Hello and welcome back to Last Week in TV. Sorry for delay in posting and so early on in the TV season. Things are settling down in my real life so I hope to have no more delays between postings. Thanks for your patience. Also, the column will return to Mondays starting next week. Since I've been playing TV catch up all month already, I did not get a chance to review a nominated show so next week I will definitely be watching Brooklyn 99, episode 1.02. Thanks to everyone who has nominated thus far. Just as a reminder - once I review a nominated show, I will not review it again in the same TV season. I also don't review the shows that guest reviewers cover. Every other nomination is chosen by random number generator. If you have an episode you would like me to review, please nominate it in the short 2-question form below. Again, thanks for your patience as I get the column up and going again this year. Please let me know in the comments below how your TV life is going so far and as always, happy TV viewing!
Episode of the Week
Frequency is now the best pilot I have watched this season so far. It's greatest strength is it's awesome pacing. There was no downtime to the pilot but it didn't feel like scenes were stretched out or filler either. They also did a great job moving from the present to the past and vice versa. Generally, I am no fan of time travel but the brilliance of this show is that there is no actual time travel needed and therefore it cuts down on a whole lot of issues I have with that. Plus, there are real consequences to changing the timeline but in ways that make sense. Killing Raimy's mom for no reason would have been annoying but putting her in the killer's vicinity when she visits Raimy's dad at the hospital actually works as a plot device. The acting really worked for me as well. I admit I was a little concerned about Peyton List because I wasn't a fan with The Tomorrow People or early Lisa Snart from The Flash. However, she was a pleasant surprise here, and the pilot gave her a lot to work with. The supporting characters all did a great job too. While this pilot drew a lot from the movie, I think that was to its benefit. The question is whether or not the show can stand on its own after it runs out of the movie plot. It has a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to see if it can reach it.
Grade: A-
Ranking: 5
Audience - those who like murder mysteries with a tinge of science fiction
Bottom Line - I'm in!
Best Reason to Watch - fantastic pacing
Best Character - Raimy
Best Acting - Raimy learns her mother is dead instead of her dad
Best Music - Wonderwall by Oasis
Best Flashback/ Flash Forward - scenes of Raimy and her dad as she's growing up
Best Reaction - Gordo to Raimy saying that she remembers her dad being murdered and not murdered
Worst Plan - researching how to communicate with the dead at work
Worst Consequence of Changing Time - fiancé doesn't even know who you are
Biggest Chip - Raimy's feelings about her dad in the beginning
Most Awkward Conversation - telling your soon-to-be fiancé that you are communicating with your long-dead dad
Most Devastating - Frank learns he dies the next day and his daughter thinks he is a dirty cop
Most Understanding - the fiancé
Least Surprising - head cop is dirty
Weirdest Fact - the daughter is older than the dad at this point
The "Welcome Back" Award - Peyton List from The Flash / Riley Smith from The Messengers / Devin Kelley from Resurrection / Mekhi Phifer from White Collar / Sean Owen Roberts from Supernatural
Best Quotes -
1. Daniel: “There are theories…okay” Raimy: “What theories?” Daniel: “I don’t know. I’m not a scientist, I’m an architect. I can’t—“ Raimy: “I’m a cop bear-hugging a coffee can. You’re good.”
2. Frank: "You're a cop? Get outta here. So you're telling me in 20 years I'm going to be on the job with my daughter?" Raimy: "No." Frank: "What, I'm retired?" Raimy: "You're dead. You die tomorrow."
Guest Reviews
BY Swanpride
Marvel's most criticized show is back - this time in a new time slot, the one where shows are sent to die. Nevertheless the show started with a big mike-drop. I guess seeing the car flying through the air and catching fire might have shut up at least some of those who claimed that Agents of SHIELD would be unable to handle the special effects you need to bring the Ghost Rider convincingly to screen. But aside from the impressive visuals as well as Daisy's confrontation with the Ghost Rider, there is so much set-up in this episode that I am worried how the show will handle this all in one season. There is naturally the Ghost Rider, but also a new director messing up SHIELD, Fitz keeping from Jemma that he and Doctor Radcliff are messing around with Life Model Decoys and the impact of the Sokovia Accords. The latter one was just hovering in the background, but it's actually the aspect which worries me the most since there is something unsettling about the notion of Inhumans being monitored constantly. Elena bending the rules made me consequently incredibly happy. She is too much of a free-spirit to take on a leash easily. All in all, though, there was a lot in this episode to like, but not enough to love. It is more a promise of better things to come down the line.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - Hands down the Ghost Rider
Best Scene - Jemma bossing May around
Best Character - Jemma kind of went full circle from the innocent scientist to the calculating agent
Best Fight - Daisy v Robbie, naturally.
Best Team-Up - Mack and Coulson, though mostly due to the lack of another team-up
Best Effects - Everything related to the Ghost Rider
Most Missed - Joey. Mike. Donny Gill. Quinn. I have a long list of characters I keep hoping will turn up again this season.
Most Pleasant Surprise - Elena is back! I didn't expect her to be in the very first episode.
The "Oh, Hello Again" Award - The agents from last season I actually expected to die are still around.
Best Prop - Aida
Most Random Observation - I really want to know what kind of fuel the plane is using that it can stay in the air for weeks.
Best Quote:
1. Robbie: "So, you have the Devil inside you, too."
2. Coulson: "Those guys might kill someone beside each other." Mack: "Yeah, us!"
3. Daisy: "You don't get to decide who deserves to die." Robbie: "I am not the one who decides."
BY Swanpride
So after a long list of new ridiculous words and veiled suggestions that the new boss might have a questionable agenda, we now meet the new guy and he turns out to be above all very smarmy. There is nothing outright wrong with what he does and say, and yet, there is something off about him. He is like a dishonest version of Captain America, meaning what Steve Rogers would be like if Chris Evans weren't able to infuse his performance with enough humanity that the character comes off as totally genuine in everything he does. The new boss though lacks this quality, deliberately I am sure. He comes with a couple of surprises too, like being Inhuman and having this position because Coulson decided to step down on his own free will. Now, this part of the story works, but everything related to the ghosts is a little bit too cryptic for my taste. After spending three seasons firmly in the world of science, the way the ghosts are introduced has been a little bit jarring, and a lot about it feels contrived and badly explained. I am not even sure how many ghosts were in the episode, and what the deal with the guy and the child in the beginning was, and what the infection is...I guess the show wants to go for a little bit mystery in this one, but currently, I feel a little bit lost.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - Ever wanted to see Supernatural meets CSI meets the Punisher?
Best Scene - Fitz calling out Daisy for leaving
Best Character - The new director is unsettling but memorable
Best Team-up - Daisy and Robbie
Best Effects - Still everything related to the Ghost Rider
Best Action - The fight against the ghosts
Best Twist - The new director is an Inhuman. Didn't see that coming at all.
Most Contrived - May not telling anyone what she is seeing immediately
Best Prop - The shotgun axe is back!
Best Name-Drop - Peggy!!!! Oh, how much I miss you.....
Most Geeky - Fitzsimmons discussing the "simple empty box"
Most Random Observation - It would have been much easier to use an Icer on May.
My Prediction of the Week - All those safeguards they are currently building into the Shield hierarchy will come back to bite them at some point down the line.
Best Quote - May: "You're a monster!" New Director: "I prefer the term Inhuman."
BY Emma
We left off S11 with a prison break that left thirteen serial killers on the run. During the hiatus, the BAU caught eight of them and that success seems to have been significantly influenced but the assistance of one Luke Alvez. Luke is former military and works for the Fugitive Task Force, despite Hotch and Rossi’s repeated attempts to recruit him to the BAU. Fortunately, a chance to catch the elusive Mr. Scratch has him signed on to the BAU by the end of the hour. Historically, when a new member arrives Garcia is very open and welcoming. Poor Luke happens to be the first one she has completely iced out and it is hilarious. I’ve always loved the not-so-subtle flirting and the genuine affection between Garcia and Morgan and I was hoping they weren’t going to just insert the new guy into the same role. I got my wish because the tension between those two made for some great comedy. In the last article, we discussed our wish lists for the upcoming season. My first and foremost wish was a plausible exit for Agent Hotchner – if they can do it for Gideon, they can do it for Hotch. Hotch didn’t seem to have a large presence in this episode and I’m not sure if that was the original plan or the result of additional editing after he was fired but either way, I didn’t really notice his absence until the voiceover at the end of the episode. I fully admit that Hotch is not my favorite character but Hotch has been here since the beginning so even though Thomas Gibson’s off screen behavior resulted in his firing, the character and the fans deserve as meaningful of a departure as possible given it will happen off screen. I guess we’ll find out in the next week or two. The show is going through a lot of casting changes this season and so far, Adam Rodriguez has been a great addition. I’m looking forward to having both Dr. Lewis and my beloved Prentiss back full time and this week’s news of a replacement for Hotch has me intrigued. Overall, this was a solid start to the season but I was really disappointed that we are starting the season with only five on the run and one was caught in the premiere. My other wish list items were that the serial element was better integrated throughout the season and we got to see the mental and emotional impact of the situation on our team but it seems that just like the Dirty Dozen story line last season, the serial killer escape story line will be wrapped up rather quickly with no mention of any personal impact to the team. Sadly, it’s looking like the best I’m going to get is one of three from my wish list items.
