Hello and welcome back to Last Week in TV. I hope your week went well. I'm slowly trying to get caught up on backlogged series so in the upcoming weeks I will be dropping more shows to marathon later status. This week that show is Limitless. I'm not feeling the characters and several of the stunts are too goofy for me, like the entire episode when they substituted the word "hug" for kill. I hope to pick it up over the summer and see if it improves. Legends of Tomorrow will likely be the next on the list. As for Shadowhunters, I've completely dropped it - no summer marathon at all. I can't stand the writing, acting, or characters so it was an easy decision. Have you been dropping anything in the wake of midseason shows or the return of fall ones? So many shows, so little time. This week the random number generator picked the Jessica Jones pilot as the nominated episode. However since I have already reviewed the pilot (and found it to be too slowly paced) I will review the second episode instead. I'm looking forward to seeing if the story moves quicker in this one. If you would like to nominate an episode, please fill in the short 2-question form below. Thanks to everyone who has already nominated. Until next week, happy TV viewing!
Episode of the Week
Note: This is actually 2 episodes instead of just the latest one since I reviewed them together before knowing it would be the episode of the week.
I've missed Fresh Off the Boat, especially the great relationships. Luckily these two episodes were full of great character interactions. In the first one, it's all about family and friends coming together to make things special. Special hats off to Mitch and Nancy for figuring out how to do an authentic dragon dance in the years before YouTube. That's impressive. What I really liked though is that the neighborhood women were there too, making it official that the Huang's are accepted even after initial issues. The second episode was all about Marvin and Honey. I love that we are getting more insight into them and that they are not stereotypical when they could so easily have been. Despite the age difference, you can tell that there is real affection between them and it makes a great contrast between Jessica and Louis. I didn't even have a problem with Emery being the catalyst for romance drama. All in all, this episode did a great job showing love in all its forms. Now that's what Valentine's Day is all about.
Grade: B+ / A-
Best Reason to Watch - again it's all the heart in the show
Best Scene - friends make a Chinese New Year for Jessica
Best Aww Moment - Marvin apologizes to Honey about lying to her
Best Cameo - Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who I had to look up (producers for Janet Jackson)
Best PSA - in a relationship, it's about the little things more than the big gestures
Best Reaction - the airline employee to Jessica breaking out into her best Tina Turner in the lobby
Best Effort - Louis brings Chinese New Year to Cattleman's Ranch
Most Oblivious - Honey, who jogs in to take care of the house not realizing that the Huang's didn't leave / Jessica not realizing that Marvin and Honey are NOT fixing a water leak
Most Romantic - Marvin and Honey, who really do date night well
Most in the Doghouse - Marvin for not telling Honey that he was married twice before
Most Sad - when your son has to remind you to be romantic with each other
Most Awkward - Jessica and Louis trying to take a couple's photo
Worst / Most Selfish Grandchild - Eddie
Worst Stand Up Comedian - Evan
Worst Dinner Hosts - Marvin and Honey, who sneak off to have sex
Worst Idea of Romance - doing taxes
Biggest Player - Emery
Biggest Relief - Marvin when he realizes Emery is in his bedroom and not missing
Biggest Oops - Louis gets flight tickets for the wrong day
Biggest Question - Why didn't the Huang's just drive up to DC? It's only about 12 hours and probably cheaper than flying since gas only cost about $1.20 a gallon in the early 90's. Plus a Huang family road trip would have been hilarious.
Best Quotes -
1. Marvin: "Yeah I know you think that romance is all about the big gestures, son, but it's about the little things too. You want to hear the most romantic thing Honey ever did for me? Well one day I came home late from golf and there on the table I saw a pair of overeasy eggs that Honey had left for me. I ate them up. I passed out with the plate on my chest and when I came to I looked down. What did I find? Another pair of eggs. She knew that I'd want more. More eggs. Those are the little things. That's romance, son."
2. Attendant: "Are you traveling with any hazardous materials?" Louis: "No just a bag of fireworks, a pocket knife, and some crème brulee torches we're giving as gifts." Attendant: "That's all fine just as long as you're not bringing any citrus."
3. Louis: "I lost 2 pounds but gained a wife."
4. Honey: "Why didn't you tell me about her?" Marvin: "I just didn't want you to think I was bad at marriage. I mean one divorce, that's life. Two divorces, that's a pattern. Boopsy, I just didn't want to give you another reason to think that it wouldn't work out with me."
5. Louis: "I mean you should see how crazy it gets in Chinatown. If you can breathe properly the next day, you weren't there."
Nominated Episode
Like in many genre shows, Heroes is hard to jump into. I have a feeling I would have understood and probably liked this episode better if I had seen the 16 episodes before it. Given all the flashbacks about how Noah was involved in the corporation, I'm fairly sure this was an important episode in the canon of Heroes. However, having no insight or background on his character, I was left wondering why anyone would ever sell their soul to a company that had zero regard for human life and who expected you to hand over your own daughter to them. What made him so screwed up? Even without background knowledge though, I can appreciate this episode for what it is - a mostly tight paced action adventure with enough twists and heroic moments to keep my attention. There were too many flashbacks for me but other than that I enjoyed the saga of mutants vs. "the man". I empathize with Matt but Ted was too far gone for me to wish anything except for his death. Claire was the biggest mystery for me, mostly because she started off so bratty but then turned into the hero. It was a dichotomy that intrigues me. If she's more hero than brat in other episodes, I can see the appeal of this character. I'm not sure if I will ever sit down and watch Heroes because of the weird "girl in the video game coming to life" thing in the pilot of Heroes: Reborn, but this sneak peek into the series has sparked my interest. If you like sci-fi and aren't afraid to go way out there in terms of story, this might be a series for you.
Grade: B
Ranking - 3
Audience - those that like far out sci-fi shows with a huge cast of characters, many of whom are played by actors in other favorite shows
Best Reason to Watch - If you've seen the rest of season 1, I am betting the flashbacks. If you haven't, the action.
Best Scene - Claire saves everyone
Best Aww Scene - flashback of Claire and her dad picking out glasses
Best Character - Sandra, who doesn't seem to have any special powers except that of a mother's love
Best Action - Ted starting to explode
Worst Plan - Claire comes out of the front door of the exploding house, showing everyone that she can heal herself instead of going out the back and leaving at least some doubt
Worst Parenting Choice - Technically this goes to putting your entire family, including your kids, in jeopardy because you work for an evil corporation. However, moving past that, it's definitely NOT telling your kid she's adopted from the beginning and when you do, not planning it out and having both parents there.
Biggest Hero - Claire, who saves them all at some point in the episode
Biggest Urgh - Thompson, who I assume is Head Evil Guy's main henchman and only makes things worse
Biggest Facepalm - get the feet undone first, leave, and then get the hands undone not the other way around, Claire / Why go all the way to the front door instead of slipping out the back door?
Biggest Shock - I'm going to guess that it's either the fact that Claire is not actually Noah's daughter or that Hiro is the son of Head Evil Guy
Least Smart - Claire peeking around where Ted can see her when she's supposed to be playing dead
The "I Don't Get It" Award - Why are all these people so willing to die or kill those they love to please "the Company"? What are they getting out of this?
The "Go with Your Gut" Award - Matt should definitely stick with NOT involving the family if at all possible
The "Welcome Back" Award - Christopher Eccleston from the Doctor Who reboot / Jack Coleman from Burn Notice / Greg Grunberg from Felicity / Hayden Panettiere from Nashville / George Takei from Star Trek / Eric Roberts from the same womb as Julia Roberts
Best Quotes -
1. Matt: "Do you want revenge or do you want the truth? You can't have both."
2. Sandra: "I always thought you were a miracle. Didn't know how much of one until now."
3. Noah: "If she is then I'll take her and it's done." Claude: "Oh just like that. Father of the Year, you are."
4. Noah: "How do I look?" Claire: "Like my dad."
5. Claire: "You don't have to do this. There's got to be a better way." Haitian: "This is the best way. There can't be any doubt cast on your father."
