Looking Back at the 2016-2017 TV Season Part 2

I already posted about the new shows from the 2016-17 TV season that I liked, and gave praise for the one series that I'll keep watching. So, now let's take a look at the past season of returning shows I watch.

As always, possible ***Spoilers*** below.

Once Upon a Time

I feel like this has been the best season of Once Upon a Time since its first season. And toward the end of the season I was beginning to like the show again. I think this would have been a really nice place to end the series, but it was renewed, and because many of the main actors decided not to renew their contracts, and other actors were not asked to come back, it looks like the show will have a reboot in season 7. It will be interesting to see how they incorporate characters such as Hook and Rumpelstiltskin into the new reboot, since it looks like the reboot jumps 10 years in the future. I'll be watching to where the story goes, and hope that it holds my attention.

Supergirl

I think that Supergirl had a good second season for the most part. I'm glad that CW picked it up after CBS canceled it last year. The romance plot this season seemed a bit forced at first, especially since they just abandoned the Kara/James romance completely, without even exploring the effects of ending the romance. I didn't like Mon-El at first, but by the end of the season, I was on board enough to feel for both Kara and Mon-El when their story ended up the way it did.

It was nice to see Winn have more to do. I really like Jeremy Jordan, and I like his character. I think Katie McGrath was a great addition to the cast as Lena Luthor, and I like the direction they've taken her character. I just hope they don't have her character go the way of McGrath's character in Merlin after a few seasons. It was also great that we got to meet Superman. I just wish that he had been in more episodes. We'll see if we'll get more of him in season 3.

When Cat Grant showed up at the end of this season after being gone through most of the season, it was almost as good as when a certain person (I won't say who, because **spoilers**) shows up on Buffy, the Vampire Slayer at the end of season 6. Sometimes you don't know how much you miss a character who has left a series until they show up again, and suddenly, you cheer when you see them again.

Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin has done such a good job at exploring how people deal with loss of a loved one. This show is so good at balancing comedy and drama. It's a very hard thing to do well, and Jane the Virgin excels at it. This season has been just as good as preceding seasons. It's just consistently good. My favorite character is (and has pretty much always been) Rogelio. He's so richly written, and so well played by Jaime Camil. The narrator continues to get many of the best lines, and is used so well in each episode.

The Flash

One of the things about the first season of The Flash that I liked better than Arrow was that The Flash wasn't as dark as Arrow. Well, this season it gave Arrow a run for its money on darkness. Not that it was a completely bad thing, but I'm ready to see a little more lightness again in The Flash. The show did forego its brooding for at least one episode when they joined the list of series that have done musical episodes. I enjoyed the musical episode for the most part, and was excited that it was also a crossover episode with Supergirl. But I really wanted more songs (and better songs), since they have so much musical talent in the casts of both Supergirl and The Flash.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Can I just say that I loved, loved, loved the direction that show went at the end of the season. There were so many shows I watch that went with an "alternate reality" plotline (Legends of Tomorrow, Once Upon a Time, Sleepy Hollow, Grimm) this season, but for me, none of them did it better than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Watching the last bunch of episode of this season it hit me what a great actor Iain De Caestecker is. I was thinking about what a great opportunity he was given as an actor to explore what his character would be like if his father had remained in his life. It's too bad that he would have been a completely different man, who could do deplorable things. However, even though his character was deplorable, his acting was amazing.

This remains one of my favorite shows, and I'm so glad that it was renewed even though the ratings aren't that great. I wish people who stopped watching during its rocky first season would come back and see what a great show it's become.

Arrow

This season of Arrow has been okay. My favorite thing about the season was the season finale. It was great to see so many favorite characters come back. I really hope that many of them will be back next season, but after watching the season finale, I have no idea who will be coming back at all. I have some really good guesses, but we'll have to wait a few months for the suspense to end. I'll be watching to see what happens.

The Big Bang Theory

It's hard to know what to say about The Big Bang Theory. It just ended its 10th season. It's still on. I still keep watching. I'm not quite sure why.

Legends of Tomorrow

The second season of Legends of Tomorrow was so much better than season 1. Usually a series goes a bit downhill in its second season, but I'm so glad that it was the opposite for Legends. They made a good choice when they decided to let Hawk Girl and Hawk Man leave at the end of season 1, and I think that Nick and Maya were good additions to the group. It was also a good idea to have Rip MIA for a lot of the season, and I liked the twist that when the legends found him he didn't know them or know that he had ever been a Time Master. It gave the writers the chance to make his character more interesting.

Nashville

Nashville was canceled, and then CMT decided to pick the series up, so the soap opry continues. It had a major character die this season because the actor wanted to move on to other projects. I really haven't missed the character too much, mostly because I stopped really caring about any of the characters when they went full "soap opera" mode. It seems that no one is ever happy in this show. And if they are happy, it's only for a moment, and then something tragic happens to ruin that happiness. I guess it's just one big, long country song. The show's biggest asset is the songs. They have some really good songwriters writing for this show. And they're lucky to have good actors who can actually sing the songs well.  I feel like many of the songs could be big hits if more people (other than just the people who watch Nashville) could hear them.

Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow ended this season, and I have to admit that I kept watching this show just for Tom Mison (see above picture). The series wasn't the same without Nicole Beharie, and fans really felt her absence. Even though the show wasn't great after the first season, the chemistry between Mison and Beharie was so good that it kept some people watching, including myself. With Abbie Mills gone, they had to find another "witness," and I thought that making the new witness a young girl was an interesting choice, but I feel they could have done so much more with that than they did. Regardless of the things they did wrong with this series, Ichabod Crane was just so darn likeable, that it was hard to dislike the show completely. Now, I hope that Tom Mison is cast in another American series playing another great character, just because I don't want him to fade away into British television where I might not see him again. I looked on IMDB.com, and I didn't see that he has anything in works (in film or television). *sob*

Grimm

Grimm is over. *sob* This has been one of my favorite shows, and even though the series has had its ups and downs, I really enjoyed the characters. I felt like the finale had a lot of plot holes. I just kept getting angrier and angrier as more characters died, and I thought that the ending was a bit of a cop-out, but I guess they really wanted to go out with a bang. I do have to say that I wouldn't really like to see a series that follows Kelly and Diana and the triplets.

TV Review: Still Star-Crossed

I was looking forward to the premiere of Still Star-Crossed on ABC. Even though Romeo and Juliet is not one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, I think it's an interesting idea to imagine what happened to the Montagues and Capulets after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Even though most people are familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliet, I'm glad that they began the series with their wedding and subsequent deaths, to introduce the world we're entering, how the characters of the series relate to Romeo and Juliet, and to show where the "sequel" starts. Now, that we've reached the end of Shakespeare's tale, we'll see how R & J's choices continue to affect the lives of those secondary characters.