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch – great COTW with tie in to the overall serial arc
Best Scene – both of them that involved Garcia, Luke and the elevator
Best Character Interaction – Garcia and Luke
Best Twist – Garcia does NOT like the new guy
Worst Nightmare – Unsub knows all your personal details, including your SSN
Biggest Question – anyone else think Roxy is Luke’s dog?
Most Heartbreaking - the young deputy’s family
Welcome Back (character) – Peter Lewis, aka Mr. Scratch
Welcome Back Award (actor) – Tim Abell from a little bit of everything / Adam Rodriguez, previously of CSI Miami and now one of our new series regulars
Best Quotes:
1. Luke: “How was your weekend?” Garcia: “I don’t really discuss my personal life with my co-workers. I keep a real low profile here. If you must know, I hung out with my boyfriend who is super-hot and awesome and totally in love with me.” Luke: “That’s cool. You guys go out?” Garcia: “No we stayed in and he helped me with some fingering techniques. For my clarinet! Which I practice and he helps me and this conversation is making me uncomfortable and I’m sorry, I must go. Agent Hotchner needs me.” Luke: “I made lasagna.” Garcia: “I do not care.”
2. Luke: “You should meet her sometime, you’d love her.” Garcia: “Does she love you?” Luke: “Yeah, she adores me.” Garcia: “Tell her to call me when she’s come to her senses.”
3. Hotch (voice over): “The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones. William Shakespeare”
BY Emma
Any given episode usually starts out with the UnSub doing bad things. Then the team meets, gets on the plane, tracks them down and the most recent victim is saved. This week, our writers made the creative decision to throw that formula out the window and tell the story via flashbacks from JJ’s perspective. Best. Decision. Ever. It’s been well established that cases involving kids are the hardest on JJ so taking the opportunity to tell the story from her perspective not only highlighted the emotional aftermath of the case (a rare treat in the strictly procedural format we usually follow) but it gave AJ Cook and Josh Stewart some meaty material to work with. From the dialogue to the facial expressions to the body language – every aspect of their performance was spot on. I know this was our last episode with Hotch and I am very curious to see how they handle his absence next week and beyond but if the rest of the cast continues to deliver performances like this, Criminal Minds is going to be just fine for as many seasons as CBS wants.
Grade: A
Best Reason to Watch – heartbreaking case / amazing character episode
Best Scene – Will gently pushes JJ to talk about the case
Best Character Interaction – JJ and Will
Best Worst Twist – not everyone is saved
The “Welcome Back” Award – Josh Stewart as JJ’s husband, Will and AJ Cook’s real life son, Mekhai Andersen as her onscreen son Henry
Best Quotes:
1. Luke: “You don’t look fine. I’ve seen you look fine. This is not it.”
2. JJ: “I’m sorry for snapping. I know it’s hard when I’m not here. It’s probably harder when I am here but…” Will: “I love you too.”
3. Garcia: “Still searching…why does the last 10% always take so flipping long?”
BY Jessica VanWinkle
Wow! That episode was crazy, and action packed! “Kudove” began with reminding us
that Alex has taken the CIA job that was offered to her by Director Matthew Keyes.
Quantico is doing the flashbacks again this season so in the present day we see Alex in
New York. She talks to Raina, and then she meets with Ryan. We find out that Alex and
Ryan aren’t together anymore, and there’s apparently another woman. To make things
worse, a series of bombs go off as Alex walks around New York. The show then flashes
back, and Alex is having dinner with Shelby and Ryan. Ryan is planning on proposing,
but Alex gets called away to training. It turns out that Ryan is also at this training which
is at The Farm. Alex and Ryan are both still part of the FBI, and Keyes and Miranda
explain that they need to investigate a group of people who are ignoring the law and
could be dangerous. We then meet the new characters and fellow trainees- Jeremy, Harry,
Leon, and Lydia, and Owen Hall, the teacher. The episode then goes back and forth
between the past and present like last season. In the past the trainees are going through
tests at The Farm, and one of those tests is to jump out of a plane. The biggest twist was
finding out Lydia was not Alex’s friend; she is the assistant director, and Owen’s
daughter. This automatically makes me not trust her. In the present day, a group called
the Citizen’s Liberation Front has taken the President, First Lady, Ryan, Raina, and
everyone else at the conference hostage. Alex tries to fight one of the attackers, and it is
revealed to be Jeremy. The episode ends with the First Lady about to be beheaded. At
this point I am so confused, but I’m excited about season two. Why did Alex and Ryan
break up? Why is Jeremy part of this terror group? Will we see Caleb at all this season?
I can’t wait to find out!
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch: To find out what the mystery will be this season and to find out
why Alex was offered a job at the CIA.
Best Scene: The ending where the First Lady is about to be headed. The blade is about to
hit her neck, and then the show ends.
Welcome Back: Henry Czerny. Seeing him makes me miss Revenge.
Character I Missed: Caleb. I really hope we see him this season!
Favorite New Character: Harry. He seems like a good guy, and I really hope he is!
Best Quotes
1.) Jeremy: “And you are?” Lydia: “Not a fan of yet another male action hero with a
long suffering wife who prays he makes it through his next mission.”
2.) Alex: “Six months of lying to each other? We’ve done that before.”
3.) Alex: “It’s like a CrossFit leaderboard in here.”
4.) Ryan: “I know that it’s the Bureau’s job to police the Intelligence Community, but
undercover? In the CIA surrounded by a bunch of future anarchists? That’s…”
Alex: “That’s insane.” Matthew: “I know.”
BY Jessica VanWinkle
I think I’m enjoying this season more than last year even though I miss some old characters. The flashbacks we had this week were really interesting. Alex, Ryan, and the rest of the trainees this week learned about surveillance. As Alex and Harry walk through town, she notices that she is being followed by the others. She splits up with Harry and does a good job of ditching the others. However, she doesn’t realize that Harry was the trigger, and she led him right to the bank. She thinks she did a bad job, but she is still praised because she caught all of her followers but one. Even though Lydia told Alex she wants her to succeed, I still don’t completely trust her. I do still like Harry. He just seems like a nice guy, and I think he is even if he was the trigger this week. Dayana really annoyed me this episode, and all I wanted to do was yell at her to put her phone down! I did love the twist of Shelby and Nimah being Alex and Ryan’s handlers. I’m glad that Shelby will be involved at The Farm. In the present, the terrorists are taking prisoners away in groups, and then bringing them back. Raina tries to leave a mark on one of the terrorist’s wrists so she and Ryan can identify them, but this backfires and everyone ends up getting their wrists slashed. Shelby tells Miranda that Alex is in the building, and she tells Shelby not to tell anyone else. The episode ends with Miranda sending a message to one of the terrorists telling them that Alex is inside. Now I know that we’ll probably get an explanation next episode, and I don’t think Miranda is the bad guy, but I want to know why she sent that message and who she sent it to. I can’t wait to find out more!
Grade: B+
Best Reason to Watch - To find out more about the terrorist plot and to learn more about Alex and Ryan’s assignments at The Farm.
Best Scene - The final scene where it’s revealed Miranda sent the message about Alex.
Most Annoying - Dayana
Best Surprise - Shelby is Alex’s handler
Biggest Mysteries - Sebastian and Leon. Hopefully we’ll learn more about them soon.
Quotes
1. Alex: “Are you flirting with me?” Harry: “If you have to check, I'm obviously not doing it right.”
2. Alex: “I was in the government service. I wasn't a celebrity.” Harry: “No? Well, you looked like one, not a hair out of place. Seriously, when you were a fugitive on the run you looked like you were flitting between your hair salon and your manicurist.”
New Shows
There isn't much different about this show and the other 2 court shows that are debuting this season. It's still very much your typical procedural but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. What doesn't work is that Hayley Atwell's character often comes off as an overgrown brat without much depth. Tinker Bell and she are definitely the most annoying. The rest of the staff has potential but they are currently all stereotypes too. Pick a box and one of the characters fits in it. If this show is going to survive an overcrowded season, it will have to make the audience care about the characters sooner rather than later because the only character I cared about in this pilot was the mother of the wrongly incarcerated son. As it is, this pilot is largely forgettable.