Guest Reviews
BY Emma
Picking up where we left off last week, Jane is hot for teacher. We’ve all had a crush on a teacher at some point in our lives and I’m sure none of them were as good looking as Professor Chavez! Likewise, we’ve all misread signs before and as hilarious as Jane’s botched escape after a misread lean in was, I felt her embarrassment and humiliation. Kudos to Gina, with a little help from her GPS, for really selling that scene. However, it was what she did afterwards that really hits home – she faced it head on, talked about it with Professor Chavez and then fully admitted that after crossing the line, she couldn’t go back to the way it was and for the sake of her writing (you know, the whole reason she’s in grad school) she had to find another advisor. Words cannot express how relived I am that the writers had Jonathan wait to express his interest in Jane until after she came to the conclusion that she needed a new advisor on her own. This makes the decision about her writing, not about the guy, and shows that she wasn’t misreading the signs; he just didn’t realize he was sending them! Meanwhile, Xo and Rogelio have come to a crossroads in their relationship. Rogelio wants more kids and Xo, while preparing for her 40th birthday celebration, realizes that she doesn’t. Now that Jane has grown and is a mother herself, Xo wants to focus on her career. After one of the sweetest proposals I’ve seen in a while, Rogelio’s hurt and uncertainty when Xo tells him of her change of heart was palpable and disheartening. By the time this posts, I will be less than two weeks away from my 40th birthday and even though I’ve never wanted kids, I too am on the threshold of starting a new career so I fully understand where Xo’s head is at right now. I hope Rogelio and she can work it out as they are the cutest couple on the show. Last but not least, in a twist that I did not see coming at all, it turns out that Rose and Mutter are not rivals – but family! Now that Michael and Suzanna know the connection between the two crime lords and have made some progress on the chip, I hope we get to see them making some significant busts so Michael’s career can get back on track.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch – Jane misreads the signs / Sin Rostro & Mutter connection
Best Scene – disastrous kiss followed by parking problems preventing a quick escape
Best Lesson – some lines you can’t uncross
Most Unexpected – Rogelio gives his mother’s wedding ring to Jane instead of proposing to Xo with it
Least Unexpected – Mateo swallows the diamond
Most Surprising – the wedding is being moved because of Petra, not the two crime lords
Best Translation – Back in the day = when he was a player
Most Smarmy – Rafael, back in the day
Best Reaction – Professor Chavez to his mom being star struck
Biggest Heartbreak – Xo doesn’t want more kids so the engagement with Rogelio is on hold
Best Inspiration – former barista uses abuse from a customer to create the sculpture that made her famous
Best Narration – Jane takes over during operation “Suss out whether or not Professor Chavez may be receptive to a relationship between two mature, consenting adults one of whom is Jane”
The “I’m With Jane” Award – discussing your sex dream with your mom is definitely crossing the line
The “Grossest Thing Ever” Award – Xo spitting her toothpaste in Jane’s hair instead of the sink
The “Not Helping Your Case” Award – Rogelio swinging his hand around with scissors in them while trying to convince Jane he is a good babysitter
The “Welcome Back” Award (character) – Rose Solano/Sin Rostro
Best Quotes:
1. Jane: “Mom, he’s my advisor. It wouldn’t be appropriate.” Xo: “Then why did you put on lipstick to go meet with him? What’s that shade called, Lusty Virgin?”
2. Rafael: “Ok, a little bad news, but I need you to stay calm.” Petra: “In the history of time, has telling anyone to stay calm actually helped them stay calm?”
3. “On the bright side, it inspired one of my best works. I call it The Trophy Wife. Available for purchase of course, just like the best of them.”
4. Xo: “You misread the signs, we’ve all done it.” Jane: “Really? You made out with a guy’s sweater as he desperately dodged your kiss?”
BY Laura Markus
Wow, what another boring and uneventful episode. At one point I thought this was better than last week's but now I'm not sure. Aside from the very first scene of the episode being great, every other scene was agonizing to watch. Mike and Harvey bickered the entire time, and they weren't productive, in-character fights either. Jessica was a boss, as per usual. Anita is continuing down her path of rage against the firm. Louis and Sheila did have a chilling scene towards the end. That was actually well done and interested me, and that is a tall order since I despise Louis. Donna and Rachel had a great scene too, which completely made up for last week. Scottie was awesome too, and what I loved most about the episode was Harvey basically chooses Scottie over Donna, which I am always okay with. Scottie and Rachel had a nice scene at the end too; Scottie really knows her stuff. Overall, it could be considered as another filler episode and ultimately was hard to watch at times. Rewatch Blowback instead.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - If you like out of character bickering across all characters, watch this.
Best Scene - The opening scene of Harvey and Mike vs. Anita in the courtroom.
Best Character - Scottie, by far.
Funniest Moment - Jessica brings Harvey a doughnut and Harvey says he doesn't have time for this.
Most Annoying Scene - Pick any one of Harvey and Mike's poorly written arguments.
The "Oh, Cr**!" Award - The Louis and Sheila scene was thrilling, but also scary.
Best Quotes:
1. Harvey: "What's that?" Jessica: "What does it look like?" Harvey: "Looks like something I don't have time for." Jessica: "Well, make time!" Harvey: "Jessica, we've got a thousand boxes of shit to go through, and I've got trial in two weeks." Jessica: "What?" Harvey: "That's right, the date's been set. So I'm sorry that I can't have a doughnut with you right now, but I've got something a little more important to deal with." Jessica: "Harvey, I understand, but our clients are being circled. Our reputation's getting tanked, and we're getting sent shit associates." Harvey: "And Mike Ross is facing prison." Jessica: "And you're handling one thing, while I'm handling everything else." Harvey: "Jessica-" Jessica: "No, never mind, Harvey. It's clear that you really don't care about keeping this firm together." Harvey: "I resigned to keep this firm together." Jessica: "Well, it sure doesn't seem to be working out that way, does it?"
2. Mike: "Harvey, I'm not sure this is the best idea." Harvey: "We need to know what she has. What's the downside?" Mike: "The downside is that we move up the trial." Harvey: "Mike, this trial's coming, whether we like it or not. And the more time we have knowing her game plan, the better off we'll be." Mike: "Holy sh**." Harvey: "What?" Mike: "I took the LSATs with this guy." Harvey: "So what?" Mike: "So he can give Gibbs something she doesn't even have on me yet." Harvey: "Yes, but to do that, he'd be ruining his whole career. Which means, even if he remembers you, he's more afraid of you than you are of him. So calm the hell down."
3. Sheila: "Louis. What are you doing here? We've been over this. There's nothing I can do-" Louis: "I'm not here about the associates. I need you to take this." Sheila: "What's that?" Louis: "It's a ticket to Argentina. I need you to go there until the trial is over." Sheila: "And why would I do that?" Louis: "Because the prosecution has no power to subpoena you there." Sheila: "Let me get this straight. You want me to flee the country, so you can protect yourself." Louis: "I want you to flee the country so you can protect yourself." Shelia: "Louis-" Louis: "Sheila, you take that stand, and you're gonna say things that hurt us, which means Harvey is going to say things that hurt you and I will not be able to handle that." Sheila: "The truth isn't gonna hurt me, Louis." Louis: "Isn't it true, Ms. Sazs, that while you claim no one had unauthorized access to the Harvard file room, there were times you were derelict in your duties?" Sheila: "I've never been derelict in my life." Louis: "Then how does that explain the fact that there's a man in this courtroom that had unauthorized access to that very room?" Sheila: "Louis, please." Louis: "Was it because you had a relationship with that man? A relationship that ultimately failed?" Sheila: "That's not-" Louis: "Relevant? It's more than goddamn relevant! Because when he broke up with you, you started this vicious rumor to get back at him." Sheila: "That's a lie. Those are all lies." Louis: "It is a lie that you had sex with that man, and left him alone in the supposedly impenetrable Harvard file room?" Sheila: "Louis, this could cost me my job." Louis: "GD it! Harvey's not gonna care." Sheila: "No. It's not a lie." Louis: "And if you did that with him why should we believe you didn't do that with others? [...] I'm sorry. Sheila, I'm only trying to protect you." Sheila: "If you really wanted to protect me, you wouldn't tell Harvey those things in the first place." Louis: "He's gonna want me to tell him. Anything I know that would help. You asked me to not make you lie. Please, don't ask me to lie to him." Sheila: "Okay, Louis. I'll go."
