Hello and welcome back to Last Week in TV. I apologize to everyone who commented last week. I usually try to respond to every comment but work required extra hours on multiple days. I will try to read and respond later because I am interested in what you think about shows. This week was definitely a better TV week for me. So much so that it was difficult to pick just one episode to be Episode of the Week. I waffled back and forth between The 100 and Teen Wolf but since Teen Wolf got it not too long ago and this is the first really strong episode of The 100, the honor goes to it. Other shows like Galavant also had strong candidates. While I will miss it next year, at least it ended on a high note. The X-Files certainly wins for the most bizarre episode of the month and possibly the 2015-2016 season. As for this week, Heroes is the nominated episode, which ought to be interesting since I've only seen the pilot of Heroes Reborn and nothing else in the franchise. If you'd like to nominate an episode, just fill-in the short 2-question form below. Thanks to everyone who has already nominated. There is a great variety in the selections so far. I look forward to the time that the random number generator chooses your nomination. Until next week, don't forget to leave your comments and episode awards . As always, happy TV viewing.
Episode of the Week
Woo hoo! The 100 is back to its former twisty intrigue and I couldn't be happier. This is more like it. If this episode could be summed up in two words, they would be plot twists - as in one right after another until I wasn't sure who was doing what to whom. I never saw the destruction of Mount Weather coming until the panel came off. That was brilliant and upped the stakes of the coalition without causing us to mourn the people who died. After all we only knew Gina for 2.3 minutes and the others less than that. Unless Monty's mother died. Then I'll have issues. Clarke and Lexa had particularly fantastic interactions and it proves just how well The 100 does female characters. The tension between them was earned and in the end, seeing Clarke do what needed to be done in order to best serve her people was exactly what good leadership is all about. Similarly it was nice to see Kane interacting so well with the grounders. He really is the best candidate for the job of Chancellor right now and Abby realizing that and being willing to hand over the reins to Kane shows what a great leader she is too. Still the best character interaction of the night goes to Sinclair and Raven . Generally I like Raven best with Abby but Sinclair was able to get through to her in a way that Abby couldn't because he speaks her language. I'm hoping for more scenes with Raven and the adults. Overall this is The 100 that I fell for back in the 5th episode and I am so glad that it is back.
Grade: A-
Best Reason to Watch - plot twists / absolutely no Jasper, Jaha, or Murphy - woo hoo!
Best Character - Sinclair
Best Character Interaction - Clarke and Lexa
Best Pep Talk - Sinclair to Raven
Best Twist - Ice Nation sets the mountain to self-destruct and everyone in there dies
Worst Plan - moving farm station into Mount Weather under Pike's leadership
Biggest Hot Head - Pike
Biggest Voice of Reason - Titus
Biggest Betrayal - Echo since the assassin is not at the summit but at Mount Weather
Least Surprising - Lexa throws the envoy from Ice Nation off the tower
Most Impressive - the city of Polis
Most Reliable Technology - How exactly did a working watch make it through the apocalypse and a century? That's some battery.
Dumbest Pre-Battle Ritual - Cutting yourself so you bleed into a tin. How is having less blood supposed to make you stronger?
The "We Hardly Knew Ya" Award - I just learned your name Gina. Why'd you have to go so soon?
The "Enough Already" Award - please stop singing lady so we can get this show on the road
The "About Time" Award - IMDb kept promising me that the Ice Queen was going to be in each episode and every week I was disappointed. Now we finally have her awesome presence.
The "Not Him Again" Award - Last Douche Soldier from Mountain Weather is still alive. Urgh!
The "Welcome Back" Award - Echo
Best Quotes -
1. Lexa: "Would anyone else care to question my decisions?"
2. Sinclair: "Raven, come on. You're not fooling anyone." Raven: "I'm not trying to." Sinclair: "If this machine was broken and you knew there was a way to fix it, would you not do it because it might be hard? Why the resistance? You think you deserve this pain. That this is your cross to bear for your mom, for Finn, for all you've been through. It's not. You deserve more and with the medial equipment in this building, Abby can help you. Let her." Raven: "What if she can't? What if I'm just broken?" Sinclair: "I took a chance on a zero-G mechanic with a heart defect. Why don't you take a chance on her too?"
3. Sinclair: "We'll keep working the tech angle. Hopefully one of us will get lucky." Raven: "Like that's ever happened."
4. Lexa: "You're angry Clarke but I know you. What you've done haunts you and it's easier to hate me than to hate yourself." Clarke: "Oh I can do both."
5. Octavia: "Then we can finally get out of here. I'm sorry, Bell, but I don't fit in here." Bellamy: "If you need to leave, I get that but you'll always fit in with me."
Nominated Show
I'm not generally into medical shows so apart from the first 2 episodes, I missed the ER craze. What I remember the most was how amazed people were by the rapid pace and how they tracked multiple hospital stories at the same time. That is now so old hat that it would be more shocking NOT to see that in a medical drama. Over a decade and a half later, ER is still influencing how hospital shows on TV are made. It's easy to see why. There's a rush of adrenaline throughout the episode and the pacing goes so fast that the 44 minutes seem over before they began. Still the problem in being the prototype is that stories that once felt new are no longer novel. In this one a crazy patient stabbed and killed one of the hospital's own. Coincidentally, I just saw this exact same plot in the latest episode of Code Black, except I knew those characters so the death had more of a punch to me. I think by not knowing Lucy as well, the episode lost some of its emotional heft that I am sure left audiences stunned and saddened when it aired. If I remember right, that was a trademark ER move that lives on in the Grey's Anatomy's of the day. In the end if you love medical dramas, ER should be on your to-watch list because it is the one that started them all and left a legacy of fast paced dramas, with or without the hospital setting, on TV. Because so many shows emulate it, it has aged remarkably well.
Grade: B-
Ranking - 2
Audience - Those who love medical dramas or anyone who wants to see their favorite stars of today in their earlier years. It's amazing how many people starred or guest starred on this show.