Grade: C
Ranking: 2+
Audience - anyone who loves the standard procedural format or Atwell fans that can get over the fact that she is no hero here
Bottom Line - this only gets 3 episodes because of Atwell otherwise it would just be dropped now
Best Reason to Watch - Frankie's passion
Best Scene - Maxine tells Hayes to stop acting like a baby and act like a boss
Best Character - Maxine
Best Speech - Hayes' mom to Hayes
Best Blackmail for a Good Cause - Rey's mother
Best Twist (Maybe) - Senator Morrison seems sincere instead of totally evil (unless she is)
Best Advice - Hayes' mother: "Just because Wallace came to our rescue doesn't mean you have to sleep with him."
Best Reference - Charlotte's Web
Worst Plan - trying to give money to a grieving mom
Worst Twist - Tess' back story
Most Juvenile - Hayes telling the cop that he can touch her boobs if he gives her the file
Most Annoying - the foregone conclusion that Hayes and Wallace will end up having sex at some point
Most Passionate - Frankie
Most Intelligent - Maxine
Most Observant - Hayes for realizing that Frankie has been in prison
Most in Need of a Personality - Tess, although at the end she does have some good backstory
Most Screwed Up - the relationship between Hayes and her parents
Least Respectful - using the dead girl's picture as a coaster
Biggest Smoking Gun - the gun
Biggest Douche / Most Needing to be Fired - the cop that sets the files on fire
Biggest Bluff - pretending to do cocaine in front of your boss
Strangest Delivery - a pig to the office
The "Get a Room: Award - Hayes should probably change in her office instead of in their meeting
The "Welcome Back" Award - Hayley Atwell from Agent Carter / Shawn Ashmore from The Following / Manny Montana from Graceland / Eddie Cahill from CSI: NY / Daniel Franzese from Recovery Road
Best Quotes -
1. Hayes: "Stabbing me in the back makes sense but do it for yourself, not Wallace."
2. Hayes: "Don't lie to me. I'm immune. Childhood overexposure."
3. Senator: "This is your last chance." Hayes: "Tough talk in the middle of a Senate campaign." Senator: "It's what talk shows are for. Oprah has been dying to have me on. I'd play it for sympathy. Discuss my shortcomings as a mother and I'm aware I wouldn't be lying. I would talk about how you had a harder time than your brother growing up in the public eye, how you would say that instead of a childhood you had a series of photo ops, and how loving your children sometimes means making tough choices. I do love you, Hayes. You are so smart and brave and amazing and have every opportunity in the world. Imagine what you could do if you actually tried. If you worked at anything as hard as you do at making us all believe how little you care. Do you have it in you?"
4. Hayes: "Stop taking this personally." Frankie: "How about you start taking it that way? You haven't even laid eyes on the guy. You're too busy acting like an entitled brat."
5. Sam: "What happened to 'think of me as a figurehead'? " Hayes: "That was before I realized that you might be a moron."
This show is long on atmosphere and it can get really creepy. For a horror show, that's a welcome surprise since most are horror in name only. What isn't welcome is how boring it is. I didn't only nod off during the show the first time, I also nodded off during my notes of it. For a horror show, it takes an awful long time to get to anyone dead. The slow setup is typical AMC and FX so if you like most of their shows and you're good with atmosphere over substance, than this might be the show for you. I, however, am out.
Grade: D
Ranking: 1
Audience - people who liked the atmosphere of Hannibal without the artistic value of it
Bottom Line - Bore me once, shame on you. Bore me twice, I'm done.
Best Reason to Watch - it is genuinely scary/creepy in parts
Best Scene - the reveal of Casey
Best Plan - Angela tries to smuggle holy water out of the church
Best Twist - Casey is possessed, not Kat
Best Speech - Father Tomas to Kat after she's rude to her dad
Biggest Problem - 51 minutes into the pilot and nothing has really happened
Biggest Brat/Witch - Kat
Biggest Huh - The devil looks like an accountant?
Biggest "Made You Jump" - the bird hitting the window
Least Needed Subplot - the priest lusting after a married woman
Most Creepy / Most in Need of DFS - the priest who makes the kids try to exorcise the demon-possessed man he has locked in the basement
Most Disgusting - centipede vomit
The "Say What?" Award - never saw a priest pull a gun on another priest before
The "Welcome Back" Award - Geena Davis from Commander and Chief / Alan Ruck from Ferris Bueller / Hannah Kasulka from H2GAwM
Best Quotes -
1. Casey: "You do realize this pity party thing stops being cute when you're like 14?"
2. Father Marcus: "The power of Christ compels you." Demon: "Do I look compelled?"
I'm always hesitant to say actors have chemistry together because that gives off shipping connotations whether I mean them to or not and mostly because chemistry is always in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, I'll say that Evie and Xavier play well off of each other in an "opposites attract" kind of way. Evie is uptight and in need of a little fun. Xavier lives in the moment and needs some ground rules. Together they make for some good interactions. Plus I miss Galavant. No Tomorrow seems like one of those quirky, oddball shows that if it can keep in balance with its heartwarming fun and a good pace, will be one of those underrated shows I will miss when it goes. It lives in a combination of farce and warmth that is hard to get right so I'll need at least a few more episodes before I see if it makes my weekly viewing list. They'll have to temper Xavier a little to start but I do like the balance between the lead characters. Everything to do with Evie’s job needs to go though. That was mostly stereotypical and boring.
Grade: B-
Ranking: 4-
Audience - those who like romantic comedies with a lot of farce thrown in
Bottom Line - I need a few more episodes to decide.
Best Reason to Watch - the two lead characters are charming and have great interactions
Best Wingman - Hank, for throwing alcohol on Xavier when Evie's drink is empty
Best Pun - apocalyst (a bucket list for the apocalypse)
Best (If Expected) Music - End of the World as We Know It
Best Reaction - Evie to learning about Xavier's apocalypse theory
Best Surprise - Timothy stands up for himself and his dignity
Worst Response to a Proposal - "Let me get back to you."
Worst Twist - Deirdre rehires Evie but only if she will help her hook up with Hank
Biggest Douche Move - sending a fake e-mail insulting the boss to get someone fired
Biggest Huh - Evie apparently has a heart condition now
Most Pathetic Bucket List Item - putting tin foil in the microwave
Most in Need of Improvement - the secondary characters who are a bit blah and one note right now
Most Awkward - Timothy's proposal
Most Likely to Make People Think You're Nuts - pulling out mathematical slides on the end of the world
Most Overplayed - the bad breath joke
The "I Feel for You" Award - surprise karaoke package
The "Back the Heck Off" Award - Evie's mom and sister trying to pressure her into having kids
The "Welcome Back" award - Joshua Sasse from Galavant / Tori Anderson from Killjoys / Jesse Rath from Defiance / Amy Pietz from Burn Notice and Aliens in America / Ted McGinley from The Love Boat
Best Quotes -
1. Deirdre: "These are the HR guidelines for interoffice fraternization. Study them. Like all good love stories, our romance must be both passionate and legally permissible."
2. Timothy: "Your love was like a Trojan virus that snuck past my firewall and melted my motherboard."
3. Evie: "Maybe you helped me learn to seize the day, but I will be seizing it at my own pace, thank you very much."
4. Kareema: "Honestly I don't know what's sadder - the utter meaningless of this job or your attempts to imbue it with meaning."
5. Deirdre: "Well, you're not a leader. People don't listen when you talk, you're too timid, you don't motivate people, you lack confidence, you don't command respect, you’re an inspiration to absolutely no one."
6. Evie: "Wait, this is safe, right?" Big Carl: "Not if you're doing it right."
I really like this pilot. I think it took care of some of the logic problems that normally happen when you have time travel. The idea that they cannot go back to a place that they have already been is inspired. I think that's probably one of the better limitations for time travel story or otherwise it makes more sense to just go back to right before the trouble starts and take care of it then. It will also be interesting to see how they can protect America so far back, since they cannot travel to any year in which they lived. Combined, it makes it so the story writing will have to be tighter. I also found the characters to be interesting, even some of the secondary characters. I have no idea what is up with Mason, the time machine genius, but he has a 70% chance of being shady by season's end. Same with Agent Christopher. It's an even surer bet that the government was involved in killing Flynn's wife and child and that's his main motivation to take down America. Plus, one or the other is involved in whatever Rittenhouse ends up being. Overall, my biggest concern is that the show ends up in some kind of love triangle or lead hookup, which will kill much of my interest. Time to avoid that cliché please. It may also get political in most episodes, which will kill the momentum. I did like that we got a small glimpse into everyone's character instead of just one and the pacing was decent for the most part. Better yet, there are real consequences for how much they have already screwed with the timeline, which will be necessary as they progress.
