Interesting - Taiwan customs includes "family members wronged me" as a reason for visiting
Most Obnoxious - Louis to meeting Margaret
Most Jealous - Louis
Most Ubiquitous / Biggest Product Placement - McDonald's
Biggest Waste of Time - Eddie's music video about his shoes
Weirdest Reason to Reconcile - Gene is impressed that Louis paid for last minute tickets direct to Taiwan
The "Welcome Back" Award - Wai Ching Ho from Daredevil
Best Quotes -
1. Louis: "I'm sorry I couldn't give you a life like the one Gene and Margaret have here." Jessica: "What are you talking about?" Louis: "You've always said how much you miss Taiwan. Maybe we should move back. Things would be easier." Jessica: "No, they wouldn't - it's hot, crowded, there's mosquitoes, a sick obsession with the movie Ghost. Everybody here knows everybody else's business. Even shopping at the Night Market isn't as fun as I remembered." Louis: "You're just upset because of what happened with Eddie's sneakers." Jessica: "No, that's not it. I know I've been saying how different things are here. How they've changed, but it's not true. They're the same. I'm the one who's changed and I'm homesick for Orlando. You know what I miss, bagels. I want a bagel. I didn't even think I liked bagels but I want a bagel."
2. Evan: "Dad, are we poor?" Louis: "What? No, of course not. American middle class is like Taiwan rich so..." Emory: "I'd rather be Taiwan rich."
3. Louis: "Well, I still think we'd be able to afford a better life in Taiwan." Jessica: "Through shortcuts and connections, yes, but you have worked hard for everything you have. You've earned it. No one's given you anything. We did it, Louis. We moved to America and we made it. We are the success story." Louis: "I guess we are. I mean we did fly Economy Plus." Jessica: "Besides no one loves America more than you. As soon as we move back here, you would miss it over there." Louis: "And as soon as we go back there, you know you're going to miss it over here." Jessica: "Well maybe we won't feel completely at home in either place."
4. Jessica: "Give up the dance, Gene. The song is over."
5. Big Auntie to Jessica: "Your negotiating muscle has atrophied."
The Goldbergs is pretty much my standard for a comedy. It makes me laugh each episode but it also adds a little something special. In this case, it's a whole lot of heart. On that note, these episodes all delivered. Still the best part of the show so far is that the Goldberg parents don't seem to be giving into their kids' every wish like the last two years. Thank goodness. I love that Murray did not give Barry the car to go to the concert, especially since Barry has a van of his own and needs to learn to take care of it. Erica also gave in when it came to the answering machine, while Murray told both kids "no" when it came to changing the message. This is a more realistic view of parenting in the 80's and it is a welcome change. In fact, it is a wish list item fulfilled so far. The only kid that got their way was Adam and to be honest, he should have. No one needs their mom messing with their high school existence, especially when he found somewhere to belong. While I don't care for Erica pining so hard for Geoff and the middle episode had a lame fake boyfriend story, overall I am very happy with this season of The Goldbergs so far.
Grade: B / C / B+
Best Reason to Watch - it always ends on a high note of heartwarming family bonding
Best Scene - Murray concedes to Mexican food for Beverly
Best Meta - the two Mike Levy's from the real Adam Goldberg's life play computer technicians here
Best Gesture - Adam gets a fake boyfriend for Erica
Best Reaction - Beverly to seeing that Pops is into video dating
Best Teamwork - Erica and Barry when trying to change the message
Best Reference - Jane Fonda / all the people Barry names for Live Aid / Oregon Trail / Trapper Keepers
Best Memory - Apple 2e and dot matrix printers
Best Puns - Adam's dating video
Worst Reason to Miss a Concert - fighting over a parking place
Worst Plan - using Village People as a foundation for a dating video / making up a fake boyfriend
Least Likely to Understand Boundaries - Beverly
Most in Violation of Child Labor Laws - no way Zoe was old enough to be waitressing even in the 80's
Most Enthusiastic - Coach to becoming Barry's mentor
Weirdest Interference - Beverly pays the jocks in waffle fries to let Adam sit at their table
Biggest Moron - Johnny Atkins
Biggest Oxymoron - Fighting Quakers
Biggest Huh? - Why is Barry being a gym coach a bad thing? It actually makes sense for Barry's personality. Best Music - Listen to Your Heart by Roxette / God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
The "Welcome Back" Award - Bill Lewis and Pop-Pop
Best Quotes -
1. Murray: "Look, I'm a stubborn b**. I always will be, but I realize the most important thing for me to be stubborn about is making you happy."