Best Reason to Watch - Kerry Weaver having a hard time getting through the day's events
Best Silent Moment - Greene takes a moment to sigh before the grind of another trauma starts
Worst Part of the Job - telling people their loved ones are dead
Toughest Scene - the nurse tells the group at the diner that Lucy is dead and what was joking all goes silent
Least Appropriate Time - Why are you playing the Blame Game right now? There are far more important things to do when two of your own are in critical and there may be a deranged patient roaming the halls.
Most in Need of Being Cloned - Dr. Benton, who is needed to work on two patients at the same time
Most Awkward - the silence while scrubbing up
The "Oh Poor Baby" Award - just when you think Lucy is out of the woods, complications
The "I Feel For You" Award - Like Kerry, I felt an urge to vomit during the chest opening scene. Blech.
The "Well There Goes the Party" Award - nothing like your own people being stabbed to ruin your night
The "Doctors are a Rare Breed" Award - The first thing I want to hear a doctor say is that I'm going to be alright, not a list of what they've done to me. First things first and all.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Kellie Martin from Life Goes On and Christy / Ming-Na, who is a little strange to see with a stethoscope instead of kicking butt on SHIELD / Liza Weil from Gilmore Girls and How to Get Away with Murder / Noah Wyle from The Librarians / David Krumholz from Numbers / so many more
Best Quotes -
1. Claire: "Was there a bomb scare or something?" Greene: "I wish."
2. Benton: "Carter, don't worry. I'm going to explore the abdomen. I'm going to check out everything, okay?" Carter: "I'm glad it's you." Benton: "Hey, I'm getting you through this man. You hear me?"
3. Romano: "Don't worry, Ms. Knight. We've put far too much time and energy into your training to lose you now."
4. Doctor: "Well he could have lived without a kidney. I just didn't want to have to tell him."
5. David: "Her father passed on?" Isabelle: "No, he was still alive the last I heard." David: "Oh, I'm sorry." Isabelle: "Oh don't be. It wasn't your fault."
Guest Reviews
BY Emma
While season one focused on the medical mistake that left Jane accidentally artificially inseminated, how it affected her life and finally the birth of Mateo, this season has moved past the love triangle and opened up the stories to include more characters and more parts to Jane’s life. The common themes in this week’s episode were relativity and starting over which made for some great character interactions. Everyone has junk they are dealing with and sometimes we get so caught up in our own stuff that we don’t stop to think about what the person we just unloaded on is going through. In this episode, all of our main characters had to get through something that was traumatic to them. Jane lost all the work on her graduate thesis and is overwhelmed by the thought of dating. Rafael was drugged by his mother after she reveals herself as the crime lord Muter. Rogelio struggles with his parent’s divorce at the same time his parent’s struggle with starting over after forty years of marriage. Petra had preterm bleeding and after a previous late term miscarriage, was terrified by the possibility she could lose one or both of the babies. Finally, Michael had to come clean about all the illegal things he’s done, even if they were done for the right reasons. You’re probably thinking this is super depressing, and it probably would be if it wasn’t for the great character interactions that resulted from these trials. Jane gets advice from her advisor that helps her write better than what she lost and Abuela helps her see that dating may seem overwhelming but she is more than just a student and mother and a healthy relationship is worth the time she will put into finding it. Rafael and Petra had a wonderful scene where they picked names for the babies (it kills me that they didn’t share!) and realized that even though they had terrible parents, they can and will be better parents to their girls. Rogelio and his parents clear the air over all the past hurts and Xo has a wonderful scene with Liliana that I never thought would’ve been possible given their history! Lastly, Michael’s admission to everything he did led to a break in the Muter/Sin Rostro case that they wouldn’t have had before. This show has more heart than all the other shows I watch combined and there were so many great moments here that you really just need to watch for yourself to truly appreciate.
Grade: A-
Best Reason to Watch – too many “Awww” moments to count
Best Scene – Rogelio and his dad’s heart to heart / Xo and Liliana heart to heart
Best Teacher Advice – stop trying to recreate what you lost; what you come up with instead may be better
Best Abuela Advice – be picky
Best Facial Expression – Adriana’s “Or Else” look
Best Kept Secret – the baby names Petra and Rafael liked
Most Relatable – Jane losing all her work on her computer
Most Awkward Confession – Jane telling Rafael that her best friend ambushed her with a blind date
Most Heartbreaking – Rafael changes his text to say what Jane needs to hear, not what he wants to say
Biggest Scare – Petra bleeding when she is only in the second trimester
Worst Idea Ever – Rogelio making his mom his manager (again)
Worst Date Ever – skate park, only to find out your date already has a girlfriend
Worst Slang – Rando
The “Who’s Watching the Kid?” Award – surely Mateo was showing signs of crawling before he took off
The “Welcome Back” Award (character) – Nadine
The “Welcome Back” Award (actor) – Diego Boneta from Scream Queens and PLL
Best Quotes:
1. Lina: “I’m serious. When was the last time you got any action? Virgin action even.”
2. Jane: “Alright, where are all these exciting prospects I was promised?” Lina: “Have two more drinks and they’ll start to appear.” Jane: “I’ll take a shot then, for efficiency.”
3. Abuela: “Wow, look at all these guys. It’s like shopping on Amazon.”
BY Laura Markus
This was nowhere near as good as last week's episode, but there were a couple of scenes of enjoyment to be had. The episode revolved around Donna, who I feel has gotten less and less in-character as the seasons go by. We got some insight into her childhood, mostly through getting to know her dad. I really liked her dad and if the episode chose to focus more on him and less on stupid fights and drama I probably would've liked it more. There were also way too many flashbacks. One less might've done the trick. I was looking forward to Donna and Rachel having a great scene together, but that too was squandered by horrible writing for Rachel. Mike and Harvey only had about two scenes together, and of course they were great. I'm actually starting to root for Anita, at least to shut Donna down. And the reveal of Sheila being the one who sold Mike out? That was great. Some actual logic went into this choice, and that's a relief. And the episode's ending was very intense, and was probably one of the best parts of the episode. Overall, however, the episode was boring and annoying for me.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - You can finally find out Who Sold Mike Out.
Best Scene - Just as Mike is starting to think they can win his case, Harvey comes in and tells him they're screwed.
