The roundtable is back and better than ever. Thanks so much to everyone who participated. I really appreciate the time you took and hearing your opinions. Anyone interested in being part of next week's The Librarians roundtable, tweet me or e-mail. I post the questions on my blog and tweet them out so you can find the link that way too. Oh and a great big round of applause to TNT for renewing this show. It's good to see a family friendly show get picked up for season 3. Don't forget to leave your comments below and tell us what you thought.



What was your favorite thing about episode 2.07?

Blue Star - Jenkins and Dorian Gray's interaction before Eve swapped magical places with Gray and jumped off the roof was my favorite part. That and Jacob listing great American poets to the bouncer.
Emma - This episode had more humor in it. From Stone refusing to hit Dorian because it effected Eve to Eve's "Worst. Plan. Ever", I had some great laughs.
Michaela - The tactic Stone used to distract one of the bouncers. Only he would choose to play a game of My Country's Poets Are Better Than Yours to preoccupy someone.
Prpleight - I liked the take on Dorian Gray. Also it was another one of those situations where Cassandra's first timer glee was fun.
Dahne - I liked the take on digital narcissism and Jake and Ezekiel working together. Another plus was having Jenkins back in the field again.



If you could change anything about this episode, what would it be?

Blue Star - I feel Dorian Gray's character was under explored. He had little time before he was defeated. I felt like he had the potential to be a villain for more than one episode.
Emma - Two things actually. Drunk Cassandra would've quietly passed out two minutes into it and Dorian would've been a bit more physically imposing. He reminded me of one of the boys from Dead Poets Society, not the sick and sadistic narcissist of legend.
Michaela - Two words: Drunk Cassandra. Cassandra's obnoxious quirkiness has been significantly toned down this season, but it was dialed back up to a thousand with Drunk Cassandra. She was probably the most grating and annoying she's ever been on the show and I might need a heavy duty mind wipe to forget how irritating she was. Watching her was like being repeatedly flicked in the ear and if we never saw Drunk Cassandra again, it would only be too soon.
Prpleight - Baird's clubbing outfit. I had two problems with it. First she looked like a bird and secondly it looked like a 90's clubbing outfit. Though I don't go clubbing and if I did I'd be at a different club than Eve so that's only my opinion. :-) Also a lighter Ezekiel touch.
Dahne - I'm not a Cassandra fan about half the time anyway but Drunk Cassandra has to be the absolute worst. She needs to never come back again. I also wasn't feeling Dorian as much as the topics he brought up.



Episode 2.07 focuses a lot on how image-conscious people have gotten in the age of selfies. How well do you think they addressed the subject? Do you enjoy when they bring in cultural topics like this?

Blue Star - I think they addressed the subject of image-consciousness pretty well. I enjoy cultural topics because it can act as a wakeup call in a way. In this case, image isn't everything.
Emma - I think they addressed it well, particularly with the Dorian Gray persona. I do enjoy the cultural topics. It would become tiresome if it was every episode but considering who the villain of the week was, they would've been remiss not to address how overly image-conscious our society has become.
Michaela - I think this episode actually addressed the ways in which social media fosters narcissism better than most shows have. Usually when TV shows try to be topical by indicting selfie culture, it just comes off like an old man grumbling about how 'dem narcissistic millennial whippersnappers and their new-fangled picture gadgets are ruining the world, but The Librarians managed to side-step that common problem by connecting it to magic and Dorian Gray which made the focus of the story come off as much less pedantic.
Prpleight - I always think it's great when a story can reflect an aspect of our world in the hopes that we can think about it in a new way. I did like the observation that it's not a new thing...it's just easier with cell phone. :-D
Dahne -My biggest problem with TV bringing in cultural topics is that they often feel heavy handed like an after school special or Very Special Episode. I thought that The Librarians used a lighter touch in this case but I would not want it to become an every episode thing.



Dorian Gray becomes the first new literary connection (if not a true fictional) since Frankenstein's Monster. What did you think of his role in the story?

Blue Star - His role was interesting but his character could have been explored a bit more.
Emma - I would've liked him to be a bit more physically imposing and perhaps a bit older. As I mentioned above, he reminded me of the boys in Dead Poets Society, not exactly the epitome of debauchery. I never had any doubt that the team would defeat him because all I could think of was "he's just a baby".
Michaela - He's one of my favorite fictionals so far. Frankenstein's Monster was a lot of fun as well, but Dorian was very enigmatic and mischievous in a way that worked well for the type of villain he was playing. His character also helped ground the story and made it seem much less like an attempt at finger-wagging than it would have otherwise.
Prpleight - I really liked the way they modernized Dorian Gray's use of the "painting."
Dahne - Modernizing the old tale really worked for me but the character did not. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the acting or a combination of both but Dorian came off as too much of a cardstock character for me.



What grade would you give this episode? Why?

Blue Star - B- because it was a solid episode but didn't quite live up to its potential.
Emma - C+ The casting of Dorian didn't work for me and I wanted to punch Cassandra almost every time she was onscreen. The only thing bringing this grade up was the humor.
Michaela - An A-. I really liked this episode, but not nearly as much as the next one.
Prpleight - B: Only because I didn't connect to the episode like I have with others.
Dahne - B-, a decent episode marred by the most grating Cassandra yet and some pacing and character issues



What was your favorite thing about episode 2.08?

Blue Star - I can't pick one particular event. I loved the story Eve told Ezekiel and him saying he's heard it before but wanted to hear it again because of how she looked at him when she told it. I also loved Ezekiel's speech to everyone about letting him be the big brother for a change. Ezekiel's breakdown with the crowbar was heartbreaking as well, and so was him quietly begging Cassandra not to leave because he couldn't stand to see her die again. So much heartbreak, and yet there was still plenty of humor too.
Emma - All the Ezekiel development! To watch him go from self-absorbed to truly pained at seeing the team die was such a great way to give the character some much needed growth without it taking a lot of screen time to do so.
Michaela - Ezekiel's character was finally deepened. I've been begging for him to get some character development since the start of the season and just as I'd given up hope we'd get an Ezekiel-centric episode, we finally did and it was pretty much everything I could have asked for.
Prpleight - Speaking of connecting...I completely connected with this episode. I loved getting a glimpse of the hero Ezekiel is and what The Library saw that resulted in him getting the invitation in the first place.
Dahne - Like almost everyone, it was Ezekiel's character growth for me. We waited a long time to see it and the writing staff did a great job at delivering. I also love how it allowed John Harlan Kim to dig deep into his character and show a greater range of emotion.



If you could change anything about this episode, what would it be?

Emma - Honestly, nothing. This was one of my favorite episodes so far this season!
Michaela - I wish some of the character growth had stuck. It was disappointing to see Ezekiel regress back to his callous and arrogant self after all of the depth and sacrifice we'd seen from him.
Prpleight - Ezekiel would remember what he experienced in the game. I prefer for the characters in the series I love to grow and change as they are affect by their stories. I would really like to have seen a post game Ezekiel.
Twee - Ezekiel should have used the backpack strap, or a shirt, or literally anything to pull that pipe rather than his bare hand dozens of times...
Dahne - My biggest complaint is the retrograde amnesia, which is convenient and very irksome. However there was some drag in the middle as they repeated a few scenes too often, but that's typical with a Groundhog Day-type plot.



Episode 2.08 focused mostly on Ezekiel. What worked best about this focus? Was there anything that didn't work for you? What would you like to see next for Ezekiel?

Blue Star - What worked best about this focus is it gave an opportunity to see Ezekiel be serious for a change and be mature. It showed how much he cared about the rest of the team. He was the best character on the show for this to happen to. In the future I'd like to see some of Ezekiel's past explored, especially how he ended up working under royalty for a time.
Emma - We have been sorely lacking back story and development on Ezekiel. Sure we've gotten bits here and there but his character has largely been static. When he realized on the last loop how much he had changed but that the team still thought of him as "himself" it was such a huge step forward for him that I hope it leads to more forward momentum for his character.
Michaela - The focus on Ezekiel really helped humanize him in ways we've only seen glimpses of before. It helped show that he really cared about his fellow Librarians and considered them to be his friends instead of just his coworkers. I was surprised that Ezekiel seemed to realize that his selfishness and snark created a distance between him and the other Librarians. In general, he doesn't seem like a super self-aware character, so it was nice to see a glimmer of that from him. He also seemed to regret that distance and want to be liked more by the other Librarians. I often forget how young he is, but this episode really brought that youth and vulnerability to the forefront when Ezekiel told Baird how he kept letting her retell her story about bravery just so she would look at him with compassion and when he got more frustrated than anyone else about the time loop.
Prpleight - I loved understanding, in more depth, why Ezekiel was invited to be a librarian. It's not just that sometimes his skills are needed but he is actually the kind of guy who will go to the wall to do the right thing. And the writer kept it all very true to the way the character has always been written. The only thing I didn't like was the reset (huh, literally in this case) at the end. It's something I've disliked since watching Starsky and Hutch when I was a kid.
Twee - They seemed to lose a lot of the earned Team dynamic to promote this "Ezekiel is an apparent flake" mythos. Looks like Ezekiel DOES remember, so I most want him to discuss what happened with Jenkins.
Dahne - Getting any kind of character development on Ezekiel was the best part of the story. In season one, Cassandra and Ezekiel came off the worst to me for opposite reasons. They have toned Cassandra down a bit this season but Ezekiel not as much. This episode did a great job of showing the parts of Ezekiel he never shows anyone - his emotions and fears. It was necessary for the audience to connect with the character.


This episode used a familiar TV trope in the Groundhog Day time loop. Have you seen this used in TV before? How did it compare to other shows? Did you like this format?

Blue Star - I've seen it on Supernatural's Season 3 episode "Mystery Spot". I'd say this episode was just as good as that one. It made me feel so bad for Ezekiel. The time loop for both shows really messed with the characters' minds. After seeing both these shows do this format for an episode, I've found that I do like it for how the time loops led to them being emotional. I love it when a show makes me feel sympathetic for characters. Sympathetic characters are more likable.
Emma - Stargate SG-1 has a time loop episode that is by far my favorite episode of the entire series and my favorite use of the time loop trope in both movie and TV. Groundhog Day is a very close second with this episode now placing third. Excellent way to show enormous character growth without it taking a lot of screen time or using a time jump and filling in the gaps with exposition. Well written, directed and acted.
Michaela - I'm sure it's been used in other shows, but the only one I can remember right now is Supernatural. That episode played it much more comedically, even if there was some tragedy towards the end. I liked that this episode used the time loop to give Ezekiel character development by showing how desperation has the power to completely break down his facade and reveal who he really is underneath it all.
Prpleight - I was about to start ranting about the Groundhog Day cliché...when Ezekiel started to list titles it was used in. I loved the switchover to video game - which I've seen a couple of times but I'm blanking on any titles. The Groundhog Day cliché has been overused so much (even before the movie Groundhog Day)
Dahne - Groundhog Day-type episodes have a tendency to be mostly filler so I tend to not like them as much. This one was handled fairly well when it comes to repetition in that it didn't start getting old until the middle and by then they had added their own twist with the videogame component. I still don't think this one comes anywhere near the quality of Mystery Spot in Supernatural, but that is largely because of the huge twist in that episode and the major tonal turn it took mid-episode. However I think this episode is one of the better uses of a time loop I've seen on TV.



This episode introduced the fae to the world of The Librarians. What did you think about Jenkins using a fairy to get dirt on Prospero? What do you think the fairy meant when he said that Jenkins cannot be killed but can die?

Blue Star - This side plot was interesting. In my opinion you should never trust a fairy. In the end contacting it did not help anything as the fairy wasted time and told Jenkins of Prospero's attack only right as it happened. I cannot begin to guess how someone can die but not be killed. I thought that was the same thing. Unless he means only Jenkins can end himself? Yeah, no idea.
Emma - I was surprised he used a fairy! That tells me that Jenkins is more worried about Prospero than he is letting on. I guess I've always assumed that Jenkins can die but he can't be killed - meaning that if he died, he'd come back to life because his soul could not move on. Like in Supernatural, the body is just a meat suit and even if the body sustains fatal wounds, the soul (demon or angel) inhabiting it would keep it "alive".
Michaela - The fairy kind of creeped me out. He seemed more like a trickster sprite than a traditional fairy to me. I liked that Jenkins used the fairy to try to figure out how to defeat Prospero, but I also kinda wish this plot had been saved for a different episode, because it felt a bit out of place here. I assume the fairy was trying to tempt Jenkins with immortality when he told him he couldn't be killed but he could die. He was most likely trying to get the upper hand after Jenkins took the power by binding him and forcing him to answer three questions.
Prpleight - Isn't the thingie in Prospero's watch a fae? That deal with the fae NEVER goes well. And, as I expected, it did NOT go well. My interpretation of what the fae told Jenkins was that while he would never die by violence he could die from, say, an infection. Sort of like the Immortals in the Highlander universe.
Dahne - I actually thought this was an unnecessary side plot. Usually Jenkins is my favorite character but using the fae in this episode felt forced, like they suddenly remembered there is a huge mytharc they've been avoiding and now they are running out of time. I think it would have been better played in the next episode. I'm also not in favor of anything that hints at Jenkins leaving. To me the faery seemed to hint at some type of Merlin twist wherein Jenkins could be trapped someplace where time and consciousness don't exist. That way he would remain literally alive but for all intents it would be as if he were dead in a permanent comatose state.



What grade would you give this episode? Why?

Blue Star:  A- because this was a great insight to Ezekiel's character and I loved the character growth.
Emma:  B+ One of my favorite episodes of the season. Loved all the Ezekiel development
Michaela:  A+, mostly because I'm so grateful we finally got an Ezekiel-centric episode and I'm relieved it was so well-handled.
Prpleight:  A It was, for me, the perfect Ezekiel story.
Twee:  A+
Dahne:  A- for character growth and making an old plot trope feel reinvigorated



Anything you would like to add?

Emma - Feels great going into the final episodes of the season knowing it's already been renewed. Maybe next season we can get some back story on Ezekiel.
Michaela - Episode eight might be my favorite of the entire series and I can't wait to see what the show has in store for us in the last two episodes.
Twee - Bring back Stumpy!
Dahne - Thanks TNT for renewing this early. It's a fun show that fills the family friendly void of most TV these days.


Screencaps by The Librarians Picspam, Three if by Space, Oregon Confluence, and TV Insider.

Welcome back to Last Week in TV. As we officially head into hiatus, I'd like to take the time to wish everyone a very merry holiday season. I appreciate all those who read this column and those who keep the discussion going in the comment's section. A huge thanks as well to the guest reviewers. This is the first time I have tried something like that and they have made what was a nerve-wracking thought into a fantastic reality. Thanks guys! The next two weeks the column will look slightly different as I try to marathon the TV in my to-watch pile and as we dole out yearly TV awards. Because of that I will not be doing nominated episodes but they will begin again in January. Please nominate new or old shows in the short 2-question form below for when we return to the regular format. I am particularly looking for good shows that have already ended that I might have missed. Last year I was happily introduced to both Merlin and Dexter. I know there are others I should have watched when they came out so I'm looking for guidance. Until next week, have a great holiday and happy marathon / catch-up TV viewing!