Grade: B
Ranking: Kripke gets at least 5 episodes. Always.
Audience - sci fi or history fans that like a little action adventure too
Bottom Line - It all depends on the story. If they can keep the series from feeling repetitive and avoid major plot holes, it may make the weekly watch list
Best Reason to Watch - the overarching story
Best Action - kitchen fight, especially the frying pan hit
Best Time Travel Limitation - they are restricted from going anywhere that they have already been so they can't just call cosmic do-over whenever they want, eliminating a major time travel flaw
Best Non-Answer - Mason can't answer why he would invent something as dangerous as a time machine
Best Opener - Hindenburg crash
Best Product Placement - Snickers
Worst Twist - Mason uses Rufus to bug Lucy and Wyatt and I don't know why
Worst Plan - make it up as you go
Biggest Aww Moment - Kate dies anyway
Biggest Idiot - Wyatt manhandles Kate to keep her from dying
Biggest Freak Out - Lucy finding out her sister does not exist anymore
Biggest Huh - How are they going to keep people from realizing that they just landed a time machine, that looks alien no less, in the area? Do they have a cloaking device?
Biggest Mystery - What is Rittenhouse?
Most Honest - Rufus
Most Realistic Reaction - Wyatt almost throws up after going through time
Most Interesting Save - bra underwire
Least Safe - the glass in the Hindenburg pops out pretty easily for a vehicle that flies over the ocean
The "I Don't Think So" Award - it's never a good thing when a murderer goes free and I do care
The "Probably Not the Best Idea" Award - bringing a future gun into the past / Rufus' speech
The "Wouldn't See That Today" Award - there's a sign for freshly killed chicken
Supernatural Easter Eggs - Jessica died/ Harvelle's bar
The "Welcome Back" Award - Matt Lanter from Star-Crossed / Goran Visnjic from ER / Paterson Joseph from You, Me, and the Apocalypse / Sakina Jaffey from Sleepy Hollow / Shantel VanSanten from The Flash / Matt Frewer from The Librarians / Susanna Thompson from Arrow
Best Quotes -
1. Mason: "Lucy, if Flynn kills people in '37 who aren't supposed to die, they don't have the kids they're supposed to have, do the things they're supposed to do. History changes; reality changes." Lucy: "So why would you be stupid enough to invent something so dangerous?"
2. Wyatt: "I know this is hard to believe but I'm gonna tell you the truth. My name is Buck Rogers and this thing came from outer space."
3. Rufus: "I can't. I'm a coder, okay? That's what I'm good at, all right? I don't like to leave my desk, let alone going there or back then. Also, I don't know how it works across the pond but I am black. There is literally no place in American history that'll be awesome for me."
4. Mason: "But unfortunately she can't tell us exactly where the mother ship has gone, but she can tell us when." Wyatt: "Naturally, only tells us when. Time machine problems."
5. Agent Christopher: "What he means is Mr. Mason invented a time machine and chose not to tell the government about until it was stolen by terrorists." Mason: "Right, 'cause the federal government never screws up anything and can always keep a secret."
6. Rufus: "There are no do-overs."
Weekly Shows
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - the new military angle
Best Scene - Bernadette and Penny making up
Best Friend - Amy, trying to help Bernadette
Best Reaction - Sheldon to the Colonel saying engineers are better than physicists and then to him mixing up Star Trek and Star Wars
Best Liar - Penny
Worst Analogy - Raj compares Howard being busy with research to being a military wife left at home
Most Excited - the trio to getting into their office with a retinal scanner
Most Real Struggle - Bernadette being accepted as a scientist with her squeaky voice
Most Cutthroat / Most Vindictive - Bernadette, who ratted out a colleague to keep her from getting a study funded
Most Obnoxious - Sheldon…always
Scariest Scientist - Sheldon, who is happy to be part of a top secret government project that could end the world
Best Quotes -
1. Raj: "Wait 'til I Snapchat that my friends might be working on a top secret government project." Leonard: "Are you crazy? You can't put that on Snapchat." Raj: "Fine. I'll put it on Facebook like a caveman."
2. Sheldon: "Elon Musk has a theory that we're all just characters in some advanced civilization's video games." Leonard: "So some alien kid spent his money on the asthma and glasses upgrade for me?' Sheldon: "Well he doesn't say it's a good game."
3. Bernadette: "I've always been treated differently! Look at me! Listen to me! I mean the first thought when you see me isn’t, 'That's a scientist.' It's 'I wonder if her mommy knows where she is.' " Amy: "I am really regretting that I got you a Happy Meal."
4. Howard to Raj: "You are a deeply silly man."
5. Amy: "It's like watching a sculptor but your clay was lies."
I have real problems with the way this season is progressing. In fact, they are similar problems that I am having in a lot of shows these days. Every single character in here was either stupid or frustrating or evil. All the good characters, the intriguing ones, are getting shot, tortured, or otherwise screwed. Meanwhile, all the characters I hate are getting a free pass for being sociopaths or just complete jerks. Why does TV think that the most despicable people are the most interesting these days? I could take a big helping of Blue Skies TV right now. I swear if Navabi goes, then I am putting this show back on hiatus. I still might if she stays. I am really tired of the Kirk storyline already and I don't need any more Liz family drama. For once, I really hope this show drops the serialized elements and goes back to a procedural. Either way, they need to dispose of Kirk, pick up the reactive and dragging pace, and figure out what to do with Liz. They surely cannot keep her as a government source after all the junk she pulled. As for these two episodes in particular, the best part by far is that Mr. Kaplan is still alive. Quite frankly, I hope she recovers and then spills everything she knows about Reddington to his biggest enemies. He deserves it.
Grade: C
Best Reason to Watch - Mr. Kaplan is still alive
Best Scene - Mr. Kaplan tells Tom that her job is not to make things easier for Reddington or him
Best Action - Tom takes down the soldier with his hoodie string
Best Music - If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot
Biggest Show Mistake - They are letting Liz slide for devastating her friends and making Navabi out to be the bad guy for calling Liz on it. That's not right and it makes Liz seem like even more of a super special snowflake. In fact, it makes me outright dislike Liz. She was much better last season.
Biggest Douche - Reddington
Biggest Huh - Who knew there were still train robberies?
Biggest Titanic Moment - Kirk tells Liz to never let go of the plane before he plunges down into the water
Least Interesting Subplot - Masha's mom's affair with Reddington
Least Surprising - Kirk wants Liz to be a donor and help cure him
Worst Plan by a Trained FBI Agent - Liz leaves the gun in Kirk's reach
Most Emotional Scene - the final one between Kaplan and Reddington
Most Psycho - Tom, the torturer / Kirk, who still tries to convince Liz that kidnapping her and Agnes at gunpoint was for their own benefit. Give it up and die already.
Weirdest Subplot - Liz's hallucinations about her mom
The "Say What?" Award - Why aren't Liz and Kirk on top of the prop plane instead of dangling off the end? Surely it can hold their weight, even if it is damaged.
Best Quotes -
1. Reddington: "You understand, Kate, that I…" Kaplan: "Have no choice? Isn't that the speech, Raymond? That I know too much - every single one of your weaknesses, all your faults, all your secrets? I dedicated my life to you. You entrusted me with everything you value - your freedom, your life, a child. I have never failed you. What you see as a betrayal of trust was actually a fulfillment of your wishes to protect your interests. No more, no less." Reddington: "You presumed to decide what was best for me. Even if I resolve the anger, the pain you caused, I can't trust you…ever. I'm standing before a stranger, and yet, I know you believe what you did was best for Elizabeth, which is why I brought you here. You told me you've always wanted a pristine, unspoiled place to live out your days in peace. So the acre is yours…for all eternity."
2. Reddington: "I'm sorry it had to be Nikos." Kaplan: "If there's no sincerity behind your words, don't waste them."
3. Tom: "Turn-ons include redheads and long walks on the beach. Are you guys looking for a soldier or a date?"
4. Tom: "He knew where my baby was, alright? That's the only reason I pushed so hard." Kaplan: "Why are you telling me this?" Tom: "Because he's your friend." Kaplan: "So you want me to make you feel better? Everyone wants me to make things easier for them, cleaner. That's what I am after all, the Cleaner." Tom: "Just forget I brought it up." Kaplan: "In my desire to make life easier for your baby, I betrayed Raymond and now he doesn't know what to do with me. Well he knows what he has to do, and he wants me to make it easier for him, but I won't. I'm not here to make him feel better, and I'm not here to make you feel better, Tom."
5. Liz: "Look, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt anybody." Navabi: "I think you didn't care who you hurt."