I liked the "look" of the series. It doesn't look like it's all been filmed in front of a green screen, like ABC's Once Upon a Time. I feel it captures the time period well.

I know that there really wasn't time to tell much of Romeo and Juliet's story, because the series isn't about them, and you can get the whole story if you read the play or watch a version of the play or movie, but I wish they hadn't changed some of the details. Such as Rosaline finding the "dead" Juliet, instead of the nurse, and Juliet finally dies by drinking the same poison that killed Romeo, instead of dispatching herself with the "happy dagger."

I was disappointed that Lord Capulet wasn't distraught over the death of Tybalt. He just says that a Capulet was murdered by a Montague in the streets. Tybalt wasn't just a Capulet, he was his nephew. Couldn't he at least have mentioned him by name?

I was surprised they didn't mention the infatuation that Romeo had with Rosaline, not even in passing. It's interesting that the main character in Still Star-Crossed is a character that is only mentioned in Romeo and Juliet, but she is the reason that Romeo meets Juliet to begin with. Why not reference this at all?

And, that was just the first episode.

The second episode just didn't go anywhere to me. Is the whole series going to be "will they marry or won't they marry?" I don't know if that's enough to keep me watching.

Although... I was happy to see that Torrance Coombs is in the cast. He was one of my favorite characters in Reign, and I was sad when he left. It took me a while to watch Reign again after he left.

Just sayin'.

Looking Back at the 2016-17 TV Season

Has it really been a year since I blogged about the current TV season? [insert here cliche of how quickly time flies] [or not] Last year around this same time, I made a list of 17 new series that I was interested in watching. That is a long list of new shows to watch. I watched the entire pilots of all of them except three (Conviction, Bull, and Notorious). I think I watched about 15 minutes of Bull and Notorious, and they didn't pull me in, so I stopped. There were a few that I watched more than one episode, but in the long run, there were only two new series I ended up watching through the whole season. Two out of 17. Not great.

This is Us

I watched the entire season of This is Us, and I really liked it at first. In my post a year ago when I wrote about my hopes for this series, I said that I hoped it wouldn't get too "soap opera-ey." Well, for me it did. I loved Randall and his family, and I have to say that Sterling K. Brown is a heck of an actor. I found the "twist" interesting. However, the stories didn't really draw me in enough. I recorded it on my DVR, and I usually ended up fast-forwarding through it to catch the gist of what was going on. Big indicator that I didn't feel like the stories were compelling enough to sit through all of it.

I really don't know if I'll continue to watch the show next season. 

********

And for me, the winning new series of the 2016-17 TV season is... (drum roll please)

Timeless

I loved this series. Each episode had a beginning, a middle, and an end (I prefer episodic television to serial), but the entire season had an overarching story line that connected all of the episodes. It started out a bit slow, but it got better and better as the season went on. I thought the three main characters had a lot of chemistry, and I cared about what happened to them. 

I loved the time travel aspect. I love history, and watching the main characters go back in time to actually see these famous (and sometimes infamous) events and historical figures was great. I thought the writers picked a nice variety of time periods and events to explore. I can imagine what a thrill it would be for a historian, like Lucy, to actually be able to observe and participate in these historical events, and to meet people you've spent your life reading about. 

The secondary plot - the reason why they were time traveling - felt a little bit forced and convoluted sometimes, and I wished there were more of a conclusion in the season finale, but overall I loved the series and I excited to find out what happens next.

And then... it was canceled. I was not happy. It was the only new show that I wanted to keep watching, and NBC canceled it!

And then... they uncanceled it. Yes, NBC actually listened to fans' protests, and they actually reversed the cancellation and ordered 10 new episodes for next season. And now, I'm happy.

********

There is one new series I wrote about in my post last year that I wanted to watch that hasn't started yet: Still Star-Crossed. I am still looking forward to that series, and I hope it will be good. 

Next post: 2017 TV Fall Season Sneak Peek

TV Review: Anne with an "E"

Netflix - what did you do to Anne Shirley?

****Possible spoilers ahead****

It's as if the screenwriter opened up Anne of Green Gables and sucked every bit of joy and humor out of it. Then, left with 320 minutes to go, she filled it with joyless, humorless, plot lines full of melodrama and angst that hardly resembles the wonderful book written by L.M. Montgomery.

This was an Anne of Green Gables with:

No green hair

No acting out Lancelot and Elaine on the Lake

No "chrysanthemum"

No walking on the ridgepole of the Barry's roof

No mouse in the plum pudding

No Miss Stacy

No performing at the White Sand Hotel

No Queen's Academy

No Avery Scholarship

I kept watching, episode after episode, hoping it would get better. Hoping it would capture some of the joy and humor of the book, but by the time I got to the last episode I was just so disappointed.

The four lead actors playing Anne, Marilla, Matthew and Gilbert were good. If they had been given a screenplay that actually allowed them to play those characters, I'm sure I would have liked them better. The rest of the cast was okay, but sort of nondescript. There were no stand-out performances. 

It would have been nice to see more of the beauty of Prince Edward Island, but, because this was a joyless adaptation, of course we can't show that. It would go against the tone the screenwriter was trying to create. The opening shot was lovely, but that was about it.

It ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm assuming there will be another season. But based on that cliffhanger, I'm betting the second season won't have any of the above plot lines in it, because the tone of the cliffhanger does not lend itself to a show that includes any of that. That cliffhanger puts it on a path to become a show about a girl who lives on Prince Edward Island named Anne (with an "E"), and probably that's the only thing it will have in common with Anne of Green Gables.

So, suffice it to say, I guess I should be glad they didn't call it Anne of Green Gables, because it wasn't.

TV Review: 2014 Fall Season

It’s time to talk TV.

The new fall season is in full swing, and I have been pretty happy with most of the season premieres of my favorite shows so far. There's also one new show I really like, and another I'm not quite sure if I'll keep watching.

***Possible Spoilers***

Returning Favorites

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

The first four episodes of this series have been so good. So far, each episode has been better than the last. Agents had a really rocky first season, and I’m glad that it is getting a second season, because it’s becoming the show I’m sure Josh Whedon and his brother envisioned it could be. The show really needed S.H.I.E.L.D. to break up the way it did in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so the characters could go in new directions. It needed the shake-up. When the first season ended we didn't know what was going to happen to a few important characters. We didn't know the fate of Fitz. Was he going to live or die? We got the answer, and I’m so glad they didn't make it simple. Fitz and Simmons were mostly in the background last season, and what they've done to Fitz’s character is heartbreaking. And actor Iain De Caestecker has given his character such depth. The scene between him and Ward in the second episode was amazing. I'm also glad they're giving Simmons more of a major part in the agency.