Most Awkward Verbiage - Mike, when referring to the undercover marshal, using the phrase "rough me up".
Funniest Moment - Gretchen informing Louis that she used to play Mah-jong with Norma.
Most Annoying Scene - One of Harvey and Donna's many fight scenes, but probably their flashback one was the most off-putting.
The "You Deserve Better" Award - Gretchen. She's way too good for Louis, and Harvey for that matter.
Most Deserving Of Credit - MIKE, for goodness sake. Donna thanked Harvey at least three times when it was Mike's idea all along to help her dad be free of charges.
The "Oh, Cr**!" Award - Jeff getting in Mike's face. Clearly this is a recurring theme in Suits.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Rachael Harris as Sheila Sazs and D.B. Woodside as Jeff Malone.
Best Quotes:
1. Anita: "Why the hell isn't he [Gerard] here right now to verify this thing?" Harvey: "Because that kid [Mike] cares more about Donna Paulsen than he does about himself."
2. Gretchen: "When Jack Soloff nominated Mike Ross for partner, I know it hurt Harvey a little because he wanted to be the one to do it."
3. Harvey: "Son of a b**, it's Henry Gerard." Mike: "Harvey, if Gerard was gonna say something, why would he wait until now?" Harvey: "I don't know, but it's the only GD person it could be." Mike: "Alright then, I'm gonna go and see him." Harvey: "And do what?" Mike: "I gotta get to him before Gibbs does. Get him to recant." Harvey: "This isn't testimony; it's a tip to a crime you actually committed." Mike: "I don't care! We have leverage on Gerard." Harvey: "Were you in there? This woman has her sights on both of us. You go up to Boston, she's gonna have her people crawling all over Harvard, and you're gonna be the one who lead her to Gerard." Mike: "I can't just sit here and wait for the sword to drop." Harvey: "Wait a second...you can't go there, and I can't go there. But I know someone who can."
4. Harvey: "You're even lower than I thought you were. And I didn't think that was possible." Anita: "Coming from someone with your moral compass, I'd take that as a compliment."
New Shows
Note - I am reviewing the original airing from Sky TV instead of the NBC version.
In British terms this is a bit too cheeky for me, although I expect it has been toned down for broadcast TV. Cursing priests and sex in the street do nothing for me and much of the humor is overplayed. There's also a ton of character setup in the first two episodes that drags the show pacing down. Things start to connect better in the second episode but for the most part they are still a bunch of different stories inhabiting the same setting. For instance, I have no idea how Celine ends up in the same bunker as the rest of the cast nor why they made the bunker for so few people anyway. You'd think they would have stockpiled many of them all over the place if they were going to build one at all. I guess it's up to the survivalists now. Surprisingly Megan Mullally is the breakout star here even though she plays the worst character, a Neo-Nazi prison gang leader named Leanne who takes the hapless Rhonda under her wing. I didn't even recognize her. It was her voice that finally clued me in. The other characters are still finding their footing, although Jamie's best friend Dave is a lot of fun. I'm not sure if this show will get better but in a crowded TV season, I don't have time to find out. This is dropped unless I hear great things about it later.
Grade: C
Ranking: 2-
Audience - those who enjoy laughing at the end of the world and have patience when it comes to plot
Best Reason to Watch - Megan Mullally
Best Reference - the Teen Wolf movie
Biggest Douche - Jamie to Dave
Biggest Idiot - Rhonda, who ticks off 2 gangs because she doesn't believe she's going to stay in prison
Biggest Face Palm - Jamie won't cut through the field because he doesn't want to mess up his paint job
Most in Need of Picking Better Comedies - Rob Lowe, who goes from the mess that is The Grinder to the mess that is this show
Most Common Sense - Dave at most turns
Most Awkward - interrupting the elderly couple having sex in the middle of the road
Least Surprising - Dave's tale about his father
The "Welcome Back" Award - Rob Lowe from the 80's and West Wing / Megan Mullally from Will & Grace
Best Quotes -
1. Leanne: "How'd you know they aren't professional rapists?" Rhonda: "I don't think that's something you can get paid for."
2. Rhonda: "So you're NOT a white supremacist?" Leanne: "No, I am. I just ain't dumb enough to think this is a good look."
3. General: "You think when Roosevelt greenlit the Manhattan Project he knew the details? You think when Kennedy promised there'd be a man on the moon by the end of the 60's he had any idea how? Now these are great men. They announced the intention then made it happen and that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna tell the world we're gonna save the world and then we work out how we do it."
4. General: "Mr. President, this is Scotty McNeil from the Special Situations group. That's our Apocalypse Planning Department." President: "We have one of those?"
5. Celine: "God led me to your door. I won't let him down and I won't let you down." Jude: "What if I let you down?" Celine: "It's okay. I have very low expectations of you."
Weekly Shows
While not quite as interesting as Dottie's back story last year, it was good to know more about Whitney Frost. She's easily the best new character this season, if only because Jarvis' wife has played least in sight for these last few episodes. (We really need her back.)I like that she's a genius who also manipulates the gender restrictions of the day to her advantage and rises above her circumstances. In many ways, Carter and she faced the same problems growing up although they went after their goals in different ways with different possibilities presented. I have to admit that I liked Whitney's flashbacks better than Carter's because I couldn't reconcile the Carter in the past with the kick butt, fierce warrior of the future. The idea that Carter would actually turn down the spy training would never have crossed my mind. It boggles the imagination. The flashbacks also slowed down the pace a bit and yet they stopped far sooner than I wanted them too. I want to see Whitney creating and follow her trek to Hollywood. Does her husband know she's the brains behind their company or is he such a self-absorbed jerk that he still doesn't see all her assets? I'm still hoping she'll dump him and try to rule the world like a good supervillain.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - back story
Best Scene - Whitney takes out the assassin in front of her husband, no longer playing games
Best Dichotomy - the childhoods of Carter and Frost
Best Expression - Jarvis right before he faints from the tranquilizer
Best Back Story - Carter's brother recommended her to be trained as a spy and he's the reason she joined
Biggest Schmuck - Frost's husband
Biggest Say What? - I don't even recognize this version of Carter. I can't see her as ever turning down a chance to be great.
