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?