This case had an interesting take on gender bias. I haven't seen that as a major topic in most procedurals so I like how they tackled the subject. What I don't like is watching CBS online and I refuse to purchase their streaming system. They annoy me so much that I am likely to drop this show next week. Also, I still haven't warmed up to Bull. His "charm" often comes off as cocky to me but since they play him off of people who are twice as douchey as he is, it makes him tolerable right now. Undoubtedly, Bull is the super special snowflake but he still has the potential to be likable so that is saying a lot. I would like to see more emphasis on the female characters because it seems a little strange that a show on gender bias focused mainly on the male characters. That being said though, it was a good idea to give us more background on Benny. The problem with the pilot is that the only character we really got to meet was Bull, so I will be happier if they keep adding dimension to another character per episode. This way we aren't overwhelmed by too much character building at once, but no one stays one dimensional for too long. I still think that Bull has potential to be a decent procedural that pulls in NCIS fans, but I don't think it will go much beyond that. To be honest, it doesn't have to.
Grade: C+
Best Reason to Watch - the focus on gender bias
Best Scene - Bull and the pilot in the simulator
Best Character - Benny
Best Song - Best Day of My Life
Best Pep Talk - Chuck to Benny
Best Character Growth - Benny, the lawyer, who gets a storyline that allows us to know him better
Best Twist - the reason the pilot didn't follow protocol is because she would have landed in a crowded area if she did, so she actually saved lives
Worst Soap - the co-pilot's wife thinks the pilot was sleeping with her husband
Biggest Douche - Weber, the original lawyer who wanted Taylor to settle to give his firm more money
Most Annoying - CBS for not allowing me to fast forward through commercials on my DVR and making it harder to find streaming sources
The "Welcome Back" Award - Geoffrey Blake from Agent X / Trieste Kelly Dunn from Blindspot
Best Quotes -
1. Bull: "Sorry. I'm just the messenger, not the misogynist."
2. Cable: "Yeah, about that. You're aware that it only covers the last 30 minutes before the crash?" Chunk: "My phone holds 1,000 hours of music, but a black box taps out halfway through a Wayne Newton album?" Danny: "I tap out halfway through a Wayne Newton album."
3. Bull: "Just because Taylor feels responsible doesn't mean she's to blame."
I was worried about this show because I really enjoyed it last season but they kept emphasizing all the changes for this season. I was concerned Code Black would turn into some hypersexualized, emoangsty soap like Grey's Anatomy. In some cases, it kind of did. It didn't turn into some sex romp, although the previews are iffy. What it did do, is take out some of the best characters and replace them with some of the worst. I still have no idea why we should suffer through Campbell and Heather for another year. Luckily, both were toned down a little bit here so there is hope. Also they needed to address where Neal and Christa went but that's not going to happen. Ugh! The best part of these two episodes was actually the new characters. I really liked Rob Lowe's character, Ethan. He brings a lot of heart, wisdom, and cool gadgets with him, and he seems to fit in to the hospital vibe well, even if he does add some tension. The two female residents were a pleasant surprise also and have grown on me already. I like that they have formed a bond and are helping each other succeed. Sugar Bear did not fare so well. He's kind of whiny so I'm hoping he develops quickly. Another real problem for me is that they took Mike out of commission in the first 5 minutes. Foul on that play! Mike was one of the best characters last season and he needs to get back to being an awesome teacher and leader. If Mike is out so Rob Lowe can be in, then I will have serious issues with that. I promise both characters can have purpose so heal Mike right now!
In the end, I enjoyed the second episode more than the premiere and that had a lot to do with the cases. The shark attack victim might be the biggest brat this show has ever had and she takes up way too much time. I bet the shark even regrets taking a bite out of her. She alone takes the premiere's grade down, although I loved the married couple. The second episode's cases just struck me harder, probably because I am a teacher and that captain kid outright rocked! Also, as much as I hate Mario's dad, he did bring more perspective and sympathy to Mario's character and that was sorely needed. Here's hoping he doesn't come back though. Bottom line - This was a decent return. It abated some of my fears but not all. It didn't get as soapy as I feared but they do seem to be upping the "high stakes" events by having a hospital explosion next episode. If a plane crashes into the hospital, they're out of ideas.
Grade: B- / B
Best Reason to Watch - surprisingly, it's the new characters
Best Scene - Rorish and Jaydin about her boyfriend's death
Best Aww Scene - the groom reads the toast back to his dad
Best Character - the captain of the soccer team, who is also most brave
Best Speech - Ethan to the boy who needs to have his leg amputated
Best Idea - bringing on new interns each season
Best Question - The intern asks why they don't just get more resources and personnel if they are constantly in Code Black. I wonder about that too.
Best Use of a Millennial - finding the ID of a patient through Facebook
Best Tech - the military foam to stop people from bleeding out, even if they look like a pastry
Least Surprising - Mario is wrong about a patient and Charlotte is right
Most Compassionate - Guthrie
Most Adult - Charlotte, who owns up to her mistake instead of letting another doctor cover for her
Biggest Question - If both sets of shark victim parents left for Paris together, shouldn't they have a babysitter or at least some adult there for their kids? Surely they are not expecting the 17-year-old to watch her bratty sister while they are on vacation thousands of miles away.
Biggest Brat / Most Needing to Be Spanked - Kaya, the child who got bit by a shark
Biggest Kindness - Rorish lies to the truck driver about killing the kids so he can die in peace
Biggest Facepalm - They just dropped Mike out of a helicopter. Noooo! He's one of the best characters.
The "I'm with You" Award - I really need Mike to wake up too, Angus. He's the heart of the show and an awesome character.
The "Oh Please NO!" Award - I really don't need to hear about this child wanting to be with a 17-year-old
The "Welcome Back" Award - Mike Erwin from Everwood and Jack & Bobby / Rob Lowe from my childhood / Madalyn Horcher from Gracepoint / Julie Ann Emery from Major Crimes / Camryn Manheim from The Practice and Younger / Julie McNiven from Supernatural / Eric Roberts from any show or movie that needs a villain /
Best Quotes -
1. Ethan: "It's over. It's time to start a new game. It's gonna be tougher than the one you've been playing, but if you work hard enough you'll learn to be just as good at it. You'll still be a hero to your team, your father, and to anyone who sees what a man can do after the worst has happened and they still never gave up. You're their Captain. They need you to show them the way."
2. Jaydin: "Maybe you can treat her for being a brat while she's here."
3. Vince: "I'll pay you back." Mario: "You'll never be able to pay back what you owe me."
4. Elliot: "If you know you're always going to be in code black, why not do something about it?"
5. Noa: "You want to end your career right here, right now? I'm not letting you do it. You said you wanted a friend. This is your friend talking."
Combined, these 2 episodes were very powerful, especially in the political aspects. That was a great follow-up to the pilot, which was in itself great. I do have a few problems with some of the subplots like Hannah's adultery and everything with the kids that keep it from earning an A from me. The biggest problem though is that there seems to be too much going on in each episode. I know they are trying to show the chaos of politics after a disaster but there are so many hits coming at once that it gives no problem room to breathe. I don't feel they need 3 crises per episode. Still, the pacing keeps momentum going for the most part and it feels very realistic to how people might react in the wake of such a devastating attack. I would like a few more uplifting moments since not everyone can be evil, horrible people when they are scared. The theme of this show is starting to be that mostly people suck and that's less fun to watch. What is fun is watching Kiefer Sutherland shed his Jack Bauer persona and balance the power of the presidency with the insecurity of a man stepping into that position without any notice. I also like seeing how each person approaches the crisis differently. Bottom Line - Designated Survivor has earned a spot on my weekly watch list.
Grade: B / B+
Best Reason to Watch - seeing how each political player handles the crisis differently
Best Scene - the cop comes over to Seth and instead of harassing him, asks if he lost someone in the blast
Best Aww Moment - Tom tells the former President's son that his dad was proud of him
Best Set Building - the demolished Capitol Building
Best Speech - Kimble Hookstraten
Best Twist - someone survived the crash but he may be involved in the explosion in the first place
Best Lie - Tom tells the governor that he picked up 3 Homeland Security agents in his mass illegal arrest
Best Point - a Kevlar vest does not project confidence and security
Best Decision - making Aaron chief-of-staff because he knows the politics the country needs at this time
Worst Decision - Tom tells the truth when asked if he was about to be fired before the attack. I agree with Aaron. Sometimes the truth is deadly and you can't start with your presidency's legitimacy even more in question.
Worst Subplot of the Night - Hannah's affair
Worst Parenting - Oh for the love of sanity, Alex, stop making every conversation with Leo about Penny and how Penny is affected. Deal with Leo as Leo, not Penny's babysitter.
Biggest Political Smack Down - the former President's son asks Kimble to give the eulogy instead of Tom
Most Ambiguous - Aaron
Most Busted - Penny finds Leo's drugs and his mom finds his wad of cash
The "And the Hits Keep Coming" Award - the White House gets hacked
The "I'm with You" award - I think Hannah is right to hack the dead woman's cloud if it gets them answers about what actually happened right before the explosion.
