“New York, New York” is a tricky episode from a plausibility standpoint, but it’s emotionally affecting in a way that only a show as good as FNL can pull off. It’s all about our characters’ persistence: Matt is determined to switch to WR, Mrs. Coach is determined to buy a new house, Jason is determined to get a job and be accepted by Erin, and Tyra is determined to escape.
Hi, all. I’m going to be starting up my TV Classic section soon, in which I will be reviewing several of the already-finished shows I’m currently watching. There are quite a few choices:
Friday Night Lights Seasons 4-5, with quick thoughts on Seasons 1-3
Band of Brothers-The Complete Miniseries
The Shield Seasons 4-7
Lost Seasons 5-6, with quick thoughts on 1-4
The Wire-The Complete Series
The Sopranos-The Complete Series
Deadwood-The Complete Series
Terriers-The Complete Series
24-Season 8, with quick thoughts on 1-7
Fringe-Season 5, with quick thoughts on 1-4
Enlightened-The Complete Series
The West Wing-Seasons 4-7, with thoughts on 1-3
I apologize that I’m not starting from the beginning on a lot of these shows, but I don’t have time to rewatch from the beginning. I’m just going off of where I’m at now.
Anyway, what coverage would you most like to see? Vote below! I’m looking forward to bringing you my thoughts!
Credit to HBO and Band of Brothers for all pictures. I own nothing.
This season of Strike Back has been one hell of a ride, and the season finale ties a bow on “Shadow Warfare” with a resounding bang. There’s something inherently thrilling about seeing this show at the top of its game, delivering week after week of brilliantly choreographed and directed fight scenes, as well as more complex character work and chemistry than a show like this has any right of having. Yet, we saw it unfold this year, and it’ll be a long wait for next season.
Due to the unsurprising failures of Ironside and Welcome to the Family, as well as the general awfulness of NBC as a whole, it was announced today that the beloved sitcom Community would return on January 2nd with a one hour premiere. So, two days after getting drunk on New Year’s Eve, we can all sit down and watch, all six of us.
Nevertheless, that is better than the half of a person that watched Ironside and Welcome to the Family, but enough about those shows because they’re already sinking to the bottom of the ocean along with Blair Underwood’s remains.
Of course, although this is good news, that also means we won’t have new Parks and Recreation episodes for three weeks, as NBC has decided to throw The Voice and whatever other crap they want into the 8 pm hour. Parks will return on Nov. 14, and it will move to 8:30 on January 9th.
Community will most likely run its first seven episodes, then take three weeks off for the Olympics before airing its final six of the season. This is good, as three weeks off is better than the thirteen they took off last season. Also, the show will have to be renewed for a sixth season and a movie, or all will not be right in the world.
Finally, as NBC likes to mess with us every chance they get, today is October 18th. It’s not October 19th like it should be.
In other news, Brooklyn Nine-Nine was renewed. This is good.
Credit to NBC and Community for all pictures. I own nothing.
Doing the right thing and doing what we need to do aren’t always the same thing. Tonight’s Parenthood is all about dealing with these uncomfortable situations and moving on in life. Let’s break it down.
KRISTINA AND THE SHADY FUNDRAISING
I’m not a big fan of the storyline in general; I get the motivations behind the campaign, but I don’t really like how it’s playing out. Yes, it would make absolutely no sense for Kristina to run without money, but I wish Adam had not gone to Mista Ray for the 20 grand. It’s more plausible than the Luncheonette profits funding the campaign, but it’s a bit too easy for my tastes. The show needs to explore the gritty details of a campaign and whether or not she deserves to win, and this week’s storyline only scratches the surface. Kristina having to sacrifice her morals to win, or even Kristina dropping out entirely, would both be more interesting than where we’re going now.
ADAM’S QUEST FOR A NEW LABEL
I do like this storyline better, as the Adam-Crosby relationship is usually a good source of humor; watching Krause and Shepard play off of each other is always a delight. I like that the writers are taking them down a newer path that will lead to increased individuality, but I also hope that we’re not going to just see an emulation of the first Luncheonette plot.