4. Harvey: "What the hell do you want?" Anita: "Oh, since you made me come all the way down here, I thought I'd save the taxpayers some money on hiring a server." Mike: "A server for what?" Anita: "For your fiancée. I'd like to ask her some questions." Harvey: "Get the hell out of here. You want to serve a subpoena, you serve it to her." Anita: "Well, then I wouldn't get to see the look on your face. Did you really think I wouldn't hit you where it hurts? I was saving your weakest spot for last. Have a nice day, gentlemen." Harvey: "What?" Mike: "You know what. It's time we give that woman a taste of her own medicine." Harvey: "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mike: "It means we hire a lawyer from an outside firm, and we dig up dirt on someone she cares about." Harvey: "Are you out of your mind?" Mike: "You saw what she did to Donna. It's only a matter of time before she tries to pull the same sh** with Rachel." Harvey: "Mike-" Mike: "Harvey, you're the one that taught me that when someone puts pressure on you, you put it back on them." Harvey: "I also taught you if you're gonna take a swing at someone, you better knock them out, and if we pull the sh** that you're talking about and get caught, all that happens is I get thrown off this case, and it's game over." Mike: "Harvey, I can't stand by and watch while the people I care about get attacked, and neither could you." Harvey: "Mike, I promise you, I will be there for Rachel every step of the way. In the meantime, I need you going through every one of those boxes. Because if that woman is ready to go to trial, she's got a lot more than an e-mail from Louis' girlfriend."
5. Rachel: "Hi, Donna. Is there, um is there something I can help you with?" Donna: "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about what happened with the dean. And I'm glad that Mike took care of it." Rachel: "Thank you. I'm sorry that that I didn't come to you with this whole thing, but I-I" Donna: "They were pressuring you to turn on Harvey and based on our last conversation, you didn't think I was the right person to talk to about that." Rachel: "As usual, you're right." Donna: "Rachel, I got upset because I didn't want to think about what I do if I have to choose between my dad and Harvey. And this whole situation sucks. And we may have to make hard choices, and I want you to know that no matter what you do, you're my friend. And I will always love you." Rachel: "I will always love you too."
Weekly Shows
Oh The 100, you do make it difficult to grade you. Everything about Polis was awesome. Everything outside of Polis sucked out loud or at least the vast majority of it did. Lexa rocked the episode like the star she is. Not only was she the only leader that didn't fall down on the job, but she was also the kick butt warrior we know her to be. She's that exciting combination of smart and powerful that makes her character fascinating even when she's betraying Clarke's people or playing down the importance of things. It's such a relief that Lexa didn't die. I figured she would make it through the duel with little problem but I expected someone to assassinate her in her bed at the very end of the episode. She's been acing the show too hard for them not to do something evil to her character. That's just The 100 way. Here's hoping she gets more screen time in the future and for goodness sake, could we please stay the whole time in Polis? I'm sick of Arkadia already. With Kane, Abby, and Bellamy acting out of character and Pike proving himself to be the moron I suspected he would be, everything Arkadia sucked big time except Lincoln. Lincoln's too good for the Arkadia clown show.
Grade: C+ (the plus and a whole letter grade is for Lexa alone)
Best Reason to Watch - Polis and more specifically Lexa
Best Reason to Fast Forward - Arkadia
Best Scene / Best Action / Best Twist - duel between Lexa and Roan, culminating in the Ice Queen's death
Best Character - Lexa
Best Info - the kill order against Lincoln has been lifted which means he can really be a part of things again
Best Leader - Lexa, who happens to be the only good and sane leader in this episode
Best Plan - Roan and Clarke attempt to poison the Ice Queen
Worst Plan - electing Pike as Chancellor
Biggest Help - the subtitles which means I can now spell Skaikru without guessing
Biggest Moron - swing a stick at anyone in Arkadia and you have a great chance of finding a winner
Biggest Douche / Most Needing to Die - still Jasper and Pike has been added to the competition, so that's a real win
Most Out of Left Field - What's up with Finn's ashes?
Most Missed Opportunity - When Clarke takes down her hood at the duel, I expected her to say, "I volunteer as tribute." It would have been awesome. I am actually pleasantly surprised that Clarke didn't offer to fight in Lexa's stead though.
Least Confident - Why is Clarke so sure that Lexa will lose? Lexa is a better warrior than Clarke and Clarke almost bested Roan in the second episode. It's not like the guy is invincible.
Least in Character - Kane, Abby, Bellamy
The "It's About Time" Award - Monty calls Jasper out on being a complete douche and says he's done
The "Say What?" Award - Lexa's blood is now black too? Haven't we seen her bleed before?
Best Quotes -
1. Lexa: "I'm the Commander. No one fights for me."
2. Monty: "For 3 months I've watched you torture yourself and everyone around you, mostly me, but I'm done being your punching bag. Either you pull yourself together and get on with your life or you fall apart alone."
3. Roan: "Get it over with." Lexa: "Blood must have blood."
4. Lexa: "You're driven to fix everything for everyone but you can't fix this. I have to do this on my own and you have to let me."
5. Lincoln: "Get knocked down. Get back up again."
6. Lexa: "The Queen is dead. Long live the King."
By far the best part of this episode is Rose. I had no idea she was so handy or so well-trained. Here's hoping she goes into the field more often because not only can she take out a bad guy, but she's also good with a pep talk in a pinch too. That's a great combination. It feels like I am repeating myself but the writers of Agent Carter are the absolute best at writing female characters. I've always liked Rose but who knew she had such depth as a character? I do wish that they would add a little more depth to Jarvis this season though because it feels like he's backslid into mere comic relief. I'm not okay with that. Does no one remember that he was a soldier too? While I am always good with female power, that doesn't mean we can't have a little male power too and Jarvis deserves to be fleshed out more. It goes without saying that Carter's "will they-won't they" with Wilkes and the Sousa subplot with Violet are annoying too. Violet deserves much better. Being that this is Agent Carter, I expect her to get it soon because love triangles are so beneath this show.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - Rose in the field, taking out the bad guys
Best Scene - Jarvis tucks in Carter and tries to take care of her
Best Music - the caper music while Carter fries Jones' brain over and over again
Best Surprise / Best Character - Rose
Best Pep Talk - Rose to Samberly
Worst Boss - Manfredi, who beats a worker for looking at Frost
Most Distracting - I just saw Fresh Off the Boat where Ray Wise played good guy Marvin. Now he's playing the schmuck, Hugh Jones.
Most Handy - Dr. Samberly and his toys
Biggest Ouch - Carter falls and lands with a rod in her side
Strangest Use of Slow-Mo - the team walking out of the office
The "You're Not Kidding" Award - that is some top-notch security
The "Wait a Minute" Award - Somewhere along the lines the writers forgot that Jarvis is a soldier. I am not a fan of dumbing down his character in order to make him comic relief.
The "I'm with You" Award - Jarvis, I wouldn't want to be crawling around with spiders either
Best Quotes -
1. Jarvis: "You know these adventures, they're only enjoyable if you return from them, Miss Carter." Carter: "I heartily concur, Mr. Jarvis."
2. Jarvis: "For the record, that was nothing like baking a soufflé."
3. Sousa: "Doctor, how's the door coming?" Samberly: "How's the not blowing us up coming?" Sousa: "Fair enough."
4. Carter: "It's funny. I'm seeing Daniel Sousa but I'm hearing Jack Thompson."
5. Sousa: "Thompson called,. Poking around for you again. How many vacation days you got left?" Carter: "Plenty. I haven't had a day off since Pearl Harbor."
6. Carter: "How can you be sure he's not in the Council's pocket as well?" Sousa: "I'm sure. Everybody hates Samberly."
Ugh, just ugh. This episode's suckiness can be explained in 4 words: Raj won't stop whining. I have no sympathy for this character because he's a complete douche here. I am glad he finally let Emily go so she can be with someone who more deserves her but why, oh why must I suffer him? Only Sheldon's reactions to Raj made this episode bearable. I love how completely unexcited he is about the turn his show has taken. I felt the same way. Still I did love his confession that the pain of breaking up helped him realize some home truths about himself and Amy. Bernadette and Howard got some great moments before his hypochondria got in the way too. Penny and Leonard were just meh. They need to stop putting each other down like a 90's or millennial sitcom as well or they are going to go on my Raj list.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - Sheldon
Best Scene / Best Revelation - Sheldon talks about how breaking up actually helped him be a better person
Worst Timing - Leonard and Penny interrupting what Sheldon was saying
Biggest Twist - Bernadette is pregnant
Biggest Jerk - Raj, who only wants to get back with Emily so he's not alone on Valentine's Day
Most Surprising - Bernadette and Howard actually make decent pet parents…at first
The "I'm with You" Award - Sheldon, the last thing I want to do is listen to Raj whine or Kripke be creepy either. I say we go out for pizza and let Amy play therapist. I'll even put up with you to get away from this.
The "Welcome Back????" Award - Kripke
Best Quotes -
1. Sheldon: "Speak of ending relationships, when British Honduras became Belize they designed a new flag with a tree on it and I would like to hang myself from that tree."