I like the new characters who have joined 'the agency formally known as S.H.I.E.L.D.' I especially like Lance Hunter. I also like the fact that there are characters who didn't know Fitz before Ward tried to kill him and Simmons, and they aren't trying to coddle him. I feel that is helping Fitz recover quicker.

I'm curious to see what happens with Ward. Will he help his former associates, or will he stay true to Hydra now that Garrett is gone? Does he really love Skye, or is it just an act? Hmmm.

My verdict: Loving it

Arrow

I love Arrow. For someone who was never (and probably never will be) into comic books, I certainly love many TV series and movies adapted from comic books. Arrow is one of my favorite television series based on a comic book character. I was a bit put-off by Stephen Amell’s acting in the first season, but I now attribute that to Stephen showing how uncomfortable Oliver was when he came home after five years on a remote island (well, he wasn’t on the island the whole time, we’ve recently learned, so I guess I should say 'the five years away from his family and friends'). I don’t really notice Stephen’s acting now, which is a good thing. It means he’s settled into his character. There are so many characters I like in the show, and I like the direction they’re taking them. Except for Sara. I just have to say, why? I liked her so much, and they had to do that? I understand the purpose is to help further Laurel’s transition into the Black Canary, but I have to say it again, why?

I'm excited to see Thea again and find out what's going to happen with her story. I'm not quite sure why Malcolm Merlyn is still a villain now that he completed his goal of destroying The Glades. What does he want now? That's what I want to know.

My verdict: Loving it

The Big Bang Theory

I’m so on the fence with The Big Bang Theory. I think it can be very funny, but then it will throw in crude bits that really turn me off. I remember when I first started watching it, I thought that Sheldon was one of the best fully developed, quirky characters I had ever seen on television. I loved watching him to see how he would respond in different situations because his socially skills were so underdeveloped, and Jim Parsons portrays him so well. Now, after a full seven seasons, going into its eighth, it’s a bit annoying how little he’s changed. Yes, he has a girlfriend, but he doesn't have any idea of how a normal  relationship should be (although you could argue that there isn't really a "normal" relationship). I don’t feel he’s learned anything about how to treat people or how to associate normally in social situations after these many years, now I’m just annoyed by him.

I think it’s funny that Howard was the character who was hard to like before he married Bernadette, and now Bernadette is the one who’s hard to like. She can be so mean to people if things aren't going her way. Amy is another character who was funny to begin with, and now I find her absolutely annoying. I sometimes wonder if Mayim Bailik ever reads some of her lines and thinks, “I am a highly educated women with a Ph.D. just like Amy, so why are they portraying Amy this way?”

Verdict: It’s okay. I’ll keep watching if they continue to have scenes with geeky grammar discussions.

Castle

I have to confess that I watch Castle mainly because I like Nathan Fillion. The show is entertaining and I enjoy watching it, but to me it’s really Nathan, as Rick Castle, that makes this show so watchable. I enjoy the episodes most that show how geeky Rick is. I love that they could actually have an episode with an invisible man. That’s what makes it entertaining – that and Nathan Fillion.

Verdict: I’ll keep watching

Doctor Who

We’re more than half way through season 8, and so far I’ve liked most of the episodes. In fact I’ve been happier with the majority of this season’s episodes than I was with all of episodes during Matt Smith’s tenure. Although Matt Smith really grew on me, I didn't really like Stephen Moffat’s heavy-handed timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly stories, or his big mysterious story arcs.

I have liked the story lines of most of the episodes, although “Kill the Moon” got a little bit too “out there” for me. When the Doctor said that the moon was actually an egg I even groaned out loud.

I love Peter Capaldi as the Doctor; however, I really don’t like the personality the writers have given him. He’s supposed to be a more cantankerous Doctor, but I don’t like how they've made him mean, hard-hearted, and almost unfeeling toward everyone around him. I know it’s strange to like the character but not his personality, but a lot of it has to do with Peter’s wonderful acting.

This season still has a mysterious story arc threading through it, but we haven’t been hit over the head with it, and I’m actually excited to find out the answer to this one, instead of groaning every time a new question comes up and no answer is given.

I like Clara much better this season. She has more to do, and her character is being developed more, especially since they’ve added a boyfriend to the mix. There’s also another small mystery involving her and Danny that I’m looking forward to discovering the answer to. I guess another mystery is if Jenna Coleman, who plays Clara, will even be back for season nine.

Verdict: Happy with most of the episodes, happy with Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor, hope that the Doctor grows more likeable

Nashville

And the “soap opry” continues. I’m not sure if there’s one happy character on this show. Even Rayna and Luke, who are newly engaged, are not completely happy. There are so many plot lines in this show, and we see each character in each episode get more and more miserable. I know there’s a joke that there “ain’t nobody happy in a country song,” but I’m sure that isn't actually true about every person living in Nashville, specifically those who sing or write country music. Come on Nashville – let someone be happy about something! You may ask why I keep watching if that’s the way I feel about the show, and I’ll tell you – it’s all about the music. There have been a lot of good songs written specifically for Nashville, and I like good songs. That’s also how it was for me with Glee. That show has become ridiculous, but I kept watching through the second and third seasons because I liked the music. That’s not the case anymore with Glee. I just check out the music on iTunes now and buy what I like without watching the show. However, there are a few characters I really like on Nashville, and I will probably keep watching because of them. It would be nice if the writers gave some of them a little bit of happiness. Or maybe a lot of happiness. There’s only so much of watching miserable people that I can take.

Verdict: Watching because of the music, hoping for some joy to come into someone’s life

Once Upon a Time

I really was not looking forward to having the characters from Frozen on Once Upon a Time, especially since the writers said that they weren't going to make major changes to the characters like they have with every other fictional character that has shown up in Storybrooke, because they don’t want to offend or anger Frozen fans. It’s funny how the writers feel they can’t mess too much with these brand new beloved characters because they feel the audience won’t like it, but they feel they can mess completely with other beloved characters that have been around for more than 100 years (I’m specifically thinking about how they made Peter Pan a villain – hated that).