VICTOR’S READING PROBLEMS
Pairing Zeek with one of the kids is always sweet to watch, and this bodes well for Victor’s storyline. Much like Adam has to turn to Mista Ray for both his and Kristina’s sakes, Victor turns to Zeek for both his and Julia’s sakes. I’m glad that Julia isn’t angry about Zeek being a better teacher than her; when you love your kid, you want what’s best for him or her. The “jealous parent” storyline is one that I never like seeing, as it inevitably leads to contrived conflict.
DREW, MUSIC, AND GIRLS
Drew has another romance blooming! I don’t know what to think about this storyline. His love interest’s cute and all, but I hope there’s a spin on this relationship; I don’t want it to turn into another Amy, much as I like Drew actually taking the initiative and doing something about his life.
AMBER AND RYAN’S WEDDING
Once again, I’d like to state my love for Mae Whitman and Matt Lauria. Their chemistry is off the charts, and I really hope nothing bad happens. In this episode, we start to see some tension between Amber and Sarah over Ryan’s past. I like that Sarah’s stating her opinion, as she’s actually right (I like her line about her actually knowing what it’s like in this situation). At the same time, I wish she would leave those two crazy kids alone.
GRADE: B
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-I do wish we had a continuation of last week’s Zeek-Camille storyline. That was beautiful and realistic, and it feels too abrupt that Camille’s isn’t even in this episode. You’re right, Zeek! You’re not going anywhere, so you should.
-Drew’s haircut annoys me.
-Heather’s great, as she really grounds Kristina and is good at doing what she does.
-I like the cold open shot of Sarah awkwardly standing beside Amber and Ryan making out.
-“Hank said he would give me 20 dollars if I could shut up for an hour.” Shut up for another 1000 hours and Kristina will have her money!
Credit to NBC and Parenthood for all pictures. I own nothing.
First, let’s get this out of the way….Tatiana Maslany freaking rocks.
There. All right, now onto the rest of the episode.
LESLIE RECALL
Councilman Jamm’s back, and he’s out to get Leslie once again; this time, he’s using one of Donna’s tweets against her. It’s a nice storyline because it seems as if the show’s transitioning from Ann to Donna; whereas this is something that Leslie and Ann would’ve had to go through before, Donna handles it in a different way. It’s a nice setup for a potentially fantastic relationship going forward.
RON AND HIS WILL
Ron’s storylines do seem repetitive at times, but his interactions with Ben are just good enough to sell it. I would like to see him interact with Diane more, but I understand that he’s a person that’s afraid of commitment; it might not be in character for him to move fast. Nevertheless, Scott and Offerman are fantastic here, as always.
TOM AND NADIA
Guest star Tatiana Maslany plays a more straightforward character here, but she and Plaza play their respective characters perfectly. The storyline could’ve easily become cliched (Tom is pretty insufferable here), but the two are able to ground the storyline and make it endearing. Still, I don’t like that Tom gets Tatiana Maslany. He’s one lucky man.
GRADE: B+
Other thoughts:
-“Upon my death, all my belongings will transfer to the man or animal that has killed me.”
-“She was talking dirty to me.” “She was reading the emails you sent to the first woman!”
-“Another word for ‘joke’ is ‘lies’.”
-#Bossbitch vs. #bitchboss
-“Nice meeting you, April….kinda. You’re weird too. “Thank you.”
-“I will leave my children 50 dollars apiece for the cab ride home from my funeral and a steak dinner. That’s all.”
-“We need to talk.” “That has never been true.”
-Ethel Beavers reading Donna’s tweets is perfection. “Number sign.”
-Maslany looks good in a lab coat.
-Speaking of, you should all watch Orphan Black.
Credit to NBC and Parks and Recreation for all pictures. I own nothing.
Ryan Murphy announced today that the next season of Glee would be its last. The singing show that involves lots of people singing and making out is currently in its fifth season of people singing, and the singing will finally come to an end next year.