2. Amy: "No, I just blink a lot. It's not Morse Code for rescue me."
3. Amy: "People who are fans of an internet show about flags. Trust me. They're around."
4. Penny: "Do people like money? Is that what you're asking?" Leonard: "A lot of attitude from the woman who thought MC squared was a rapper." Penny: "Now is that a smart thing to say on a holiday that's basically National Sex Night." Leonard: "I'm sorry. You're pretty. I'm stupid."
5. Penny: "Cleaning up is not young and fun."
This episode in particular and the Liz pregnancy storyline in general have me concerned about how The Blacklist is portraying adoption. It makes it seem like adoption is a big evil when it can be the very best thing that you can do for a child. To show Liz's struggle over her decision is good TV. To constantly put down adoption as a choice is not. There are thousands of loving couples just waiting to make a home for a child they can love as their own and that needs to be recognized too. The story itself was an interesting twist and although it is bizarre, the reasoning behind it made sense in a totally lunatic way. I'm not quite sure why Tom is being inserted in such a random way though. Here's hoping they don't kill him off now that they have explained the actress' pregnancy away.
Grade: C+
Best Reason to Watch - the case of the week is sick and twisted but fascinating in a car crash way
Best Scene - Red confronts Lady Ambrosia about the past and tells Theo that he deserves love
Best Save - Ethan, whose drawings help lead to where they are holding the other kids
Least Likely to be Called for Babysitting - Liz, who almost burns down her apartment trying to make waffles
Least Surprising - Gina betrays Tom and the others
Biggest Blech - Tom pulls a bullet out of his own leg
The "Just Desserts" Award - Theo throws his mom down the same well she threw the other children down
The "Poor Baby" Award - Theo, who should never have taken the blame for his brother's death
The "Welcome Back" Award - Celia Weston from Memphis Beat and the movies
Best Quotes -
1. Red: "From where I sit there's only one ugly person in the room and it's certainly not you, Theo."
2. Liz: "I'm more of a Wizard of Oz fan. You can't be a farm girl in great shoes."
3. Red: "Theo, you are entitled to as much as anyone - happiness, joy, a mother's love."
4. Liz: "Missing children turn up." Red: "He wasn't missing. He died 4 years ago and he's not the first."
5. Red: "You think your life is too dangerous for a child but what is your life without one? I can tell you from personal experience, not much."
When cancellation announcements start, I have a feeling this show might be the one I miss most. I never expected to bond so much with these characters and this episode shows why I did. There's so much heart and character interplay here that every story, with or without the patients, is engrossing. That said, the patients weren't as gripping this time for me. The cryogenics storyline has been done before so the only new twist was that Heather was involved with it. The new mother was more about Malaya and to be honest, I spent most of the time trying to place the actress. It's not on IMDb and it's driving me crazy. If anyone can tell me who she is, I would be grateful. I was thinking Sara Canning but that ended up not being right. I know I've seen this lady somewhere. I did thoroughly enjoy the football plot even though on paper it should not have been my favorite. Sadly the little girl subplot, which should have been, is marred by future love triangle nonsense this show would be better off foregoing. I'm still really liking the new Mike character though and I loved him teaching Rorish to let go and let him do his job too. Even better, she took that criticism with grace and learned from it.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - the drama was kooky this time, but the heart was in full force
Best Scenes - the football player talks the coach into surgery and then pep talks him afterwards
Best Aww Moment - Guthrie puts his hand on Angus' shoulder during the burial service
Best Teaching - Mike gets Malaya's head back into the game and onto her patient while Rorish lets him do his job
Best Character Interaction - Mike and Rorish
Worst Plan - cryogenics
Biggest Cameo - Odell Beckham, Jr., whom I had to look up but plays football for the New York Giants
Most Refreshing Attitude - Heather doesn't care about if cryogenics is going to work or not. She's just worried about paying off her student loans.
Most interesting Suggestion - Guthrie tells Angus to go to the funeral of Malaya's attacker
Least Surprising - Campbell ends up working on the girl anyway
The "Welcome Back" Award - Beau Bridges from pretty much everything, who also brought his daughter Emily along to get more acting experience? / Meagan Good from Deception and Minority Report
Best Quotes -
1. Mike: "I'm the resident director now and he's a resident so by definition I direct the residents." Rorish: "And I'm the director of the ER, which means I direct you." Mike: "But by inserting yourself like that, you undermine my authority." Rorish: "Do you have authority over your brother?" Mike: "That's my problem. Let me ask you. Honestly, would you have ever tolerated anything like that from Taylor or Perello when you had this job? Look, I think we're both just trying to figure out how to put on these new uniforms and make them fit."
2. Hudson: "Have you two been talking?" Grace: "No, that's the universe talking." Rorish: "Neal, has it ever occurred to you that maybe you've run so far from your father that you've run right past yourself?"
3. Guthrie: "I come to all of these. You're not the only one who needs to get right with God."
4. Rorish: "What is that? Tamale for breakfast?" Jesse: "As my abuela Alita used to say, you wear the skin you're born in." Rorish: "Yeah, but did she also mention that your heart has to live in there." Jesse: "Forgive her abuela. She knows nada."
5. Pete: "Where'd you get that jacket, man?" Odell: "Michael Jackson's closet."
This was better than the typical episode of CSI: Cyber due to a combination of things. First, it gave us back story on Nelson's black hat days including a large amount of missing money. Color me intrigued. Second, it let Avery partially (and I do mean partially) recover from her complete douche move with Raven. I like that she put her own reputation on the line for Nelson and ended up making an ultimatum based on her trust in him. Going toe-to-toe with the mayor is the best I've liked Avery in a long time. Third, the case was downright creepy. From eating cereal over corpses to the killer getting his rocks off to people's audible agony, I was more disturbed by this case than most episodes in both seasons. It hit Criminal Minds levels there for a bit. All in all, it was a good episode.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - the case was creepy and very interesting / Nelson back story
Best Scene - Avery stands up to the mayor
Best Backstory - there's $8 million missing from Nelson's black hat days
Biggest Facepalm - Really? He's going to commit another murder. You don't say. DUH!
Biggest Hmm? - Shouldn't there be a way to tell if multiple sightings came from the same phone? That should allow you to track his general area.
Most Literal - Avery says, "Call Elijah. Tell him there's a door he has to kick down." Next second, Elijah is literally kicking down the door.
Most Interesting - a viral outbreak
Most Interesting Addition - Greer, who could either be a lot of fun or a lot of trouble
Most Likely to Have Her Agents' Backs - Avery, as long as it isn't to let them have the freedom to make their own choices. I still remember what she did to Raven.
Most Likely to Give Me Speed Flashbacks - "Stop that bus."
Most Responsible - Nelson understands that people who were hurt by his hacking are not so easy to forgive
Most Kick Butt - Elijah standing in the rain, gun drawn and waiting for the killer
Serious Question - Is there a way to text 911?
Terrifying Tech of the Night - routers that keep you from connecting to 911
The "Thanks So Much" Award - Who needs Tunefind when DB will just tell you what song is being referenced?
The "We Have No Time for This" Award - Why the heck are you three expositioning about his past crimes and not listening for clues about the crime he's about to commit? Really people? This is criminal negligence. Do. Your. Job.
Best Music - Foolish Heart by Steve Perry
Best Quotes -
1. Avery: "The fact remains, you can't rewrite history but you can make it and that is exactly what you did today. Own that. You should be very proud of yourself."
2. Krumitz: "What exactly does an FBI agent sound like?" Nelson: "Smooth Krummy, sturdy. You gotta sound like you just finished the Iron man." Krumitz: "Like I'm out of breath."
3. DB: "Come on, buddy. This is your hero moment."
4. Raven: "Yep, a virus warning is already spreading through social media and there's been a big surge in purchases of old-school telephones. You're finally in style, DB."
Of all the shows I watch, this one has me the most worried. One of the things I love about it most is that it rarely delves into the romantic so I can focus on other types of relationships. Therefore I am nervous about this sudden crush Sherlock has on Fiona and vice versa. I'm good if most of it happens off-screen but if it takes up as much time as this one did, then I'll be rooting for it to end soon. The bright side of it all though is that the show runner is keeping his promise to NEVER hook up Watson and Sherlock, which is still the best thing about their relationship. Beyond the distraction of this new romance, I thought the case was very intriguing from the idea of the police asking Sherlock to brainstorm a heist to the twist of it being a crime committed by the same guy who was trying to take down the gang. His co-conspirator and he were definitely smart about it, given that they stumped Sherlock far longer than most could. They stumped me too.