I want so much to like this series as much as I did the first season, but I think that ever since their original concept was resolved at the end of that first season they've been grasping at straws trying to keep the show going. I feel they must have been worried about what to do with the show when they decided to bring in characters from Frozen so they could get that fan base to watch it. One problem with having brought in these brand new characters is not everyone has seen Frozen (yes, shocking, I know *wink*), and there are some fans of Once Upon a Time who don't what he deal is with Christoph's relationship with Sven (the reindeer), or why the heck there are rock trolls. You can't just figure these things out from Once Upon a Time, you have to have some background from the movie.

The first few episodes have had sparks of light where I like where it's going, such as the romance between Emma and Hook (although I am one of the few who actually liked Neil and was not happy with his fate), but those sparks are few and far between. I do have to say though, I was afraid that they were going to make Regina evil again after what happened in the season finale in the spring, and I’m glad that they didn't go that route. I like Regina and I liked that she was changing. It would have been sad to see her regress.

The plot line of Regina wanting to find the author of the book so she can ask for a happy ending is an interesting idea, but it annoys me that they’re making these characters’ fates depend on some outside force. They should be responsible for their own actions and their own happiness. And I don’t think they've ever indicated that someone was writing the book to make them do what they do. I assumed that the book was written about what they’ve already done - a history of the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest. However, I could be wrong about that. I do recall August putting in new pages, but it’s been so long ago that I don’t even remember the specifics about it. I just hate that Regina is basically blaming someone else for her unhappiness instead of taking full responsibility for her own actions and accepting that not everyone gets what they want.

Verdict: The addition of the actual Snow Queen has made the Frozen plot line more interesting, so I’ll keep watching. I’m also curious to see who the next big bad will be in the second half of the season.

Reign

I don’t know how much longer I’ll be watching this series. I’ve been sticking with it primarily because it’s based on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots (oh, so very loosely based), and I love British history (well, in this case it’s Scottish history, Scotland wasn’t part of Great Britain then). But deep down it’s still just a CW series. They did actually put a bit of real history in one of the last episodes of the first season when they killed off Henry. King Henry II of France actually did die from injuries suffered in a jousting accident. But other than that, there is very little else in the series that is based on actual historical events. And, even though I'm glad that they got something historically correct, I'm sad that Henry's gone, because he was actually one of the most interesting characters, and now the stories have become quite bland. I have fast-forwarded through to the end of the last two episodes, which tells me I'm no longer really interested in the show. I was looking forward to the coronation of Francis, but even was boring. Not enough pomp and circumstance for me. 

Verdict: Up in the air about this one

Sleepy Hollow

I am loving this new season. Tom Mison is even more endearing than he was last season. I do wish he would change his clothes, but I understand that it really is part of his character. Clothes really do make the man. He wouldn't be Ichabod Crane running around in jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket (well, maybe the leather jacket would be good - *wink*). I like that every episode has a “villain of the week,” and that the threat of that villain is resolved by the end of the episode, but that the series still has the over-arcing theme involving the threat of the apocalypse hanging over their head.

All of the characters are interesting and well developed, and I loved that they even gave the headless horseman a character, as well as a face (in a fashion). I hope that this series continues for a long time. It’s so Buffy meets National Treasure meets Grimm. Definitely my kind of show.

Verdict: Loving it

Grimm

I’m still waiting for the season premiere of Grimm. This is one of my favorite TV series, and it’s hard to wait so long for the first episode of its fourth season. I’m looking forward to a great season.

New Series – Sticking with For Now

I started with a longer list of new shows to watch than I have in many years, but so far I've only remained interested in two.

The Flash

It shows a good actor when you see them in a series (or movie) and you really despise their character, and then you see them in something new and you adore them. Grant Gustin played a despicable snob in Glee, and did a good job making you dislike him. When I first saw him in Arrow last season, I just loved his character.

The pilot of The Flash was very fun. Most screen adaptation of comic books are dark and the superhero is brooding, but this series is more upbeat and lighthearted. I like that. I am very interested in the mystery that surrounds Harrison Wells (played by Tom Cavanaugh). I have my theory about him, but I won't reveal it here. I will tell you if I was right. I look forward to seeing Barry grow into his 'superheroness,' and hope that the season doesn't have a slump in the middle like Arrow did in its first season.

Verdict: Like it so far

Forever
Here’s the main reason I started watching this series:

Yes, that’s me with Ioan Gruffudd at a Fan Experience convention. You think that he’s good looking on screen? He is 10 times more handsome in person, he's incredibly nice, and he has a beautiful smile.

Now, about the series itself. Did I say that Ioan Gruffudd is good-looking? Sorry. I’ll get back to Forever. Ioan Gruffudd. *sigh* I just can’t seem to stay on topic. 

Okay, I will now get to my actual review of Forever. The show has an interesting premise, but at its heart it is really just another procedural drama, of which I'm not really a fan  (except, of course, in the case of Castle, Grimm, and Sleepy Hollow). Procedural dramas need to have a unique slant to them in order to hold my interest. (You know, “famous mystery writer works with a New York cop to solve real mysteries,” or “Portland cop just so happens to be a ‘Grimm’ and can see the true nature of fairytale-like creatures," or "Revolutionary war hero wakes from the dead over 200 years later, along with the Hessian soldier he beheaded, and he is one of the witness spoken of in the Bible who will stop the apocalypse."). So, unless the cases are really interesting, I’m not sure if the immortality concept (and Ioan Gruffudd) will be enough to keep me watching.

Oh, and there is one more thing I like about this series: Judd Hirsch. I just like him. That's all.

Verdict: On the fence

New Series – No Go:

I watched the pilot episodes of a few other new shows, but wasn’t impressed enough to continue with them. I’ve already posted how I feel about Selfie, and here is a summary of how I feel about the new series of which I've only watched one episode and have little desire of seeing more.

Gotham 

I've never been a fan of Batman. I liked Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, but I didn't care much for his two sequels of the reboot of the Batman franchise. And I never got into the Batman franchise that started years ago with Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne. So, I’m not that interested in the origin story of how James Gordon became Commissioner Gordon. I’m sure there are many Batman fans who are so excited to see familiar characters from the comics (many when they had only their real names and not a moniker that started with “the”), such as Detective Gordon, The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler, etc. However, I quit watching the series after the pilot episode because I found that I really didn't care about any of the characters, nor in finding out how they became who they are when Bruce Wayne eventually takes on the moniker “Batman.”