Suits - 2.01 - She Knows

When I originally dropped Suits, I did so because all of the characters annoyed me except Donna. I found that I couldn't root for anyone and that's a big TV no-no for me. Harvey AND Mike equaled House and Jayne on my list of ultimate TV douche bags. Coming into the season 2 premiere, I was skeptical that things would be different. In one way, the characters really had not changed. Harvey and Mike still use whatever means necessary to get what they want no matter who they hurt. However, the circumstances surrounding their douche baggery have changed and that made all the difference. For Mike it was the clients. Since both were greedy people trying to take advantage of the situation, it didn't faze me as much when Mike screws them both on technicalities. In Harvey's case though, it was the glimmer of him caring more about someone else than himself. I found his willingness to lose his own job to protect Mike very interesting. He's no longer as selfish as I remember and it's a good look on him. Plus, I have a feeling this Daniel character is going to be much worse and may take Harvey down a few pegs before Harvey gets rid of him. Still the best thing about the show is the witty dialogue. If you're into snark, Harvey is a pro and the rest aren't slouches either. Donna in particular can give back whatever she gets and she's still the best character. I'm not sure I could marathon Suits without wanting Gibbs' smack the entire law firm but I could see it as an occasional watch, and that's much better than my opinion of it previously.

Grade: B-
Ranking - 2+
Audience - anyone who likes legal shows where they often break the law to win and those who love snark

Best Reason to Watch - the politics and psychological warfare are surprisingly interesting
Best Scene - Harvey vs. Daniel
Best Character Interaction - Harvey and Jessica
Best Character - Donna
Best Dichotomy - the difference between Mike's coming into the office after the restaurant and then after learning that Jessica knows
Best Played - Mike finds other novels similar to the one Myra pitched to force her to back down
Best Unintentional Save - Edith, who gets Mike going in a different direction on the case
Best / Biggest Change - Harvey really seems to care about Mike instead of just himself
Biggest Gamble - Harvey puts his job on the line for Mike, although I'm not sure why
Smartest Cookie - Jessica, who strings both Mike and Harvey along only to lower the boom
Least Grateful - Mike, who brats out to Harvey without knowing what Harvey's been doing for him
Least surprising - Daniel doesn't knuckle to Harvey's threats but uses them against him
Most Tedious Subplot - whatever that relationship drama was by the taxi
Most Contemptible - using the dead wife card to make people think you've changed
Most on Point Music - Smoke and Mirrors by Goyte
Most Easily Manipulated - Louis
The "I Don't Feel for Either of You" Award - I really don't care about Mike's friend busting him. It sounds like they were both class A douches.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Rebecca Schull from Wings






The Librarians - 2.08 - And the Point of Salvation

Groundhog Day was a great movie but on TV the time loop concept can be hit or miss. For the most part, it was a hit for The Librarians…but only because it starred Ezekiel. I can't see it being near as entertaining with another character because Ezekiel is the character that needed the most character growth. By allowing the audience to watch him try and fail over and over again, it gave a clearer glimpse of the character than ever before. Watching him break down and then begging for the team to trust in him was powerful and two of the best scenes the show has ever done. We, the audience, were allowed past the façade and the Ezekiel awaiting us was deep, brave, caring, and smart. It helped to clarify who Ezekiel could be and showed that he is capable of maturing into a good leader. In short, it was exactly the Ezekiel-centric episode the show needed because he was in danger of being the only cardstock character left. For sheer character development, this is my favorite episode of season 2 and winner of the Episode of the Week. Like all time loop plots, it did slow down a touch in the middle when we had already seen certain scenes about as many times as Ezekiel lived them. It soon got back on track though and did a great job of mixing humor and pathos. Over all it was a fun, heartfelt episode and I wish The Librarians did this combo more often. Too bad though that Ezekiel seems to be returning to his old ways. Amnesia is way too convenient and unworthy of the quality of this episode.

Grade: A-

Best Reason to Watch - Ezekiel gets character growth
Best Scene / Biggest Awww Moment - Ezekiel tries to get them to believe him and he's awesome at it
Best Pep Talk - Baird to Ezekiel
Best Revenge - Ezekiel lets Jake get electrocuted
Best Reaction - Ezekiel shoots Jake and Jake's excited about being in a video game
Best Reference - the great TV shows that have done time loop episodes although it missed Mystery Spot from Supernatural, which is the greatest time loop episode of all time
Biggest Shock - Ezekiel saves the team by putting himself in danger
Biggest Eye Roll - Cassandra figures out the lock instead of Ezekiel
Biggest Say What? - Jenkins, an immortal, can die
Most Likely to Bring the Knowledge - Ezekiel this time
Most Fun Word - tenchomagic mojo
Most Nonchalant - the DARPA people are not at all surprised to find librarians roaming their building
Most Bizarre - Ezekiel: "It's not a time loop. It's a video game."
Smartest Plan - Ezekiel takes the librarian/guardian he needs only for the part he needs them in
The "This is Always a Bad Plan. Don't You Watch Movies?" Award - anytime the computer gets that much smarter than its creator, humanity gets screwed






Mom - 3.06 - Horny-Goggles and a Catered Intervention

It’s the midseason finale of Mom, and the woman at AA are feeling a bit o’ the ol’ Christmas loneliness. Now that she’s quit boozin’, Wendy is thirsty for some RSVPs to her Sober Dance, but it seems the other women really aren’t feeling it. Regina announces she’s not an alcoholic and Bonnie quickly jumps on the bandwagon, anything to get out of Wendy’s soul-killing sober dance. After discussing it, the women respect Regina’s decision not to label herself an alcoholic and to go back to drinking in moderation. After she takes her first sip of wine, Wendy leaps across the table to kiss Regina to taste the alcohol on her lips. Later on, despite Regina’s confidence in her sobriety, everyone throws her a lavish catered intervention at Jill’s house anyway. Feeling betrayed by their lack of faith, Regina explains that her life is better than ever and storms out. Candace, Baxter and Roscoe show up at Bonnie and Christy’s house wearing creepy identical Christmas sweaters and shower Christy and Bonnie with lavish gifts. This turns out to be incredibly awkward because neither Christy nor Bonnie got them anything. Christy frantically grabs the Arby’s coupon someone left in the tip pouch Bonnie left for her tenants. This makes Baxter over-the-moon-happy, so mission accomplished, Christy. Faced with no other option other than petty passive-aggressiveness, Bonnie gives Candace the only other “present” that was left in her tip envelope: a festive snapshot of someone’s male anatomy in a Santa hat. Candace’s priceless face is more than worth the awkwardness that came beforehand. While Bonnie subtly gets back at Candace, Christy asks Baxter if he thinks she can start drinking in moderation. He gives her a resounding no, which turns out to be good advice when Regina later teeters on the edge of the wagon, likely to completely fall off sooner rather than later. The episode closes with the women dancing at Wendy’s oh-so-hip Sober Dance.

Grade- A
Best Reason to Watch- The show’s ability to explore dark themes without being heavy-handed or preachy.
Best Scene- Wendy successfully drags everyone to her terrible sober dance.
Best Regifted Present- Jill’s expensive earrings that the women “bought for Regina.”
Worst Regifted Present- Candace’s second-hand d#@& pic.
Worst Sober Dancer- Bonnie, hands down. Her orangutan-cowboy-tango belongs in a comedic hall of fame.

Best Quotes -
1. Christy: "Don’t ruin cake. It’s all I have left."
2. Regina: "If I got paid by the amen, I’d be a rich woman."
3. Bonnie: "She’s on the bullet train to Booze-adelphia."
4. Bonnie: "First you think you have it under control, then you’re making out with a homeless man in his dumpster, then you’re back eating stale donuts at the meeting. Circle of life."
5. Christy: "It’s only a matter of time before a couple of drinks turns into a line of blow, and boom, you’re showing up to your kid’s PTA meeting in @ssless chaps and a sombrero… Or your version of that."






Childhood's End - Night One: The Overlords / Night Two: The Deceivers / Night Three: The Children

While I am appreciative that Syfy is getting back to its roots and like The Expanse, obviously not afraid to spend a little money on it, this is a case of the longer a show ran the worse it got until the ending was a big jumble of "whatever". I enjoyed The Overlords segment and how it set up the alien invasion. I thought Ricky was hopelessly naïve but most of the characters interested me. The Deceivers worked too but suffered from some pacing problems. It was in the third segment, The Children, that the entire story fell apart logically to me. In essence, these "benevolent" demons were either patsies or evil. They purposely create the destruction of earth and yet we're supposed to think of them as the good guys? I don't think so. It's one thing if they knew ahead of time that some huge catastrophe was coming and they genetically altered the kids in order to save the population. It's a completely different story when they heard voices telling them to destroy the earth for no apparent reason. Earth wasn't doing anything to them and the whole "collective consciousness" simply means they have no idea who's giving the order. I'm guessing Satan. They also spent far too long grooming the earth just to have Jennifer take it apart fiber by fiber. Nothing about the original story tied together for me. Plus I already saw this story. The Outer Limits episode called Music of the Spheres, starring Joshua Jackson and Kirsten Dunst, did this plot much better. In fact, it might be my favorite Outer Limits episode of all.

Grade Overall: C

Best Reason to Watch - the characters
Best Gift - the overlords give Milo both his life and the use of his legs back
Best Character - Milo
Biggest Reason to be Skeptical - nothing like an alien species telling you exactly what you want to hear to insure that they plan to dominate over you and possibly eat you
Biggest Awww Moment - Ricky tells Ellie that he loved her best (after taking a lifetime to figure it out)
Worst Plan? - bringing the new world order kid into the old world city seems risky to all
Biggest Hmm - so people do still own cars but they just don't use them regularly
Biggest Sign Something's Changed - the lookie loo's in the original had cameras and cars but now they have carts and bicycles
Biggest Question - So in New Amsterdam do they have jobs and use money to buy things?
Biggest "Nope, No, Uhn-Uhn" - You do not impersonate people's dead love ones, alien people. That's a violation and a terrible way to begin.
Least Appropriate Reaction - Karellen tells people there is no need for scientific inquiry because the world is as it needs to be for their successors and no one questions who those successors are or what he means
Least Surprising - Karellen is a demon
Most Brave- Ellie, who pounds on the alien craft to get her fiancé back
Most Overused - slow-motion / evil kids
Most Overly Dramatic - Ricky and his special room
Most Depressing - if the only thing humans have to offer is cookie dough ice cream, we might be better off extinct
Most Disgusting - Rachel explodes into pieces
Most Annoying - showing or telling things to characters that the audience is not privy to
Most Spooky - all the world's kids start chanting for Jennifer
Strangest Reaction - Ricky doesn't take the giant alien eye tearing his house apart piece by piece as a hostile gesture or even as a threat
Scariest Speech - Karellen tells them that humanity is going to become extinct
Most Dedicated / Dumbest Smart Guy - Milo, whose pursuit of knowledge keeps him from seeing people
Best Shout Out - takes place in Hapstead, MO
The "Well That's NOT an Improvement" Award - alien "Band-aids" look very painful / Vindarten is as creepy as the demons so I'm not sure I'd trust him with my family either
The "Say What?" Award - How did Ricky get kidnapped when surrounded by a whole bunch of lookie loos? The paparazzi is getting weak under this new regime.
The "Never Looking at that the Same Way Again" Award - vacuum sealing doesn't sound like a good way to create space anymore
The "Some Things Never Change" Award - Rams still lose in a Utopian society
The "Wait Just One Minute" Award - I thought the aliens grounded everything man-made from the sky. How exactly did Paul fly to Missouri then?
The "Welcome Back" Award - Mike Vogel from Under the Dome / Georgina Haig from Fringe / Daisy Betts from The Player
Best Music - I Think It's Going to Rain Today, which brings back Beaches memories



The Expanse - 1.01 - Dulcinea

The Expanse is the newest adaptation from the SyFY Channel, which appears to be going back to its roots. So far, it's a good move. Childhood's End is engaging, but this series has the real potential. Still it's a rough pilot. In an effort to build their world (which they do an excellent job on by the way), they leave a mass of undistinguishable characters in its wake. It's simply too big for the pilot and they knew it or why else release 4 episodes basically at the same time. The premise is the same as many sci-fi shows. A group of people are oppressed into basic servitude to allow the rich to get richer. In this case, the belters (people who work the asteroid belt for water in the form of ice) are enslaved to the military dusters from Mars and the rich people of Earth, headed by the UN. There's rumbling about revolution (story A) and based on the inequality, no one can blame them. Earth keeps them on water rations and corporate greed says it's better to pay the widows than fix the broken down equipment and damaged air filters. In essence, it's every dystopia ever written. In many ways, the B story reminds me of Gotham. There's the crooked cop entrenched in a crooked system who is partners with the idealistic new guy. It's rough and uninspiring. The C story is what works best. It follows Holden, the Han Solo of the series, who works on an ice trawler in space. Hearing a distress signal, a small group follows only to be lead into a trap. It's this segment that provides the big payoff of the pilot in the guise of a massive cliffhanger, one I didn't see coming although I probably should have. Time will tell if The Expanse can pull off such a huge cast and multi-storylines running at the same time. One thing is for sure though. SyFy or somebody put a lot of cash into this production because the cinematography is gorgeous and the effects are impressive for a basic cable show. Let's just say this is NO Sharknado.

Grade: C+
Ranking - 4
Audience - anyone into space operas and loves a big, complicated cast / people who like Gotham but don't have to have the superheroes and supervillains

Best Reason to Watch - excellent world building
Best Scene - the cliffhanger ending
MVP - the effects
Biggest Huh? - How's a match head supposed to improve the coffee?
Most Random Blech - a guy's hand gets sheared off in an ice trawler accident and then it floats off into space
Most Apt - Mars is the military planet
Most Depressing - part of the cops' job is to commit the jobs
Most in Need of a Padded Cell - the XO, who has made talking to his plants into a full blown psychosis
The "Say What?" Award - Um, I don't think they want the cargo. Not if they blow it up like that.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Julian Richings, the most superb Death on Supernatural / Paulo Costanzo from Royal Pains / Shohreh Aghdashloo from Grimm / Jay Hernandez from Gang Related / Lola Glaudini from Criminal Minds / Athena Karkanis from The Lottery and Supernatural / Brian George from TBBT and OUaT Wonderland / Jonathan Banks from Community






Agent X - 1.07 - Long Walk Home

I am saddened to hear that TNT will not be renewing this show. Of course, I never saw advertisements for it and TNT is in purge mood so I'm not too surprised either. I'm just glad I stumbled upon it. Outside of Into the Badlands, this has some of the best action on TV these days. Plus I really like John's character. I'm a little more iffy on this week's conspiracy though. The VP wanted to kill his crazy employee and it involved the CIA director, how exactly? I'm not sure if this is the end of the conspiracy plot but if it is, it's lame. Really lame. Even Burn Notice's resident psycho revenge stalker had more back story. Here's hoping the next 3 episodes are action-packed and don't end on a cliffhanger.

Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - even the conspiracy has conspiracies
Best Scene - John tells off both Millar and PotUS
Best Action - VP residence fight
Best Soccer Player - John getting the bulb to help unlock his handcuffs
Best Science Trick / Best Pick-Up - the match in the bottle blows the toothpick and straw upwards
Best Use of a Computer Virus - to save the president
Biggest Twist - Millar is the one who bombed Ray's boat
Least Surprising - Ray was a psycho who was going way too far
Most Surprising - they shot the president anyway
Most Interesting - nowadays we don't see John getting his butt kicked very often so the flashbacks are new
Weirdest Use of Slow-Mo - during the fight they suddenly slow to watch John get punched, a lot
The "Next Time Don't Skimp on the Help" Award - Volker may be the ultimate in kick butt crazy but he sure hired some stupid goons. No wonder John got away relatively easily.