Grade: C
Best Reason to Watch - the case way above the personal stuff
Best Reaction - Joan to Sherlock moving her bed twice, she thinks
Best Twist - the crime scene was staged
Biggest Creeper - Sherlock, coming into Joan's room while she slept and redecorating
Most Awkward - this non-date with Sherlock and Fiona
Most Juvenile - Watson bringing up Sherlock's crush on Fiona
Least Surprising - the undercover detective is dead
Strangest Subplot - Sherlock and Fiona
The "Oh, Sherlock" Award - taking all the furniture to recreate the gang's lair on the roof
The "Welcome Back???" Award (character) - Fiona
The "Welcome Back" Award (actor) - Matt Servitto from Harry's Law
Best Quotes -
1. Sherlock: "You want to a steal something from a heavily armed meth-dealing band of bike riding Satanists?" Lombardi: "Interested?" Sherlock: "I'm practically engorged. When do we start?"
2. Watson: "You're finally making up for that childhood you never had…as a 3 year-old girl."
3. Watson: "I'm just saying that you're worrying about the breakup when you haven't even gone out on a date." Sherlock: "There's not going to be a date." Watson: "Why not?" Sherlock: "Because she's more sensitive than the average woman. She's easier to hurt and confuse." Watson: "So…don't hurt her. Don't confuse her." Sherlock: "I confuse everyone."
4. Sherlock: "You're suggesting a romantic interest. More specifically you're suggesting a romantic interest in the vernacular of a pre-pubescent child."
5. Fiona: "I've had boyfriends before." Sherlock: "I myself have not. Perhaps I just haven't met the right guy."
Now that is more like it. After weeks of The Flash 90210, we finally have the show I love back again. Barry especially has improved now that he's decided to spend his time getting things done instead of wallowing in Patty's absence. Plus, Wells not only succeeded in his mission but he told Barry and crew about it before he could hurt Barry too badly. Yippee! Now we can all go rescue his daughter together. Others are excited about Earth 2. I'm excited to get my fast-paced, pure heart show back and nothing says a great return more than a passionate Barry speech about helping others. I'm glad he said what he did too because they can't blame Wells for doing whatever it takes to get his kid back. In fact, it shows real character for him to tell them anything and I'm glad Barry recognizes that. Kudos all around to this episode.
Grade: A-
Best Reason to Watch - it's like season 1 The Flash again
Best Awww Moment - Wally explains that he loves to race because it reminds him of drives with his mom
Best Speech - Barry to the rest of the team about helping Wells
Best Dad Moment - I thought it was going to be Joe's speech to Wally about family. Instead it's Joe going after Wells for putting all of his kids in danger - Barry, Iris, and Wally.
Best Acting - Tom Cavanagh
Worst at Charades - Wells, whose hand motions make zero sense
Worst New Knowledge - tar is a component in some candy
Worst Plan - Iris goes to Clark's place by herself
Least Needed Info - Oliver is running for mayor
Most Handy Skill - Barry can read and comprehend an entire world's science in the time most people need to scan a magazine page
Most Likely to be in the R-Rated Looney Tunes - Joey's molten lava fist
Most Likely to Feel Guilty - Wells for deliberately sabotaging Barry, which is actually hurting him to do
Biggest Twist - Iris gets impaled by a shard of glass at the race
Biggest Facepalm - Wells' super secret speed sucker blinks blue lights when it's sucking Barry's speed. How in the world is that covert?
Nicest Surprise - Wells confesses to stealing Barry's speed so they are all on the same page
The "Welcome Back" Award - Sean Owen Roberts, who played Mensa Monster on Supernatural / Teach Grant , who started a coup on The 100
Best Quotes -
1. Joe: "Well look, somebody better send his a**back to where he came from or I'm gonna shot him." Cisco: "Amen." Barry: "No." Joe: "What do you mean no?" Barry: "What would we have done if we were in his position? I mean what would you do if it was Iris, Joe? And Cisco when Snart kidnapped you, threatened to kill your brother unless you helped, you did and none of us judged you for that. We still don't. Because when it comes to family, when it comes to the people that we all love, we're all vulnerable. None of us are above making a wrong decision. He could have done it. He could have stolen my speed, gotten away with it. None of us would have even known, but he didn't and now his daughter's gonna die and we're okay with that? I can't just give up on her. I can't give up on a world - this is a world full of people who are facing death. I don't know. I may not be fast enough to beat Zoom yet but..uh, I'm not gonna just close the breaches and forget about it. We have to help Wells. Look guys, I..I was the one that trusted him first. I own that. I let him stay when literally all of you told me not to, so everything that's happened up until this point…it's on me. But this has to be a group decision."
2. Cisco: "Did I just make the metahuman Tinder?" Barry: "Mm hmm." Cisco: "Nope, not starting that fetish."
3. Barry: "Come on, you just rewrote the laws of physics. Don’t smile or anything." Wells: "I guess that was pretty cool."
4. Wells: "As much as you all want me to be part of your team, that's never going to happen. I'm always going to be a father first and one day Zoom is going to make me choose between you and my daughter and every time - unblinkingly, unflinchingly - I will choose my daughter. I will betray you." Barry: "That's binary thinking. It doesn't have to be either-or." Wells: "Life is either-or. Yes-no, black-white, love-hate. From the dawn of time until this moment right now." Barry: "I guess I just have more faith in you than you have in yourself."
5. Wally: "What the hell are you doing here aside from trying to send me to therapy?"
This is hands down the most bizarre episode of H2G yet. I'm not even sure what's going on. It was more confusing than anything else. A crazy Annalise sundae with nutso Wes sprinkles and a gobmacked Asher cherry on top is way too much loony tunes for me. It makes it hard to pick episode awards, but kudos on the acting. That was as always topnotch. I did like that Annalise was able to keep it all together long enough to give Catherine an out though. It reminds of when she framed Nate but then gave him wiggle room to get at least part of his life back. I also love that the group itself is more cohesive and more likely to have each other's backs. Now that Asher knows everything and they've committed their second murder together, they are functioning more like a team. Nothing like death and chaos to bring the estranged together.
Grade: C+
Best Reason to Watch - Viola Davis, making Annalise losing it a powerful performance
Best Scene - hmmm, either Bonnie confronting Annalise or the trial or the ending
Best Character - Laurel, who is desperately trying to hold everyone else together while she falls apart
Best Character Interaction - Annalise and Wes
Best Reaction - Frank to hearing that Catherine remembers who drugged her
Most Supportive - Bonnie to almost everyone
Most Improved - the study group seems a lot more cohesive than it was before
Most in Need of Therapy - me, if this gets even a bit nuttier / tossup between Annalise and Wes
The "Welcome Back" Award - Benito Martinez from Supernatural
Best Quotes -
1. Wes: "You think I want to hurt you." Annalise: "I think…I think you ruined me. Get out."
2. Frank: "Just promise me you're not going to use them to kill her." Bonnie: "Frank…" Frank: "Like that's a crazy question anymore."
3. Michaela: "Exams are in a month in case you forgot." Connor: "You mean in case he's been distracted by all of the murders."
4. Laurel: "We didn't call Asher that day. No one had his number but if we did, if one of us would have talked to him, none of this would have happened." Frank: "Hey, you've got to let that stuff go. Just put it away 'cause from this point forward we all got each other's backs. That includes yours, okay?"
5. Asher: "Congrats on getting out of bed. Whiskey helps."
Far better than horny librarian brain, silly millennial brain was mildly annoying and much less distracting. I'm good with that. Better yet, it produced a lot of great Ravi snark and who can fault that. I do wish that they would wrap up this Major as faux killer storyline soon, but more importantly, it is time for Vaughn to die. He's not even interesting as a villain. Mr. Boss can fill the role of head bad guy much better and there's always Blaine for the evil one-liners. Surprisingly, I am still interested in the Drake storyline although I do admit that it might be for the actor more than the plot. I think it was sweet that he was so accommodating to his mom, even wearing that hideous sweater. Liv was a good sport about it too. Overall this was a decent episode but there are too many loose storylines floating around right now and they need to start wrapping some of them up before they overwhelm the story. Choose a villain and then channel your inner Elsa. Let the others go.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - movement on many different storylines
Best Scene - Liv and Drake at his mom's house
Best Awww Moment - Ravi comforts Peyton
Best Addition - Drake's mom
Best Question - Ravi: "Why does anyone post pictures of food?"
