Three more of the shows I'm interested in premiered this week, to mixed reviews. (Gilmore Girls also arrived on Netflix streaming, so you should all be proud of me for watching anything else besides that this week...)
Once Upon a Time - A Tale of Two Sisters: I should preface this review by stating that I didn't really like the movie Frozen very much, so I was less than excited to see that it was coming to OUaT. That being said, there were a few things I liked about this episode. I actually liked Elsa (I did in the movie too), and am excited that it appears that she'll be a major focus, rather than just a side plot (and it's great to see Georgina Haig on my screen again - makes my Fringie heart happy). The way the scene between Emma and Regina was framed to mirror a scene from Frozen was cool, and I like the potential comparisons between their story and Anna and Elsa's. And thank heaven that Regina didn't go full-on evil. (I'm okay with conflicted, but if they turn her evil again, I will quit watching.) Overall grade: C+
Gotham - Selina Kyle: As the title makes very evident, this episode was centered around Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Cat. I could like her, I think, although we still know next to nothing about her, aside from the fact that she's got quite the attitude. I want to see her interact with Bruce - who, by the way, is rather intense. I can totally see him becoming Batman one day. Gordon continues to be the morally upright good guy, and gets encouragement from his girl, whom I hated less this time around. However, he does seem willing to toe the line between right and wrong when lives are at stake... I really enjoy Bullock's character - he manages pull off being morally ambiguous while still somehow being likable - we'll see how long that lasts. As far as actual villains go, Penguin and Falcone are awesome, but I'm still on the fence about Fish Mooney. There wasn't really a lot of character development in this episode, and the story itself wasn't that strong (although I'm expecting the Dollmaker to come into play again at a later point). Still, it was an enjoyable watch, probably because it maintained the film noir feel. I'm gonna need something more than that soon, though. Overall grade: B
NCIS: Los Angeles - Deep Trouble, Pt. II: This felt a bit more like the NCIS:LA I used to love, but it still struggled with character interactions. (That used to be the strongest part of the show - I don't know what went wrong.) The episode was well plotted, and the scenes with Sam and Callen in the doomed sub were well done, as were the scenes with Hetty and Granger. Where this episode really struggled was with Kensi and Deeks and the random DEA agent (Talia?). Those scenes just rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. I feel like the writers haven't written Kensi and Deeks well since they sent her off the Afghanistan, and this episode was no different. The action plotline was on point this episode, though, so it was decently entertaining. Overall grade: B-
Chicago Fire - Wow Me: A solid episode, nothing stunning, but that's okay. Severide's struggle to deal with Shay's death was well handled, and not over the top, which made his breakdown at the end of the episode that much more meaningful. I liked seeing Cruz get a chance to be the smart one, and Boden's nervousness about the baby was great. And even though I'm not always a huge fan of Dawson and Casey together (mostly when their relationship gets played up for the sake of added drama), I really liked them in this episode. I also really enjoyed getting to know a little bit of Newhouse's backstory - he seems like a really good dad. Overall grade: B
Modern Family - Do Not Push: Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed all the plotlines in this episode. Alex meeting a cute guy on her college tour was great, and the moment between Phil, Haley, and Luke was sweet. Jay seemed a bit out of character, but I liked how he and Gloria ended up keeping the expensive gifts. And I know the pain of trying to get a nice smile out of a little kid (and out of bigger kids, too), so I found Mitch and Cam's struggle very entertaining. Overall grade: B
The Vampire Diaries - I'll Remember: I binged watched the first five seasons over the summer because I was bored, and wound up enjoying the show more than I thought I would. This was a decent season premiere, and I liked the way they approached both Elena and Caroline's responses to what happened at the end of last season. I could care less about Tyler, and wanted to see more of Alaric struggling with being a vampire now. And I'm gonna go nuts until Damon is back where he belongs. As a whole, the episode set up a lot of plotlines, so it felt a little disjointed at times, but I want to know what happens, so I guess it did its job. Overall grade: B-
Hawaii Five-0 - Ka Makuakane: There was a nice misdirect at the beginning of the episode, and I'm also inclined to think of William Mapother as a bad guy after Lost, so it took me a while to figure this case out, which was a nice surprise. As far as the case-of-the-week went, it was a good episode, although we didn't get much of a chance to spend time with some of the main characters. This show has suffered from adding too many characters, and some weeks I really miss when the focus was just the main four. The subplot with the shady character from Danny's brother's past was subpar, although I feel like it could develop into an interesting storyline, if done right. But right now I'm actually more interested in whatever it is that Jerry has uncovered... Overall grade: B-
Showing posts with label Modern Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Modern Family. Show all posts
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Last week on TV - Sep. 21st-27th
Fall shows are finally starting up again! And I'm planning on watching a bunch of them, at least for a little while, until real life gets too crazy. I'm also going to try to keep up with the mini reviews for the shows I'm current on - we'll see how that goes.