Ash vs. Evil Dead - 1.07 / 1.08 - Fire in the Hole / Ashes to Ashes

I didn't think it was possible but episode 1.07 had more nudity and disgusting stuff than the others. It also wasn't the best episode. I can only take stupid militia hicks for so long before I need to move on. 20 minutes was too long. 1.08 was genuinely creepy though. Nothing like spending the night in an evil cabin being haunted by loved ones to set the mood. Adding the death of a main character does too. I never saw that one coming, although in hindsight the fact that Amanda was at all interested in Ash was a huge blinking neon light.

Grade: C / B

Best Reason to Watch - they finally got to the cabin so we should be heading for the main event
Best Scene / Best Action - Ash vs. Ash
Best Acting - Kelly, who pretends to be a horror movie moron and de-arms the militia guy. Too bad it didn't work in the end. Amanda does the same later to better results.
Best Old West Screen Shot - Ash's trio blows the head of a zombie off while the militia looks on
Best Imitation of a Dragon - Lem
Biggest Shrew - Ash's dead ex with the screechy, annoying voice
Biggest Shock (of the week?) - Amanda really does die
Biggest Mistake - putting your gun down to read necromancy books
Biggest Hmm - Why is the militia locking their enemies in with their weapons? That seems unusually stupid even for a militia on TV.
Biggest Ewww - intestines on the ground, not my favorite way to start an episode
Biggest "Say What?" Award - Why aren't Kelly and Pablo running up to see what's going on? You'd think they'd be wary of any noise and at least check it out.
Least Surprising - Ruby is still alive
Most Paranoid / Least Intelligent - the anti-government militia people
Most Confusing - Ash trying to explain how the other him killed Amanda
Most Likely to be Employed as a Magician - Ash, who disappears mid conversation
Worst Plan - taking horror movie college kid tropes near the evil cabin
Worst Surprise - possessed animals
The "Who Knew?" Award - Ash really can be humble
The "Welcome Back" Award - Indiana Evans from Secrets and Lies



TBBT - 9.11 - The Opening Night Excitation

The most admirable thing about the last 1.5 seasons of TBBT is the awesome character growth that Sheldon is getting. It was the biggest problem but they have now gone so far as to make Sheldon okay with having sex. It was awkward but that was true to the characters. Mostly it was sweet all the way around with Sheldon thinking of Amy before himself. Personally I don't see anything wrong with Sheldon going to see the movie and hanging out with Amy earlier, but they were making a point here and it worked. In other news, I find it funny that there is such a big rivalry between Star Wars and Star Trek. I know plenty of people who like them both so the whole crowd booing Wil made me shrug and laugh. I do like that they played up the hype of a movie or TV show premiering though. It's hard for people outside "fandom" to get the hype and everything Wil said was true. Fandom doesn't make or break you but it can sure feel like it sometimes.

Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - whether you’re a fan of Star Wars, making fun of sci fi fans, or awkward sex, there's something here for everyone
Best Scene - This is a cheat but for me it was the vanity card at the end that takes you to chucklorre.com/holidaycard and the Ashton Kutcher as Chuck Lorre snarkfest about sitcom writing and ratings (minus the penis humor). Check it out yourself.
Best Laugh - Penny and Bernadette keep messing with Sheldon as he's knocking on the door
Worst Foreplay - Amy's "give it to me" conversation
Sweetest Character - surprisingly Sheldon
Biggest Product Placement - Star Wars and it worked very well for them
Biggest Character Growth - Sheldon
Biggest Reaction - Amy to hearing that Sheldon wants to have sex
Biggest Surprise - Sheldon doesn't back out of sex and really has coitus with Amy
Most Awkward - Amy and Sheldon's big night
Most Guts - Wil Wheaton goes to a Star Wars movie in a Star Trek uniform, igniting a fanboy war
Most Realistic - Sheldon whining about not getting tickets until the end of time does seem on par with an intergalactic war
The "I'm with You" Award - Arthur has the right idea. I'd rather die like a samurai than talk sex with Sheldon.
The "Welcome Back" Award (character) - Arthur and Wil Wheaton



Elementary - 4.06 - The Cost of Doing Business
Once again, the most powerful part of the episode is Sherlock's relationship with his father. I like how Sherlock is now a tiny bit skeptical about his own opinions about him and yet John Noble is selling both parts of Morland's personality. He can be benevolent but watch out when he doesn't like the way things are going. The scene where he shuts down his informant's attempt to blackmail him was downright chilling. He's the kind of smart, cold killer that always makes for a good nemesis. The question for me is where is this all leading. I can see a major confrontation between father and son but I can't see Sherlock getting his father thrown in jail no matter how smart he is. Whichever way they go, it's been fascinating to watch the relationship unfold and I hope to keep seeing more of them working together.

Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - father and son working together
Best Scene - Sherlock suggests Watson make her own mind up about his father
Best Expeditor - Morland, who bribes and threatens with impunity to get what he wants
Best Twist - even Sherlock is starting to doubt his perception about his father, who is obviously up to no good
Worst Twist - the whole thing ends up being about a jilted lover
Most Cold - Morland, who obviously had someone killed and found by his children
Most Missed - Sherlock's brother, who would be fascinating playing mediator between Morland and Sherlock
Most Interesting Writing Choice - this episode keeps Sherlock and Watson apart for much of the preliminary investigation, which I'm still not sure if I like or not
The "Welcome Back" Award - Reed Diamond from State of Affairs, Wayward Pines, and Minority Report / John Shea, currently playing the shot president in Agent X


Into the Badlands - 1.05 - Snake Creeps Down

I will never, ever get used to the idea of a show's season being only 6 episodes long but here we are in the penultimate episode of Into the Badlands. So far it has been a wild ride of action, drama, and mythos. This episode is no different. I like that things are ready to go nuclear, especially since Quinn now knows MK's secret. I can't wait to see what Sunny does about that. Will he accelerate his plans to leave or does this crush them? Will Ryder try to kill his father? Did he already try to kill Jade? I have so many more questions. In this episode however, the best thing is still that the Widow and Tilda escaped. When those two die, it will be hard to replace them because they bring the best character dynamic and they are fascinating to watch. Kudos also for bringing Henriksen into the fold. He knows so much more than he's telling and he could be the linchpin that causes the whole storyline to explode. He obviously has no love for Quinn and a great thirst to stop MK so maybe he's the one who finally topples his son-in-law.

Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - things have picked up to lay the framework of an explosive finale
Best Scene - Veil confronts Quinn about killing her parents
Best Pick-Up Line - MK tells Tilda that she's his anchor….er, place of safety
Best Addition / Best Back Story - Penrith
Best Acting / Best Tyson Move - Tilda starts fake crying to take down Bale by biting off his ear
Best Action - Widow vs. Sunny. I could watch these two fight for 30 minutes per episode.
Biggest Set Up - Was Lydia setting up Jade by poisoning her, is Jade setting up Lydia by pretending Lydia poisoned her, or is someone else like maybe Ryder trying to take Jade out? My bets are on someone else but I'd love for this to be Jade's doing because then I could see her as a worthy adversary instead of someone who screws her way to the top.
Biggest Twist - MK gets weaker every time he's cut
Biggest Liar - Quinn, who even as he's dying messes with Veil's head
Smartest Plan for the Series - both the Widow and Tilda live to fight another day
Smartest Plan That's Going to Backfire - Quinn tells Sunny that he doesn't want Sunny to see Veil anymore
Most Screwed - Quinn now knows about MK's inner rage beast
Most in Need of a Muzzle - MK
Most Intriguing - Lydia's dad is a preacher who might know the real story of MK's pendant
The "Score One" Award - Jade, who convinces Quinn to follow her plan over Lydia's
The "Welcome Back" Award - Lance Henriksen from Millennium



Limitless - 1.11 - This is Your Brian on Drugs

Brian and Harris combined to tick me off almost every single time they were on screen. That's a power combination that is even worse than when Brian ticked me off by himself throughout the whole first 3 episodes. Neither of them made good choices, they were both complete douches, and they both feel superior to others in the end. Insufferable is the best adjective for both here. Since I hate when the main characters annoy me so much that I deplete my sock supply, because they ruined and killed off a great character, and because they made Boyle feel bad about doing his job and hinted that they were going to ruin HIS character too, this episode is the worst thing I watched this week. Boo all around to whomever planned this mess. Gibbs' slap to everyone.

Grade: D+

Best Reason to Watch - good throwing practice or to enhance your eye rolling skills through frequent practice
Best Reason to Skip - everything Harris and Brian, except for Brian's scene with Mike in the hospital
Best Scene - Brian's scene with Mike in the hospital
Best Back Story - Boyle
Worst Plan (show) - Making Casey the bad guy and then killing him off. This screams of fan pandering to put Brian and Harris together, which will be the end of this show for me.
Worst Plan (episode) - pick anything about Casey's band of Merry Men and you've got a contender
Biggest Misconception - Many people were on Twitter were saying that Casey lowered his gun before Boyle shot him. That's not the case. What Brian was saying is that instead of pulling the trigger himself, Casey chose to not shoot and pulled the gun slightly away as the bullet was heading towards him.
Biggest Eye Roll - all the romance drama
Biggest Coward / Biggest Douche - Harris, who breaks up via text like a complete jerk
Biggest Hero - Ike pushes Mike out of the way of the bullet and gets shot himself
Biggest Step Back - Brian is super obnoxious in the first 5 minutes, almost like he was in the first three episodes
Biggest Say What? - Why did Ike call Harris instead of FBI headquarters and every backup person with clearance they could find? What if she had been in the shower?
Strangest Subplot - Why are they sidelining Boyle with this ill grandma storyline? I realize they are building up the NZT story but it felt very off-place that an FBI agent would be taking vacation instead of heavily pursuing the person who shot a member of his own unit. Where's the loyalty?
Most Interesting - the Merry Men scale their big dreams into neighborhood scale
Most Obnoxious - Brian, who needs to be Gibbs' slapped by Mike AND Ike
Most Depressing - Casey's fake headstone, which says, "Here lieth Casey Rooks who nobody gave a damn about. Sept 7th, 1976 - any day now 2015"
Least Promising Subplot - Boyle now has an NZT pill
Least Likely to Accept Blame for His Own Actions - Nick
Weirdest Set-Up - they keep going back and forth in the timeline of events
The "Absolutely Yes" Award - To answer your question Brian, yes. You are very disrespectful and to almost everyone except maybe Harris and your dad.
The "Well At Least That's Cleared Up" Award - Ike's real name is Jason
The "I'm Team Boyle Here" Award - There was a clear and present danger to a high value asset and Boyle did what he was supposed to do. Plus I hate the fact that they seem to think that anytime Brian takes NZT he's automatically right about everything. Intelligence does not work that way and it makes Brian even more insufferable when everyone else around him treats him like he's the only one who can have answers.
The "Welcome Back" Award (character) - Stavros
The "Welcome Back" Award - Marc Blucas from Necessary Roughness, Killer Women, and Buffy
Best Music - Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)



Quantico - 1.11 - Inside

So am I supposed to believe that Caleb is the terrorist or is there something much bigger going on? I'm going to bet on the latter. Since when has obvious ever meant that's what is really going on in here? I do like that Elias was outed though. More I like that Elias should be gone now. I never did like that creepster. I also don't like the continued soap opera of people's love lives and petty jealousies. I can't imagine anyone rooting for any of these characters' hookups. They are the definition of dysfunctional. What did work though was the cliffhanger. Now people can speculate on if anyone died while debating terrorists. My bet is that no one of real importance bit it because this is not The 100 and I don't see them pulling a Game of Thrones wedding. In fact, I suspect that at least one "dead" person will actually be alive and probably the terrorist.

Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - the cliffhanger
Best Reason to Fast Forward - romance breakups
Best Scene - Elias tosses himself out of the window
Best Pep Talk - Nimah about making monsters / Liam about Booth
Best Smack Down - Hannah to Alex
Best Play - Simon, who has nothing to lose, gets Elias to tell the truth by threatening his life
Best Cliffhanger - Command Center blows up
Worst Plan - telling Simon he can release the bomb without knowing for sure that he could
Worst TV Trend of the Week - women breaking up with men badly and men doing stupid, irreversible things in reaction
Biggest Baby Fit - Alex, who throws a tantrum at the Haas party because Booth is with someone else
Most Savvy - Natalie, who knows there's an app for that AND gives practical relationship advice
The "Good Riddance" Award - Elias offs himself and I am perfectly fine with that
The "Welcome Back" Award - Eliza Coupe from the sadly cancelled Benched / Marcia Cross from Desperate Housewives / Janaya Stephens from Flashpoint and the Left Behind series



Scorpion - 2.12 - Dam Breakthrough

Scorpion was fighting really hard odds here. Last Christmas was the kid trapped in the sinkhole episode, still the best one in my opinion. This one didn't beat it but, my oh my, was that ending a kick in the heart in a good way. The race to save the dam was thrilling and it hit all the right pacing. Common sense fled through the cracks but that's nothing new to Scorpion and Walter's muttering was more irritating than worrisome to me. So was Paige's constant fretting about the people below. Do something or shut up. Yapping at them when they're already stressed doesn't help. However allowing each character to shine (except Paige and maybe Toby) while putting 2 characters in mortal danger really worked. It didn't matter that I knew Happy was never hitting that turbine. I still held my breath while she was under. In fact the damn rescue ended far quicker than I expected and that initially made me groan. I thought for sure we were heading into deep romance emoangsting waters, and in some ways we did, so imagine my surprise when it instead turned into one of the best Walter moments of them all. Calling Sylvester his brother actually made me "awww" out loud. I also loved the idea of sending Megan's ashes into space. It was a sweet and yet still a very Walter thing to do. All in all, this was a good way to go into hiatus.

Grade: A-

Best Reason to Watch - the ending
Best Scene - Walter tells Sylvester that they are brothers
Best Aww Scene - everyone gathers around a crying Walter
Best Tribute - Walter sends his $15 million rocket to space with his sister's ashes in it
Best Alternative - sand snowman
Best Pun - "This is my dam boat" bumper sticker on the dam outboard motorboat
Worst Job Perks - I swear Scorpion gets paid decent money for many jobs and Walter can't be stuffing all his money into the rocket anymore? How come the roof is still leaking? Help starts at home, folks.
Worst Pep Talk - Paige's people not statistics speech
Biggest Eye Roll - Ralph saves the day…again. Sigh.
Biggest Laugh - Cabe joins Toby in helium Christmas carols and then Happy does too
Biggest Shock - they don't keep emergency gear in the SUV, like good outdoor shoes so Cabe doesn't have to scale a dam in dress shoes
Biggest Huh? - Who knew concrete could dry that quickly?
Most Heart Racing - Happy gets sucked into the pipe and almost chopped to bits
Most Well-Adjusted - Sylvester. How the heck did that happen? Sylvester is taking Megan's death better than anyone.
The "Oh Poor Baby" Award - Walter breaks down over Megan's death
The "Say What?" Award - Why in the world are they having Toby throw the rock salt bomb? That's a job that screams for Cabe, the only athletic person in the bunch.
The "Hellllooooooo? Are You in There, Common Sense?" Award - If you can't move the people down the road, why not at least move them up the mountain so they are NOT killed by the dam breaking?
The "Hellllooooooo? Are You in There, Common Sense?" Award, Part 2 - At least throw the rest of the rope down to Cabe. You know the part that didn't go through the winch.