Best Son Ever - Drake
Best Rhythm - Blaine, who kicks out his frustration to a Debussy beat
Best Reference - Princess Bride
Biggest Idiot - Why exactly can't Ravi tell Peyton no? He is a full grown adult.
Most Annoying Villain - Vaughn, who spends his time getting revenge on internet trolls
Least Shocking - Blaine is the newest drug dealer. We knew that. Why would this be a surprise to Liv?
The "Have You Never Seen a Horror Movie" Award - Peyton goes into a house that is obviously part of a crime
The "Welcome Back" Award - Jessica Heafey, who played Gwen on Supernatural
Best Quotes -
1. Clive: "No visions? I think the radiation from your cell phone is giving your third eye cataracts."
2. Clive: "Tell me more about this mystery man." Tanner: "It's like you don't know what the word mystery means."
3. Liv: "You're a disgrace to your country's proud history of functional lushes."
4. Ravi: "My annoying millennial speak knowledge ended with TMI so I have no idea what you just said."
5. Liv: "Never start a land war in Asia. Don't go toe-to-toe with Peyton Charles when drinking in involved."
6. Liv: "Is your breakfast not using its indoor voice?" Ravi: "Snap, Crackle, Pop so loud."
If this wasn't a two-parter, I would drop this show to marathon status this week. Watching teams bicker and whine is absolutely no fun. But I can't leave Ray, Rory, and Stein in a Soviet gulag anymore than Kendra, Sarah, and Snart can. Who knows about Torn? He's still the shadiest character on this show. Not the most unlikeable though. Now that Hawkman is gone, that's a rotating prize.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - without watching this one you won't know what's going on in the next one, which looks much better
Best Reason to Fast Forward - all the arguing
Best Scene - the remaining characters call Torn out about not sending in backup
Best Toy - ingestible translators
Best Save - Rory
Best Character - Snart
Worst Character - Kendra, who is one whine away from all the socks / Jax, who is a whiny brat / Stein, who wines for adult reasons
Biggest Question - Why didn't they send in Sarah and Kendra? That makes no sense despite what Torn says.
Biggest Hmm - Can this energy circle thing not be destroyed? That seems like the best situation here instead of walking straight into armed guards with it.
Most Awesome Move - Snart uses the chains to get to the basement
Most Annoying - all the bickering between teammates
Most Smooth - Snart stealing the key card
Least Smooth - Kendra pulls out her wings and there's no covert left to the covert mission
Best Quotes -
1. Snart: "Now you're annoying in multiple languages."
2. Ray: "Really? We're trying to save the world and you're lifting wallets?" Snart: "It's called multitasking."
3. Rory: "You better kill me now. If I ever get my hands on you, I'm going to get all Rocky 4 on your a**."
4. Snart: "Damn that was cold, even by a Russian's standards."
5. Snart: "Are you quoting Top Gun?" Ray: "Maybe."
~In order to like Limitless, you have to be able to put up with Brian. Since he is on my last nerve and episode 1.13 was by far the worst episode so far, Limitless goes on my marathon later list. My TV schedule is too full to spend it wanting to throttle the main character.
Grade: D / C+
Best Reason to Watch - the technology of the second episode was fascinating
Best Story - the one Brian made up in his mind about apprehending the hacker
Best Bromance - Mike and Ike and their handshake routine
Most Interesting Black Market Item - Einstein's eyes
Most Funny - the second potential handler's opening moves
Most Eye Rolling - Brain ends up embellishing his record so much that he may get himself caught even after erasing the evidence. I'm guessing that evidence clerk remembers him.
Most Annoying - trading crime words with ice cream and toy names / the freaking dragon guy
Most in Love with His Own Voice - surprisingly not Brian this time but the profiler instead
Least Surprising - the profiler got the wrong guy so Super Special Brian has to fix it
Biggest Douche Boss - Brian tormenting the new guy and again not using his real name
Biggest What the Heck? - Why are they giving these agents info about Brian and his intelligence-boosting pills before he meets them if Brian has veto power over hiring them? Wouldn't it make more sense to only tell the person Brian approves of?
The "I'm with You" Award - I have broken some of those laws on Brian's list too, especially the speeding one
The "Welcome Back" Award (character) - Quentin Walker
The "Welcome Back" Award (actor) - Tate Donovan from 24: Live Another Day
Best Quotes -
1. Mike: "I want that man gone." Ike: "What happened?" Mike: "I've seen things I can't unsee. There's no way I'm leaving you with that naked a** suck up."
2. Brian: "What do you know about optogenetics?" Harris: "Was that rhetorical?"
3. Naz: "Gentleman, please keep the Finch-esque theatrics to a minimum, yeah."
4. Walker: "That is a special kind of crazy."
5. England: "You build a reputation here hunting madmen and you can do good and you can do well."
Recovery Road is really not something I should like. It's emoangsty and full of teens making one bad decision after another. It's got cat fights and more hypocrisy and self-absorption than a political debate. But, it also has heart. Lots of heart. More importantly, just when I am done with a character, they do something or some part of their past is revealed and I find myself sympathetic to their plight once more. There is not one major character that I dislike and in a show about rehab that is amazing. In a show starring a teen, that's practically miraculous. Sure there are some bumps like the "will they-won't they" relationship of Maddie and Wes, but overall this show remains a pleasant surprise. If you haven't checked it out, do so. It might surprise you too.
Grade: B / B+
Best Reason to Watch - there's a lot of hope even in the tragedies of the residents' lives
Best Scene - Margarita gives Trish a job and helps Maddie's mom understand the power of group
Best Awww Moment - Maddie's confession at the meeting / Wes can't save Harper
Best Advice if Harsh - Margarita to Trish
Best Meta - Full House
Best Friend - Rebecca, who keeps Maddie from drinking / Craig, who pays off part of Wes' drug debt
Best Worst Plan - taking Maddie to Harper's house to see what living with addiction can be like
Worst Plan - Maddie ditches to go off with friends was the worst plan until Trish started dealing
Worst Parent - Rebecca's dad who wants Rebecca to lie for him
Worst Searching Ever - Shouldn't a halfway house search your things to make sure you are not bringing drugs in? Two kids have stuffed drugs into their childhood mementos. Did no one even bothered to check? What the heck, people?
Biggest Bad News - Harper
Biggest Step Forward - Maddie goes to a sober meeting
Biggest Hypocrite - Maddie
Biggest Witch - Ellie
Biggest Hero Syndrome - Wes, who needs to help himself because the damsels in his life will drown him
Most in Need of a New Family and a Bigger Support System - Rebecca
Most Honest - Craig to Rebecca
Most Decent Teen - Zach
Most Exhausting - the friction between Rebecca and Maddie
Smartest Plan - Wes plays the voice message of his ex-girlfriend to Craig
Best Quotes -
1. Maddie: "I just wanted to have a normal day but you know, karma's officially unfriended me on Facebook so that didn't happen."
2. Rebecca: "I was set to inherit the monogrammed silverware but instead I ended up here. The family was thinking Princeton and law school, but a career in concessions is close." Wes: "Hey, anyone who doesn't see the value of a job with popcorn benefits ain't worth worrying about."
3. Vernon: "Practice your steps." Cynthia: "Salsa steps or THE steps?" Vernon: "Both."
4. Margarita: "What is this reality show mess really about?" Trish: "What do you care?" Margarita: "I'm asking aren't I?" Trish: "If I get on Fool House I'll be famous and famous people don't get their kids taken away from them. I just want my little girl back." Margarita: "You really want your daughter back, then you need to get yourself a real job. Show everyone you got your life together, you know?" Trish: "Well how am I supposed to do that? I can't even get hired at Urban Chic and their clothes suck." Margarita: "You can start waiting tables at Margarita's." Trish: "Really?" Margarita: "Go set that table. It won't set itself, you know."
5. Maddie: "I didn't talk to one person this whole entire weekend. Do you get how weird that is because I don't have my phone? And since my curfew corresponds with the first spin on Wheel of Fortune, it's only a matter of time before everyone realizes that something is up."