Gotham - Pilot: Of all the new shows this fall, this was probably the one I was the most excited for, and so far, it's living up to my hopes for it. As my husband stated within the first minute of the show, it feels like Gotham, and like Batman (or at least the Christopher Nolan version). The show set a dark tone right out of the gate, but at least in this episode, the unwavering moral stance of James Gordon kept it from feeling too depressing. (We'll have to see how long that lasts.) As a whole, it kept me interested, and the nods to characters who will become important in the future of this universe were an added bonus. I'll definitely be keeping watching this one, at least for as long as they keep Gordon in character. Overall grade: B+
Chicago Fire - Always: A show that knows what it's about doesn't need to have a flashy season premiere to be excellent, and this week's episode proved that Chicago Fire has that down. The draw of this show has always come from the relationships - not the romance, but the bonds of friendship that tie all of Firehouse 51 together. This episode wasn't action-packed; sure, there were a few calls, just like always, but the real strength of the episode came from the subdued expressions of grief, the masterful use of flashbacks, and the sense of a family coming together to hold each other up in the wake of yet another tragedy. Overall grade: A-
Modern Family - The Long Honeymoon: I really liked the plotline with Jay and Gloria this episode - your spouse is important and you should care about things that matter to them, including your appearance. The plotline with Alex bothered me at first, but the resolution redeemed it slightly - her family really does need her. And the webcam mishap made me laugh a lot. Overall grade: B-
Hawaii Five-0 - A'ohe kahi e pe'e ai: The opening scene/music combo was chilling, and the story itself was well plotted. The idea of a drone that can strike anywhere, without warning, is maybe playing a bit too much to current fears, but it worked. The bit with Danny and Steve getting their annual psych eval was hysterical, and Kono and Adam are too perfect together. Quite a decent episode overall, although the ending felt a little crammed with information and plotline introductions. Overall grade: B
Gotham - Pilot: Of all the new shows this fall, this was probably the one I was the most excited for, and so far, it's living up to my hopes for it. As my husband stated within the first minute of the show, it feels like Gotham, and like Batman (or at least the Christopher Nolan version). The show set a dark tone right out of the gate, but at least in this episode, the unwavering moral stance of James Gordon kept it from feeling too depressing. (We'll have to see how long that lasts.) As a whole, it kept me interested, and the nods to characters who will become important in the future of this universe were an added bonus. I'll definitely be keeping watching this one, at least for as long as they keep Gordon in character. Overall grade: B+
Chicago Fire - Always: A show that knows what it's about doesn't need to have a flashy season premiere to be excellent, and this week's episode proved that Chicago Fire has that down. The draw of this show has always come from the relationships - not the romance, but the bonds of friendship that tie all of Firehouse 51 together. This episode wasn't action-packed; sure, there were a few calls, just like always, but the real strength of the episode came from the subdued expressions of grief, the masterful use of flashbacks, and the sense of a family coming together to hold each other up in the wake of yet another tragedy. Overall grade: A-
Modern Family - The Long Honeymoon: I really liked the plotline with Jay and Gloria this episode - your spouse is important and you should care about things that matter to them, including your appearance. The plotline with Alex bothered me at first, but the resolution redeemed it slightly - her family really does need her. And the webcam mishap made me laugh a lot. Overall grade: B-
Hawaii Five-0 - A'ohe kahi e pe'e ai: The opening scene/music combo was chilling, and the story itself was well plotted. The idea of a drone that can strike anywhere, without warning, is maybe playing a bit too much to current fears, but it worked. The bit with Danny and Steve getting their annual psych eval was hysterical, and Kono and Adam are too perfect together. Quite a decent episode overall, although the ending felt a little crammed with information and plotline introductions. Overall grade: B
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Last week on TV - Mar. 2nd-8th
This is me attempting to get back to actually writing these mini reviews... I feel like this experiment is failing me.