The "Hey I Get It" Award - Atwood doesn't want to tell the President Hannah's theory without any proof even if she will eventually be proven right
The "Welcome Back" Award - Michael Gaston from Blindspot / Virginia Madsen from American Dreams and Monk / Malik Yoba from Empire
Best Quotes -
1. General: "America is demanding action and I am giving you an enemy we can kill." Tom: "You think I don't want to strike back against the people who did this? I lost colleagues, friends, people I love. I want to find every single person involved in this attack from planning to execution and rip them limb from limb, which is why I need to know exactly who did this. Come back to me with more than 75% and I'll launch the damn missiles myself."
2. Alex: "Light reading?" Tom: "Well sadly, it seems that Wikipedia is a little thin on constitutional law theory."
3. Tom: "I hope you understand that we cannot show this to the public yet. Not until we can prove that every statement in the video is true. Otherwise, we run the risk of a national call-to-arms. " Kimble: "Would that be so such a terrible thing? With all due respect, sir, we need an enemy and soon. It's the only thing that will pull us all together after this terrible attack." Tom: "Yeah, but we need the right enemy. We need to be absolutely certain who did this before we strike, and personally I…I have a difficult time accepting that the only way to bring the country together is through war."
4. Kimble: "Question - Did President Kirkman get a Best Buy gift card for Christmas or is the White House having some sort of security issue?"
5. Kimble: "Mr. President, do you know what I did this morning, sir? I cried and then I prayed. Do you know when the last time I did those 2 things together was?" Tom: "9/11" Kimble: "Nobody thought we could get through it back then, but we did, and nobody thinks we can get through it now, but we will. This is your house now so make it your own. Whatever you need, just ask. Republican, Democrat, independent, it doesn't matter anymore. We're all Americans today."
6. Tom: "I'm not ready to declare war." Aaron: "All due respect, sir, that's a decision you can only make if you remain President. It didn't look likely 6 hours ago."
It's a new season of Elementary and for once, both Sherlock and Joan appear to be in a good place. No contrived drama, no relapses, no dead boyfriends. The only personal issue is that Joan's a little down since her job has gone from helping people to "the punishment business". I get that and more importantly, Sherlock does too. I like how this duo is so aware of each other as friends that they pick up on the small, unintentional clues the other leaves. He recognizes the melancholy in Watson and helps her find a way to fill that void. This is a much healthier position for both of them to be in and it is refreshing. It helps that I find Shinwell and his back story compelling as well. He not only has potential as a recurring character in his own right, but he may also shed some light on a still relatively unknown chapter of Watson's life. I'd love to delve more into her history. As far as the case goes, this is fairly typical with a twist that may not have been seen for miles away but surely was seen at least a couple of feet away. The criminals weren't anything spectacular but it was great to see Sherlock and Watson working together again instead of working parallel to each other like much of last season. Here's hoping that will be the norm again.
Grade: B-
Best Reason to Watch - the Sherlock and Watson connection
Best Scene - Sherlock hints that Joan might find fulfillment in helping Shinwell stay out of jail
Best Pay Back - Shinwell tells the opponent how to knock out the boxing bully
Best Teamwork - Sherlock and Watson capture a murderer and safely get him away from the ledge he wants to jump off of
Biggest Douche - the boxing bully
Most Staggering - the re-incarceration stats Sherlock spouts
Most Awkward - Sherlock trying to make small talk with Shinwell
Most British - Sherlock refers to the hood of the car as the bonnet
Most Missed - Moriarty and Morland, as always
Most Surprising - the soon-to-be ex-wife tries to convince the police that her husband is NOT guilty
Least Surprising - the ex-cons are working together to force a business deal to go through
Weirdest Reference - Village People
The "Learn Something New Every Day" Award - I hadn't heard of the Great New England Vampire Panic before. Fascinating stuff!
The "Welcome Back" Award - Matthew Del Negro from Teen Wolf / Bianca Amato from Powers
Best Quotes -
1. Sherlock: "Come for the shopping. Stay for the fiery death."
2. Watson: "So I'm not just depressed. I am superficial." Sherlock: "I mention it only to be helpful." Watson: "Well I'm not thinking about another career." Sherlock: "But?" Watson: "I miss helping people." Sherlock: "We help people all the time." Watson: "I mean helping people get better. I went to school for 11 years to become a surgeon. I wanted to fix people, take their pain away, and I was good at it and then I killed someone. So becoming a sober companion, I could still be involved, you know? But now, you and me, we're in the punishment business." Sherlock: "We find people who do terrible things and we stop them from doing more terrible things."
3. Watson: "I was gone for 5 minutes. You built a bomb?"
4. Sherlock: "For the truly evil, the path back to prison is as inevitable as the sun rising in the east, but for the others…uh, some of them just need a little help, right?"
5. Sherlock: "Mr. Gardner, you wound me. I asked your secretary to tell you I'm here. Next thing I know, you're on the roof. It's hard not to take that personally."
Here's the number one problem in an episode that had lots of problems: It only took one episode to undo the big cliffhanger from last season. What was the point of saving Barry's mom if it wasn't going to be a main plot point this season? It's all contrived drama and it wasn't satisfying at all. Plus we've got another timeline for reasons unknown. In the end, The Flash needs to stop playing at time travel because it never makes sense, is always a gimmick instead of a real storyline, and it never adds anything to the show. You know that's a problem when it bumps all the boring shipping moments as my lead complaint. Speaking of, this "we are destined to be in love" stuff makes me gag. I guess there is no room for subtlety in this show because even Hallmark isn't so heavy handed. The whole romance angle was boring, sent the pacing into a tailspin before crashing into a wall, and exceeded my tolerance for mushy and cheesy about 2 sentences in. Joe and Wally added little to this universe as well, especially the weird back story of how Wally got powers. Let me guess, the universe is destined to have a Flash too. Add to that, I now have to worry about Iris and Joe's relationship which was a highlight last season. Thanks, writers! Still it wasn't all bad. I love that Alchemy, who looks to be the Big Bad, is not a former friend out to betray Barry like the first two seasons. Plus Jay wasn't in this episode, which is a bonus. Wells being AWOL was not. I look forward to seeing him soon. By far the best part of this premiere was Cisco and Caitlin. I really like their alter egos, and they brought much needed fun to the episode. Caitlin the ophthalmologist was a riot. Bottom line - This is not the grand opener I hoped for but in all honesty, I didn't come in with high expectations. Flashpoint always sounded like a terrible idea to me. There's no more need for cliffhangers that are resolved in one episode or hyping things that don't last longer than a dinner date.
Grade: C-
Best Reason to Watch - Caitlin and Cisco
Best Speech that Makes Absolutely No Sense - Barry's speech to Cisco about how they make a great team and are good friends. Neither of which are true in this universe. No wonder Cisco is confused.
Best Return to Normal - Barry is a part of Joe's family again
Best Upgrade - Cisco, the tech billionaire
Worst Flashpoint Change - Joe, the alcoholic
Most Fun Character - Caitlin in this universe
Most Annoying - Reverse Flash, who is no Wells
Most Awkward - Barry around Iris in the coffee shop
Least Surprising - Wally is the new Flash, especially since it was pretty apparent in the first scene of the episode
Least Reassuring - Barry's conversation with his parents about how much he loved being with them in these last few months
Biggest Blech - The Iris and Barry love and destiny conversation. Thanks for taking up those minutes I'll never get back, show.
Biggest Douche Move - Eobard makes Barry ask him to kill his mom
Biggest Whiner - Barry wanted this world so why should he care if he is losing his memory of the last one?
Biggest Huh - There is no way to reconcile Eobard with this new timeline. Either there has to be 2 Barry's around or Kid Barry had to have created a cage for Eobard and have been feeding him for all of these years. What the heck The Flash? You can't have it both ways. I HATE time travel logic gaps.
The "Right Over My Head" Award - Clarence is now Alchemy, which I'm sure is a big deal in comic world
The "Say What?" Award - How does resetting the universe mean that Iris isn't talking to her dad? I don't get it but if it has to do with her mom, I'm going to be ticked. I never liked Iris more than when she instantly forgave Joe for telling her that her mom was dead.
Best Quotes -
1. Caitlin: "Excuse me. Have I been kidnapped?" Wally: "Unclear."
2. Cisco: "This is why I didn't want to get involved. Crime fighting sucks."
3. Joe: "You don't know me. You don't know my life, so why the sudden interest in me keeping my lousy job, and what the hell makes me so interesting to you, Mr. Allen? Tell me. I'd really like to know." Barry: "I…" Joe: "And remember, I have a hangover and a gun."