I have a feeling that most Scorpion fans liked this episode but for me it was like Toby handpicked this one to annoy me. First off, I hate Savior Ralph so that ruined all my potentially good Sylvester scenes. Second, in-fighting in the ranks bugs me more than words can say (bad pun intended, sorry) so while I kind of liked a couple of scenes between Walter and Toby, the rest sucked out loud. Third, Toby used to be my favorite character but this season he has gotten less snarky and more flat out annoying. I have a real problem with that. Not to mention, while I was once good with Happy and Toby getting together, the writers proved the first time around that all that does is screw up 2 good characters. I'm not anxious for the second round. Then to cap it off, they play one of the worst pop songs made in the 90's (and there's a lot to choose from) on repeat. Ugh! Still it wasn't all irksome. I adore how Walter has grown enough to go to Toby and apologize even if he doesn't know what he has done wrong. There's no way season 1 Walter would do that. I think Walter may be the most developed character on TV this season. I also like that Paige finally had something to do. It makes sense that she be the one to get the guy to move forward and her speech made me laugh. It was perfect.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - Depends on why you watch Scorpion in the first place this week. For romance - Happy and Toby. For action - pipes about to go boom. For precociousness - Ralph driving. For the team - setting the gas on fire. For me - habit
Best Scene - Walter apologizes to Toby during the rock slide
Best Character Interactions - Cabe, Happy, and Paige
Best Moment / Coach - Paige tough loves the guy to safety
Best Plan - having a backup system for the com system
Worst Plan - Paige signs off on Ralph going over her own objections
Worst Interaction - Toby and Walter
Biggest Eye Roll - Savior Ralph, again
Most Likely to Win in a 3-Legged Race - Walter and Toby
Most Likely to Elicit Fan Cheering - Happy and Toby are back together
Most Annoying - Toby
Most Sympathetic - Walter, who is in trouble and doesn't know why
The "Welcome Back" Award - Penn Jillette from Penn and Teller
Worst Song - More Than Words by Extreme
Best Quotes -
1. Walter: "I'm sorry." Toby: "Huh?" Walter: "Whatever I did that made you so mad at me. I mean I know I have relationship problems. I can barely speak to my parents. I can't date a woman for more than a few months, but I do try to be a cognizant friend to you, to Happy, Sly 'cause we're supposed to understand each other."
2. Walter: "He's intentionally antagonistic." Toby: "Actually I'm half antagonistic on my mother's side but my father's 100% oppositional."
3. Paige: "He is your responsibility so if he gets hurt, cut, so much as a hair out of place, you will not like me very much." Sylvester: "Not sure I like you very much right now." Paige: "Good."
4. Happy: "Hey nimrods, you're supposed to vent the gas, not inhale it."
5. Cabe: "Are you okay?" Paige: "I'm really starting to miss being a waitress."
~I can't tell which is worse on this show, the acting or the writing. Granted it would be hard for even the most excellent actor to rise above this gem: "The only thing I have to do tonight is you." Facepalm. It's not even laughingly bad given the overabundance of emoangst and love geometry. I need to erase these episodes from memory before my brain bleeds. Status - Dropped.
Grade: D / C-
Most Likely to Make a Jaw-Dropping Impression - Isabelle
Most Likely to Make Me Crack Open a Bottle of Wine and Guzzle It - Clary / the writers
Biggest Moron - Simon, if you are in mortal danger in a place you called creepy yourself, do NOT put on headphones so you can't hear anything. What. An. Idiot! (Hermione voice)
Smartest in Battle - Alec
The "Welcome Back" Award - David Castro from 27 Dresses
Best Quotes -
1. Alec: "There is some truth to the idea that human beings should have a modicum of common sense."
2. Luke: "You know guys that age. They're idiots." Captain: "Just that age?" Luke: "Well some of us transform ourselves and hide the idiot within." Captain: "Well if I ever had a daughter, I'd be running a background check on every boy in sight." Luke: "That's some sound police work, Captain."
3. Isabelle: "Don't worry, Clary. I'll watch over the best friend. In fact I was about to make breakfast." Jace: "On second thought, the runes might be less lethal."
4. Simon: "Go be a bada** Shadowhunter, alright? Get your memories back; save your mother. I'll be right here, guarding the entrance to hell."
5. Isabelle: "Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword was an idiot." Alec: "When you're right, you're right."
Aww, that's my classic Supernatural. We've got the new lore and the traditional monster of the week but at the end it ties into the mytharc with a great brother moment. All it needed was to happen over the Impala and it would have been season 2 again. By the way, I adore season 2. The monster of the week case was fairly typical but it was made better by the fact that we got our first new creature in awhile. I like that they are finding lore from all of the globe again. I just wish that we had more time to learn its history. Melissa was also a winner; she made me laugh out loud several times. Still the end all and be all of this episode is the brother chat at the end. I can't stress how much I love this season's Sam. They finally got him right again and Jared is killing it in the acting. Not to mention Dean actually told his brother what was bothering him before it went to crisis level. No secrets and supportive brothers - it's like someone has been reading my deepest, darkest desires and fulfilling my wishes. Keep it up, Supernatural. You're making your way back from that dark pit Carver dropped you in.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - the brothers are better than ever and we got the humor back too
Best Scene - brother talk in the motel
Best Sammy Time / Most Understanding - Sam says he won't judge about Amara
Best Reaction - both brothers to Dean finally winning at rock, paper, scissors
Best Puns - Two Tired Motel (as in car tires) / The Art of Dyeing
Best Visual - extended shot of Impala racing along the road
Best Timing - Melissa and then Sam
Biggest Question - Why are they going over all the holiday episodes in the previouslies?
Biggest Hero (or moron depending on your point-of-view) - Dean kisses the curse on to himself
Biggest Cliché - boinking the babysitter
Biggest Hmm - I guess the brothers have gotten over credit card scams to pay for their motels. Did the Men of Letters leave a legacy to their legacies? They even leave cash for the broken door.
Least Surprising and Yet Most Disturbing - Dean's shifter is Amara
The "It's a Miracle" Award - Dean actually tells Sam his deep, dark secret and before he absolutely has to
The "It's About Time" Award - Supernatural has a new creature again, the qareen. It's been too long since they have explored another culture's mythology.
The "Welcome Back" Award - shapeshifters (kind of) and themed motel rooms
Best Quotes -
1. Dean: "The Art of Dyeing. Well can't say she didn't warn ya'."
2. Melissa: "What kind of FBI agents are you?' Dean: "The fake kind."
3. Dean: "It was Amara." Sam: "That surprise you?" Dean: "That doesn't surprise you?" Sam: "Honestly…" Dean: "Honestly? What? You seriously think the sister of God is my deepest, darkest desire?" Sam: "She isn't?" Dean: "No. She can't be." Sam: "Why not?" Dean: "Why? Because if she was then that means I'm…." Sam: "It means you're what? Complicit, weak, evil?" Dean: "For starters, yeah." Sam: "Dean, do you honestly think you ever had a choice in the matter? She's the sister of God and for some reason she picked you and that sucks but if you think I'm gonna blame you or judge you, I'm not." Dean: "You know that I want her a** dead." Sam: "Yes, of course, and I know you've also probably beaten yourself up a million times over it, but where's that gotten us? Just how bad is it?" Dean: "Standing here right now, every bone in my body wants to run her through, send her back to that hole she crawled out of. But when I'm near her, I don't know. Something happens and I can't explain it but to call it desire or love? It's not that. I'm screwed, man. We want to kill the Darkness. We need to kill the Darkness and I don't think I can. And I'm sorry to do that to you, you know, but when it comes down to it…." Sam: "I've got it Dean."
4. Melissa: "I can't stab anyone." Sam: "Come on." Dean: "Listen to me, Sonya's not just anyone. She is a wicked witch who offed your husband and tried to kill you so if she shows up here, you punch her, you stab her, you drop a freaking house on her if you have to."
5. Dean: "It was Valentine's Day. I can't help it if I'm a hopeless romantic." Sam: "You got half of that right."
6. Sam: "Because her heart was ripped out." Dean: "On Valentine's Day." Sam: "Yeah." Dean: "Hmm, what is that? Like an ironic werewolf?"