Least Surprising - the brother died
The "Welcome Back" Award - Samaire Armstrong from Resurrection
Best Quotes -
1. Fred: "So Michael, tell me. How goes it at the front?" Michael: "Well there are lots of Nazis there and they tend to shoot at you a great deal. Apart from that, the scenery's splendid."
2. Calvin: "What are you?" Whitney: "Whatever I want."
3. Jarvis: "I trust you have operated a tranquilizer rifle before?" Carter: "I can’t say that I have. Why on earth have you?" Jarvis: "On occasion, wrangling Mr. Stark's animal preserve requires a ruthless hand." Carter: "Not the flamingo." Jarvis: "The koala. It's adorable appearance belies a vile temperament."
4. Carter: "I had to give you some plausible deniability. You've already enough blowback from the SSR on my account. I already ruined your proposal. If I can contain the mess on the rest of your life, the better I'll sleep." Sousa: "Well I'll sleep better if you'll stop pushing me away and let me help you. So what do you got planned for Rufus Hunt?" Carter: "I was thinking I'd kill him."
5. Michael: "This isn't what you want." Carter: "What is it that you think I want?" Michael: "The same thing you've wanted since you were a little girl - a life of adventure." Carter: "I've grown up. My dreams changed." Michael: "No, you've just let everyone else drum them out of you."
This episode disappointed me because I had been looking forward to meeting Sheldon's Meemaw since the early seasons. The parents on this show are usually great but Meemaw wasn't at all funny. Plus it felt like the actress was overprojecting her lines, which bugged me. I wanted her to bring the funny, not the criticism which left me wishing she'd leave and not come back. I get that she's protective of Sheldon's heart but to just jump into Amy so quickly felt bizarre as did her quick reversal after Sheldon's lame defense. The whole thing felt off and I'm not sure how much was real storytelling problem and how much was blown expectation. Either way, I enjoyed the B story better even though I am tired of them always kicking Emily. Either make Raj happier with her or cut bait on this relationship because he's really a douche about his girlfriend.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - the B plot
Best Scene - the Frozen conversation
Best New Addition - Claire, who I think would get along well with Emily to be honest
Best Reaction - Penny to Amy asking if she knew about the engagement ring
Biggest Disappointment - Meemaw, who comes off as overly critical and not so funny
Biggest Gibbs' Smack - to Sheldon for bringing the menstrual cycle into a fight
The "Hold Your Horses, Son" Award - to Raj who plans his wedding practically before he even knows the woman's name
The "Welcome Back" Award - June Squibb, most recently being fabulous on Code Black / Alessandra Tirresani from Caprica
Best Quote -
1. Penny: "What is that?" Leonard: "Roses, Ben-Gay, and Dr. Scholl's foot powder." Penny: "Yep, Grandma by Calvin Klein."
2. Claire: "We're both adults. We can still get together without it meaning anything." Raj: "Not me. Ever since you admitted we had a vibe, I've been planning our wedding." Claire: "Look, it's just coffee. I'll ask you some questions about science and if you propose, I promise to say no."
3. Meemaw: "Is that nice to say to your friend." Sheldon: "It isn't, Meemaw. Sorry, Leonard." Leonard: "Could you please live with us forever?"
4. Howard: "Here we are talking about Frozen and yet you got burned."
5. Penny: "Constance, are you sure I can't pour you some wine?" Meemaw: "Oh no wine for me. Sheldon's bringing me my whiskey." Sheldon: "Here you go, Meemaw. I made it just how you like it. A lot in a glass."
The Blacklist is back to normal now that the plotline of Liz being on the run is over, but that's not necessarily a good thing. Pregnant Liz at the mercy of her tarnished reputation is not near as exciting and quite honestly, you'd think that everyone still saw her as a traitor instead of a victim. Did they not make that part of the press conference clear enough? Besides, shouldn't she have reporters camped around her 24/7 trying to get her story? The cases of the week varied as well. I actually liked the one with Gregory Devry best given its tie to Reddington's criminal enterprise but having Tony Shaloub back on my screen raised the grade for Alistair Pitt as well. The middle one was a bust. I'm also not at all excited about Reddington becoming even more claustrophobic with Liz in the name of protection. Their already wacky relationship is turning at creepy again and he's going to end up making Liz want Tom more if he doesn't stop pushing against it. The last thing Liz needs is psycho Tom in marriage but I need Tom on the screen. It's a tightrope best walked without Red interference. One last note - watching this in marathon again really brings out how many people Red shoots and is still exonerated for. I don't think there's a crime procedural with more blood on its hands given the agents shoot at least one person per episode too.
Grade: B/C/B
Best Scene - Liz apologizes and thanks the team for all they did for her
Best Guy Ever - Aram
Biggest Eye Roll - Red shoots the guy without any gloves and leaves the gun next to him without wiping it for prints
Biggest Moron - The FBI lady doesn't stay where it's likely safe but races right into the kidnappers. Say it with me. What. An. Idiot!
Biggest Say What? - Tom asks Liz to marry him again. What?
Biggest Overstep - Red tells Tom that he can't marry Liz and keeps isolating her in the name of protection
Most Old School - bartering your kids in marriage for the business
Most Likely to Backfire - Red getting Tom's job in Boston pulled
Most Out of Character - Why would Liz leave the notebook about the baby where Tom could find it instead of taking it with her?
Least Surprising - Liz is pregnant / Raymond kills the guy who beat up Liz
Least Healthy Relationship - Reddington and Liz, which is getting to creepy stalker level of protection again
Shadiest / Flimsiest Tie to Mytharc - Raymond says the rest of the bad guys are still going after Liz because she might know something about her mother whom she hasn't seen since she was four. That's laughably flimsy.
The "Well That's Just Disturbing" Award - smelting someone while 60's pop plays
The "Well That Came from Nowhere" Award - Did we know about Josephine before this episode? I don't remember her.