4. Eobard: "You have to take me back to that night and let me finish what I started." Barry: "You go to hell." Eobard: "You're taking both of us there! Now who's the villain, Flash? Now who's the villain?"
5. Wally: "I can get him myself." Barry: "Then why haven't you?"
H2GAwM excels at many things, but sappy, melodramatic romance is not one of them. Similar to season 2, episode 3.02 focused far too much on the characters' dysfunctional love lives instead of on the cases at hand. That doesn't mean the episode was all filler though. There were some powerful moments and even more surprises. Probably the biggest one for me was how much I liked Connor here. He took a stand and made a difference, even if he was an idiot to confess to murder in any setting. I like this Connor way better than the self-obsessed whiny one of previous years. I hope they give his character a chance to grow up this season. Asher was a complete reversal though. After he became palpable in season 2, he's back to his season 1 obnoxiousness. Losing all the progress Asher made is frustrating. At this point, he, Michaela, and their icky relationship need to go. Or at least let them become humans again with a decent storyline. Episode 3.03 was far superior to the previous episode, especially as it filled in some of Laurel's complicated relationship with her father. The Atlantic City fluff still needed to go but I loved Annalise breaking on a more professional level and then building herself back up again in order to put the DA's office in their place. Her performance at court will not make her any friends but she definitely showed that she was not to be messed with. Frankly, I am glad that she struck her client too. I hate that this is the one thing she does that backfires on her because it's one of the few times I am in complete agreement.
Grade: C / B
Best Reason to Watch - eliminating one person per week in the Guess Who's Dead game / Bonnie is NOT dead
Best Scene / Best Speech - Connor yells at the parole board / every Bonnie and Annalise scene
Best Back Story - Laurel with her dad
Best Break Down - Bonnie
Best Reaction - Asher to the client, Irene, telling him that he reminds her of the husband she killed
Most Improved - Connor, who tops my list for the first time ever
Most Tragic - Irene's life before she killed her husband
Biggest What the Heck - Why is Connor confessing to murdering someone to a stranger? I don't care if she's his client. That's just downright stupid.
Biggest Douche - the murderer client
Biggest Jerk Move - Connor purposely upsetting Michaela about her ex because he's upset about Oliver
Biggest Eye Roll - Michaela thinks Asher is acting like a baby when she called him a "meat stick." Urgh! Kill this relationship off now!
Biggest Facepalm - Laurel talks about Frank murdering Lila in a crowded bar where anyone could hear
The "Say What?" Award - How is being the victim of bullying grounds to suspend someone? They do know Annalise is a lawyer, right?
The "Got to Agree" Award - Wes, you're right. If you moved in to Annalise's house, that would be weird. Very weird.
Best Quotes -
1. Connor: "That is the wrong question." Annalise: "A quick recess." Connor: "You're asking my client what's wrong with her when you should be asking what was wrong with the man that repeatedly battered her." Annalise: "Connor, enough." Connor: "Instead you're putting the burden on the victim." Parole Board Guy: "Young man, you need to reign it in." Connor: "My client has suffered a lifetime of horror and you're just continuing the cycle of abuse and I won't allow it. Now she's been bullied enough and I think we need to finally listen to her."
2. Bonnie: "There are worse things than murder, Laurel. You don't know that and that's a good thing, but I know that and Frank knows that. We've seen things you don't want to see. So stop calling him, stop thinking about him, and kill the fantasy of Frank in your head."
3. Annalise: "There are no bad ideas right now." Bonnie: "We tell the DA." Annalise: "Except that one." Bonnie: "You need good press. What's better than helping recover the body of a missing girl?" Annalise: "We haven't even seen the body yet. For all we know, it doesn't even exist." Bonnie: "Well then just say that you were compelled for moral and ethical reasons." Annalise: "Like they'll believe that. It's…it's cute though."
4. Client: "Who's this?" Annalise: "Ms. Pratt. She's just joining our team. You hit on her, I'll cut off your balls."
5. Connor: "It's not her fault that I can't keep my mouth shut. I should be punished, not her." Annalise: "Relax, okay. Breathe. That was just our first session. We can still fix this." Connor: "If I have to go back in there I'm just gonna screw it up. You should fire me." Annalise: "Well, Irene is the only one who could fire you and she hasn't done that yet. You're her counsel now and for once in her life, the only man that's not gonna disappoint her."
I get the feeling that my enjoyment level on this show is going to revolve around how interesting the cases are. In the first one, there is a lot of great teamwork and Sarah is a competent character, who can take of her own. In the second, I wanted to throttle Ralph as much as Jack did. He was beyond irksome and the constant "yo" litany had me grabbing for the socks. While neither of the episodes screamed of reality, the SUV heart surgery had me missing Dr. Hank Lawson from Royal Pains. Talk about someone who can jerry rig a lifesaving device. Those two should team up. While these 2 episodes were not going to break any new ground, again it is the kind of popcorn movie fun that everyone needs to cleanse the TV palate a bit.
Grade: B- / C
Time to First Explosion - under 1 minute
Best Reason to Watch - all the explosions
Best Scene - Jack tells Mac that he needs to forgive his dad
Best Rescue - Thornton saving Riley
Best Hack - night vision glasses
Best Story Format - the 24-style way to show all the tools Mac is using
Best Music - Disco Inferno
Worst Time for a Romance Talk - while you're being shot at by the bad guys
Most Talented - Bozer's mask making skills
Most Perceptive - Jack for figuring out that Mac keeps going to Nikki's place
Biggest What the Heck - How can they make that much noise getting into the building and yet no one in the heavily fortified building even notices them?
Biggest Fiona Moment - setting the bar on fire
Smartest Person in the Room - Riley gives Bozer 1 digit of her phone number every week he pretends to be her boyfriend to her parole officer
Weirdest Twist - Mac is not good at computers
The "Thank You, Captain Obvious" Award - Sarah exclaims that someone has been in her apartment when the entire room is torn up
The "Say What?" Award - Are you seriously telling me that Homeland Security and everyone else scoured all of Nikki's apartment and didn't check the sockets? I call a great big foul on common sense.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Jocko Sims from The Last Ship / Amy Acker from Angel
Best Quotes -
1. Jack: "Guy's place looks like a Kardashian exploded - straight cheese."
2. Jack: "Maybe just by us being here is the Big Man's way of giving me a second chance with her…despite you trying to kill me every two seconds." Mac: "Just gonna have to let that go."
3. Riley: "Dude, your game's good but there's already a half-naked girl on your computer and I don't want to make her jealous."
4. Mac: "In 99.9% of life and death situations, you're gonna want to go with life, but this just wasn't one of those times."
5. Riley: "I'm just gonna get out of here before I drown in testosterone." Mac: "You know, she is the closest either of us gets to having a stable relationship with a woman." Jack: "No, that's not even…that's true. Actually, that's sad."
Notorious has a Revenge-ish appeal in that the main characters are very clever and equally despicable. There's not one character on this show that I like and thus, I'm dropping it. The soapish plots and one-shot cases are intriguing and if there were less TV on, I would probably give this more of a shot but as it is, I don't have time for two shows with characters I am actively rooting against.
Grade: D+
Status: dropped
Best Reason to Watch - the connection between the two leads
Best Scene - the woman's son is returned and the father is locked up
Best Twist - the woman kidnapped her own child to keep him safe from his abusive father
Best Brother - Bradley, and they need to utilize him better
Best Speech - Jake
Best Cameo - Sean Combs
Worst Reference - Nicole Simpson
Most Out of Control - Oscar
Most Creepy - Ryan the intern, who took a picture of the dead body
Most Despicable - Jake for turning the funeral of a woman he says he loves into a media circus
Most Manipulative / Most Shameless - Julie for forcing Alan's hand and getting him to agree to an interview
Most Grown Up Decision - Ryan for taking the blame and owning up to being wrong
The "Are You Kidding Me?" Award - Who arrests someone at his wife's funeral? That's a terrible move even if you do think he might have killed her.
Best Quotes -
1. Jake: 'You know, Oscar, you're right about one thing. I am not your babysitter. I am your damn lifeline."
2. Julia: "Ryan, you've lived your life with this great big safety net and that's not the real world."
3. Jake: "They are going to rush to judgment because the public is demanding their villain. Now either you can listen to me, your attorney, your friend, or you can participate in your own character assassination. The choice is yours."
These episodes are exactly what I was afraid would happen when they decided to flirt with putting Walter and Paige together. We end up getting an episode that is kind of good and fast paced intercepted by all this angsty romance nonsense. Romance triangles, romance issues, everything's awkward - ugh! I cannot stand the direction this show has gone in the last season. They took a show that was about teamwork and misfits finding family and turned it into your everyday, common, cliché-ridden procedural with nothing to distinguish it from all the others out there. It sucks because season 1 was so intriguing. The single worst part of these episodes is all the couples fighting. We don't need couples of any kind on this show. We need fun cases, action, and to bring back the humor. This is just the emoangsty mess I was dreading it would be and therefore, it is likely to go to "marathon sometime later if I ever get the time" status.