Murphy stated that “The final year of the show, which will be next year, was designed around Rachel and Cory/Finn’s story…I always knew that, I always knew how it would end. I knew what the last shot was, he was in it. I knew what the last line was—she said it to him. So when a tragedy like that happens, you sort of have to pause and figure out what you want to do, so we’re figuring that out now.”
Of course, he could’ve just as likely been talking about American Horror Story, as Ryan Murphy never makes any sense and has a twisted, idiotic mind.
Most likely, the final season will consist of yet another Regionals, and the Sectionals will become Sectionaled Regionals and the Regioned Regionals will become sections of the Sectionaled Sectionally Regionally Regionals. Also, more singing. The final scene will also presumably just be Rachel talking to a cardboard cutout of Cory Monteith and bawling her eyes out, and the last line of dialogue will be “You’re in heaven now, and I’m still stuck on this show.”
Credit to FOX and Glee for all pictures. I own nothing.
Just thought I’d check in on the season with a few quick thoughts…
-This is the most entertaining and optimistic the show’s been in a while. Sometimes it’s necessary to just let the characters breathe for a second; not everything has to be dark and violent, and this episode is a nice digression from the depression-laced nature of the first five episodes.
-Jax’s long speech to the club is fantastic; not only is it sensible, but it really emphasizes that brotherly connection among the members. This moment was a long time coming (perhaps a bit too long), and it’s acted perfectly by Hunnam.
-The episode also serves as a nice transition into the second half of the season; we start to see some trouble on the horizon with Juice, a guy that’s always been quietly falling into his own hole. That starts to come out in this episode. In addition, CCH Pounder’s Patterson is starting to become increasingly involved in the proceedings, and she’s set to be the club’s greatest adversary on the cop front. She’s fueled by a need for justice and anger over Toric, and it’s exciting to see how she interacts with Gemma and Tara. She can hit the club on the home front.
-The moment when Patterson takes off her wig (“Time to go hood, sista”) is pretty awesome.
-The scrap between the corrupt cops and the club is superfluous, but it’s just fun to watch. The scene where they escape on the bikes is reminiscent of earlier seasons, and I realize that I’ve missed the old Sons.
-Bobby’s storyline turns out perfectly, and it alleviates my concerns about his character. He’s just been trying to do the right thing, recruiting members for the club; it’s in character for him, and it adds to the strength of Jax’s speech.
-Walton Goggins returns as Venus Van Damme, and he’s once again brilliant. The scene feels a bit shoehorned in, but it showcases a different side of the character and opens up the possibility of future appearances.
GRADE: B+
Credit to FX and Sons of Anarchy for all pictures. I own nothing.
NEW GIRL, “THE BOX” (3×05)
Nick Miller is a guy with not much direction in his life, and this episode nicely reflects this idea; he avoids his bills, he doesn’t really understand how finances work, and he wants to play the saxophone in an alley while Jess walks by in a mini skirt, with a gem-studded purse. We’re starting to see signs of focus from him, but it still takes Jess a while to get him to do so. I’m glad she doesn’t set a quota here, as Nick isn’t the kind of person that’s going to live up to it; instead, the storyline culminates in a sweet, anti-bank “protest” at the end of the episode.
In addition to this, we have Schmidt trying to become a good person. I do like that Jess comes right out and states Schmidt’s transgression, and it helps motivate him to help a biker in need. Yet, as expected, the storyline doesn’t do much for him, but it’s a step in the right direction. The C-plot involves Winston, who strangely disappears for much of the episode; however, the final tag is a fantastic gag involving a candelabra and genies.
GRADE: B+
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, “The Vulture” (1×05)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine really seems to be finding itself and its characters, and its unique voice is now shining through, illuminating one of the best new shows of the year. This particular episode involves “The Vulture” (also known as Dennis Duffy from 30 Rock), a cop who swoops in and steals cases; Peralta takes offense to this and tries to vulture his own case. The episode does a nice job highlighting the virtues of having such a wonderful cast; Peralta’s team plays nicely off each other, especially with a running gag in regards to women having hairdryers in their purses.