The "Just When I Thought I Couldn't Like You More" Award - Mr. Kaplan brings in a crew and listens disco while cleaning the scene
The "The World's NOT Big Enough" Award - for 2 Raymond Reddingtons
The "Welcome Back" Award - Tony Shaloub, best known as Monk / Margarite Levieva from Allegiance
Best Quotes -
1. Samar: "I'm going to go talk to the DEA and you are going to go to SwagForMommy.com and hunt for some cute onesies." Liz: "SwagForMommy.com? Who are you?" Samar: "A Jewish mother. Part of my Mosad training."
2. Reddington: "The FBI admitted to spending…what, a billion dollars on facial recognition software? Which means at least $3 billion. Honestly if I paid taxes I'd be outraged."
Code Black continues to be the most engrossing medical show on air for me, probably the best I've ever seen even though it is getting more and more dramatic. I actually prefer the tamer stuff to the religious condemnation and mob standoffs and crazy stalker knife sprees. Just give me another great patient like Dorothy or the Lion King guy and I'll be thrilled. As for these 3 episodes, I liked the middle one best. It felt like the most normal of them, minus crazy stalker guy of course. I'm also a fan of Angus' brother in the mix. From Angus' description, I thought he would be a world class douche so it's a great revelation to see him so caring and protective over Angus. The fact that he's a patient and caring teacher as well really makes me like him. He may end up being my favorite. I wasn't thrilled though that they killed off Perello and much for the same reason I didn't like them bringing her on. Switching cast midshow never works and this whole storyline was way over the top for me. I'm also not a fan of the interview format in the last episode. It slowed the pace down to nil and for the first time I was bored in one of these episodes. Still the surprise reveal that Angus let the guy bleed out did raise the grade a lot. I'm still dumbfounded.
Grade: B-/B+/B
Best Reason to Watch - the heartfelt speeches throughout
Best Scene - Rorish forgives the man who killed her family
Best Bluff - Perello
Best Pep Talk - Angus' brother to him / Jesse to Malaya
Best Point - Heather points out that the patient's dad wears glasses
Best Sport - the woman who stays on her first date even after hearing all the bad stuff
Best Tough Guy - Perello
Best Awww Moment - Angus tells Malaya that her attacker is dead
Biggest Twist - Rorish might leave the hospital
Biggest Surprise - Hudson tells the board about Christa and him during his interview
Least Interesting Subplot - Christa and Hudson drama / the board grilling the staff
Most Honorable - Angus' brother demands that their father not pull strings for him
Most Honest - the therapist tells Rorish that she won't feel better if the therapy is working
The "Oh Poor Baby" Award - the man who lost his wife to a heart attack
The "Welcome Back" Award - Jeff Hephner of the cancelled too soon Agent X
Best Quotes -
1. Jesse: "As healers we fight death every day. That doesn't mean I'm not hoping he dies. Better for Malia. Maybe you too. You've been through a lot, Angus." Angus: "I'm okay." Jesse: "You know better than to lie to your Mama."
2. Ed: "It's just until Taylor returns. It's not forever." Rorish: "That's what they said about Afghanistan."
3. Jesse: "Don't let this change you. Don't let this destroy the goodness that's in you. That would be the real tragedy."
4. Campbell: "All surgeons are physicians. Not all physicians are surgeons." Rorish: "And all surgeons can't do what we do." Campbell: "And what is that exactly?" Rorish: "The work of a surgeon in a battlefield setting, blind with one arm behind our backs."
5. Campbell: "Protocol says she goes upstairs." Hudson: "The protocol would have killed her." Campbell: "So instead you did." Hudson: "You know we gave Gina the best chance to survive." Campbell: "And the proof of that is a dead woman."
A lot of Elementary's appeal, when not including Morland, is the case of the week. This episode had 2 cases and neither were as interesting as usual. The episode starts off well with an explosion and zero physical evidence left to help solve the mystery but they identify the Jane Doe quickly and from there it's a regular case. The crazy kid with zero affect was quickly followed by the crazy detective with too many emotions, most of which don't make a whole lot of sense. She doesn't ever need to return. Once was enough. Twice was overkill. Third time will be socks.
Grade: C+
Best Reason to Watch - the Watson /Sherlock/Bell detective combo
Best Reason to Fast Forward - Detective Insanity
Best Scene - the cold open / first suspect
Best Detecting - Joan realizes the victim was a roller derby participant
Biggest Eye Roll - Why is this detective back? She wasn't interesting the first round. She's worse now.
Most Dedicated - Sherlock goes wading in the creek instead of walking around
Most Cooperative - the suspect strips down during the interview to prove he wasn't scratched by the victim
The "Say What?" Award - Does Sherlock really think the guy killed someone so that his son wouldn't? That makes no sense at all. Wouldn't a more sane explanation be that he was trying to remove the video camera, got caught, and a fight ensued or something like that?
The "I Feel for You" Award - Eugene gets a date but that date gets blown up
The "Welcome Back" Award - John Finn from the excellent Cold Case
Best Quotes -
1. Gregson: "So Neal got a taste of his son's crazy. That kind of thing normally isn't contagious."
2. Watson: "We really are living in a golden age for perverts."
3. Watson: "Spoiler alert - he gets on the A train and stays there all night."
This is probably adieu to Galavant. It had a miracle renewal last year but given the even more dismal ratings this year, I don't expect another. Thankfully they didn't end on too much of a cliffhanger then. It's still a shame that so few people recognized the snarky gem of this show. Granted, the beginning of this season was hard to get through, but by the middle it was firing on all cylinders again. I love all the meta humor in Galavant, usually hidden in the song lyrics, even when I typically find it annoying in many shows since it takes me out of the plot. Here though it works well, especially in the Good Day to Die song. Nothing like having the characters point out that there's still one episode to go and they wouldn't kill the title character off anyway. I am glad that everyone but Gareth and Madalena have their happy ending. It allows for a small cliffhanger in case of a season 3 but ties up most of the main plotlines efficiently. Thanks so much cast and crew of Galavant for such a fun ride and I hope each of you rides off into the sunset of another series, preferably one with bigger ratings.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - the fun, the snark, and the meta are all back in spades
Best Bromance Moment - Gareth turns down Madalena to stay with his friend
Best Pair of Lungs - the Jester in the opening set
Best Speech - Madalena's thank you speech
Best Character Growth - Richard, who stands beside Gareth instead of behind him
Best Reaction - Madalena to Richard being the true king
Best Return - Weird Al and the Monks
Biggest Laugh - the cliffhanger sound
Least Surprising - Tad ended up actually being a dragon
Most Truth - Madalena calls out the decision to keep the main characters separate for most of the year, which was one of season 2's biggest flaws