Verdict: Not interested in Batman enough to find out how these villains became villains (or why they already are)

How to Get Away With Murder

Oh, what to say about this one. I can understand how many people may like this series. Viola Davis is a great actress, the supporting actors are good, it’s an interesting premise, and the pilot was well-written. It's also unique to have flash-forwards instead of flashbacks as many other series have. I just couldn't get past how unethical everyone is – just to get a “not guilty” verdict for a client. If this is the way our judicial system is really run, then I have little hope for the integrity of the lawyers in this country. Yes, I know it’s fiction. Yes, I know that a drama series needs drama, and the writers have to keep it interesting and keep the audience coming back for more, but I’m more interested in watching an episode of Snapped on the Oxygen channel and hearing about real murder cases than watching this show. I may give it another try, but then again, why?

Verdict: I’ll stick with Snapped

The Mysteries of Laura

A bit of a warning: this review is long and has a few tangents that are quite random (because I am nothing if not random). First of all I have to say that the only reason I was interested in checking out this series is because I like Josh Lucas, who plays the titular character, Laura’s (played by Debra Messing), ex-husband. I really like Josh Lucas.

I’m going to go off on my first tangent to tell you where I first saw Josh Lucas. Josh was in an Australian series called Snowy River: The MacGregor Saga in the 90s. The series was based on the popular Australian film, The Man from Snowy River, and Josh played Luke MacGregor, the American nephew of Matthew MacGregor, who is the “man from Snowy River” (even though his name is not Jim Craig as it was in the movie). Luke comes to Australia to make his fortune in gold, and has many an adventure in the Australia outback. (Tangent inside of my tangent: Josh’s cousin was played by a young Guy Pearce (Memento, Ironman 3), and Hugh Jackman was also in the series for one season). I loved the first season of the series. Loved it. Mainly because of Guy Pearce and Josh Lucas.

Snowy River: The MacGregor Saga

From right: Guy Pearce, Andrew Clarke, Josh Lucas

End of first (and second) tangent.

So, back to The Mysteries of Laura. As I indicated earlier, I’m really not into “cops who solve a mystery every week” type of series unless they have a unique slant. However, nothing particularly singular has jumped out at me in The Mysteries of Laura yet, and the characters haven’t grabbed me. I wonder why Laura can't be a competent mother and a competent cop. When her twin boys need her to be home with them, she complains about having to leave work to be with them. I want to see a woman who loves her job and still wants to be with her kids. And I certainly don’t want to see a mother who can’t keep her sons from urinating in public in Central Park. I don’t think it’s funny. What I do want to see is Josh Lucas. So, if I do decide to watch more episodes – it will be because of him. However, I don’t know if that’s enough for me.

Third and final tangent: Debra Messing is an interesting actress. She is very likeable, and can be very funny. Many loved her in Will & Grace, and I’m sure the networks feel having her star in a series is a good way to guarantee a hit (I just wish she could have helped Smash get a third season, but that’s another tangent we won’t make in this post). I liked Will & Grace for the most part, however, it’s really hard for me to watch Debra’s acting in Will & Grace because she always seems to smirk whenever she or the actor she’s playing opposite says anything funny. I have performed in many comedies on stage, and you just can’t smirk when something funny happens. You have to stay in character. I know it can be hard sometimes not to laugh at something funny when you’re acting (and it must have been hard not to laugh acting against Megan Mullaly and Sean Hayes), but you can actually see Debra trying not laugh. If you've never noticed it before, just go back and watch an episode of Will & Grace, and watch her mouth when she delivers a funny line, or when she’s reacting to Will, or Karen, or Jack deliver a funny line. The corners of her mouth go up like she’s trying not to laugh. So, as I watch in this show, I just wait for her to smirk. I'm not watching a character, I'm watching an actor act to catch her being a bad actress. It's very distracting.

Verdict: Nope (And what's with the title? In the first two episodes I saw I didn't notice anything particularly mysterious about Laura.)

New Series - I Couldn’t Even Watch the Entire Pilot

Selfie – I already posted about this show. It’s very annoying, and wastes the talents of Karen Gillan and John Cho. I don’t know if it will last long. However, you never know what America will watch.

Red Band Society – I thought I’d give this series a try, and couldn’t get past that it was all about teenage drama in a hospital. My definition of *yawn.*

Are you happy with your favorites still? Are there any of the above shows I decided to stop watching that you think I should give a second chance? Any shows you think I should give a look?

TV Review: Selfie

***Possible Spoilers Ahead (if you consider what happens in the first five minutes of this show spoilers)***

I am always excited when the new fall TV season rolls around. I look forward to new episodes of my favorite series, and I look forward to viewing the new series that have caught my interest.

One of the new series that I wanted to check out was Selfie. I didn’t want to check out Selfie because of its premise, but because it stars Karen Gillan, who played Amy on Doctor Who. And we all know how I love me my Doctor. Though I was not a big fan of Amy’s character on Doctor Who, nor too fond of Karen’s acting at first, I grew to like her at the end. So, I was curious to see how the ginger-haired Scot would fare doing comedy, and an American accent. I was also curious to see what the show would have to say about social media. I have very mixed feelings about social media, and I wanted to see how a modern sit-com would deal with the quite ubiquitous phenomenon still very much in its infancy.

When I found out that the pilot for Selfie was available to view online prior to its premiere on network television, I thought I’d take that sneak peak. I watched about the first five minutes of the episode and I’m ready to write it off already. When I have to watch the main character throw up twice into two barf bags on board an airplane and then walk down the aisle of the airplane carrying said barf bags and then watch as the bottom of the bags break, spilling the vomit all over the said main character, then I am done. That, to me, is not comedy. It’s just gross. So far I don’t like Karen’s character, which is where I was with Amy – but she was on a series that I already liked, so I kept watching. So far, for me, Selfie has nothing to recommend it. 

I have not finished watching the episode, and I’m not sure I will. I like my comedy to be clever, non-childish, non-vomiting, and entertaining. 

To sum up - I have no idea what Selfie says about social media - I just couldn't get past a girl walking through an airplane, covered in her own vomit, while everyone laughs at her. What does that say about our society? Nothing I'd like to acknowledge or watch in a television show.

Unless I hear that the show has gotten rave reviews by critics and audiences alike, Selfie is off my viewing list.

Sleepy Hollow: Oh, How I Love and Despise Thee!

So, Sleepy Hollow had its season finale on Monday, and I have to say that it was a doozy! There was a big reveal that was shocking. I definitely didn’t see it coming. And there were cliffhangers galore.

Sometimes I miss the old days when the season finale was a wrap-up of the season, and most things were resolved. But not nowadays. Noooo… We have to make sure viewers come back for the next season by hanging everyone over the cliff. (Oh, Buffy, how I miss your season finales.)  I believe that if viewers watch the season finale, it means they like the show enough to come back the next season. Unless you really mess things up.

