Archive | January, 2014

The Top 25 Television Shows of 2013

31 Jan

www.indiewire

Welcome to my Top 25 Television Episodes of 2013. This list is ranked; feel free to agree or disagree, and leave your thoughts in the comments.

25. Boardwalk Empire: The season started off slowly, but it ended beautifully; in addition, Jeffrey Wright and Michael K. Williams gave us one of the best rivalries on television.

24. Parks and Recreation: The year in Parks and Rec gave us a Leslie Knope City Council win–and subsequent recall–that was hilarious and heartwarming.

23. Orphan Black: Anchored by a magnificent performance(s) by Tatiana Maslany, this  ridiculously entertaining sci fi show delivered week after week of wit, action, and drama.

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Parks and Recreation “Ann and Chris” Review (6×13)

30 Jan

b22c3ade977a4413c43ca2c5b5d5aaf1“Oh, Ann, you beautiful sunflower.”

Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins are friends. They’re two people who understand each other, make each other better people, and are inseparable. Yet, that’s exactly what happens tonight; Ann and Chris are leaving Pawnee, and it’s all tears and laughs and goodbyes in a heartwarming episode of Parks and Recreation.

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Community “Analysis of Cork-Based Networking” Review (5×06)

30 Jan

5X6_Promo_pic8We need a Wikipedia page for Fat Dog.

This is an incredibly entertaining episode of Community, and it’s nice to see the show get down to the basics again. Sure, it can pull off the big emotional moments and the concept episodes nicely, but sometimes, we just want to see good ‘ol Community.

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American Horor Story: Coven “The Seven Wonders” Review (3×13)

30 Jan

fe0470a7ea2f4cbcccde090e094ca4abOh my, what a colossal shit-show of a finale.

I hate bashing this show. I really do, and I’ll reiterate my love for Asylum. However, when I’ve just wasted nearly 13 hours of my life hoping that the show would capture some of its earlier magic, you can imagine I’d be disappointed with the outcome. What we get with “The Seven Wonders” is a sloppy, rushed, and unsatisfying conclusion to a mediocre season.

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Justified “Over the Mountain” Review (5×04)

28 Jan

d35ffee336c74510c53e18811ceb9198“I was thinking…aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?”

Although this episode seems to be a placeholder of sorts, it’s crackling with energy, humor, and tension; it may just be the best episode of the season thus far. It’s certainly the most entertaining. I mean, when you have Tim Gutterson in your episode, that’s an automatic A-.

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How I Met Your Mother “How Your Mother Met Me” Review (9×16)

27 Jan

How-Your-Mother-Met-Me_FULLBeautiful.

That’s a word that I don’t throw around a lot, especially given the downward trajectory in quality of this show. However, that is a perfect description of tonight’s momentous 200th episode, one which brings the laughs and the tears and is, for sure, one of my favorite episodes of the series.

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The Top 22 Television Episodes of 2013

27 Jan

leadozymandiasAlright; now, let’s count down the top 22 episodes of 2013, and you know what? Let’s rank ’em. It should be known that I have a “one episode per show” policy for this list, which promotes variety and prevents half the rankings from being taken up by, say, “Breaking Bad’. Why are there 22 episodes on this list, as opposed to 20 or 25? I don’t know.

22. Six Minutes, “The Killing”: In one of the biggest surprises of the season, “The Killing” turns things around in its third season; “Six Minutes”, the Ray Seward execution episode, is absolutely devastating, featuring Emmy-worthy performances from Enos and Sarsgaard.

21. Liberty/Enemy of Fate, “Fringe”: “Fringe” ends its excellent 5-year run with an emotional, thrilling finale that gives us things like Fauxlivia and a gorgeous, thematically resonant final shot.

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True Detective “The Locked Room” Review (1×03)

26 Jan

True-Detective-1x03

This is my favorite episode of the series thus far.

I know it’s only been three episodes, but man, what a start it has been. Every episode is revealing more and more about our characters and shading in yet another element of the atmosphere, and I continue to be impressed. With that said, let’s get to the episode itself.

As I’ve said before, the show is handling the central Marty-Rust relationship in a nuanced and compelling way. I find it interesting how Marty always seems to comment on his partner’s “showiness”–his elaborate speeches and unique demeanor–calling Rust out whenever he gets the chance. These are two people who’re able to analyze each other and pick out certain flaws, but when it comes to their own lives, it’s different.

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Saturday Night Live “Jonah Hill/Bastille” Live Blog/Review (39×12)

25 Jan

snl-screenshotCheck in every 10 minutes or so for updates.

HETEROSEXUAL FIGURE SKATING: ROAD TO SOCHI--Okay? I have mixed feelings on this; on the one hand, the premise isn’t particularly great, but on the other, the visual of Pharoah, Moynihan, and the rest trying to skate is good from some hilarious moments. GRADE: C+

MONOLOGUE: Hey, Jonah Hill. He comes out and everyone starts asking questions about DiCaprio, and there’s Leo himself! I wasn’t sure he would show up–thank you, Jonah Hill–but he does, and the interplay is fantastic here. The Titanic moment is great, and I’m hoping Leo can come back sometime with an Oscar to his name. GRADE: B+

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The Vampire Diaries “500 Years of Solitude” Review (5×11)

23 Jan

500 Years of SolitudeHappy 100th, The Vampire Diaries.

I haven’t written about this show since the season 5 premiere, but I thought I’d drop by and see how our lovely Mystic Falls residents are doing tonight. It’s been a fairly disappointing season thus far, but the show’s 100th episode delivers all the goods; it’s mostly fan service, but in a good way.

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