Most Screwed - Chef and Gwynne's house is right in the middle of the battlefield
Best Quotes -
1. All: "It's a good die today." Queen: "Oh please, this isn't Game of Thrones."
2. Gareth: "Richard, stand behind me." Richard: "I will not. I will stand beside you."
3. Galavant: "It's a good day to die." King: "But we won't. There's one more episode." Galavant: "But still we could die." Gareth: "We all know that's a massive load of…"
4. Isabella: "I've spent the better part of 2 years in the same outfit. I am getting my happy ending."
5. Jester: "Thank you very much. Here all week…unless I die."
6. Sid: "Men and women of the second season, attack. If I pull this off, he's definitely giving me health insurance."
7. Richard: "Is the Pirate King with you? I love that guy." Sid: "Yeah, we couldn't afford him or the leader of the giants or Jubilee or really anyone else recognizable."
This is not my favorite brain but we did get Peyton caught up about Blaine. Now if we can only get Liv to realize that Gilda is working for Vaughn. Then everyone's on the same manipulation playing field. Otherwise the dog tag was just a fake out and Liv was extra horny. I do like that we are getting extra Dale and Drake time though, so that's a plus.
Grade: C
Best Reason to Watch - more Drake and Dale time
Best Scene - Major tries to get the dog before the police do
Best Meta - the Kristen Bell reference
Best Gymnastics - Major, trying to beat traffic
Worst Plan - Peyton getting close to Blaine. Not a good way to end a dry spell.
Least Surprising - Liv had sex with Drake
Most Outmaneuvered - Dale takes Clive's coffee when he goes to high 5 her
Most Least in Sight - I almost forgot that Liv had a brother much less that Blaine almost got him killed
The "It's about Time" Award - Peyton finally knows who Blaine really is
The "Welcome Back" Award - Lee Garlington from Everwood / Daniella Alonso from The Night Shift and Revolution
Best Quotes -
1. Clive: "Would one of you give me a hand signal or something when you're about to say something useful?"
2. Blaine: "I told you it was a coincidence." Dale: "Seems pretty unlikely." Blaine: "Yeah, that's what coincidence means."
3. Liv: "The Upright Position as read by Kristen Bell. I've always felt a kind of connection to her."
4. Liv: "Have you guys ever wrestled? Stripped down, oiled up, seen who winds up on top?" Major: "Have we?" Ravi: "Strangely enough, no." Major: "Night's young."
5. Liv: "I'm taking advantage of you." Drake: "I don't think that's true." Liv: "Wait. I roofied you with horny librarian brain." Drake: "That's a first." Liv: "She hadn't gotten laid in years. This really isn't me." Drake: "This isn't far from me. Really I would have been willing pre-brain, pre-zombie, pretty much anytime after my 12th birthday."
I'm not ready to commit to Legends of Tomorrow yet. There's still work to be done on characters and especially dialogue but the show is steadily improving. Killing off the Hawk is a real plus so I'm hoping they don't resurrect him anytime soon. It also may make Kendra less drippy now that she doesn't have his baggage. Here's hoping that Ray is tweaked as well. He's a rare kind of good guy heart with schmucky overtones. In fact the only character I don't want to change is Sarah. She's still the most kick butt person on this team and I don't care what that is attributed to. Snart and Rory are growing on me as well, especially Rory whom I never cared for. He made me laugh several times in this. Still the weakest link is Vandal Savage himself. He's less scary than eye roll worthy and until that is fixed, the show is trudging uphill. They need to have some episodes in which he doesn't even show up - maybe taking down some underlings - so I can judge the series on its own merits aside from his eternal cheesiness.
Grade: B-/B
Best Reason to Watch - the team is starting to gel a little bit
Best Action - arms deal brawl
Best Pep Talk - Jackson to Stein / Stein to Ray
Best Reference - Asteroid videogame
Best Excuse for 70's Fashion? - all that pot smoked
Best Back Story - Snart
Biggest Douche - Rip Hunter
Biggest Bluffer - Stein
Biggest Eye Roll - the hieroglyphic poetry rhymes in English
Biggest Hmmm - Why isn't Ray covered in blood when he leaves Kendra's bloodstream?
Most Cheesetastic (good) - Rory
Most Cheesetastic (bad) - Savage
Most Likely to Kill Them All in His Earnestness - Ray
Most in Need of Patience - ALL of them because they keep making stupid mistakes when they rush
Most Likely to Appear in Magic School Bus - Ray with his trip through Kendra's bloodstream
Nicest Tech - the ship has a room that creates clothes
Dumbest Way to Bid - shooting a gun in the air
The "Good Riddance" Award - Hawkman dies
The "I'm with You" Award - Saunders isn't eager to get with Hall to fulfill some kind of destiny thing
Best Quotes -
1. Jackson: "You're screwing with history here, man." Snart: "Yeah well history screwed with me first."
2. Stein: "It's the size of an iceberg. It seems highly unlikely that you could miss it." Ray: "Heh, that's probably what they said on the Titanic."
3. Sarah: "There's no magical cure for what's wrong with me." Hunter: "Of course there is. It's called being better."
4. Ray: "I guess we're heading to the 80's. Better break out your parachute pants." Jackson: "What the hell are parachute pants?"
5. Sarah: "Well apparently there's a downside to being brought back to life. My friend Thea calls it a bloodlust and I think that's being too generous and so is calling me an animal. I'm a monster."