Check out the Teen Wolf 5B premiere on Tuesday, Jan. 5 on MTV at 9/8 C. (Note the day and time change.  No more Moonday.)



"To hell and back." That's not only the Teen Wolf season 5 motto, but it describes how some fans have been feeling as well. The show has always generated strong reactions but 5A was particularly rough as Jeff Davis broke our favorite characters down, severing the pack. In essence, he took us all to hell and now the characters need to claw their way back. They have a long way to go since almost every relationship on the show was shattered. When we last left off, Theo killed Scott but Mama McCall revived him by the sheer power of her awesomeness. (It's a superpower, folks. In fact, it's the only superpower on the show that works 100% of the time.) Scott and Stiles broke up in one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the series yet while Malia and Stiles broke up in such a backwards way that some fans weren't sure if they had or not. To clarify, they did. Instead Malia partnered up with Braeden to take down her mom, who in all fairness, tried to kill Malia first. Kira left to find her inner peace, or at least temper her inner fire fox while Lydia and Sheriff were both left bleeding on the cold, hard ground. After beating the will out of Scott, Liam cradled Hayden's corpse. Audiences didn't get to grieve with him as Hayden was dead for about 2.2 seconds before Theo resurrected her and three other useless newbies to create his own pack. Breaking tradition, the steampunk scientists also survived to wreak bug-voiced havoc in 5B.


So where does that leave a hapless Teen Wolf fan? With hope. The season 5B premiere has a lot to offer. For one, there is far less filler than there has been throughout season 5. For the most part the pacing is on point and the action zips from one character to another. Better still, it doesn't feel like they are throwing a multitude of plots at the audience all at the same time. Last season felt frenetic, almost berserker in nature. Things were going quickly but they were not necessarily going anywhere. In the midseason premiere, the goal for the good guys is focused: Save Sheriff. Save Lydia. Period. To do so, the pack (read: Scott, Stiles, and Malia) also has to work together despite hard feelings and it is here where most hope can be found. Although 5.11 makes clear that there is no instant cure, Scott and Stiles have more screen time together than most of 5A put together. Scott in particular is insistent that they combine their skills to find a solution just like they have in the past. For those who have been missing the bromance that is the foundation of Teen Wolf, it's a real start. There's plenty of Mason and Liam bromance too and Mason gives one of the better speeches to talk Liam through his own hard time. All in all, the midseason premiere gives me hope that our heroes will indeed get back from the hell Jeff Davis left them in and maybe come out of it stronger people, stronger leaders, and stronger friends.


Highlights in no particular order:

Argent.
Mama McCall and Stiles scenes
Scott refuses to move
Hellhounds are this season's favorite pet
Hot Doc is smarter than most people at Beacon Hills Memorial
Mason is the new Giles
Science Mom (Mrs. Martin) is just done with this whole supernatural thing
Stiles tears will break your heart as will the flashback
The symbol
Theo doesn't care about your rules, silly man



Biggest Questions:

Do the steampunk scientists have a plan and will that plan pay off?
Does Hayden remember what's going on or not?
Exactly how many concussions can one group get in one episode?
How can more back story on Theo possibly make less sense than what we already know?
Is Valack going to end up being the good guy?
When will ALL of Team Good Guys be united and back to pre-5A madness?
Who is the last chimera?
Will Beacon Hills ever see the last of its insurance woes?



Grade: B+


Best Reason to Watch - less filler, more story, more questions, more Scott and Stiles time
Best Scene - Scott won't let Stiles….
Best Awww Moment - (sorry, spoiler)
Best Entrance - Argent
Best Back Story - Theo killed his sister because he wanted…..
The "Oh, Poor Baby" Award - Stiles
Worst Doctor - Valack, who drills into Lydia's skull
Worst Plan - Thinking anywhere in Beacon Hills is safe
MVP - brain injuries
Best Catch - Smart Scott figures out that Theo……
Best Flashback - Stiles
Worst Parenting - Hot Doc
Best Reaction - Mason to Liam…
Most Missed - Braeden, the Desert Wolf storyline, Kira and her family
Most Wonky Werewolf Powers - Scott, who doesn't….
Most Awkward Relationship - Stiles and…well, everyone



Best Quotes -

"Hey, you've still got me."
"I am starting to seriously think about a transfer."
"I need to learn to shut up."
"Knowing something is different from understanding it."
"She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?""That pretty little thing could shatter your skull with her voice if someone decided to teach her how."
"She's got a hole in her head. It's not a good look for anyone."
"We kind of broke up I guess.""Yeah, we kind of broke up too."
"We need to find this kid.""Isn't that a little dangerous, especially since he almost killed my kid?"
"We survived an alpha pact, a dark druid, professional assassins. We can survive dread doctors and chimeras too."
"You can't do this alone, okay? You need me. You need all of us."



Teen Wolf 5B premieres Tuesday, Jan. 5 on MTV at 9/8 C. Don't miss it.



Screencaps from MTV Teen Wolf Tumbler, TV Line, and Pinterest.

The Pedigree:

The Shannara Chronicles comes from an impressive pedigree. Show runners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar started their fantasy/sci -fi production journey with Smallville and moved to feature films like Spider-Man 2, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, and I am Number Four. They are also the brains behind Into the Badlands, which just finished its season one finale. (Check it out if you like action!) The Shannara Chronicles by Terry Brooks started as a trilogy but has grown into one of the biggest fantasy franchises with around 30 works, combining novels, prequels, and graphic novels. In fact, Brooks has sold more fantasy books than any other still living author except JK Rowling. Rumor has it that the reason The Shannara Chronicles is debuting on MTV is that they were the only ones offering to let Brooks have final veto power and script consent. What isn't rumor? He is a fan of the TV series and has seen every episode written. The story starts with the second book, called The Elfstones of Shannara. It was shot in New Zealand, like the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series, so the cinematography is gorgeous as well. MTV has spared no expense on this project and it shows. They are clearly planning to take advantage of Game of Thrones' popularity and the result is a well-crafted, if slightly slow, series designed to move MTV into a new strata of cable networks. This is unlike anything they have ever produced, including Teen Wolf.



The Set-Up:

Unlike most fantasy genre shows, The Shannara Chronicles takes place a thousand years after the Age of Man. A nuclear holocaust has changed the world but remnants like the Space Needle remain in ruins. The land is now run by elves, who won the War of the Races and have brought a sort of peace to the Four Lands. Man co-exists with elves, trolls, and gnomes now but not in a world of magic. In fact most feel magic died with the druids. Enter of course the last druid, Allanon. He is called back from a hibernation-like sleep by the Ellcrys, a tree that keeps the demons from the last war trapped and unable to wreak havoc on earth. However the Ellcrys is dying and with each leaf it sheds, another demon is freed. The only way to protect the Four Lands is for one of the Chosen to take a special seed to the blood fire and return it to the Ellcrys so that the Ellcrys can be reborn. If this sounds confusing, don't worry. It's all well-explained for people who have never heard of The Shannara Chronicles, much less have read them.

The hero's quest is shared by 4 characters. Wil Ohmsford is the traditional bumbling hero who learns that his whole family history is a lie. He's part elf and part human, but all he really wants out of life is to be a healer. His journey takes an abrupt change will he is recruited by Allanon. Of the quartet, Allanon is the wise leader (think Gandalf or Dumbledore) who has some secrets as well. Princess Amberle is granddaughter of the Elvin King, Eventine, and is brought into the saga by the Ellcrys itself. Earning her way into being one of The Chosen, she finds that she is given strange, frightening visions of the future. Rounding out the group is Eretria, a human Rover. Rovers are bandits who survive by their wits and thievery. Her introduction to the group is very rocky and as such, she is not part of their quest in the first 2 episodes and she has her own agenda running contrary to theirs.



The Highlights -

~Every part of this show is well-crafted from the visuals to the set pieces. MTV is going all out on this.
~The females are capable heroes in their own right and not damsels in distress.
~The world-building is phenomenal.
~Characters are well-defined and their hero journey is set.
~The acting is good, especially from some of the leads that don't have much experience. John Rhys-Davies is, of course, stellar.


The Issues -

~The first two episodes are incredibly heavy on the mythology of the story.
~The pacing can be slow in parts, especially around the middle. Part of that is due to the fact that it is actually 2 episodes instead of one.
~Much of the story follows traditional fantasy tropes so there isn't a whole lot of surprise in the first two episodes. I expect that to change as they begin the actual quest.
~Wil is the comic relief but he sometimes comes off as more irritating




The Overall Effect -

While somewhat slow to start, The Shannara Chronicles is an epic fantasy tale with strong characters and even better production values. If you are interested in hero journeys, I think you will love it. The clever use of human remnants creates a unique playground in which they can tell their story and the idea of elves not believing in magic is intriguing. It allows for the story to talk to today's audience without being over-handed. I was also surprised by how much I liked the characters of Amberle and Eretria. They are powerful in their own right and smart. That's a good start. Overall I think that The Shannara Chronicles could be everything MTV wants it to be - a chance to break out of their reputation and be a leader in basic cable. There biggest challenge will be getting people to break out of their prejudices and try it because I think fantasy lovers will end up praising The Shannara Chronicles if they do. This one's going to rely on word of mouth.


Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - the world building is stunning and rich
Best Action - Allanon vs. Dagda Mor
Best Behind the Scenes Work - the cinematography which is amazing
Best Entrance - Allanon
Best Genre Trope - magic always comes at a price so it can't be used wily nily
Best Reveal - Allanon tells Wil that his father…
Best Fountain of Youth - Allanon's 300 year nap
Best Negotiator / Best Save - Eretria
Worst Parent Ever - Cephelo
Biggest Idiot / Most in Need of Growing Up - Wil
Biggest Surprise - I'm not sure I have ever seen a show on MTV with breast and butt nudity and it has more gore than most too. MTV is definitely reaching for a broader audience with this show.
Biggest Fake Out - the opening
Biggest Twist - the family dog…
The "Sucks to be You" Award - Wil


Best Quotes -

"Aren't you curious about ancient humans? How they were able to build these incredible things?""Look. They're dead; we're not. End of story."
"Do you have any respect for Elvin traditions?""Only the ones with parties."
"I think it's better if the druid explains everything.""You’re here with a druid? I thought they were all dead.""This one just took a very long nap."
"I'm definitely sensing a lot of sweaty, elf boy hate."
"Oh, I'm an idiot.""You'll get no argument from me."
"Stop talking.""I can't. It's the only thing keeping my mind off the fact that we could be ripped apart by rampaging demons at any moment. No one should die like that."
"Tell that to your people when their fairy tales are ripping out their hearts."
"Think of your legacy. After everything that you have done for the Elvin people, do you really want to go down as the mad king who believes in demons?"
"This conversation would be much less awkward if you were dressed."
"Why does a dying tree require an army?"
"Why don't you just call it a book of magic? Is it a Druid requirement that everything has to sound so mysterious?"




Screencaps by Getty Images, Variety, IGN, and SpoilerTV.

It's hard to believe that this is the penultimate episode of season 2 already. Thanks to everyone who has been part of the roundtable so far. Below are questions for episode 2.09. Feel free to answer as many or as few of them as you'd like. The roundtable article should be posted on SpoilerTV and this blog on Sunday. Thanks so much for participating.

Hiatus is here again and with it comes the hiatus blues. You turn on your TV only to find nothing new is playing. What's a hapless TV fan to do? Why find other great shows of course. (Like they used to say in NBC's heyday: if you haven't seen it, it's new to you.) There's no one better than the SpoilerTV community to help you find some TV gems you might have missed, so I hereby open nominations for the Third Annual Pitch Your Low-Rated Show article. For those new to this concept, basically you pick a low-rated show that you think other people should start watching and then pitch that show to them. Tell them what makes your show special, why you love it, and most importantly why you think others should try it out. It's a great way to get new people to discover your show. The more specific you are, the more likely it is that someone will try it out.

Last year we had over 300 people respond with The 100 and Reign leading in nominations.  If you have a show that's struggling in ratings to the point that people are talking cancellation, please nominate it.  It will not change any show's ratings but you can feel good knowing you have helped others find great hiatus fare. Nominations will stay open until January 1st and then I will put the best pitches into an article for the new year. I will include a link to all responses as well. Hopefully we can all find new shows to fight off those hiatus blues.  If your favorite show is not in danger of cancellation, then don't worry.  You can nominate it for the summer version of Pitch Your Show.  If you have any questions about qualifying shows, ask in the comments below, e-mail me at dahne@spoilertv.com, or tweet me @dahne1.




1. The show must be currently on the air or returning in the 2015-2016 TV season.

2. Only scripted shows. No reality TV.

3. Shows must be in danger of cancellation, which is defined as:

A.  Network TV - Nothing in green or blue on the SpoilerTV Cancellation Index.  A possible exception would be Reign and any show the TV Grim Reaper considers on the bubble or lower,  which includes Code Black, Hawaii 5-0, Heroes Reborn, iZombie, Last Man on Earth, Mysteries of Laura, and Quantico.  Returning shows that are scheduled to air at midseason and had low ratings previously can be nominated as well.

B.  Cable TV - Since neither SpoilerTV nor the TV Grim Reaper predict cable, the show needs to be one of the lowest rated on its particular network or be in reasonable contention to be canceled.

4. The purpose is to persuade others to watch your show. Saying "IT'S THE BEST SHOW EVER!!!" over and over again won't help. In fact, triple exclamations and having all letters capitalized will probably work against you. Same goes for hashtags. Instead focus on why someone who doesn't watch the show should take their precious time to try it. Enthusiasm is only good when backed by details and thoughtful discourse.

5. This is not a popularity contest so there is no need to nominate a show multiple times with the same comment. I will take the most thoughtful comments for each show nominated so as long as the show fits the first 4 rules, it will be in the article.

It's the penultimate episode and things are amiss in the librarians' narratives. What did you think of And the Happily Ever Afters? Read the roundtable responses and then add your own thoughts in the comments below. If you would like to be part of the finale's roundtable review, just let me know in the comments and I'll respond with a link when the questions go up.



What was your favorite thing about this episode?

BlueStar - The Librarians and Eve all choosing their actual lives and their speeches at the totem pole.
Emma - The twist that Flynn was actually under the spell as well and that Prospero has been running amok for three weeks! Excellent set up for the finale.
Kris - When Eve went out to talk to the ferryman. James concluded that the totem pole would still have to be on the island, but she concluded that Flynn couldn't be the expert they were expecting. It was a good bit of intelligent storytelling that I wish they had also applied to other things about the episode instead of certain shortcuts (see next question).
Dahne - My favorite thing was the diverse fantasy life that each character created for themselves but how they were still intertwined.



If you could change anything about this episode, what would it be?

Emma - Nothing actually. This was a great set up for the finale and even Cassandra was enjoyable.
Kris - I would take away the Backdoor. It allowed the writers to avoid problems instead of having Flynn solve them. How do we capture the Librarians and separate them from everybody else? We just bring them through the back door.
Dahne - My biggest problem was actually more of a seasonal pacing thing than about the episode itself. I hate that we're in the second to last episode before they finally bring up Prospero and the overarching mythology again. They need to go to straight procedural instead of these hatchet jobs of the big seasonal mytharc. As far as the episode goes, the biggest hole for me is that there is zero follow-up to the previous episode because now everyone's got amnesia.