Teen Wolf - The Fox and the Wolf: The way the Japanese internment camp/nogitsune origin story played out was incredible (and a perfect example of how to do exposition without boring your audience). And I'm a huge fan of Derek, Mr. Argent, the sheriff, and Allison all working together. Plus, having the sheriff comfort Allison was really nice - her breakdown made her seem more human and more likable. Gotta say, I'm loving Sheriff Stilinski a lot - he's smart, caring, and passionate about doing the right thing. Overall grade: B+
Supernatural - #THINMAN: Subtle, this episode was not... That didn't mean it wasn't good, though. I will admit to finding the Ghostfacers annoying the first time they appeared, back in season one, but after a few series rewatches, I've come to really like them. Yes, they're ridiculous - but it works for me. The story this week was interesting, the parallels to the Winchesters were nice, although more than a bit heavy-handed, and I actually really liked not getting to see Sam and Dean's reactions to those parallels quite yet. I also like it when episodes explore the darker side of human nature, rather than having a supernatural baddie - that's about the creepiest thing, in my opinion. Overall grade: B+
Growing Up Fisher - Blind Man's Bluff: This show is, in my opinion, a breath of fresh air in the arena of half-hour comedies. Sure, it's cheesy, and sappy, and fairly predictable, but somehow that's really working for me. It's refreshing to watch something that, while not being laugh-out-loud funny, still makes me smile because of the way it approaches living life. It's not yet another jaded sitcom, and I like that. The family interactions are well played, the blind-guy gag isn't overused, and I feel like all the characters have potential. Overall grade: B
NCIS: Los Angeles - Fish Out of Water: The Afghanistan storyline has dragged on too long. This week's episode should have been an exciting reveal regarding the White Ghost - Kensi obviously reacted when she saw him, and the audience is supposed to be left wondering who it could be (her ex-fiancee being the obvious choice). But I don't care anymore about who the White Ghost is. I just want the team back together, and Deeks to have his partner back. The LA case was decent, and Sam and Callen's banter was back on form. Also, I totally believe that Hetty invented the internet. Makes sense to me. Overall grade: B
Chicago Fire - Keep Your Mouth Shut: I'm just gonna come out and say it: Jones is an ass. I know she's probably going to undergo major character development, but right now I hate her enough that I really don't care. On a brighter note, I'm liking Severide's storyline, and also really liked Mouch finding himself without a couch - it was entertaining. Overall grade: B-
Arrow - The Promise: I liked this episode a lot. Was it my favorite of the season? Probably not, but it was up there. The best parts, for me, were little moments that stood out among the rest: Ivo's call to Jessica, Slade picking up the mask, Sara making Oliver promise to tell her family she died on the Gambit. And of course, Oliver donning the hood for the first time. Slade is a perfectly menacing villain - I'm looking forward to seeing more of him as the bad guy. Overall grade: A
Modern Family - Spring-a-Ding-Fling: The best part of this episode was Lily lying through her teeth and blaming everything on Joe. I totally used to do that with my younger siblings. I also liked seeing Haley step up and be there for her dad. She isn't mature yet, but she's getting closer. Cam and Mitch have been irking me in recent episodes and sadly, that was true again (which sucks because I did really like their dynamic). Overall grade: B-
The Tomorrow People - Enemy of My Enemy: I wish we saw more of Astrid and John and Russell, and less of Cara and Stephen. The show would be much better if they cut out the whole love tangle (it's not even a triangle - that's how messed up it is). Julian was a good enemy, and I felt like they wasted his potential. The only thing I really liked about the episode was Jedikiah - looks like Mark Pellegrino is stealing the spotlight on yet another show. Overall grade: C+