There simply must be more Sheriff Jody on Supernatural. She is always a highlight. Even the continued suckiness of Claire can't ruin the awesomeness of Jody. And yes, Claire still sucks out loud. She did improve minutely in the end, but if she is never on my screen again she has still wasted too much SPN time. At least Dean called her out for being the ungrateful brat that she is. Alex, however, was a pleasant transformation and the biggest surprise of the night. I'm glad that she's not going to let this setback screw with her head anymore. I also loved how funny this episode was. The awkward dinner conversation made me laugh so hard I was gasping, while the Elvis burger had me face palming and totally agreeing with Sam. That looks and sounds awful. Still for all its fun, this episode did fall a little flat. Besides too much teen dramatics, I'm not sure why unless it was that Dean and Sam felt slightly sidelined and I'm never a fan of that.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - Sheriff Jody Mills, as usual
Best Scene - the rescue
Best Speech - Dean calling Claire out for being a huge brat
Best Reaction - Dean and Sam over the Elvis burger
Best Reaction #2 - the brothers devouring the chicken like it's their last meal
Best Move - the sister double team vamp beheading
Best Dad Stare - Dean to Alex's boyfriend when she says they are going to hang out
Biggest Surprise - the first suspect did it
Least Well-Adjusted - Claire, who is as bratty as always
Most Well-Adjusted - Alex, who seems to be fitting in very well these days
Most Shafted - Jody who is stuck running a halfway house for wayward teen monster victims
Newest Twist on an Old Tale - Claire, putting the modern in The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Most Awkward - Jody won't let the Winchesters leave the table when talk turns to teenage sex
The "Life Sucks" Award - Just when you think your life is getting normal, your new hot boyfriend ends up being a vampire trying to kill you. Nothing like your past coming back to haunt you.
The "Seriously…." Award - So these kids see a dead body hanging from the flagpole and their first reaction is to take a picture of it? Egads, people suck!
Best Quotes -
1. Claire: "I solemnly swear not to hunt like a dumba**."
2. Claire: "Can we talk about the body now?" Dean: "Oh I'm not even near finished. You need to show Jody a little respect. She did you a huge solid by taking you in. She got you set up in school." Claire: "I don't want to go to school." Dean: "Nobody wants to go to school, Claire. It's school." Claire: "Exactly." Dean: "My point is she's been busting her a** to get you set up with a life. She's feeding you. Hell you've got a nicer room than I do now. She kept you out of jail." Claire: "I never asked her to." Dean: "And that's what I'm talking about. You need to act like you give a cr**. You need to appreciate what that woman has done."
3. Dean: "You know there are starving children out there." Sam: "Dude, I'm not going to survive hundreds of monster attacks to get flat lined by some double doughnut monstrosity."
4. Jody: "You know I've got nothing against hunting, but if she's hiding in it because she doesn't have anything else…I'm just worried about her being so alone."
5. Sam: "Have you noticed anything weird or out of the ordinary going on in the school lately?" Janitor: "You mean weirder than a dead teacher tapped to the top of a flag pole?"
6. Jody: "Alex, you were ready to give up your life for us. That's goodness and that's what's scary about family. Gives you so much to lose."
Season 5B of Teen Wolf continues to impress. I think Jeff Davis needs to do more B seasons because they tend to be the best. I loved how this episode started with a high energy police chase, including the Jeep, and didn't let up until the very end. Plus, this may be the first time a Teen Wolf plan went mostly right before a series finale. Kudos on the improvement in tactical thinking. Even bigger kudos to the writer for creating a plan in which all the characters are needed because of their unique skill sets. No one felt like they were just along for the ride. My favorite moment was of course Mama McCall calling out Liam for almost killing her son but the Malia and Kira scenes were awesome for the most part too. I do hope that Kira gets some self-confidence though because it is becoming exhausting to listen to her doubts every single time. Let her be the kick butt warrior she already is. However the very worst thing about this episode is Super Special Snowflake Liam being more powerful than Scott in his anger. That needs to go. Still it was tempered by the awesomeness of Scott embracing his true alpha at the end. I love that the whole pack responded and I cannot wait until they get Lydia out of there.
Grade: A-
Best Reason to Watch - the plan works, mostly, for the first time before a final in forever
Best Scene -Mama McCall takes down Liam
Best Action - Scott and Liam versus the orderlies when Scott remembers he's an alpha
Best Character - Malia
Best Moment - Scott flashes his alpha eyes to get the patient to shut up / Scott becomes his full alpha
Best Reaction - Scott when Liam says Mama McCall is still mad at him
Best Visual - a flying, flaming Parrish / Malia's safety goggles
Biggest Face Palm - Stiles falls out of the body bag
Biggest Woo Hoo - the Jeep joins the police chase and does NOT die on the way
Biggest Bwah - Nelson's naked distraction
Biggest What the Heck? - all the plan works until there's no key card and no one knows how to pick a lock
Biggest Hmm - Why did Valack wait so long to drill into Lydia?
Biggest History Lesson - Theo talks Soviet survival in World War II
Most Likely to be Scarred for Life - the kid that Scott shows his fangs to
Most Likely to be a Personal Trainer - Malia, who isn't afraid to get tough and can still pep talk
Most Interesting Reveal - Stiles was there listening to Lydia talk to Valack
Most Vicarious Thrill - Scott punching Liam
The "Not Even Close" Award - Parrish says this is the worst plan he's ever heard. Oh Parrish, you weren't privy to the utter genius of the teen armored car heist plan. Nothing beats that.
The "You Know Him So Well" Award - Parrish just assumes Stiles stole the keys
The "We Interrupt This Broadcast…For No Reason at All" Award - Why were Deucalion and Hayden even in this episode? The big reveal could have waited until next time.
The "Are You Deaf?" Award - How is it possible that these guards can't hear these three clowns whispering?
The "Are You Kidding Me?' Award - Trepanation is still considered a viable treatment? Where?
The "It's About Time" Award - the 2 timelines have finally merged
The "Save Yourself the Time and Death" Award - just head straight to Hill Valley hospital. Do not detour at Beacon Hills Memorial. Do not pass Go.
Best Quotes-
1. Liam: "You still mad at me?" Mama McCall: "No, but if you try to kill my son again I'll put you in one of these myself."