2. Dating Service Guy: "I don't know who this Geoff guy is, but I think he may have dodged a bullet."
3. Adam: "Um, maybe I could sit with the preppies?" Glascott: "Come on, man. You want to walk around in boat shoes with no socks? You want to invite that kind of fungus in your life?"
4. Barry: "Okay, you know how all the awesome stuff happens in New York and LA and Florida but never here…" Murray: "You do know that Philadelphia is the birthplace of our country, right?"
5. Bill: "A robe is just a long jacket made of towel. Lots of people wear these." Lainey: "Not to other people's homes." Murray: "In this house, we keep it loose."
6. Beverly: "I didn't do those things for me, Murray. I did them for the people I love. So yes, I'm stubborn when it comes to my family, but you…you're only stubborn for the things you want and that's not just being stubborn. That's just being plain selfish."
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - back story and an update on Frank
Best Scene - Frank kills Bonnie's dad
Best Character Interaction - Bonnie and Asher
Best Back Story - Frank in jail
Worst Twist - the teacher and student are having sex and the teacher is pregnant
Worst Advice - Bonnie tells Laurel not to tell Annalise that Frank killed Bonnie's father
Biggest Blow Back - the client, who reams Bonnie for not looking out for his future child who will now be born in prison
Biggest Child - Connor, for trying to hurt Oliver by hooking up with others in front of him
Biggest Confession - Annalise tells Eve that she spent Sam's insurance money to hire a hit man to kill Frank
Biggest Waste of Time - Conner's ménage trois
Most Nervous - Asher
The "Welcome Back" Award - Eve
Best Quotes -
1. Bonnie: "Blame me. None of this is on you." Asher: "No, I don't blame you. I'm proud of you. You made him see the person she really is."
2. Annalise: "You people want a fight, I'll fight." Hargrove: "Listen…" Annalise: "You forget that my ability at kicking a** is precisely why you hired me." Hargrove: "Shut up, Annalise! You come in here, yelling at me, your boss, and you think that's gonna get you what you want. It won't, so let me put this simply for you. There's a saying where I come from. 'Whoever can't hear must feel.' " Annalise: "So do it. Make me feel." Hargrove: "Somebody already did and now you've lost your license to practice. Hurts, doesn't it?" Annalise: "You can't fire me because of this." Hargrove: "Check your contract. Without your license, your tenure gets nullified. Next time you want to meet, make an appointment with my assistant."
3. Eve: "better to just make a statement in private. Promise to go to anger management classes." Annalise: "I'd probably hit people there too. I really need to retire."
4. Michaela: "Oh, give me your phone. I'm really good at picking out guys." Laurel: "Since when."
5. Nate: "You're an alcoholic." Annalise: "Of course I am, and that's not just the vodka talking. That's the me I've always been."
What I really liked about this episode was the ending. The second half was so much better than the first, which kind of dragged on and had some pacing issues. It was also very awkward, but I really, really like how they pulled it all together in the end. The foam party was awesome. I want to do that too. I also liked Timothy and Hank's interactions even if I'm not fond of love triangles. They were fun and less annoying than most things Jesse. My biggest problem with Jesse is that he plays the quirky best friend but we already have quirky in almost every single character. That's a quirky overload. Plus, he reminds me of those terrible Geico caveman commercials. I'm glad that he's been (dumbly) shipped off but I worry that he'll come back again before the show is canceled. And it will be canceled. I just haven't decided yet whether that is a good thing or not. Mostly because just when the show gets too silly for me, they rescue it with the heartwarming scenes that made up the entire end of this episode. Besides, they have the start of a great sister relationship between Evie and Mary Anne here and how often do we get that?
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - the sister relationship went from Mary Anne putting Evie down in the pilot to an equal and supportive friendship
Best Scene / Most Fun - Xavier and Evie dancing in the washing machine bubbles
Best Character Interaction - Hank and Timothy, who are super fun together
Best Relative - Xavier, who sticks by his cousin even if it is not in his own best interest
Best Ex - Evie, who keeps reassuring Timothy even though they broke up
Worst Plan - shipping Jesse to a foreign country
Least Romantic Topic - talking about the apocalypse while creating a romantic setting
Least Noble - taking a broker's fee for all the embezzled funds you gave to charity
Biggest Douche Move - taking back the batteries in your ex's smoke alarm
Biggest Surprise - Timothy can actually carry off the hipster look in a way most people cannot
Biggest Mystery - Xavier's past
Most Considerate Gift - Deirdre buys Hank an ergonomic chair
Most Likely to Be Half Naked in Every Episode - Xavier
Most Heartless - Kareema and Hank, who bet on whether a laid off co-worker cries or not
Most in Need of Screens - Evie, who apparently doesn't care how many bugs she lets into the house
Most Awkward - lunch when Deirdre joins them
Second Most Awkward Conversation - Timothy and Evie
The "Awww" Award - pictures of Xavier and Jesse as kids
Best Quotes -
1. Timothy: "You sure he dresses like this?" Hank: "He's so fashion forward, it's like he's in the past and in the future at the same time."