Yes, I watched Sleepy Hollow’s season finale, and yes, I will be returning next season; not just because I want to find out what happens, and how my favorite characters get out of their current predicaments, but because I really like the show.

*** Possible spoilers ***

My other big beef with this show, and with other shows that deal with the supernatural, is that everyone seems to know what's going to happen before it happens except for the main characters. How the heck did George Washington know that Ichabod was going to be killed by the headless horseman and then rise 200 years later to stop an apocalypse? If he did, why didn't he just tell Ichabod, instead of giving him all of these cryptic hints. And... why the heck did Moloch need that map? Couldn't he already get to purgatory? Oh, I really could go on & on. But I won't, because in spite of these beefs, I still like the show.

Oh, and one more thing... Ichabod dated Betsy Ross. Hehe.

*** End of possible spoilers ***

Oh, September, you seem so far away!

Live Musical Theatre Makes a Comeback on Television: I Hope There's No Way to Stop It

I know it's been almost a month since the live broadcast of The Sound of Music, but I wanted to post a few of my thoughts about it.

The best thing to come from the show is that it had enough viewers to make network execs open to the idea of producing more live musical theatre on television. And to me, my friends, that made every negative thing said and written worth it.

So, here are a few words of what I liked and what I didn't like about the production.

What I Liked:

Audra McDonald, Laura Benanti, and Christian Borle. When you have Broadway actors of their calibre, it can't do anything but lift the production (not to mention Christiane Noll and Jessica Molaskey as two of the nuns).

Laura Benanti and Christian Borle singing "No Way to Stop It." I've loved that song ever since I was a small child when I listened to the Broadway cast recording of The Sound of Music on our family record player. I didn't understand what the song was about when I listened to it as a child, but I loved the music and lyrics anyway.

I know it will probably seem strange, but because I love live musical theatre, and I'm very familiar with performing onstage, I was a bit thrilled with the minor flubs in the production that proved we were watching a live performance. Carrie's foot slipped a little when she sang the title song on the little fake mountainside, her voice slipped a bit too, and I thought, yes, it really is live! One of the Captain's guests stepped on Elsa's dress, and Laura acknowledged it briefly and then moved on, just like you would have to do in a live stage production. Also, I went back later to rewatched the moment when lines were either missed, dropped or forgotten during the conversation between the Captain and the Nazi officer, to notice Christian Borle's (Max) reaction, and he didn't react to it at all. That is a professional stage actor.

I loved the theatricality when the wall opened and Maria walked from the Von Trapp home right into the Abbey, and when the family walked from the home into the concert hall. I wanted more theatricality like that.

It was a musical - live - on television!!!

What I Didn't Like:

I don't think that The Sound of Music was the greatest choice to try to bring back the "live television musical." Yes, the musical is well-known, because most everyone has seen the 1965 film. However, it's just not a very exciting musical. It's not very entertaining to me. I think the movie is much better than the stage play, however, it's still not one of my favorite musicals - or movies (sorry, Rogers and Hammerstein). Although, I am glad they didn't try to "remake" the movie.

Why, oh why did they put Rolf in those shorts? Who thought that was a good idea? If they thought it would make him look younger, then their choice failed miserably.

In general, because I don't really like the musical, I was pretty bored. Yes, the fact that it was live was exciting, and again, I loved McDonald, Benanti and Borle. However, the production just wasn't very entertaining to me. Stage musicals are best seen live - in person - so to make them interesting and entertaining on television, you really have to have a show that catches your attention, whether it's from the plot, the set, the production numbers, or the performances. It had its bright spots, but all-in-all, this production just didn't do it for me.

Other Observations:

I can't end this review without talking about Carrie Underwood's performance. I think she sang the part well, and I don't want to bash her, because that was a brave thing she did. But there is no denying that her acting ability is nowhere near that of her costars. Casting her brought one of the results the producers wanted - brought in viewers. But casting her didn't do the production much good.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: FZZT

Okay, I’m finally going to post a review of an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., because even though the show has started out slow, it’s finally starting to build up momentum. I’ve been hoping that it would get better, and it has.

I liked episodes 5 & 6, but I loved this week’s episode, “FZZT.” I have been waiting for an episode that had more of Fitz and Simmons, and this episode gave it to me – and now I love the pair. I was happy that the focus wasn't on Skye and Ward again. I like their characters, but when you have an ensemble show, you need to give the other members of the ensemble a chance to shine, so the audience cares about them.

I loved that the episode started with a scene that is so normal and then brought in the “paranormal.” A bunch of boy scouts are out camping, it’s night time, and the leader is telling them scary stories around the campfire. And then scary actually start to happen, including metal objects levitating. And then their leader ends up dead, suspended in the air. This is a death that Rick Castle would go absolutely bonkers for. *wink*

I loved the scene with Skye, Fitz, and Simmons imitating Ward. These are the kinds of scenes among characters where we learn who they are and if we like them or not. I like them.

Another great (and emotional) scene was when Coulson realizes that Diaz is going to die and he talks to him about “the other side” to try to help him deal with the fact. I just can’t imagine what it would be like to know you only had minutes to live. Scary.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show where a character has to find a vaccine (or “anti-serum”) for an virus that they've been infected with (in this case, an alien virus) in a certain amount of time or they’ll die. Just watching Simmons trying to figure out how to save herself and the rest of the crew who will die also if she doesn’t find a cure, and Fitz watching helplessly made me emotional. And then when Fitz goes into the room where she has been quarantined to help her I just like him even more. It was so well written and acted. I love these two!

This episode was just chock-full of emotional scenes. When Simmons tells Coulson to tell her father first about her death because her mother would probably be able to take the news better if it came from him, I thought, how much more can I take?

Simmons’ rescue was great. I wish that Fitz would have been the one to rescue her, but it really wouldn’t have been true to his character to be able to jump out of a plane and know what to do, so it made sense that Ward did it, but it was a great save. And I loved Coulson reprimanding Simmons after they picked her and Ward out of the water. It was like a father scolding his child because he loved her.

I really hope that the series continues with great episodes and that we get to know the characters better, and it isn’t just about the “missions.” I love character-driven stories.

TV Review: The Crazy Ones

As much as I love Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, I don't like her new series, The Crazy Ones. It's one of the series of the 2013 fall season that I can cross off of my list of new shows to watch. I didn't like Robin Williams, and I thought the plot was boring. I really don't see where the show is going to go, and I don't have any interest to find out.

That's really all I have to say about the pilot and about the show.