Teen Wolf - The Fox and the Wolf: The way the Japanese internment camp/nogitsune origin story played out was incredible (and a perfect example of how to do exposition without boring your audience). And I'm a huge fan of Derek, Mr. Argent, the sheriff, and Allison all working together. Plus, having the sheriff comfort Allison was really nice - her breakdown made her seem more human and more likable. Gotta say, I'm loving Sheriff Stilinski a lot - he's smart, caring, and passionate about doing the right thing. Overall grade: B+
Supernatural - #THINMAN: Subtle, this episode was not... That didn't mean it wasn't good, though. I will admit to finding the Ghostfacers annoying the first time they appeared, back in season one, but after a few series rewatches, I've come to really like them. Yes, they're ridiculous - but it works for me. The story this week was interesting, the parallels to the Winchesters were nice, although more than a bit heavy-handed, and I actually really liked not getting to see Sam and Dean's reactions to those parallels quite yet. I also like it when episodes explore the darker side of human nature, rather than having a supernatural baddie - that's about the creepiest thing, in my opinion. Overall grade: B+
Growing Up Fisher - Blind Man's Bluff: This show is, in my opinion, a breath of fresh air in the arena of half-hour comedies. Sure, it's cheesy, and sappy, and fairly predictable, but somehow that's really working for me. It's refreshing to watch something that, while not being laugh-out-loud funny, still makes me smile because of the way it approaches living life. It's not yet another jaded sitcom, and I like that. The family interactions are well played, the blind-guy gag isn't overused, and I feel like all the characters have potential. Overall grade: B
NCIS: Los Angeles - Fish Out of Water: The Afghanistan storyline has dragged on too long. This week's episode should have been an exciting reveal regarding the White Ghost - Kensi obviously reacted when she saw him, and the audience is supposed to be left wondering who it could be (her ex-fiancee being the obvious choice). But I don't care anymore about who the White Ghost is. I just want the team back together, and Deeks to have his partner back. The LA case was decent, and Sam and Callen's banter was back on form. Also, I totally believe that Hetty invented the internet. Makes sense to me. Overall grade: B
Chicago Fire - Keep Your Mouth Shut: I'm just gonna come out and say it: Jones is an ass. I know she's probably going to undergo major character development, but right now I hate her enough that I really don't care. On a brighter note, I'm liking Severide's storyline, and also really liked Mouch finding himself without a couch - it was entertaining. Overall grade: B-
Arrow - The Promise: I liked this episode a lot. Was it my favorite of the season? Probably not, but it was up there. The best parts, for me, were little moments that stood out among the rest: Ivo's call to Jessica, Slade picking up the mask, Sara making Oliver promise to tell her family she died on the Gambit. And of course, Oliver donning the hood for the first time. Slade is a perfectly menacing villain - I'm looking forward to seeing more of him as the bad guy. Overall grade: A
Modern Family - Spring-a-Ding-Fling: The best part of this episode was Lily lying through her teeth and blaming everything on Joe. I totally used to do that with my younger siblings. I also liked seeing Haley step up and be there for her dad. She isn't mature yet, but she's getting closer. Cam and Mitch have been irking me in recent episodes and sadly, that was true again (which sucks because I did really like their dynamic). Overall grade: B-
The Tomorrow People - Enemy of My Enemy: I wish we saw more of Astrid and John and Russell, and less of Cara and Stephen. The show would be much better if they cut out the whole love tangle (it's not even a triangle - that's how messed up it is). Julian was a good enemy, and I felt like they wasted his potential. The only thing I really liked about the episode was Jedikiah - looks like Mark Pellegrino is stealing the spotlight on yet another show. Overall grade: C+
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Last week on TV - Feb. 2nd-8th
I've been having trouble settling down and focusing enough to write full-fledged reviews of episodes, so I'm going to try something new - a brief overview of the TV shows I've watched each week, along with episode ratings. We'll see how that goes...