2. Evie: "You're risking everything on a hunch!" Xavier: "Well some risks are worth taking, Evie. We all get to decide what's important to us, end of the world or not."
3. Timothy: "Hank says that he's super handsome and dangerous." Evie: "Well you're handsome too." Timothy: "But not dangerous?" Evie: "You always made me feel safe and that was one of my favorite things about you."
4. Xavier: "Look. It's one thing for me to take a risk, but I can't put you at risk. You matter to me."
5. Mary Anne: "I'm trying out nicknames for him." Evie: "Yeah and you're 0 for 3." Mary Ann: "Hey wait….um, seriously. I'm…I'm really happy that you're so happy about this guy."
This episode was a complete waste of my time. Only Cabe and Sylvester saved part of it between the long, drawn out pandering to shippers and the completely unbelievable plot. You only get one more episode Scorpion before I drop you to "marathon later, maybe" status.
Grade: D-
Best Reason to Watch - You got me. I wish I hadn't.
Best Advice (Toby) - Leave this episode alone. Pretend it never existed.
Best Advice (me) - Scorpion writers, immediately exit social media and stop pandering to the loudest fans
Best Pep Talk - Toby to Paige
Best Continuity - Admiral Pace from last episode is referenced in tonight's episode even if he is not seen
Best Plan - Paige kicks everyone out so they can't hear what she says to Walter
Worst Safety Precautions - if lightning can ignite your rocket and launch it, you need to add more safeguards before you put people in it
Worst Time to Be Put on Hold - when you are falling out of an aircraft with no parachute
Most Incredibly Far-Fetched - this entire episode and that's saying something considering that they are on the third season of incredibly far-fetched episodes
Most Honest - Paige would do anything for any of the team members, not just Walter
Most Disturbing - Walter has clocked Paige and Tim's moments to the minute so he can avoid them
Biggest Mulan "Boy was I a fool in school for cutting gym" Moment - Walter doesn't get Tim's reference to cradling a football
Biggest Hero - Cabe
Weirdest Moment - watching Sylvester, Toby, and Walter meditating
The "Only Walter" Award - no one but Walter could take baked Alaska and turn it into a science lecture
The "Me Three" Award - I'm with Happy and Cabe. The dialogue in this episode is making me sick too.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Richard Elia
Best Quotes -
1. Walter: "Okay, this is where a plan would be useful. Please tell me you have one." Sylvester: "Hold please."
2. Sylvester: "We really shouldn't be listening to this. He doesn't know what he's saying. He's sick." Happy: "What he's saying is making me sick." Cabe: "Making me sick too."
3. Toby: "We covered this in medical school. Falling thousands of feet without a parachute, it's bad for your health." Tim: "I'll catch him." Toby: "Um, I don’t think they make baseball gloves that big."
4. Happy: "Last time you did this?" Cabe: "30 years ago." Happy: "Wow, I'm not even 30." Cabe: "Shut up."
5. Toby: "If Walter knew we were seeing this, he'd choose to remain in space."
I like Timeless but I don't love it. My biggest problem is that they are far too reckless with history. They already know that what they do in the past could affect their futures but I see no more caution in them in this episode than they had in the pilot. They don't seem to care that their actions could change everything and they don't seem to be learning from their mistakes. I want them to do everything in their power to stay more historically accurate in future episodes. As it is, I didn't like this episode as much as I liked the pilot. I do like the characters, so that's a start, but the Rittenhouse thing feels like a stock distraction that will be drawn out for the longest possible time, making me less interested in it every episode. It doesn't help that it makes Mason seem like an even bigger douche when he has zero competition for the crown right now. At least screw him over by having Rufus tell his time-traveling team about it sooner rather than later so they can all work on finding info and taking down Mason together. That would put them on the same playing field and keep us from having too much betrayal drama in the future. To be honest, I think I would like this show better without the overarching serialized elements that cast a big shadow over the episodes but may very well go nowhere fast. On a plus side, the costuming and scenery people need to get bonuses for doing such a standup job. Whoever is fact checking the episodes also deserves kudos because I am learning more about American history here than I did minoring in it in college and in a much more entertaining way. All the Lincoln stuff was intriguing.