Favorite BBC Series: Robin Hood

As much as I like to find new movies and TV series to enjoy, I love revisiting favorite series and movies. I have been rewatching the BBC series, Robin Hood, that ran for three seasons. If you like TV series that have action, adventure, romance, a touch of legend, and a little bit of history (a very little bit), then I would highly recommend Robin Hood. I have to admit that I was originally drawn to the series because Richard Armitage plays Sir Guy of Gisborne. Those of you who have seen the BBC miniseries, North and South, are familiar with Richard Armitage, who plays John Thornton in the excellent miniseries (that's another post for another day). Although I bought the first season of Robin Hood because of Richard Armitage, I bought the second and third seasons because I loved the show.

The first two seasons are wonderful. The third season wasn't as strong as the first two. Three main characters from seasons 1 and 2 left the series, and they were sorely missed in season 3. Out of the new cast members added in season 3, I only really cared for two: David Harewood as Tuck, and Toby Stephens as Prince John. Season 3 had a few good episodes; however, I didn't like the direction the last season went, and the writing didn't seem as good. However, in spite of the series going a bit downhill, I still enjoy watching the characters I had grown to love.

The entire cast is excellent. Most BBC series have at least a few actors I'm familiar with from other BBC shows, but other than Richard, I was not familiar with any of the actors. However, I have grown very found of Robin and his merrie band. Since then, I have seen many of the actors in other TV series.

The series starts when Robin (the Earl of Locksley) returns to Nottingham from the Holy Land, where he fought with King Richard. He returns to find that Sir Guy of Gisborne has taken over his lands of Locksley and is over-taxing and terrorizing the people of Locksley in the name of the Sheriff of Nottingham. While fighting to get his land back from Guy, he goes against the Sheriff, and is branded an outlaw.

Jonas Armstrong is a great Robin. He brings a youthfulness, and an energy that is so fun to watch. He is very believable as an action hero, and you can feel his passion to do what is right and fight for the people of Locksley, Nottingham, and in effect, all of England.

After growing to love Richard Armitage as John Thornton in North and South, it was a little difficult to see him as a villain - a murderous villain. However, he is such a great actor that at times he still brings a vulnerability and unexpected likability to Sir Guy. Lucy Griffiths is a very spunky Marian. She was perfectly cast, and I love watching her character evolve through the series. Her character is very complicated, and even though there are times when she is the damsel in distress (Robin needs to be able to save the woman he loves every once in a while), she usually holds her own, fighting for justice and freedom in her own way.

Sam Troughton plays Robin's faithful servant, Much. I loved seeing their relationship. Much had gone to the Holy Land with Robin to fight with King Richard, and he remains a support and loyal friend to Robin through the good and bad times (there are mostly bad times, thanks to the Sheriff and Gisborne). Keith Allen is over-the-top as Vaisey, the Sheriff of Nottingham. His acting sometimes feels like "schmacting" (in live theatre, we also refer to that as "chewing the scenery"), but in this version of Robin Hood, it works.

Gordon Kennedy, is the epitome of Little John. Joe Armstrong plays Allan A Dale, whose journey takes a different direction than his comrades in season 2. This change in direction was great in the story arc of the second season. Harry Lloyd plays Will Scarlet. I'm most familiar with Harry from his great performance as Baines in the two part episodes, "Human Nature" and "Family of Blood" in Doctor Who. The characters of Will and Baines couldn't be more different, and it's great to see Lloyd's range as an actor.  Anjali Jay plays Djaq (pronounced Jack), the Saracen who joins Robin's gang. It's great to have a female in the band who can hold her own. Jay is wonderful in the role.

Joanna Froggat (Anna in Downton Abbey) and Lara Pulver (Irene Adler in the BBC's Sherlock) are two characters added in the third season, and I don't care for their characters or their plot lines very much. The actors are still good, but it's hard to watch characters that you don't particularly like.

When you start watching this series, you have to remember that this isn't the Disney version, the Kevin Costner version (thankfully), or the classic Errol Flynn version. This is a Robin Hood for a new generation, and though it isn't completely faithful to the legend you're familiar with (but then, are any of them?), it is a series that has the heart of the legend. And isn't that what you want anyway when you watch the journey of Robin Hood?

Smash: The Tony's

I guess I really have to accept it now. This was the last episode of Smash. The show is over. The curtain has come down on a show that I was so excited about when I first heard about it. A show that had some great moments, some great music, some great singing, some great acting, and some great musical numbers. A show that was about my passion: theatre. A show that had some bumps and misses along the way, but one that I am sorry will never have a chance to meet its potential and be really great.

So, here it is... my final recap. Although, it may not be my final post on Smash, because I may find I have more to say, who knows.

Observations:

"Under Pressure" is an example of what I love about Smash. It's a great number, bringing together all of our main characters. We get to hear Julia Messing and Angelica Huston sing again. And we finally get to hear Jack Davenport sing - not much, and not enough.

Listen to Christian Borle's falsetto!

Jeremy Jordan, that's what I call holding a note.

It's a Rent moment. Too bad Daphne Ruben-Vega and Jessie Martin couldn't join in the number.

Julia and Tom wrote a musical number for the Tony's on the day of Tony's? It's so funny to me that they would wait until the day of the Tony's to finish a number for the award show. The performers still have to learn it and rehearse before the show. Isn't that cutting it a bit close - since those performers probably have to get ready for the Tony's too, and we know how long it takes for women to get ready for a big shindig like that. It's just like Smash to throw realism right out the window.

How would writing letter to your husband (who's divorcing you) with a detailed account of your affair soften his anger toward you?

It's great to see footage of Bernadette Peters' acceptance speech for the Tony she won for Annie Get Your Gun, so Leigh can give pointers to Ivy of how to accept a Tony award.

Jerry really thought that the best number to do for the Tony's was "I'm Not Sorry"? Really? There are much better songs than that. But then, I guess if Jimmy didn't want to perform, there really aren't many other songs that his character doesn't sing.

I can't believe that Daisy thinks that Derek's confession on how she got the part will help her career. It makes her look like a ambitious, do-anything-to-make-it slut. She's really letting all of this publicity go to her head - and she's becoming a real "diva."

I'm surprised that Ivy and Karen are being civil to each other. The last time they spoke, Ivy was angry at Karen for telling Ana that she slept with Derek. I wonder what happened between then and now.

Why is Jerry being such a jerk and siding with Daisy? Is there something between them? Hmm? I guess we'll never know.

It's nice not to see Jimmy the jerk at all this episode. It's about time. And it's too late.