How I Met Your Mother - Sunrise: An average episode - I liked the overall idea of Ted finally learning to really let go of Robin, because that needed to happen before he met the Mother. The resolution to Marshall and Lily's fight was also handled well - marriage isn't about winning or losing, it's about doing what's best for both of you, which might sometimes mean letting go of a dream or two and replacing them with something that's better in the long run. Barney passing along the playbook was kind of annoying. Yes, he's serious about settling down with Robin so his legacy passes to someone else, but I felt like we'd already covered that ground already (and better). Overall grade: B-
Teen Wolf - Silverfinger: This show surprised me earlier this season by turning away from the teenage angst and toward something much darker, and the episodes this year have continued that trend. The revelation that Stiles is possessed by the nogitsune wasn't entirely unexpected, but I felt it was handled brilliantly. This episode raised a lot of unanswered questions about Stiles' mother and Scott's father, as well as cementing Melissa McCall firmly as an awesome character. The Yakuza side of the episode was a little heavy on exposition, but that didn't ruin what was overall an episode on par with the ones leading up to it. Overall grade: B
Almost Human - Unbound: Cop procedurals always fare better with an overarching storyline to tie together otherwise unrelated episodes, and although we've had hints at this storyline before with bits of information about Insyndicate, I felt like this episode took a huge step forward with that. It's good to have a personal "big bad" rather than just a shadowy organization, and Vaughn's connection to Dorian should provide some interesting plot avenues. I'm also really curious about "the Wall" and what's on the other side - the show is expanding its universe beyond the confines of the city, and I can't wait to see what's out there. Looking back, the episode itself wasn't anything really special, but the potential that it revealed made me very excited for where the show is going to go from here. Overall grade: B
Supernatural - The Purge: I tried to like this episode, I really did. But the humor fell flat, the MotW wasn't interesting, the resolution to the case was extremely predictable... I wasn't impressed. The episode's only redeeming quality (aside from the boys wearing less layers than normal) was how the scenes at the bunker were handled, especially the ending one. I love Dean Winchester more than any other character on TV, but that conversation has needed to happen for years now. It hurt to hear Sam say those things, but the only way the brothers will ever find a happy ending is if they're able to work through this. I just hope Dean can see it that way. Overall grade: C-
NCIS: Los Angeles - War Cries: The bad guy was Colby from Numb3rs. Also, for so being tiny, Nell can kick some serious ass. And am I okay with Kensi and Deeks being apart for this long? Not really... It was a decent episode, but ever since Kensi left I feel like the dynamic of the whole team and of the show has been thrown off. Overall grade: B-
Arrow - Heir to the Demon: Most of the twists in this episode were things I expected to happen. I really liked Nyssa and Sara being lovers, and was also impressed by how Lance handled the news that his daughter is bi. I was much less of a fan of the ending scene with Oliver and Sara - even though I can see why it happened, I'd hoped they'd both matured past that. The best scene of the episode was probably Felicity confronting Moira - two strong women facing off. And I was glad Felicity didn't let Moira intimidate her, even though I hate to see her hurting. Overall grade: B+
Modern Family - iSpy: I've really been appreciating the way the show has been dealing with the kids growing up. And having Haley finally find something that she's good at made me happy (as did seeing the pictures she took - those were sweet). The other storylines didn't hold my attention very well - they weren't really funny or interesting. That's really been the story of this season for me, sadly. Overall grade: B-
The Tomorrow People - Things Fall Apart: So Stephen's mom is a Tomorrow Person too... I saw that coming about five episodes back, but it sets up some interesting possibilities. I wish they'd explored Cassie's heightened powers more, but maybe that will come later. And I'm not sure how Stephen hasn't been caught and stripped of his powers yet, since it's pretty obvious he's not on Ultra's side, given his recent interactions with Jedikiah and the Founder. Overall grade: B-
Enlisted - Rear D Day: I'm still on the fence about this show. On the one hand, it can be really funny or even occasionally play the "Aww" factor, but on the other hand, it can sometimes be borderline offensive. I think this episode bothered me because I hated the way the military spouse was presented for most of the time, even though he was sort of redeemed in the end. And the way the soldiers treated him wasn't okay, which the episode pointed out, but it tried to make it seem funny first. Up until this point, the show was growing on me after an iffy first episode, but now I'm back to not being sure what I think. Overall grade: C-
And that's it for this week - sadly, it was a rather disappointing week for my episodic shows. The Olympics started yesterday, though, so that will be on my TV a lot for a few weeks here.