Grade: C- (one entire grade level down for the love shenanigans)
Best Reason to Watch - Cabe, who is the only person who can restore sanity to this whole group
Best Timing - the missile interrupts Walter's love declaration
Best Reaction - Sylvester to having to share a bottle with a bunch of other people
Best Rescue - math when Sylvester realizes that the one goon is stealing from his boss / the pilot
Best Way to Describe Gasoline - liquid dinosaur (Toby)
Best Speech - Sylvester about eating family style / Cabe about things not being about Walter
Worst Line Ever - Toby: "You can't spell hypothalamus without us."
Worst CGI - the flame ball in the elevator
Most Noble - the submarine leader willing to sink his sub to keep the nuclear missile from launching
Most Awkward - Team Scorpion the entire way through both episodes
Most in Need of Fixing - the writers, who really need to stop listening to fans
Least Needed - any season-long tension between Walter and another member of the team given that the Walter and Toby squabbling last year was downright annoying
Biggest Oops - the catapult is broken
Biggest Baby - It's a tossup tonight but I think Toby crosses the line first.
Biggest Hmm - Walter obviously knows who Happy is married to and he tampered with the records
Biggest Huh - How is leaving a live nuclear missile in the middle of a trench a good thing? Won't that just cause massive problems later?
The "Learn Something New Each Day" Award - In Bulgaria, nodding your head means no and shaking your head means yes. That's got to be confusing to travelers on both sides.
The "We Don't Have Time for This" Award - Every single time they stop in the middle of a real crisis to have a romantic meltdown or angsty conversation. Shut up and do your job.
The "I'm with You" Award - the General rolls his eyes and heavy sighs that Ralph is here to save the day AGAIN while Paige goes to get him Fruity Loops. I can't stand Ralph.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Max Gail from Barney Miller
Best Quotes -
1. Cabe: "It hurts me to tell you this, but you like facts so here it is. She deserves more than you're capable of giving her at this stage in your life." Walter: "I thought you cared for me." Cabe: "And that's why I'm telling you this. You're not fully formed yet. You're almost there but you're half-baked, and for you to try to go to win the love of a woman like Paige before you're ready is selfish and wrong, and it's not fair to her."
2. Toby: "Is it Collins?" Happy: "What?" Toby: "When he kidnapped me, he said you couldn't say yes to my proposal. Why would he say that?" Happy: "For the same reason he talks to sock puppets. Because he's bat poop crazy."
3. Sylvester: "No, it's been so tense around here that I wanted to leave you people for the first time in my life, and when I did, I got so far away, I was in the middle of nowhere. And you know what I learned? Being alone sucks. You wind up talking to plants."
4. Toby: "They are egomaniacal, highly intelligent antisocials." Sylvester: "So are we."
5. Tim: "I'm pretty sure that was Bulgarian for oww."
I really, really loved the pilot of This is Us, mostly because it had that terrific twist in it, but I didn't know if I was going to feel the same way about this episode or not. In the end, this episode was actually superior even without the hook. I felt like I knew the characters better and while they were more annoying at times this episode, they still felt real and grounded. They are also more likeable than most characters these days. They are not perfect, but they are likeable. I care more about their problems, especially with Beth trying to judge whether Randall's father was conning them or not. Again the show had great pacing with nothing allowed to be too maudlin before some humor breaks through. Probably the best thing about the story structure though is that they combined all 4 stories together so well, especially those in the present day. Bottom line - This is not normally my kind of show but I have really enjoyed This is Us for the first 2 weeks. It's touching and heartwarming and funny, and it does it in all the right ways. This becomes the first new series to become a weekly watch for me…once I get caught up. Real life sucks sometimes.
Grade: A-
Best Reason to Watch - the women, minus Kate who is still a little hard to take
Best Scene - the great speeches
Best Friend - Miguel for telling Jack to stop drinking before he screws up his marriage
Best Character - Beth
Best Husband / Most Supportive- Randall telling Beth that she never has to censor herself around him
Best "Come to Jesus" Moment - Rebecca calls Jack out about drinking
Best Reference - the Hulk
Best Aww Moment - all three adult kids do the Big Three chant together
Best Mom - Rebecca
Best Twist - Rebecca marries Miguel but still keeps on her moon necklace from Jack
Most Strained - the relationship between Kevin and Randall
Most Depressing - Kate looking at everyone else in the gym
Most in Need of an End Game - Randall with his father
Biggest Aww Moment - Randall carries his 2 girls upstairs
Biggest Douche Move - how Kevin treats Randall
Biggest Witch Move - Kate goes off on the people at her weight loss group
Least Likely to Care What Anyone Thinks - Toby
Most Charming - Jack's speech about wanting to make Rebecca happy
The "Welcome Back" Award - Jon Huertas from Castle / Katey Sagal from Sons of Anarchy / Brad Garrett from Everyone Loves Raymond
Best Quotes:
1. Randall: "Well what are you going to do?" Kevin: "I was kind of hoping you'd tell me." Randall: "Oh, because you care what I think?" Kevin: "Because I care what everyone thinks, man. You know that. I was not a very good brother to you, was I?" Randall: "No, you weren't but you've still got time."
2. Jack: "You know, when I was a little boy, I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Adults always ask little kids that, you know? I never had a good answer. Not until...not until I was 28 - 'til the day that I met you. That's when I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be the man that made you happy." Rebecca: "You make me happy." Jack: "Not always. Not lately. From here on out, I'm gonna be an 11 for you, baby. No...screw that. I'm gonna be a 12 for you from here out. I'll be an 11 for the kids, but you get a 12."
3. Randall: "Mom and Dad didn't raise no whores…except briefly during Kate's eyeliner phase."
4. Beth: "Randall is not free of vice, William. His vice is his goodness. It's his compulsive drive to be perfect. It's why I love him, but it's also why I have to protect him sometimes, you know?"
5. Kate: "No, I don't want you to see me there. Like I am at my worst at those things." Toby: "Kate, you were at your worst when you were eviscerating the anorexic lady and I am still standing here."
This was an all-around fun episode with no major drama hanging over its head once the laptop is no longer an issue. (Good riddance to that.) I'm curious about Bryce but my bet is that we only see him for the next few episodes and then he'll fade away. That's a shame though because he's a fount of knowledge, weird and somewhat disturbing knowledge, but knowledge no less. I could do with never seeing Chad again though. Talk about the creepiest stalker to stalk. Just disturbing with no aptitude for social cues. I also need Charles to take a pill and stop bratting out over Liza's supposed rejection. However, if we get rid of the love triangle, I am all for that. The only thing that I didn't like at all about this episode is that there felt like there was no follow-up for Diana from the last episode and Maggie was again only a blip on the radar. I really need these two to have a storyline.
Grade: B
Best Reason to Watch - it's an all-around fun episode
Best Scene - Kelsey tells off Chad
Most Creepy - Chad / Bryce, the tech billionaire
Most Blind - Kelsey doesn't even see the folder on Thad's laptop that is labeled Liza Miller?
Biggest Fanboy - the tech billionaire's crush on Josh
Biggest Baby - Charles
Biggest Facepalm - the tech billionaire is this generation's Doogie Howser
Strangest Metaphor - Liza and a marshmallow
The "Say What?" Award - Josh offers to help with Caitlin's tuition, which is a little awkward. Why doesn't Caitlin just get a student loan like everyone else?
The "Who Knew?" Award - people are actually studying termites as a potential energy source
The "I Feel Old" Award - the loft party has people using VR and drones to deliver drinks while people deliver cocaine in bowls
The "I'm with Liza" Award - Maggie, I don't want to know the extent of your sexual knowledge either
The "Problem Solved" Award - Kelsey launches Thad's computer into the pool
The "Welcome Back" Award - Camryn Manheim, reprising her role from last year /
Best Quotes -
1. Diana: "If old media is so dead, why is new media always trying to buy us?"
2. Kelsey: "I know it seems impossible, but he could be gone just like that. So if you love him, just be with him."
3. Kelsey: "Don't call me, don't text me, and stop tagging me in funny memes. They're not funny."
4. Liza: "Why would the patient consent? I mean wasn't she promised anonymity?" Charles: "Well she's clearly an opportunist." Kelsey: "More like a sociopath." Diana: "Shaving one or two years off your age is one thing, but living a double life…that is a very disturbed individual."
5. Kelsey: "Chad, we are never going to be anything. Ever. Do you understand that?"
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