I really hate the way Julia and Frank's story line went through the two season of Smash. It would have been so nice to have an example of a happily married couple in the theater instead of a story of infidelity. It's that whole thing about the writers feeling the need to make the show a soap opera instead of telling honest stories about backstage life in the theater. Yes, there is infidelity and divorce in the lives of some people who are involved in the theater, just like there is everywhere else, but there are also happily married people. That can make good stories too. I also don't like that it diminished Brian D'Arcy James's character, and made the writers feel that they didn't need him in the second season.

It seems to me that most people who are invited to the Tony's (especially the nominees) bring a "plus one." That means they would be given two tickets, wouldn't they? Why wouldn't Karen and Jimmy get two tickets? And would they give a ticket to someone who is nominated but is dead? Why would Kyle get a ticket?

I love that they show Leigh and Ivy as their names are announced as nominees just as they would if they were on the real Tony telecast. Their smiles into the camera are so great. So, actor-like, if you know what I mean. Trying to look humble, but deep down thinking - "I hope I win, I hope I win, I hope I win."

Just rub lemon juice into the wound, why don't ya. Daisy wins? Whaaaaat?

Of course Kyle won for best book. No surprise there at all.

So, Jimmy's acceptance speech on behalf of Kyle turns into a speech about Karen. I guess that that might have been sweet if they hadn't always made everything about Karen. It just made it annoying that it wasn't all about Kyle. Other than that - his speech was really sweet. I wish we would have seen more of that Jimmy throughout the season - I would have liked him better, and sooner.

It's so funny that Julia and Tom were talking when the winner is announced for best score, and they miss hearing their own names. If everyone's speeches at the Tony awards were like Tom and Julia's, the Tony awards would be much shorter. And they could do more musical numbers. *wink*

Derek wins best choreography for... wait for it... Hit List. Well, at least it wasn't tie between Derek Wills and Derek Wills. *wink*

It's sweet that Derek dedicated his Tony to Ivy, "someone [he loves] very much."

Why did Derek ask Ivy where Daisy is? Strange question to ask Ivy.

Derek fires Daisy right before she's ready to do the musical number for Hit List. And he has the rest of the cast of Hit List go on, impromptu on live television. Good for you, Derek, for doing the right thing and firing her. And good thing that the cast just happened to have an acapella version of "Broadway, Here I Come" ready to perform. A version, which, by the way, I absolutely love. Oh, I'm going to miss you Smash! Sorry, I'm still going through my grieving process.

And there was the setup for the third season, if it hadn't been canceled. Tom and Julia would go to Hollywood and write a movie musical. So, here's where I'm not so sad it was canceled. I don't think I would have liked them going to Hollywood. The joy of Smash to me was it was about the theater, a world that I love. I do love movies. And I love a lot of movie musicals. But I'm not sure if I would have liked the show "going Hollywood."

Tom and Julia are back together as I team. Good for them.

I loved Tom's look at Julia after Patrick leaves. It was hilarious. Awkward. Again, if the show had more comedy like that, it would have been so much better. Life in theater isn't all drama. There is comedy - funny moments that would have been so great for Smash to capture.

I loved seeing all of the cameos of Broadway performers.

And the Tony award for best performance by an actress in leading role in a musical goes to...

Commericial. You don't think they wouldn't milk this one for all its worth would you? *wink*

Ivy Lynn! Yes, Ivy won the Tony award. Not Karen. Okay, writers, I forgive you for the all of the praise you heaped upon Karen. I am happy.

I love, love, love Ivy's acceptance speech. She said what so many of us who love the theatre believe.*

And the Tony award for best musical goes to...

Well, you can guess by the above picture. I'm glad it won. This is the show we've come to love since season 1. And it was great to see Jerry's face as Eileen walked down the aisle to the stage to accept her Tony award. I'm glad that Eileen called for Derek to come up. It's just too bad that we didn't get to see any of the other cast members. I wanted to see Bobby and Jessica up there.

And now we have to wrap things up a bit.

We finally find out Jimmy's secret past. I wish that we had known the details or even just some of the details, even if Karen didn't know. I think we would have liked him much more. I think the end would have been more emotional also if we knew that he turned himself in before the Tony's. Then it really would have been a surprise when he turns up at Karen's door to go with her to the Tony's. 

Michael Swift? Whaaat?

It's over. It's really over. And I'm sad.

The big number that Tom and Julia wrote for the Tony's is "Big Finish." Ivy and Karen sing it. It's a great number, and it really is a great way to end the series. 

Quotes:

Leigh (to Ivy): I thanked you in person. That's better.

Karen (to Derek): This will pass. But you have to let it.

Julia (to Jimmy): Stop sabotaging yourself. Whatever makes you do that, it's time to face it, once and for all. It's not too late.

Karen: What's not fair is you're not going too.
Ana: Believe me, I'm gonna cry after you leave.

Leigh: Have you practiced?
Ivy: My speech? No. I'm not winning.
Leigh: No, your losing face when I win. Here, try this one.

Ivy: Good thing you got to practice that face, huh?

Julia: Is it possible that I want Kyle to win instead of me? I mean, could I actually be that selfless?
Tom: Historically, no. But people change.

Tom: You okay?
Julia: Yea. But it turns out that I actually did want to win.

Julia: Jimmy deserves original score, and we deserve cocktails with olives in them. Several.

Jimmy (to Julia): It's okay. I got the one I wanted.

Derek: First of all, I'd like to thank the Tony voters for judging the work, not the man.

Daisy: What are you doing?
Derek: Something I should have done a long time ago. Taking you out.
[Aside: If you were reading this without the context behind it, you'd think he was asking her out on a date. No, he's firing her. Yay! End of aside.]
Daisy: You can't do that.
Derek: Weren't you listening? Everyone out there hates me, so I can do pretty much anything I feel like.

Jimmy: It looks like someone forgot to the tell the announcer.

Julia: After all that, it ends here, huh?

Ivy: I'd like to thank my mother, Leigh Conroy, the magnificent Leigh Conroy for giving me the greatest gift. And that is a life in the theatre.

*Ivy: For me, there is nothing more magical than that moment right as the lights go down and the crowd is waiting in silence with anticipation for the show to begin. It's a moment full of hope and full of possibilities. So, I'd like to thank the audience for coming, and for believing, as I do, that there is nothing more important or special as live theatre.

Eileen (to Derek): Don't worry They'll get over it. All they need is another show.
Derek: I'm game if you are.

Tom (to Derek, re: the Tony award): It spins.

Ivy: Are you ready to give the people what they want?
Karen: Always.