This episode allowed the audience to explore the characters' own happily ever afters. Did any of them surprise you? Did this twist add anything new to the characters? What did you think about them all being tempted to stick to this fairy tale but choosing each other instead?

BlueStar - I was surprised Ezekiel's happily ever after was being a federal agent. It is completely the opposite of what he is right now loving every moment he gets to be a law breaker. Seems like he likes being the "good guy" more than he pretends otherwise. I can see why they'd be tempted by their fairy tales of getting fame through going to space and such, but obviously they were going to choose each other. They're basically family.
Emma - At first Ezekiel and Cassandra's surprised me but after I thought about it for a bit, they both made sense - it's just not as obvious as Baird and Stone. After last week's episode, Ezekiel's memory of the game was left ambiguous however I am one of those who believes that he remembers but since the others only remember the last time through, he is hiding it. His happy ending was all about him being the good guy that helps protect the team - and them knowing and depending on him to be that guy. Cassandra's happy ending was about her being an inspiration and having an impact on the world for being herself, not because of the gifts her brain grape has given her.
Kris - I was actually surprised by Ezekiel's narrative. I think that it shows that while he still wants to be able to do things his own way, he's enjoying doing good in the world. I also felt that the Librarians (and Guardian) choosing each other over their happy endings was them realizing how much of an ad-hoc family that they are.
Dahne - Ezekiel was the biggest surprise for me too although I am NOT surprised that his idea of an FBI agent includes shootouts and diner slide chases. That was a lot of fun.



Prospero returns to the story and brings a free Ariel with him. What did you think of the Ariel character? Would you be interested in seeing her return? How did you feel about the return to the mytharc?

BlueStar - She was a cutesy-character, which is hit or miss with me. She was okay, but I don't really care to see her again. Too much of her would probably get annoying. I was really glad to get back to the mytharc. I feel like the show didn't intertwine the mytharc with the rest of the show enough this season, and that plot wasn't explored to its full potential. They only had 2 fictionals as the main villains when I expected going into this season that there would be more. But I imagine it's hard to balance everything when you want stand alone episodes as well and only have 10 episodes a season.
Emma - I liked her! She brought the humor and played opposite Flynn very well. They made a great team! I would love to see her return and help the Librarians take down Prospero. I'm glad we are finally getting back to the mytharc but I wish it was more evenly spaced over the season - there was so much lost potential here because they only seem to visit the main mytharc if Flynn is around.
Kris - I did not like this portrayal of Ariel. She seemed more like some sort of drugged out hippie instead of being Fey. If she returned more like the faerie that Jenkins summoned I would like her.
Dahne - I loved Ariel…in small doses. I wouldn't mind her returning to help out once in awhile, but not on a regular basis. I do hope she helps take down Prospero and gains her real freedom though. As for Prospero, I think the writers completely wasted an excellent concept this season. Why bother to create fictionals if they were never going to be showcased? The Librarians writers suck at balancing standalones and mythology but this was even worse than last year. I wish we had a fictional of the week this time. Then they could have kept their quota of standalone episodes without sacrificing the whole storyline. It's very frustrating and it has me dreading the finale because the whole thing was too rushed.



What grade would you give this episode? Why?

BlueStar - A- because I enjoyed the episode as a whole, I was glad to get back to mytharc stuff, and the problems I had with Flynn earlier in the season seem to be fixed now.
Emma - B+ Had a great twist, saw the return of Moriarty/Prospero and set up next week's finale nicely.
Kris - B, while the episode gave us a peak into the hopes and dreams of the Librarians, for an arc episode it didn't really seem to move the story forward.
Dahne - B-, because of the terrible seasonal pacing which caused this episode to make less sense and the lack of follow-up on the last episode



Anything you would like to add?

BlueStar - I am looking forward to the season finale and I am so happy we can look forward to a Season 3. The seasons are a little too much on the short side for me.
Emma - Another thank you to TNT for the S3 renewal!
Kris - I was on the fence when I watched the "True Love's Kiss" moment, but when Ariel mentioned it being old school curse breaking, I felt a lot better about the moment. I ended up liking the use of it.
Dahne - Since there is only 10 episodes again next season, I hope that they forgo the overall mythos next year or at least make it something uninteresting so I don't get my hopes up all season for nothing.


Screencaps by Kiss Them Goodbye, Tumblr, and Three If By Space

A weekly feature highlighting the best quotes on TV as picked by the Spoiler TV team. We'd love to hear your picks too so please sound off in the comments below.





Agent X -
1. John: "See I know how this works, right? I've seen this bit. You train me on the beach, I go win the karate tournament, and then I get the girl."
2. Volker: "I taught you everything you know, John. Not everything I know." John: "You shouldn't sell yourself short, Ray. You taught me plenty."
3. President: "You're not him." John: "I'm not you either."
4. Volker: "Be careful, John. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger." John: "Then I'll just kill you."
5. Volker: "You think I've become an animal?" John: "Nuclear accident in Marseilles, suicide/murder of the Argentinean prime minister, selling off nukes to the highest bidder? Yeah, I think you're an animal."



Ash vs. Evil Dead -
1. Ash: "I have to do it alone. Don’t you get it? Everybody dies here. It's just a rule. Death. Taxes. More death and I don’t pay taxes so all I know is death." (Prpleight and Dahne)
2. Kelly: "One false move and I will Second Amendment your brains all over this truck."
3. Pablo: "Dead set? Uh, let's say live set. Keep it upbeat." Kelly: "Exactly. We're not leaving a trail of blood and guts behind us. We're keeping Michigan moist."
4. Ash: "Wow. Last time I was here with a girl I was hoping to get laid. Didn't quite work out that way. I did cut my own hand off with a chainsaw though. It was a fun weekend." Amanda: "Trust me. You would never have gotten laid here."
5. Militia Grunt: "I'm gonna get you pregnant later." Kelly: "Won't your sister be jealous of us?"
6. Amanda: "Do you think there's another exit door?" Ash: "Uh no, but I'll say yes just to keep hope alive."



The Big Bang Theory -
1. Sheldon: "For future reference, if I want to watch Mean Girls I'll stream it on Netflix."
2. Penny: "Let's just recap our options. Alright, we've got harp thing, sheep thing…" Bernadette: "Wild thing."
3. Movie Goer: "Star Trek stinks." Wil: "Yeah, live long and suck it."
4. Amy: "I'm just…um, really nervous." Sheldon: "Why?" Amy: "Well, I've been waiting for this for so long I've just built it up in my head. I don't know what to expect." Sheldon: "Neither do I but we can find out together."
5. Leonard: "So if you don't like Star Wars, why are you here?" Wil: "Oh, I'm just having fun. Everyone takes Star Wars so seriously like if the movies bad it's gonna ruin their lives." Raj: "Is it bad? Did you hear something? Oh my God, it's bad. Someone kill me." Wil: "See, that's what I mean. When you wake up in the morning, whether this is the greatest movie ever or a total piece of cr**, your life isn't gonna change at all." Howard: "He's right." Leonard: "Yeah, no matter what happens, we're coming back tomorrow to watch it again."



Childhood's End -
1. Ricky: "Els, you're not Annie Oakley. You're from Greenwich Village."
2. Milo: "Utopia. So why am I terrified for the future? You might call it blissful ignorance, but it's still ignorance."
3. Ellie: "This is nice. Just you, me, and the 5,000 by the gate." Ricky: "Maybe I'll go take them some loaves and fishes later. They'll like that."
4. Milo: "They've learned how to manipulate solids at a molecular level, probably using a controlled magnetic field. It's not magic, mom. It's just a 30,000 year head start."
5. Ricky: "I'm really tired. Pretty much been…uh, harvesting nonstop you know and Ellie and I are still trying to get pregnant. That's not going so well. Plus the Rams have had a terrible start to their season so this whole Utopia thing's a bit of a debatable point in our house right now."



Elementary -
1. Pruitt: "I can prove nobody here wanted Ethan dead." Sherlock: "I doubt you could prove you tied your own tie this morning."
2. Watson: "Unless you're dead, you're starting to annoy me."
3. Holmes: "The value of your dam is $2.3 billion in theory only. It can be zero if I call certain friends in Lima." Wellstone: "Now that boys and girls is how you deliver a threat. It's far more compelling than a warrant."
4. Holmes: "Why haven't you answered my calls?" Sherlock: "Beside from force of habit, I'm unable to. One of the hackers locked my phone until I'd finished chanting."
5. Holmes: "A cheating spouse is a time-honored motive. A cheating mistress, that's more tenuous. Fidelity cannot be expected if you yourself are the other man."



The Expanse -
1. Nygaard: "Hey, there's right now and there's later. Why worry about later?"
2. Cobb: "What's the deal with the hat?" Miller: "Keeps the rain off my head."
3. Cobb: "I guess this guy pays well to be taken care of, huh?" Miller: "Yeah, he pays our bosses pretty well too, pal. Look don't try to save the whole station on your first day. Pace yourself." Cobb: "Any rain yet?"
4. Muss: "Hey! If I want his a** kicked, I'll do it myself."
5. Miller: "Air is good, don't you think? Air is nice."



Into the Badlands -
1. Veil: "I'm not playing this game with you." Quinn: "What game?" Veil: "The one where you try and find enemies where they don't exist." Quinn: "Oh is that what you think I do?" Veil: "Your resting state is war. It's your nature. I'm not sure if it infuriates or delights you that you're now fighting your own body."
2. Ryder: "I prefer to make my own salvation."
3. Widow: "Remember that kindness is a weapon men use to get what they want."
4. MK: "It must be strange for you. Tough to care for someone and not kill them. I'm sure there's times you've thought about killing me." Sunny: "It's crossed my mind."
5. Lydia: "It's always gonna be me and you, Quinn. I will be by your side when the wolves reach our door, howling for your blood."



The Librarians -
1. Baird: "No souvenirs." Ezekiel: "You know sometimes I don't think you guys take me seriously." Jake: "Really? There's times you think we do?"
2. Ezekiel: "I have seen you all die so many times when it didn't matter. I can't…I can't let it happen now when it actually does. So please, please, just this once let me be the big brother." Baird: "What do you need us to do?"
3. Ezekiel: "Crazy? So on a scale of running from minotaurs to Santa Claus is now a best mate of ours, where would time loop fall?"
4. Ezekiel: "I can't watch you die anymore. This way you sit there, nice and safe while I go learn what's past the gate. While I figure out how to beat it. That way only I die. You guys won't even remember. We'll reset and you guys won't remember a thing. It's for the best."
5. Jake: "Try not to kill me with that thing." Ezekiel: "I think I've killed you enough for one day."
6. Fae: "I know many things. I know what ends your immortality. You cannot be killed but you can die."



Limitless -
1. Brian: "So effective immediately, I'm done taking you guys for granted. Really. I'm not gonna ask you to get me gummy worms. I'm not just gonna ask you guys to get me gummy worms. I'm also gonna treat you like the trained agents that you are, okay?"
2. Ike: "I tried it this morning, meditating. Didn't work." Mike: "Didn't work? I'm pretty sure that's not how you're supposed to think about it." Ike: "Fine. If picturing Brian Finch and imagining all the ways female Mike can reject me is how you're supposed to meditate, then I killed it." Mike: "Oh boy."
3. Casey: "You go these from the Canadians." Kevin: "They had thousands of them. Their trunk was better stocked up than Little Wayne's tour bus, alright?" Russ: "You need better material, man."
4. Ike: "Seriously? My hand looks like I have leprosy and it's stress?"
5. Nick: "Wha…you're not gonna take that?" Casey: "Why not? Didn't make me kill anyone."



Quantico -
1. Alex: "Are you a politician?" Hannah: "Oh it's really not nice to insult someone that you just met."
2. Caleb: "I get that you don't want to be around someone's happy family right now but I swear to you there's nothing familial about it and no one's gonna be happy."
3. Natalie: "There's cider too. Ulgh. Make that rum with a cider aftertaste."
4. Caleb: "Don't worry. I'm not Magic Mike-ing you."
5. Senator: "You came out here to make a good impression and I have turned you into my therapist."



Scorpion -
1. Sylvester: "We never talked about it but technically, when I married Megan it made you and I brothers-in-law." Walter: "You know I've always found that term antiquated. How about we just go with brothers?"
2. Toby: "This is nuttier than George Washington Carver's lunchbox."
3. Toby: "Who has two thumbs and rocked his GI rotation? This guy." Cabe: "What are you babbling about?" Toby: "This place needs a dam colonoscopy. D-A-M."
4. Happy: "Just under 19 minutes to save the Who's down in Whoovile."
5. Toby: "If I unintentionally killed anyone, I am sorry."






Agent X -
1. Volker: "If you want to break me, try Manilow."
2. John: "Wow, I love it when people talk about themselves in third person." Pamela: "I like it when people talk about themselves. No secrets."
3. Olga: "This must be the girl you told me absolutely nothing about, John."
4. John: "You know what you are. You're like a mosquito at a nude beach. You know what to do. You just don't know where to start." Olga: "Famous American proverb?" John: "No, it's my grandma Rebecca."
John: "I take this new job and for the first time in my life I've got a father figure and an older brother and they both betrayed me. And I'm in that place where I don't even know what to believe anymore. I don't know what I've been doing and then….and then you show up. You show up like you walked out of a dream."
5. John: "Let's get the hell out of hell."



Ash vs. Evil Dead -
1. Ash: "Chopping up my evil clone. Maybe someday that'll seem weird."
2. Pablo: "Yeah, we definitely shot the right one." Kelly: "I'm reconsidering."
3. Ash: "Okay, there is no way they're gonna stay here cause they're gonna get possessed. Then they're gonna be on the night train to Kill-adelphia." Kelly: "With stops in Choke-lahoma City and Die-ami."
4. Ash: "We can't have hot and sexy coming back to ruin our day and I say that with all due respect to her. Well, brains before beauty."
5. Kelly: "The only person you're willing to lay down and die for is you." Ash: "Well that's because I'm very important to me."



CSI: Cyber -
1. Raven: "You don't trust me." Avery: "I do trust you. I just don't trust your judgment. You're still young." Raven: "I'm not Tobin, Avery. I put Jackson…Jackson behind bars today. Doesn't that mean that I've put my past behind me? Doesn't that count for something?"
2. Elijah: "It's all part of the sting, Nelson. She's just playing her part." Avery: "You two are the worst kept secret in DC."
3. Krumitz: "The target took control of the ATM using a whaling attack on Barnaby Bank CEO Ashton Wagner:" DB: "I'm assuming that has nothing to do with marine biology."
4. Mia: "My brother is dead because I was greedy."
5. Nelson: "Most guys don't like meeting their girl's ex. I'm looking forward to it."



Into the Badlands -
1. Veil: "We are all slaves to our nature." (Nirat Anop)
2. M.K.: "There is no easy way out of the Badlands, no shortcuts, not detours. I know that now. Maybe Sunny and I don’t deserve redemption. Maybe my darkness will never be tamed. There is one thing I know for sure, the journey has just begun." (Nirat Anop)
3. Quinn: "I assume conversation is out of the question." Sunny: "You're gonna be my last tattoo."
4. Veil: "Is that why you're fighting, to rid the world of brutal men?" Widow: "There wouldn't be many men left if we did that."
5. Veil: "Any woman who forces girls to kill to show their love is not a mother."
6. Sunny: "Quinn, when I get out of these chains, I'm gonna clip you first." Quinn: "That's just like I told Veil. You'll always be a killer."