How I Met Your Mother - Sunrise: An average episode - I liked the overall idea of Ted finally learning to really let go of Robin, because that needed to happen before he met the Mother. The resolution to Marshall and Lily's fight was also handled well - marriage isn't about winning or losing, it's about doing what's best for both of you, which might sometimes mean letting go of a dream or two and replacing them with something that's better in the long run. Barney passing along the playbook was kind of annoying. Yes, he's serious about settling down with Robin so his legacy passes to someone else, but I felt like we'd already covered that ground already (and better). Overall grade: B-
Teen Wolf - Silverfinger: This show surprised me earlier this season by turning away from the teenage angst and toward something much darker, and the episodes this year have continued that trend. The revelation that Stiles is possessed by the nogitsune wasn't entirely unexpected, but I felt it was handled brilliantly. This episode raised a lot of unanswered questions about Stiles' mother and Scott's father, as well as cementing Melissa McCall firmly as an awesome character. The Yakuza side of the episode was a little heavy on exposition, but that didn't ruin what was overall an episode on par with the ones leading up to it. Overall grade: B
Almost Human - Unbound: Cop procedurals always fare better with an overarching storyline to tie together otherwise unrelated episodes, and although we've had hints at this storyline before with bits of information about Insyndicate, I felt like this episode took a huge step forward with that. It's good to have a personal "big bad" rather than just a shadowy organization, and Vaughn's connection to Dorian should provide some interesting plot avenues. I'm also really curious about "the Wall" and what's on the other side - the show is expanding its universe beyond the confines of the city, and I can't wait to see what's out there. Looking back, the episode itself wasn't anything really special, but the potential that it revealed made me very excited for where the show is going to go from here. Overall grade: B
Supernatural - The Purge: I tried to like this episode, I really did. But the humor fell flat, the MotW wasn't interesting, the resolution to the case was extremely predictable... I wasn't impressed. The episode's only redeeming quality (aside from the boys wearing less layers than normal) was how the scenes at the bunker were handled, especially the ending one. I love Dean Winchester more than any other character on TV, but that conversation has needed to happen for years now. It hurt to hear Sam say those things, but the only way the brothers will ever find a happy ending is if they're able to work through this. I just hope Dean can see it that way. Overall grade: C-
NCIS: Los Angeles - War Cries: The bad guy was Colby from Numb3rs. Also, for so being tiny, Nell can kick some serious ass. And am I okay with Kensi and Deeks being apart for this long? Not really... It was a decent episode, but ever since Kensi left I feel like the dynamic of the whole team and of the show has been thrown off. Overall grade: B-
Arrow - Heir to the Demon: Most of the twists in this episode were things I expected to happen. I really liked Nyssa and Sara being lovers, and was also impressed by how Lance handled the news that his daughter is bi. I was much less of a fan of the ending scene with Oliver and Sara - even though I can see why it happened, I'd hoped they'd both matured past that. The best scene of the episode was probably Felicity confronting Moira - two strong women facing off. And I was glad Felicity didn't let Moira intimidate her, even though I hate to see her hurting. Overall grade: B+
Modern Family - iSpy: I've really been appreciating the way the show has been dealing with the kids growing up. And having Haley finally find something that she's good at made me happy (as did seeing the pictures she took - those were sweet). The other storylines didn't hold my attention very well - they weren't really funny or interesting. That's really been the story of this season for me, sadly. Overall grade: B-
The Tomorrow People - Things Fall Apart: So Stephen's mom is a Tomorrow Person too... I saw that coming about five episodes back, but it sets up some interesting possibilities. I wish they'd explored Cassie's heightened powers more, but maybe that will come later. And I'm not sure how Stephen hasn't been caught and stripped of his powers yet, since it's pretty obvious he's not on Ultra's side, given his recent interactions with Jedikiah and the Founder. Overall grade: B-
Enlisted - Rear D Day: I'm still on the fence about this show. On the one hand, it can be really funny or even occasionally play the "Aww" factor, but on the other hand, it can sometimes be borderline offensive. I think this episode bothered me because I hated the way the military spouse was presented for most of the time, even though he was sort of redeemed in the end. And the way the soldiers treated him wasn't okay, which the episode pointed out, but it tried to make it seem funny first. Up until this point, the show was growing on me after an iffy first episode, but now I'm back to not being sure what I think. Overall grade: C-
And that's it for this week - sadly, it was a rather disappointing week for my episodic shows. The Olympics started yesterday, though, so that will be on my TV a lot for a few weeks here.
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