In our B-plot, we have the wonderful trio of Braugher/Peretti/Crews, three actors whose characters shouldn’t work together, but do. They highlight each others’ differences, and each shines in a sweet storyline, one in which Holt just wants to help his friend.
Ultimately, the gears are fully oiled and running for this show, and hopefully we see some upticks in the ratings soon.
GRADE: B+
Credit to FOX, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and New Girl for all pictures. I own nothing.
Wherever you go, people die.
Nick Brody is the reason for Homeland, but does Homeland even need him?
I’m not sure yet. The character and the actor are magnificent, but would the show have been better off if it had killed him already? There’s no way of knowing, and while I’m sure the writers can come up with something for him to do, it’s all a matter of how well they do it.
As for this episode, it’s a nice digression from the normal episode organization. The episode cuts between Brody’s and Carrie’s stories, drawing parallels between the two, albeit a bit heavy-handedly. Still, this works as a fitting end to our two main characters’ journeys, but I’m not sure if it works as an episode of this show because it’s not the end of their journeys. The show can still surprise me later, but the writers have written themselves into a hole, yet it’s one that is necessary given the road the characters have gone down. There really was no other way this could all turn out if neither died.
It’s a nice character study, that’s for sure. It’s necessary to focus on both Carrie and Brody because they’re simultaneously parallels and foils. The Tower of David represents everything Brody does not want it to be: the end of the line. In reality, it represents everything that he is: a scar that can never heal. Much like Carrie, he can’t come to terms with the fact that he’s got nowhere to go; he’s come full circle from his captivity in Iraq, now in a situation that’s strikingly similar to those miserable years. There truly is no escape, and that is exactly why this storyline can’t really sustain itself much longer, however compelling Danes and Lewis are. It’s time to bring in the aliens.
There are some intriguing scenes in this episode, though, something that seemed to be missing from the first two installments this season. First off, we have Carrie meeting a lawyer that seems to want to help her, but in reality is trying to manipulate her. She sees right through this; Carrie’s never been someone that can be manipulated by strangers, bad guys, and the like; her sharp instincts are always on in regards to those kinds of people. Where her weakness lies is with people she’s supposed to be able to trust: her own government, Saul, and even Brody to an extent. Her need to please those around her holds up blinders, not allowing her to see herself falling deeper into the hole those very people have dug.
Speaking of holes, both characters end the episode in both literal and metaphorical prisons. Brody’s been beaten down physically and emotionally; he’s the guy that always seems to survive, but hurts those around him. Now, all he can turn to is heroin. I’ve seen some grumblings around the Internet about this scene, but I believe it works; he can’t hold on any longer because he’s been holding on for years. As for Carrie, she still has a flimsy support group, but she’s only going to allow herself to work with Saul. She thinks that everyone else is out to get her. The thing is, Saul can’t risk working with her, and rightfully so.
It’s a beautiful closing shot, that’s for sure, but it’s one that suggests finality. I’m not sure where this is going. What is finality but a prison? We can always look for an escape, we can always move on, and we can never be satisfied.
GRADE: B
OTHER THOUGHTS:
-Henry Bromell was a fantastic writer, and this is the last episode credited to him. RIP.
-No Dana this week, who’s probably off banging her boyfriend in the middle of a restaurant somewhere.
-No Jess or Chris, either. Nothing feels different. No Saul, either.
-I appreciate and respect the ambition of this episode more than I actually like it.
-Esme is like an Issa replacement. Of course, “Take me with you!” got a big groan out of me. She’s cute, though.
-I think the time with each character gets shorter as the episode goes on. It’s an interesting stylistic choice that culminates in a final quick shot of the two, and it creates a nice constricting atmosphere throughout.
-I enjoyed Brody’s captors.
Credit to Showtime and Homeland for all pictures. I own nothing.
Polar Bears Watch TV 