The Librarians -
1. Jenkins: "That sounds like a sentence, sir, but there's no information in it."
2. Flynn: "And we are the librarians. Well I am and they are and she's…" Ariel: "Very unhappy to still be here."
3. Flynn: "The paths of magic, they're supercharged." Baird: "Is that good or bad?" Flynn: "Depends on how you feel about the end of the world."
4. Flynn: "Have you all lost your minds or have I?"
5. Baird: "That's not real love. Real love is hard. It's risky. Sometimes it breaks your heart but you have to take that chance because that's what's real."

Hello and welcome back to Last Week in TV. Next week the guest reviewers and I are going to evaluate TV up to the midseason in a special edition of Last week in TV. We want you to join us in the episode awards. Below you will see two forms. The first is for your midseason TV awards (only shows from the 2015-2016 TV season please) and the second is the normal form to nominate shows. If you are new to the column, I usually review one episode nominated by the readers each time along with the shows I already review weekly and any new shows. To nominate an episode (past or present), simply fill in the show and episode in the form below. I use a random number generator to choose which episode to do each week. Nominations stay in the queue until the show is picked or the season ends. I'm especially looking for shows that I don't know much about and have never seen so feel free to add some that are less mainstream. If I can find a way to watch it, I will. Thanks so much for participating in the midseason awards and until next time, happy TV viewing.

















Into the Badlands - 1.06 - Hand of Five Poisons

Into the Badlands is one of those few shows that did not have a single bad episode in the bunch. It has excellent pacing and the best action on TV. The characters are well-developed and they don't drag things out for long. If you haven't tried out this show and you love action, I highly recommend it. It's my favorite new show of the season so far. It's also the episode of the week. This finale was everything I hope it to be, especially if all the dead stay dead. I love how each main character had a major change in their life and the cliffhangers have me excited about next season. Tilda remains my favorite character and the Widow is equally fascinating. Even MK is growing on me. I'm even more curious about this medallion since it appears 3 of our main characters are connected to it. It's a rare show that does such a great job of keeping the pacing lightning fast while not dropping the plot and still developing the characters. Into the Badlands is a winner all around. Check this show out!

Grade: A-

Best Reason to Watch - all the action, all the cliffhangers, all the peril, basically the entire plot
Best Scene - Quinn dies…or at least he better be dead
Best Action - the flying monks vs. Sunny
Best Twist - tie - Waldo is the traitor working with the Widow / Sunny had an identical pendant to MK around his neck when Waldo found him and brought him to the fort
Best Reaction - Ryder to Lydia telling him that she knows about his sleeping with Jade
Best Plan (in theory) - Sunny gives the River King the head of the other dead Colt instead of MK
Worst Plan - Lydia goes back to her father. I would have tried the Widow first because together they could be powerful allies.
Most Manipulative - Jade purposely poisoned herself and framed Lydia for it, which is exactly what I wanted to happen last episode
Biggest Ouch - Sunny gets kicked through a wall and bricks fall on him
Biggest Shock - Ryder shows his face at the assassination attempt on his father
The "What Other Choice Do You Have Exactly?" Award - Veil says that she might not go with Sunny, for good reasons, but the other choice seems to be instant death for her and her child

Best Quotes -
1. Quinn: "I assume conversation is out of the question." Sunny: "You're gonna be my last tattoo."
2. Veil: "Is that why you're fighting, to rid the world of brutal men?" Widow: "There wouldn't be many men left if we did that."
3. Veil: "Any woman who forces girls to kill to show their love is not a mother."
4. Sunny: "Quinn, when I get out of these chains I'm gonna clip you first." Quinn: "That's just like I told Veil. You'll always be a killer."
5. Sunny: "You kill her. You kill yourself."





Agent X - 1.08 - Angels & Demons

As Agent X quickly speeds to its end, the conspiracy is starting to fall apart. Our heroes have the upper hand for right now but with Volker in the wind that could changed rapidly. I love how the president was able to take down his murderous security agent even while being poisoned. He's tougher than I thought. I'm also a fan of Lathem being dead because that guy was plain annoying. Better yet though, Olga lives on to fight another day. Too bad the series won't. I'm looking forward to seeing how the conspiracy is crushed and to finding out if Pamela or anyone else is involved. Pamela being involved would completely rock John's world and increase his commitment to the Agent X program so I could see that being a main twist. Of course Pamela dying would have the same result so I'm not ruling that out either. In the end, this was a good building episode but I hope the last two are amazing.

Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - the conspiracy is quickly unraveling
Best Scene - John and Olga talk while being suffocated
Best Action - device fight
Best Moment - John and Millar shake hands before he leaves for the mission
Best Plan - John takes the device out of the box so Olga steals the case instead
Biggest Creepster Yet - Dante, who is super smarmy and talks about himself in third person
Worst Cliffhanger - real Constitution taken
Best Cliffhanger - Volker escapes
Worst Party Game - Dante makes his guests battle it out with his bodyguards
Most Superhero-Like Powers - President who chokes his Secret service bodyguard to death while dying from poison
Most in Need of a Dictionary - John, who needs to look up the words "truth" and "lie"
Least Grateful - the French ambassador
Smartest Person in the Room - Pamela, who plays on Dante's predilections and vanity
The "Good Riddance" Award - Miles Lathem is taken out by his own conspiracy
The "That Gives New Meaning to Rescue Dog" Award - while saving the French ambassador from thugs, John saves the dog from the douchey ambassador
The "Welcome Back" Award (character) - Olga, who like Moriarty on Elementary makes everything more interesting

Best Quotes -
1. Volker: "If you want to break me, try Manilow."
2. John: "Wow, I love it when people talk about themselves in third person." Pamela: "I like it when people talk about themselves. No secrets."
3. Olga: "This must be the girl you told me absolutely nothing about, John."
4. John: "You know what you are. You're like a mosquito at a nude beach. You know what to do. You just don't know where to start." Olga: "Famous American proverb?" John: "No, it's my grandma Rebecca."
5. John: "I take this new job and for the first time in my life I've got a father figure and an older brother and they both betrayed me. And I'm in that place where I don't even know what to believe anymore. I don't know what I've been doing and then….and then you show up. You show up like you walked out of a dream."



Ash vs. Evil Dead - 1.09 - Bound in Flesh

Ash vs. Evil Dead continues to be campy fun right up to the end. In the penultimate episode, Dead Amanda strikes back, the Necronomicon talks back, and everyone's suspicion that Ruby is evil is confirmed. That's a lot for 28 minutes so there's no dead time. (Bad pun intended. Sorry.) Well except for the walk in the woods shooting raccoons of course. I still don't know what the purpose of adding the clichéd 3 stupid people in the woods was except to add in a horror trope as old as horror stories. They've added nothing to the plot so far. I do like that we're getting Pablo into the heart of the story and Ruby always adds a lot of fun.

Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - Ruby
Best Scene - Pablo is masked
Best Entrance - Ruby
Best Reaction - Pablo to Ruby beating Ash
Least Surprising - Amanda's body is no longer there / Ruby is evil
Most Punny - Ash and Kelly
Biggest Laugh - the song Just the Two of Us plays while Ash cuts up Evil Ash
Worst Plan - splitting up, always
Worst Liars - Ash and Pablo are terrible. They should let Kelly make up all the excuses from now on.
Worst Timing - Heather, who screams in just enough time to let Amada escape
Worst at His Job - Brad, who is presumably in forestry but isn't dressed like a true camper and who can't follow a map
The "Are You Kidding Me?" Award - The campers don't even notice the blood on our fearless trio? Nothing suspicious there at all.

Best Quotes -
1. Ash: "Chopping up my evil clone. Maybe someday that'll seem weird."
2. Pablo: "Yeah, we definitely shot the right one." Kelly: "I'm reconsidering."
3. Ash: "Okay, there is no way they're gonna stay here cause they're gonna get possessed. Then they're gonna be on the night train to Kill-adelphia." Kelly: "With stops in Choke-lahoma City and Die-ami."
4. Ash: "We can't have hot and sexy coming back to ruin our day and I say that with all due respect to her. Well, brains before beauty."
5. Kelly: "The only person you're willing to lay down and die for is you." Ash: "Well that's because I'm very important to me."



CSI: Cyber - 2.10 - Shades of Grey

Wow! Avery is a world-class douche in this episode. Why in the world would she sabotage Raven's parole without first talking to Raven about it? I thought she was a psychologist. In the end, the people in authority were the real criminals and jerks in this episode. I kind of feel for the "bad guy" Robin Hood and I definitely feel for Raven. Peter treated Neal nicer than this in White Collar and Peter actually had cause for alarm. Avery did not and shouldn't be allowed to control Raven's life. She overstepped big time and it makes me lose respect for the character. I'm also not at all interested in the sudden crazy bartender stalking Elijah. Robin Hood on the other hand was interesting and the best part of the episode.

Grade: C

Best Reason to Watch - Robin Hood and learning about how banks screw over customers
Best Scene - Raven confronts Avery
Best Flashback - Raven's first day
Biggest Douche / Worst Boss - Avery, who should have taken her concerns to Raven instead of the parole board. Raven didn't even get a chance to discuss it.
Biggest Stalker - Nina
Biggest Betrayal - Avery suggests that Raven not be freed at her parole hearing
Most Ho-Hum Subplot - Elijah's crazy stalker
Most Evil - the greedy, murderous people and bank NOT the hacker
The "That Got Personal Quick" Award - Nelson witnesses a murder
The "Welcome Back" Award - Carlson Young from Scream / Derek Mio from Greek

Best Quotes -
1. Raven: "You don't trust me." Avery: "I do trust you. I just don't trust your judgment. You're still young." Raven: "I'm not Tobin, Avery. I put Jackson…Jackson behind bars today. Doesn't that mean that I've put my past behind me? Doesn't that count for something?"
2. Elijah: "It's all part of the sting, Nelson. She's just playing her part." Avery: "You two are the worst kept secret in DC."
3. Krumitz: "The target took control of the ATM using a whaling attack on Barnaby Bank CEO Ashton Wagner:" DB: "I'm assuming that has nothing to do with marine biology."
4. Mia: "My brother is dead because I was greedy."
5. Nelson: "Most guys don't like meeting their girl's ex. I'm looking forward to it."



The Librarians -2.09 - And the Happily Ever Afters

It's hard to believe that this is the penultimate episode of season 2 already. The time has flown by. This episode brings back the mythology of the season but for me it is both too little and too late. Now they are going to need to rush everything when they had an ample number of episodes where they never mentioned Prospero at all. I think the overall pacing of this show needs to be tighter, especially in light of another short season. They either need to cut down filler episodes or they need to go to a straight up case of the week format. Personally I would be fine with no overarching mythos simply because I would rather them not do it at all if they are going to make each season a rush job at the end. This episode also suffered a little because of how great episode 2.08 was. There was literally no follow-up at all because all the characters had amnesia, not just Ezekiel. This was a decent episode but not as good as I expect when leading us into a finale.

Grade: B-

Best Reason to Watch - each character's alternative life
Best Scene - capturing Ariel
Best Action - Special Agent Ezekiel Jones and his diner slide
Best New Character - Ariel, who is a lot of fun
Best Speech - the one Flynn gives to all the librarians
Biggest Awww Moment - Flynn realizes he can't do any of this alone anymore
Biggest Hmm - Why does Eve suddenly have an accent?
Least Likely to Stay Bored - Flynn, who has to flit from one thing to another
Most Effective - Ariel can take out basically anyone with a touch

Best Quotes -
1. Jenkins: "That sounds like a sentence, sir, but there's no information in it."
2. Flynn: "And we are the librarians. Well I am and they are and she's…" Ariel: "Very unhappy to still be here."
3. Flynn: "The paths of magic, they're supercharged." Baird: "Is that good or bad?" Flynn: "Depends on how you feel about the end of the world."
4. Flynn: "Have you all lost your minds or have I?"
5. Baird: "That's not real love. Real love is hard. It's risky. Sometimes it breaks your heart but you have to take that chance because that's what's real."





Fresh Off the Boat - 2.10 - The Real Santa

Grade: C-

~I'm not big on Santa stories and this one was worst than most. Preachy and silly don't mix well for me. The best thing about it was actually Marvin, who spent all that time learning the science of Jessica's Santa. Now that's a good neighbor.
Most Critical - Jessica, who finds fault with Santa
Worst Idea - peppermint cornbread
Best Quotes -
1. Louis: "Is that from Moby Dick? I feel like that's one of those books everybody says they read but nobody's actually read it."
2. Louis: "He flies around the globe in one night to give the whole world presents. What's there to improve?" Jessica: "He has no higher degree. If you break it down, he's either a toymaker or a glorified delivery man. Either way he's labor, not management. Look how long it took him to promote Rudolph. Clearly not good at spotting talent and at his weight, he shouldn't be eating milk and cookies at every single house. No. He should just pack himself a little bag of almonds and a pear."



The Goldbergs - 3.09 - Wingmom

Grade: C
~This episode has heart. It has even more bratty kids and obnoxious mom though.
Best Speech - Beverly's "don't be a quitter" speech
Best Character - Murray
Best Quotes -
1. Adam: "The truth is no matter where you live, you'll always be my hero, always be my best friend, always be my Pops." Pops: "Sold."
2. Murray: "I did ROTC. It changed my life and I fully support this as long as your mother never finds out. And one more thing, if you do this there's no quitting. I mean it." Barry: "10-4 good buddy." Murray: "That's trucker talk." Barry: "Aye, aye matey." Murray: "That's pirate." Barry. "Hmmm."
3. Adam: "I measure age in spirit." Erica: "Well I measure age by when you were born and for Pops that's 1903."
4. Earl: "Mrs. Goldberg, I told you. Yelling hours are between 9 and 12. This is my lunch break."
5. Adam: "I've been informed that you're a sucker for a sales pitch so I figured you may want to sit for this." Pops: "Depends on what you're selling." Adam: "Us."



The Goldbergs - 3.10 - A Christmas Story

Grade: B-
~It's less bratty kids and more bratty adults but I like the overall idea that it's not what you do that makes the holidays special. It's who you are and who you have with you.
Best Awww Moment - Barry and Adam stuck to the pole together
Best Solution - the Kremps and Goldbergs celebrate together
Most Adult - Laney
Best Quotes -
1. Murray: "I've raised morons." Adam: "That's fair."
2. Voiceover: "And so my mom finally got the Hanukah she always wanted…Christmas."
3. Pops: "I'm HanuClaus. I'm mashing two words together to make on offensive one just like you do."
4. Beverly: "What is the one rule we have in this house, huh?" Adam: "No daring Barry to do stupid stuff." Beverly: "Why?" Barry: "Cause I have no regard for my personal well-being."
5. Erica: "It's like I gave you a list of stuff I wanted and you actually bought it."

Below are the roundtable questions for this episode. Answer as many or as few as you wish. I'm also looking at doing a short season 2 roundtable review at the end of the week if you are interested in that as well. Thanks for participating!