Grade: C+
Best Reason to Watch - the standalone elements
Best Pep Talk - Wyatt to Rufus
Worst Subplot - Lucy's father isn't her biological father
Least Stealthy - this trio who have a big conversation while tailing John Wilkes Booth, making no effort to stay quiet
Least Needed - they don't actually need to tail Booth because Lucy already knows where he is going
Least Fortunate - getting shot in the Civil War era, which isn't exactly known for their medical knowledge
Least Surprising - Mason knows about Rittenhouse and continues to be the shadiest character
Most Surprising - Rufus knows about Rittenhouse, which is most disappointing
Most Composed - Lincoln's son while telling Lucy that his father is dead. It's disconcerting really.
Most Helpful - Jiya, who offers to help Lucy figure out why her sister was never born
Most Needed - Background info on Flynn, because right now he feels crazy for crazy's sake and that is never interesting for long. He can say he's trying to save America from Rittenhouse but right now I have no reason to believe either are pro-America.
Most Sad - Rufus having to write up the notice for the soldier looking for his formerly enslaved wife, knowing that Lincoln's death ends any hope that African-Americans would have at equality for a century
Most Interesting Tidbit (IMDb) - the guy who plays Abraham Lincoln has played him in 5 other shows
Most Intriguing Tidbit (history) - Edwin Booth actually did save Robert Lincoln's life a few months before his brother took Abraham Lincoln's life
Biggest Surprise - Lucy's fiancé, whom she has never met, which gives her the opposite problem to Raimy on Frequency
Biggest Idiot - John Wilkes Booth, and not even because he shoots Lincoln but because he is more concerned about the theatrics of it instead of the logistics of it
Biggest Dis - Who on this production doesn't like Donnie Wahlberg?
Biggest Huh? - Why did they open with Booth shooting Lincoln? That's fairly common knowledge. It's not like they were going to lose us by not explaining it.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Neal Bledsoe from The Mysteries of Laura
Best Quotes -
1. Wyatt: "Trick-or-treat." Rufus: "Trust me, no one is more aware than I am that I am not a real soldier." Wyatt: "Where did these getups even come from?" Rufus: "A Civil War re-enactors' club." Wyatt: "No wonder they smell like sweat and loneliness."
2. Wyatt: "An actor?" Lucy: "Pretty well known too, but his brother, Edwin, was literally the most famous actor in America. John never quite measured up." Rufus: "So this is like if Donnie Wahlberg assassinated the president?" Lucy: "Pretty much, actually."
3. Lucy: "You need a real doctor." Wyatt: "To do what? Leech me?"
4. Wyatt: "Rufus, I don't know you well but in the last 2 days, you helped us break out of jail, you held a knife to a Nazi's throat, and you pulled a bullet out of my gut without puking. You won't freeze." Rufus: "I'm scared." Wyatt: "I wouldn't go into battle with you if you weren't."
5. Lucy: "Since we got back from 1937, what has changed for you?" Rufus: "I just had an unsuccessful evening with a girl so nothing, really."
6. Rufus: "This is gonna be the worst game of Operation ever."
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - Bryce vs. Diana
Best Scene - the book club
Best Way to Stop a Flirtation - tell the interested party that your fiancé just died
Most Improved - Charles
Most Awkward - Liza tries to hug Diana
Most Fun - Liza and the Great Wall
Most Interesting Metaphor - Kelsey and sharks
Biggest Save - Bryce's douche move
Biggest Laugh - the VR meeting
Biggest Uh-Oh - Lauren cheats on Maggie with a guy she met at camp when she was a kid
The "So Millennial" Award - Instead of Code Red, it's Code Bread
The "Welcome Back" Award - Michelle from the book club
Best Quotes -
1. Kim: "And let's not let ego get in the way. If you need me, you know where to find me." Diana: "Where's that? Narnia?"
2. Max: "Should I get us a drink before we start talking Color Wars?" Lauren: "Yeah, yes. I have a lot to say about that actually. That Blue Team was definitely doping."
3. Charles: "He's giving us a lot of money. I think he just wants to be heard." Diana: "Well I hear him. The question is should I be listening."
4. Maggie: "Look Lauren, I mean this with love. Stop trying to be so interesting." Lauren: "Excuse me." Maggie: "Just date the guy."
5. Liza: "Sounds messy." Maggie: "Speaking of, how's Josh?" Liza: "I'm lying and he's wasting his youth, but I think we're happy." Maggie: "Enjoy it and don't think about it so much."