2. Theo: "I still need to graduate." Stiles: "No, no, what you need is to be beaten severely with a lead pipe wrapped in barbed wire." Theo: "Okay, I admit that mistakes were made." Stiles: "Murders. Some murders were made."
3. Malia: "You did it before. You had to learn how, right?" Kira: "Actually no. It just happened." Malia: "How did you learn to fight with the sword?" Kira: "That just kind of happened too." Malia: "So you've never worked for anything and basically you're a cheater?"
4. Stiles: "My dad's got the lab working on the shoeprints but we're both kind of mystified about how giant clawed werewolf feet turn back into pair of sneakers." Scott: "Argent said it would be unlike anything we've ever seen before." Stiles: "Did he say it was going to defy the laws of physics?"
5. Parrish: "Is the Sheriff on board with this?" Stiles: "How do you think I got the keys?" Parrish: "I thought you stole them." Stiles: "While that's a perfectly reasonable assumption, I did not steal them."
That was so incredibly bizarre that I don't even know where to start, except I laughed the whole way through. Guy was a delight and Mulder's interactions with him were strange even for the X-Files standards. The psychologist felt like he stepped straight out of Twin Peaks, another Duchovny show to be resurrected from the dead. The only real problems I have with this episode are that there wasn't enough Mulder and Scully time and Guy's story took forever and a day. I can do strange but not for half the episode. It started to get boring in parts, which dropped the grade a bit. Oh and I don't need to see Porno Scully ever again. Keep it in your fanfic, writers.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - it doesn't get any more bizarrely funny than this episode
Best Moment - the headstone is in memory of Kim Manners
Best New Character - Rumanovitch, the crazy and self-prescribing therapist
Best Reference - Queequeg
Biggest Hypocrite - Mulder chastises Scully for approaching the suspect without backup and then goes to the cemetery by himself to interview the suspect
Least Smart - Why exactly did Scully let herself be roped if she knew the guy was the killer? That could have gone wrong in so many ways. Something is up with Scully.
Least Likely to Get a Word In - Scully, since Mulder is talking for himself and her
Most Likely to Win at Darts - Mulder, who must have the sharpest pencils on the planet
Most Kickbutt - Scully
Most Bizarre - the now human version of the lizard man, who is concerned about saving for his retirement and hates his job at the phone company
Most likely to Get a DWI - Mulder, racing to Scully after passing out drunk
Most Creepy - the motel manager and his Peeping Tom hallway
The "There's an App for That" Award - Mulder, you may want to try these new apps out BEFORE you're on the case. Just saying. Before you give away your location to the local monster population in a chase.
The "I'm with You" Award - Scully, I much prefer my Mulder to be excited with a theory than glum and laissez faire about everything too
The "Welcome Back" Award - Kumail Nanjiani from Silicon Valley and Community
Best Quotes -
1. Scully: "Mulder, the internet is not good for you."
2. Scully: "Yeah, this is how I like my Mulder." Mulder: "So you're agreeing with me." Scully: "No, you're bat cr** crazy."
3. Hooker: "The thing I saw only had 2 eyes and it was wearing underwear." Scully: "Boxers or briefs?"
4. Mulder: "Not everything can be reduced to psychology." Rumanovitch: "That's what you think."
5. Scully: "Uniqueness of the wounds, Mulder, implies a human element." Mulder: "Oh Scully, I gave up profiling before I gave up monsters. You've seen one serial killer, you've seen them all." Scully: "Mulder, I can see that you're going through a questioning phase of some sort, but people have been killed here and if we can help stop that and save some lives, I think that is an unquestionably worthwhile thing for us to do. Regardless of whether the thing we find is animal or human or otherwise."
Last episode, I lamented the lack of strong relationship moments in lieu of cheap jokes and double entendres. No such problem here. This episode may be the single best Josh and Liza episode yet. I'm no shipper but even I was rooting for this couple at the end. In fact, I've never liked Josh more. He shows a maturity that has been lacking before and his ability to roll with situations makes him better able to cope than Liza. Josh looks for the good, the adventure, in things while Liza sees the problems, which culminates in Josh being the voice of wisdom. I really like how they are developing his character this season. The B story line is less exciting, mostly because Jade is a huge part of it. While she was irritating in the last episode, she's downright obnoxious here. Still it leads to one of the driest Diana comebacks ever. Miriam Shor does dead eye sarcasm so well. Kelsey though is NOT amused but at least we get extended Kelsey and Lauren time.
Grade: A-
Best Reason to Watch - Josh
Best Scene - Liza's Risk explanation to Maggie
Best Character Interaction - Liza and Josh
Best Hardball - Kelsey threatens Jade's agent's commission
Best Reference - Risk, the game
Worst Night - you know it's a bad evening out when you resort to pot to make it bearable
Least Surprising - Jade's little twist
Most Excited - Josh about New Jersey and the trellis
Most Willpower - anyone who doesn't immediately Google truffle butter when the episode ends (I didn't, mostly because I knew I wouldn't be able to unsee whatever it was.)
Most Annoying - Jade
Most Screwed - Kelsey
Most Mature - Josh
Biggest Problem - Caitlin
Biggest What the Heck - Why would people ever spend that much money for a burger?
The "I Don't Get It" Award - I'm not sure a trellis is worth celebrating for any reason, even if it's pretty cool looking
The "You're Probably Right but Stuff It Anyway" Award - Michelle
Best Quotes -
1. Liza: "Alright here are all the people who know me as a 40 year old mom from New Jersey. Now this seemed like a fairly harmless distant group of people but as it turns out it was really a dormant sleeper cell that just got activated by my daughter. Now over here are all the people who think I'm a 26 year old publishing assistant. I like to think of these people as a nuclear power plant that's like gonna explode at any moment." Maggie: "You know that's not how you play Risk but go on."
2. Maggie: "Your life is not a board game. It's a spider web." Liza: "Then I should be okay, right? Because I'm the spider." Maggie: "I think you're also the fly."
3. Josh: "Come on. If we're gonna have this relationship, we have to talk. You can't hide from everything."
4. Diana: "Well the book signing should be fun."
5. Maggie: "But what about me? Why am I not on the board?" Liza: "Because you're home. You're the safety zone."
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