With the new year comes the Third Annual Pitch Your Low-Rated Show article. Originally designed as a way for fans of less-lauded shows to share their love, it also allows dedicated TV viewers to find what else is out there when their own shows are on hiatus. With over 30 shows being spotlighted, here's hoping you find one to add to your own TV queue. Underneath the title is where you can find the show in streaming format on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. You can usually find it on the website of the network that airs it as well. If you don't mind being spoiled, the title also includes a link to a season 1 video or trailer.  Thanks to everyone who nominated shows. Due to space constraints, I used no more than 3 pitches per show so I apologize if yours was not included. You can see ALL the pitches here. If you didn't get a chance to pitch your favorite low-rated show or if something here sparked your interest, please share in the comments below.



The 100:  
Netflix

Missions - Where do I even begin? Everyone on SpoilerTV has probably heard of this show due to its huge following, or due to its constant wins in polls and competitions. If you have not watched it yet, well I will try to convince you to do so. Let me start by saying that I always consider it to be a mixture of Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Lost, and it is so unlike the CW that you will not even realize that you are watching a CW show, let alone a network TV show. It is about 100 teenagers that are sent to the ground, after an apocalypse, to see whether you can survive on earth again. Right away they realize that they are not alone and all hell breaks loose. This is yet another example of a TV show that has only improved from its pilot, which even according to the writer (Jason Rothenberg) is the weakest episode of the series, and I totally agree. I binged watched this show after I read all the pitches for it last winter and finished it within two days. Here's why: the brilliantly developed characters, some of which are Clarke Griffin (the protagonist) and Bellamy Blake, the shocking twists and turns, and the intense storytelling. This show is not shy of doing anything regarding violence despite being on network TV. People are tortured, people are shot, people are poisoned and so on, but it all belongs to the story and therefore come across as being realistic. Another aspect that even the writer has mentioned is that every season has a different feel to it, which makes each season more unique. In general though, the show is extremely dark since it focuses on survival and what you may have to commit, let alone sacrifice in order to survive. One quote of the series pretty much sums it all up: “Maybe there are no good guys”. Viewers realize that throughout the series’ run. Also those who are very picky when it comes to the show’s pace, it is a very fast-paced show and does not have a single boring episode. I hope that everyone here gives this show a try and does not judge it after having only watched the first three to four episodes; you definitely need to watch beyond that. I am actually jealous of everyone who gets to experience this thrill ride for the first time. It is just epic. My advice: Look for a few days where you have nothing to do and just watch the first two seasons of this brilliant dystopian apocalyptic drama. After watching it, you will just want more and if you are smart, you can watch it just in time before season 3 premieres January 21st on the CW after the series premiere of Legends of Tomorrow. The first two seasons are available on Netflix US, Amazon Instant Video and the CW NOW.

Perry da Platypus - The 100 is a show that has evolved over the first two seasons. What started out a sci-fi teen drama has transformed into this dark, gritty series that shows a world that we've never seen before. Season 2 blew the first one out of the water, and it has only gotten better from there. If you like a show that has family bonds, minimal romance, amazing mythology, great acting, and powerful, tragic scenes that depict the sacrifices of war in order to save a society, a nation; then this is the show for you! The first couple episodes are good, but hard to swallow for some. Once you get to episodes 4-5 it starts getting to be the phenomenal show that it has become. It's just the right blend of everything that I love about TV.

OUaT Fan - This is a show I thought that I'd never even consider checking out due to the fact that I don't really like shows that revolve around a group of teenagers. When I first saw the trailer and read the plot the show didn't really appeal to me. So after a while I started reading some really positive reviews about this show on this site and thought to myself that maybe I should give it a chance. I gave it a try with low expectations and after watching the second season I said to myself boy I was wrong! Cause this show is one of the most captivating shows that I've ever seen. I mean it is everything that you would want in a TV show. The writing is top notch, characters are well developed, it has lots of action, drama, and exciting storylines! It is like watching a mini movie every week.




Agent Carter:

Ivan - I think this show proves that not all heroes need superpowers. A female heroine, need I say more? Decades and decades of shows have been centered on male figures. Sure, shows have strong female characters but they've not always been fully CENTERED on them. The only show that I can think of that was centered on strong women was Charmed. Agent Carter should be watched by many, MANY people, not just women because it's about a woman but it's an inspiration that can transcend genders. In MY opinion anyway, she's a role model so give it it a try. It's definitely got everything - action, romance, and a lot of humor.

Laura Silveria - The writing & directing is new & not contrived, as in most shows. Hayley Atwell is refreshing to watch as the unassuming, Peggy Carter, who gets the better of her male counterparts by laying low, using her brains, & her beauty when necessary. Great writing, acting, & directing all around!!!




American Crime:

Spindae2 - A drama handling real life events in a manner that focuses on the struggle of ordinary people and makes you feel like you are standing just besides those people. The acting, writing and especially the directing favors this show in so many ways making it an excellent drama. The show is dark, moody, depressing and sometimes makes you want to scream and cry at your screen but all that is real. That the show has the ability to transfer all those emotion over the screen is just one more reason to watch it.




The Americans:
Amazon Prime

Milo_MJ - This show is amazing. Now in its third year on FX, The Americans revolves around two Russian spies who are sent undercover as a married couple to America during the Cold War, with their mission so secretive that their own children don't know who their parents work for. With some fantastic acting from Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, as well as some believable acting from the young kids, this spy series is realistic, gripping and utterly entertaining, boasting a killer soundtrack and some excellent period design, with the highlights easily being the wigs.




Bones:
Netflix, Hulu subscription - current season

Karen White - For many it will amuse them that I am trying to get people to either tune back in or find an 11 year old show, but I will try anyway. The best thing Bones has going for it is obviously their leads David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, whose chemistry and evident fun with each other always comes through even in the smallest scenes (last year when they took a backseat as a couple and as working partners, the scenes they did have were terrific). Also Bones except for season three and last season has not gone through major cast changes that have jarred viewers too much. The fact that Bones leads are still on their show after 11 seasons says much about the atmosphere on the set. And while I cannot say that their cases every week are the same or more interesting than their first seasons they can still have powerful moments that affect the major players (witness Hodgins now being paralyzed). When you watch ALL of the characters on Bones you really believe they are a team. Also while their humorous scenes aren't the way they use to be there is still a fair amount of fun between everyone. Obviously the major draw to Bones is Booth and Brennan and their chemistry together but its more than that too. They are on paper opposites but in reality they are very much more alike than they think. They both can have disagreements about wildly different things and manage to let those go and stay strong as a couple and as partners. One of the things I have loved about them is they (for the most part) communicate well with each other and have real conversations. In short they are a believable couple worth coming back to or to start watching. Bones has never been a straight procedural which is another reason why I love it as well. However their science is a big part that they handle well and is very interesting. Of course there is also the fact that they have intelligent women in science, which is a good thing to show to younger girls who might be afraid to try. Any science field needs more women and Bones has done a terrific job promoting women in that field. Now like any show they have had bumps (their biggest was last season) and they tend to promote characters in too much of a hurry (Aubry) or hold on to them too long (Pelant) but for the most part every single character is watchable and relatable. And one last thing this show has, on paper, what could have been the most unlikable woman on television, and yet Emily Deschanel has made her not only likable but much adored (by most of us anyway) and the changes that have occurred in her have been believable and in step with who Brennan is (She still doesn't believe in God. On any other network she would have converted a long time ago). So in spite of their lackluster ratings, which have both been their fault and FOX'S, and their age I hope people will give it a shot. It is a much better show than people give it credit for.

Linda - With new writers this year, Bones is better this season and the actors are doing great jobs with their characters. This is a very good show that has been overlooked and moved so frequently that it's done a dis-service to its leads. Emily, David, TJ, Michaela and Tamara are excellent actors and ALL the squints have been fun as well. David is also an excellent director & I hope he's doing a couple episodes in 2016...that is, if it comes back & finishes the season. The fans that have stuck by this show for 11 seasons deserve a good ending to the series. Give Booth & Brennan a nice departure. They deserve it as do the fans. That said, I hope there is a 12th season & ALL actors come back.

Anita Brunt - Bones has a very loyal following going on 11 years and deserves to have a longer run. Bones has never been boring. The writing is top draw and the actors are all excellent.




Castle:
Hulu subscription - current season

Barbara Caponigro - Castle is in every way the most enjoyable, entertaining, and spell bounding show ever. It has drama, comedy, love and intrigue. The actors are superb, committed and personable that draw in fans of every age. The themes don't disappoint; the story lines are excellent and riveting. I recommend this show wholeheartedly.

Sorms - Castle has a little bit of everything. The show emphasizes how closeness in a family does exist, has the drama you want to watch, enough humor to make it fun, and romance too. Isn't that a good combination to make it worth renewing?

Katrina - The chemistry between the two leads is really the biggest selling point. Stana and Nathan are magic together. It's not a too serious drama but it can get deep and that's when the talents of these actors show. It is also really funny for a procedural which is nice.




Code Black:
Hulu (4 episodes)

Owen - Originally, I thought this show would be another boring, typical medical procedural but it turns out Code Black is much better than that. It is a character-driver medical drama with serialized and in-depth character developments, real and gritty medical cases and without any over-the-top romance relationship drama.

Spindae2 - As a long time Grey's Anatomy fan, really falling in love with a medical drama is tough. Still Code Black did the job and made me watch every single episode with so much passion that I'm really surprised. The great thing about Code Black is it isn't sugar coating stuff and it gives the whole show a real feel. The show does a hell of a job to give you a real experience and still manages to give all the characters likable and unlikable traits, and progressively develops them. The amazing cast headlined by Marcia Gay Harden is delivering emotional and powerful moments throughout. Also various guest stars such as Heart of Dixie's Cress Williams and Shiri Appleby are just one more reason to tune in. One turn off could be the dark and melancholic atmosphere that is featured but it serves its purpose it lets the actors shine in that darkness.




Crazy Ex-Girlfriend:
Hulu subscription - current season

Laura- Yes, it has a horrible title and it has musical numbers, but please, please give it a chance because:
1.It has an honest portrayal of mental health issues, sometimes expressed through a song, but not treated as a joke or a punch line. Personally, the representation of social anxiety in one of the songs was touching and relatable.
2. The show has an adorable female friendship.
3. It's quirky and a little cringy at times but in a mostly realistic way.
4. Santino Fontana - he's dreamy.
5. It might look like the lead leaves her career to follow a man, but a deeper look would show that it's not exactly what it looks like. It's only half (or, well, a quarter) of the story.
6. The theme song is awesome.
7. The songs are not bad even if you hate musicals (and I hate most of them) - they're funny, smart, catchy and unusual (in a good way).
8. Representation - the lead is not super skinny. Obviously I don't have anything against thin actresses, but there aren't a lot of not-so-thin lead characters on TV that are shown to be funny, sexy and complex. Also, the male lead is Asian, and his family and their traditions are shown in a respectable way.
9. Greg and Rebecca - my favorite pairing. The show is not solely focused on relationships, but when those characters share a scene/storyline, they have amazing chemistry and depth that is unique and genuine.

I hope you will give it a shot and maybe that (and the Golden Globe nomination) would help the ratings and there would be a S02. :)

Owen - Crazy Ex Girlfriend is a sharp, quirky and really funny comedy. Yes, it has the worst and most confusing title ever, but this show is actually about things that you can relate to: mental health, happiness and identities. Also, the music in this show is catchy and funny.

Spindae2 - Are there a lot of unlikable things featured though out Crazy Ex-Girlfriend episodes? Yes there are but all of them are topped by the hilarious moments. The show, as the title says, features a girl who was someone's girlfriend and after meeting that person 10 years later she goes full on crazy. She travels from the East Coast to the West Coast and stalks the hell out of her ex, all while singing hilariously catchy tunes. Rachel is an amazing lead and character and the way she and her co worker, Paula, experience the world is something I haven't seen on television to date. My personal highlight is Donna Champlin who plays Paula, the even crazier part of this equation. Personally Josh, the ex, is a turnoff. He is handsome but not funny and really doesn't suit the show in any segment. The show mostly starts slow and builds up momentum towards the end of episode resulting in an entertaining hour.




CSI: Cyber:
Hulu subscription - current season

Dahne - I first only gave CSI: Cyber a shot because I review all pilots for the Last Week in TV column. I didn't expect to like it for three reasons. 1. I never liked CSI. 2. I had only seen a few sporadic episodes of the entire CSI franchise, mostly CSI: NY. 3. I couldn't see how computer crimes could be that exciting to watch. Other police procedurals have gross autopsies, fancy machines, and my favorite, the perp chase. I didn't see how people on computers could add anything exciting. In the end, I was wrong on almost every count. You don't have to watch any CSI show to get into CSI: Cyber with the exception that a character from the original CSI came on in season 2. CSI: Cyber is unlike the others in as far as I can tell too so if you didn't like the originals, you might like this one. Most importantly though, there was far more action in the pilot than I ever expected and it continues throughout. Apparently geeky hackers like to run just like your average thug. Plus I get an additional thrill watching Dawson take down the bad guys. The show does get preachy at times and gives you a lot more than identity theft to fear from technology, but overall it's a fun, no-brainer show with some intriguing facets of technology to explore. If you like procedurals, check it out. Just don't expect it to be like CSI or NCIS.

Martin - It really is a bad show, but there is no other procedural like it on television. The original CSI is no longer on air and if it gets cancelled, TV loses Patricia Arquette for a long time, I guess. So, you should all watch it, because it's interesting and actually quite enjoyable, albeit moronic.




Elementary:
Hulu subscription - all episodes

A Mind Amazed - Three of the main reasons many people stayed away are misconceptions:
1. Elementary is not "the American Sherlock"; it's not a remake of the BBC show. It, like BBC Sherlock, is one of hundreds of adaptations of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories about these characters.
2. Elementary's Sherlock Holmes may live in NYC but he's British (and played by a British actor).
3. There is no romance between Dr. Joan Watson and Sherlock Holmes. It's been 78 episodes. Folks need to stop believing that making Watson female was a ploy to hook Holmes & Watson up as a heterosexual couple. The show runner said it would not happen from the very start and so far it really hasn't, not even as innuendo.

So with that out of the way, Lucy Liu and Jonny Lee Miller do a great job as modern-day Watson & Holmes. The show's thoughtful focus on addiction and recovery is one of its great strengths. The first season in particular was excellent long-form storytelling, and I recommend all 24 s1 episodes unequivocally. Try to avoid spoilers if you haven't already heard about how season one ends. Seasons 2 & 3 were more uneven, with some great episodes but not such a strong over-all narrative as s1. It's early days yet in s4, but I'm hopeful. I personally find the procedural aspect a bit boring - in 78 episodes (as of the end of 2015) only one hasn't had a murder - but that's not why I watch. Miller and Liu give consistently compelling performances, and the growth of their characters and their partnership is true to the spirit of all good Holmes & Watson stories. The show has also created a small group of fascinating secondary characters, some drawn from Doyle's stories and some original to the show. The writers and actors have frequently commented on reading and referring to the original text as source material to develop the characters. Even though Elementary doesn't do traditional retellings of individual Doyle stories, if you're familiar with ACD canon you'll often hear a spoken line or a name or a crime that's based on something from canon. If you're not familiar, you may decide you want to be (that's what happened to me).