To be honest, I would have liked this episode better if it hadn't followed the superior episode before it. Don't get me wrong. I liked this episode. I liked it a lot. I just didn't like the filler and ALL the exposition. Valack could not die soon enough. Half a minute into his monologues and I was snoozing. Even worse was everything Hayden. I didn't care about her waffling over what to do with Deucalion and I hate her "no tights, still flights" power. It's too much. By far the worst thing though was stopping a Lydia rescue to watch Hayden and Liam screw. I was almost done with the episode at that point and it was the first 10 minutes. What the hell, MTV! Did you really not have enough material in a Eichen House breakout episode to fill the entire episode? Come on! That misplaced scene alone knocks the grade down. Other than that, the first half of the episode struggled with pacing but the last half rocked. I loved Stiles getting to Lydia almost as much as I loved Lydia's screams killing Valack. (Well maybe not quite that much.) Another bonus was ScienceMom coming through with the awesomeness. It's about time. Maybe she can join Team Parent someday too. I am a bit curious about whether she is supernatural as well, but I hope not. I like her being normal but still capable like Stiles. Speaking of, I loved that snark was back in full force here. I didn't even mind Lydia telling her mom that Stiles saved her. Yes, it was a whole team effort and every member of the pack deserves big kudos. Still it wasn't them that ScienceMom was trying to kick out of the hospital or Eichen House. I didn’t see it as much as fan baiting or disregard of the others but that Lydia was in shock and wanted her mom to not throw a fit that Stiles was there with her. And no, I don't want Lydia and Stiles to become a thing unless it means that Lydia and Parrish won't be a thing. Then go for it. Less squicky. In the end, this episode is tricky to grade because I didn't care for most of the beginning part of the episode and almost everything from about the 30 minute mark was fantastic.
Grade: C (first half) + B+ (second half) = B- (average)
Best Reason to Watch - Lydia is saved, finally
Best Scene / Biggest Cheer - Science Mom tases Tracey to get Lydia away from her / Stiles gets Lydia out
Character of the Night - Lydia
Best Moment - Stiles throws his body over Lydia's to protect her from the shattering glass
Best Bromance Moment - Scott catches Stiles after Parrish pushes him out of the way to help Lydia
Best Character Interaction - Stiles and Lydia
Best Aww Moment - Stiles begs Lydia to not die
Best Reaction - Liam to seeing the third guard
Best Preview - Stiles runs around the tunnels like it's the last movie in the Maze Runner trilogy
Best Speech - Mason to himself
Worst Aim - Parrish throws Screamer at Stiles instead of Valack
Biggest Controversy - Lydia tells her mom that Stiles saved her and social media explodes because Stiles gets the credit for a group effort
Biggest Lack of Foresight - not checking the transformer shed before the executing the plan
Most Convenient - Parrish can absorb the blast and get rid of the mountain ash
Least Interesting - Who is the beast? Quite honestly, I don't care anymore.
Least Effective Security - the security precautions of Eichen House are undone by turning the power off
The "Oh For the Love of My Eyes" Award - Why the heck did we go from Lydia being taken to two kids screwing each other? What. The. Heck. MTV!!!! You suck.
The "Pity Party of One" Award - Valack blaming the steampunk scientists for how much he sucks. He couldn't die fast enough in this episode.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Meredith
Best Music - Find My Way Back by Eric Arjes
Best Quotes -
Best Quotes -
1. ScienceMom: "Could somebody please get my daughter out of this hellhole?"
2. Stiles: "I'm not paying for the windows."
3. Stiles: "Okay, you've got to try to stay on your feet. The plan didn't work out too well so we need your help, okay?" Lydia: "You had a plan?" Stiles: "Yeah, it looked good on paper. Not so much in reality."
4. Mason: "Okay, here we go. I'm gonna ram the wall. Gonna ram it with my car. Just smash through it, take out the power, and save my friends. Here we go. Alright, just ram it and destroy my beautiful car that my parents bought me on my birthday…but I'm gonna save my friends. Here we go. Ram the wall. Alright." Hayden: "What the hell are you doing?" Mason: "Oh, thank God. Can we use your car?"
5. Stiles: "Lydia." Lydia: "You..you came back." Stiles: "We're getting you out of here, okay?" Lydia: "No, you can't. It's too dangerous." Stiles: "Lydia, please shut up and let me save your life."
The only other show besides The X-Files that can go from a totally goofy episode like last time to one this gory and heartfelt is Supernatural. The X-Files fingerprints are all over that show and this was about as typical X-Files as you can get. It involved urban legend, immense gore, a bit of the magical, exposition on legends, and truly touching moments between Mulder and Scully. Gillian Andersen got to stretch her acting chops in this one as well and the flashback to Mulder staying at Scully's side was a great reminder of the earlier classic episodes. I'm not sure I like that any of the Scully kids are estranged from Mrs. Scully through. She was an amazing woman, who showed great support through everything Scully faced. I'm also tired of the constant references to William. Just get him on the show already and move that part forward. Still my biggest problem with this episode was too much gore. I'd had enough after the first guy's arms were ripped off. No need for repeat showings.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - classic gory X-Files but with lots of heart
Best Scene - Mulder and Scully sit by her mom's bedside
Best Awww Moment - Mulder holds Scully as she weeps over her mother's death
Best Back Story - tulpas
Best Flashback - Mulder sitting by Scully's bedside telling her to come back
Biggest Blech - pulling people's arms off
Biggest Burn - Mulder making fun of the 76ers
Biggest Idiot (and Douche) - the guy who follows the stench down the hall
Weirdest Time for a Flashback - Scully starts dreaming of William during the Trash Man's monologue
The "Oh, Poor Baby" Award - Scully having a breakdown at the lake
The "Welcome Back" Award (character): Mrs. Scully / Dr. Louise
The "Welcome Back" award (actor) - Sachin Sahel, who plays Jackson on The 100
Best Music - Downtown by Petula Clark
Best Quotes -
1. Scully: "Back in the day didn't we ever come across the ability to just wish someone back to life?" Mulder: "I invented it when you were in the hospital like this." Scully: "You're a dark wizard, Mulder." Mulder: "What else is new?"
2. Mulder: "What? I wasn't going to shoot the kid. And I don't do stairs anymore." Scully: "Back in the day, I used to do stairs and in 3-inch heels." Mulder: "Back in the day. Scully, back in the day is now."
3. Mulder: "I'm here."
4. Scully: "They don't care about the big questions right now, Mulder. I just want one more chance to ask my mom a few little ones."
5. Scully: "Please Mom, don't go home yet. I need you."
6. Trash Man: "But if you don't see a problem, there's no problem right. People treat people like trash."
Scully: "You were responsible. If you made the problem, if it was your idea, then you're responsible. You put it out of sight so that it wouldn't be your problem, but you're just as bad as the people that you hate."
Thank goodness the Jade storyline is closed. She was only in 2 episodes and yet it felt like 13. The best part of this episode after getting rid of Jade was the character interaction between Liza and Kelsey. I love how they used Jade's own personality against her and turned a huge loss into a win. By working together in their own strengths, they proved why they make such a great partnership. Let's hope that doesn't change when Kelsey eventually finds out the truth. Josh also continues to be a plus. I love how supportive he is about Liza's shoulder and how it doesn't faze him at all. Liza's the one having issues with her age, not him. It makes him out to be less of a goof and more of someone she could have a meaningful relationship with. Do I think it will last? No, but it's good to see the less slacker side of Josh for two episodes in a row. On the downside, although Diana gets far more screen time here, it's with another author putz. Seriously, do normal people NOT get published? It would be a refreshing change to see an author who doesn't annoy me here.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - dropping dead weight in the form of Jade
Best Scene - Jade finds out what they did and calls them
Best Character Interaction - Kelsey and Liza
Best Manipulator - Kelsey, who screws the schmuck right where it hurts, his wallet
Best at Shoveling Bull - Diana, who thinks the author is as eye roll worthy as the rest of us but butters him up with all the right words
Best Reference - Flashdance
Most Insane - Hugh
Most Pragmatic - Maggie
Most Needed to be Said - Diana tells Hugh that he can never be a woman
Worst Dinner Conversation - urinals and tampons
Worst Bedside Manner - Dr. Kigner, who tells Liza she's falling apart because she's old and nature finds her useless
Biggest Schmuck - Brad Westlake
Biggest Facepalm - Diana wants to screw the author. The author wants to wait to make sure it wasn't a mistake.
Most Sympathetic - when Liza's shoulder hurts, Josh starts holding his shoulder too
The "You Aren't Get Paid Enough" Award - Liza basically writes a biography of Jade one tweet at a time
The "Who Knew?" Award - 40-year-old shoulder is an actual thing although it's more commonly called frozen shoulder
Best Quotes -
1. Lauren: "But what about your Hindu goddess?" Maggie: "I have to say she looks pretty damn good in cashmere."
2. Liza: "I'm sorry you had to hear all that." Josh: "Oh, it's okay. Uh, we better get busy though before you just fall apart."
3. Liza: "I loved you in Flashdance."
4. Josh: "Well you know, I did a little research. Turns out, you know what the cure for 40-year-old shoulder is?" Liza: "What?" Josh: "26-year-old massage."
5. Liza: "It's like she's been writing her autobiography 140 characters at a time."
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