Georgette Timmerman - Halfway through its 4th Season, the concept of Sherlock Holmes in 21st century New York with an Asian female Dr. Watson is no longer revolutionary. Oddly enough, that very concept is the reason I, a big fan of Arthur Conan Doyle's character, was not interested in watching Elementary. The day I gave the show a try (nothing better to watch) was when I became addicted to Elementary. While the writers take liberties with canon, they do treat the original stories reverently (copies of Doyle's books are on each of their desks for reference). The episodes are well written and intriguing. I especially enjoy the character development and relationship growth that builds throughout each season. Jonny Lee Miller thoroughly embraces Sherlock's persona. This underrated actor is brilliant in his facial expressions, posture, and perfectly delivered lines. Lucy Liu is Joan Watson, a dainty (looking) partner who should not be underestimated as a formidable adversary. Every week I anxiously await the new story that will unfold and give me a glimpse into the workings of Sherlock's mind. The witty lines make me laugh out loud and force me to re-watch to catch what I missed. If you haven't watched Elementary yet, do yourself a favor and watch this most intelligent show for the first time. I am so happy I did.

Starg8 Fans - I know a lot of Sherlock fans won't give this a chance, but I watch both shows and they are different enough that you can enjoy them both. Johnny Lee Miller is amazing as Holmes, and he plays him with a certain innocence that makes his egomania less jarring. He also regularly delivers the best one-liners on TV. Lucy Liu as Watson complements him perfectly, and I took to her right away although I wasn't sure at first whether a female incarnation of the character could work. It definitely helps that Holmes and Watson are one of the few couples on TV who have great chemistry without the slightest hint of romance - something which is a bonus in my book. The cases are well constructed, always come with two or three twists and mostly keep you guessing until the very end. This is a high quality show with lots of heart and deserves at least a try.




Galavant:
Hulu - all episodes available for free for limited time

Dahne - Galavant was one of the funniest shows to debut last year and yet it was largely overlooked. I'm not sure if it was because of the fairy tale content or the musical format. If either was a concern, I highly suggest you at least try it. With only 8 episodes at 22 minutes each without commercials, Galavant is by far the quickest to marathon on this list and dedicated viewers could even catch up before season 2 premieres tonight. It's razor-sharp wit is found in the dialogue and the songs, where the main romantic song is called "Maybe You're Not the Worst Thing Ever".  It also has loads of fabulous cameos from Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) to John Stamos (Grandfathered) to Ricky Gervais (The Office) to Weird Al Yankovic. Still the very best thing about it is Timothy Omundson (Psych) as King Richard. Some episodes are better than others but there's not one in which I didn't laugh at least a few times. Give it a try and you might be pleasantly surprised at just how much fun this show is. After all, how many shows would make fun of themselves and actually sing these lyrics in their opening number for season 2:
1. Pirate King: "What I'm saying is we're gonna have to kill you if you sing the freaking song." Galavant: "What?" Pirate King: "It didn't win an Emmy. Now it's time to move along."
2. Pirates: "You'll know hell's freezing if we get decent ratings."
3. Pirates: "It's a new season so hold on to your sword." Castle: "A new season, which you'll probably record."


Laura Markus - Way back in days of old,
there was a legend told,
about the hero known as Galavant.
This TV show's lots of fun,
something for everyone
music and dancing and funny dialogue.
Fun characters at large,
a badass woman in charge,
and witty lyrics and cameos.
A bromance starting too,
now it is up to you,
to try out this epic show; it rules!
So start the show right now,
if you catch up then take a bow,
be prepared for Jan. 3rd - for the return of GALAVANT!

Bert - It's an original, funny show with a lovable cast and catchy songs.




The Good Wife:
Amazon Prime, Hulu subscription - all episodes

J. Frasier - Every week is wildly different. There's tension on many levels!




Grandfathered:
Hulu subscription - current season

Spindae2 - I always think it is hard to pitch a comedy, especially the half hour longs, cause humor is individual. Either you feel it within a show or you don't. Grandfathered is such a delightful show that I have to write this plea for you guys to watch it. The comedic momentum is on point. All the actors have a nice sense for comedy and deliver really hilarious moments. The story revolves around player and restaurant owner Jimmy, played by John Stamos, who discovers he not only has a 25 year old son but he also has 2 year old granddaughter. The way Jimmy is trying to get out of his player ways and build his son, granddaughter and ex in his life is really hilarious. Jimmy's struggle with getting older is sweet and John delivers a charming performance. Other highlights are delivered by Paget Brewster's Sara who always has a great one liner to follow up Jimmy's awkward thoughts. The show lives up to its potential starting with episode 4. While 1-3 are good and have their funny moments, with episode 4 the show reached full potential and delivered a hilarious outing from the first minute.

Supergirl - It's funny, cute and charming. Each episode leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling. It's the kind of show you can sit down with and really enjoy. The 30 minutes is over way too fast. It always leaves me wanting more. It's the best performance from John Stamos since Full House. Josh Peck is as quirky as his Drake & Josh character, in a good way. It's nice to watch him being a father. I enjoy the interaction between all the characters. The back and forth between the two set of love interests are interesting to watch. You can tell Paget Brewster and John Stamos have real chemistry. It's way better than I ever expected. It's worth the watch. Even the sub-plots are good to watch. It's got everything you hope for and more from a sitcom.




Grimm:
Amazon Prime, Hulu subscription - current season

Rosember - The reason I think you should try this show is because this show is not like any supernatural show out there and also because of the monsters they show each episode which all usually look pretty cool. The first season of Grimm starts slow but over the seasons it starts to improve.

Jaci - This is a great TV show. I can never wait to see this show. It is a very different cop show as it has one of the greatest twists. The show is very well written and they keep you on the edge of your seat every show. IT IS THE BEST SHOW ON TV.




Halt and Catch Fire:
Netflix

Milo_MJ - Several shows this year have had excellent sophomore seasons and Halt and Catch Fire is certainly one of them. It raised itself to a whole new level of quality, developing its characters well and boasting a kicka** soundtrack as per usual. It's no longer a weak imitation of Mad Men, instead becoming the perfect Mad Men replacement, with some great actors - Lee Pace, Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis, all at the top of their game. Season 2 ended on a really strong note. This show has also been renewed for a third season, so now's the perfect time to get caught up.




Hawaii 5-0:
Netflix, CBS Access (pay) - all seasons

Laura Markus - For a CBS procedural to still be on the air for six seasons, and STILL offer fresh and exciting cases and character arcs is a big deal and should be worth checking out based on this alone. The bromance of McDanno (Steve and Danny) continues to grow throughout the show, and the other main characters keep providing us with fun and thrills. Kono is one bada** female character in all meanings of the word, and Chin is just a positive, intelligent guy who makes every episode better just by being there. Some cases may perhaps be more interesting than others, but you must check out the show to see which ones you prefer. The way these characters solve these crimes always involves witty dialogue and new ways to figure things out. There is still so much effort put into this show, even after six years, which should be commended because most shows seem to check out after being on the air for that long. Hawaii Five-0 is a great exception to the rule and definitely deserves more people checking it out!




Hell on Wheels:
Netflix

Milo_MJ - Now that Justified has ended, Hell on Wheels has taken its place as the best western show on television. Smart, with some great dialogue and some great acting, this series has experienced an excellent journey over the course of its five seasons. It remains incredibly unpredictable and is not afraid to end seasons with high body counts so the vast majority of the cast don't make it to the end. Anson Mount is superb as the lead protagonist Cullen Bohannon, and the soundtrack is a killer too. Obviously not as popular as AMC's other series, it's still worth a watch even if it may get lost in the shuffle with the vast amount of other shows on. Now may be the perfect time to start watching so you can catch up in time for the second half of the shows' final season, airing in next year. This show is far more than just a race to build a railroad that links the coasts of America, and is one of the most underrated series on television.




Heroes Reborn:
Hulu - first 9 episodes

Laura Markus - Based on the successful 4-season long series of the name 'Heroes', Heroes: Reborn rehashes some of those characters that you knew and loved, but ultimately focuses on brand new characters that you get to grow with and follow their experiences. With bada** females, POC representation, and a wide plethora of special abilities dubbing them 'EVOs' (evolved humans), this show offers something for everyone. Using a drama centered around an event that you can equate to real-life events, cool time-travel storylines, multi-layered characters and altered timelines when they cross paths, this show takes elements from the old and combines them with new technologies and sceneries. You don't have to have seen the old show to watch this one, but it is an added bonus. I highly recommend checking this show out if you enjoy anything I've mentioned, and there are even more things to love that I didn't talk about!




iZombie:
Netflix, Hulu subscription - current season

Dahne - iZombie was one of the most fun new shows last year. I'm not typically a fan of zombie shows, but what caught my attention was the perfect combination of humor, mystery, and action. Basically Liv, a med student, is infected with a zombie virus and has to change everything in her life. Now working at the morgue so she can get the necessary supply of brains, she works with her boss Ravi and a detective named Clive to solve murders. The catch is that with each brain she eats, she takes on the characteristics of that victim and can sometimes see flashes of their lives. It sounds hokey but it supplies the constant stream of humor that makes iZombie so much fun.

Mary - It's good.




Jane the Virgin:
Netflix, Hulu subscription - current season

Emma - Many people, including myself, were so put off by the show's name and premise that the possibility it could be good never even occurred to us. Then all the critics started praising it. Since I rarely agree with critics, I knew I would hate it and determined to prove myself right, I decided to give the pilot a chance. Funny thing happened…I loved it! Yes, Jane the Virgin is a telenovela so they use every trope in the book, but the writing/production team uses those tropes to call attention to serious topics with humor and without being preachy. The entire premise of the show is a prime example of this – a young woman is accidentally artificially inseminated at her routine yearly physical. On the surface, one would think “Wow, what a crazy, over the top premise” but the reality is that medical mistakes happen all too often and they can drastically alter a patient’s life. The first season deals primarily with the effects of the medical mistake but also touch on heavy topics such as immigration, reproduction and parenthood. At the heart of the show are the three generations of Villanueva women but even the supporting cast is well fleshed out. Each character has had to face their own unique trials in life and even if you don’t agree with the character’s choices, you will understand why they made them. If you give this show a chance, I promise you will laugh, you will cry, and before you know it, you will want more. Season 1 is available to stream on Netflix (USA, not sure of other countries).

HV - Whether you like over-the-top funny characters, love triangles, family drama, or crazy international crime stories, you will love Jan the Virgin! Great acting and writing help this series reach its full potential.

DJ - One of the most original and well crafted shows on television.




The Leftovers:

Missions - The Leftovers is a show that I have just finished binge-watching. I actually binged it in less than a week. It is about 2% of the world’s population that suddenly vanishes on October 14th. The art of this series however, is that we will never find out why the people departed, let alone where they went. It deals with how the rest of the population, “the leftovers”, deal with it and what God may have to do with it. All I can say is that it is a phenomenal show, led by the incredibly talented Justin Theroux. But Justin is not the only good actor on this show, the entire cast is profoundly talented yet criminally underrated. I have to admit though that the show is dark, depressing, bleak, and pretty slow, many characteristics that the majority of TV viewers do not sympathize with, and therefore the show is definitely not for everyone. However, I had the same fear before watching since I thought that I hated slow paced shows but I absolutely loved it. If you watch the episodes back to back at first, you will not even realize the slow pace, and at one point you will become so invested in these interesting characters and storylines that the pace will not even bother you anymore. This show has delivered some of the best hours of television that I have ever seen. Many of them are character-centric episodes, another special thing about this show, which let you explore different storylines with all these unique characters. My favorite part about this show though is the background score, composed by the brilliant Max Richter. It is probably the most beautiful score for a series that I have ever heard, and it is not even a “large” soundtrack. They use the same score for so many scenes, and right away, those scenes become amazing. In addition to that, this show does not need twists and turns, let alone sudden character deaths to be amazing and I do not even want any. All it needs is brilliant character development, which it has. The unfortunate part is that the show is criminally underrated both ratings-wise and especially critically, from the writing to the directing to the acting to the sound editing. So I cannot even compare this show to anything else on television; it is that unique. Everyone should at least give the first three episodes a try before they give up. It has become one of my favorite shows, and it would be nice if more people joined the fandom for its final 10 episodes. You can catch up on HBO NOW, HBO GO and for the Europeans: Sky On Demand and Sky Go.




Luther:
Netflix

Milo_MJ - Whilst this show is fairly big in the UK I believe it isn't as popular in the US so I thought I'd share it here. It's a British Detective thriller featuring Idris Elba as the unstable, often violent Luther, and often goes into very dark places. What makes this show better though is the female antagonist Alice Morgan, who brings some fantastic levels of unpredictability to the screen as you're not really sure what the character will do next. Ruth Wilson's performance is just as good if not better than Elba's, and the if you're into anything from the UK or just want a good crime series that rivals the best American ones, Luther is well worth a look.




Manhattan:
Hulu subscription - season 1

Milo_MJ - Are you someone that is looking for the perfect Mad Men replacement? Well Manhattan may be your best bet. It's a smart, tense, well-plotted and unpredictable drama about the race to launch America's first atomic bomb during World War Two. There's plenty of well rounded characters (both male and female), some great attention to detail, and the show manages to work in real life scientists like Oppenheimer very well indeed, in a major role. It's a great period drama that is probably the best show that you're not watching, and thanks to some excellent acting from the likes of John Benjamin Hickey and more, Manhattan is a cable show that really deserves your consideration.




Minority Report:
Hulu subscription - season 1

Patrick Maloney - Minority Report is the perfect introduction to the science fiction genre! The show deals with the big ideas from the film without going overboard into meta/heady territory and you can't find a better cast in crime television!




Mysteries of Laura:
Netflix, Hulu subscription - current season

Preston Pagel - It's funny, smart, and has great acting so what else more could you ask?




Nashville:
Hulu subscription - all episodes

Joy Haldar - This show falls somewhere in between the two extremes, a story that thrives on heightened melodrama and big twists but gives its characters more depth than you generally find in network lather-fests. It's high-class entertainment that takes its locale and its characters seriously and treats the audience to some enjoyable music along the way. It all blends together in an entertaining, easily digestible hour. The depiction of the modern country music business in Nashville feels reasonably authentic, and when the story stays within that realm, it has the mix of hard headedness, sentimentality and honky-tonk come-on you can get from a good country song. Panettiere is deliciously manipulative, Connie is as effervescent as ever and Esten brings the melodrama. The chemistry between Rayna & Deacon is organic and well developed over the course of the series. You can't help but fall in love with this couple as the show progresses. The supporting cast makes up for the rest of it. That's not to say this show is flawless because sometimes the doom and gloom gets too much to digest on a weekly basis or the tedious romantic triangles feel childish and unnecessary, but overall it has a great cast and characters. Plus it has great "Inside music industry" stuff. I am by no means a country music lover but I am proud to say that Nashville has given me a new respect for the genre. Give it a try. You won't regret it.

Holly Rhodes - Nashville is a show that will tug at one's heartstrings through beautiful and original music and dialogue. It's unique in the sense that the show is actually filmed on location in the City of Nashville too. The cast includes Connie Britton, Charles Esten, Hayden Panettiere, Jonathan Jackson, Clare Bowen, Chris Carmack, Sam Palladio and Lennon and Maisy Stella, who are very talented actors and actresses that I greatly admire. To be able to sing and act is amazing. As a huge fan of the show myself I can see the authenticity, emotion, and passion within their characters that each actor and actress portrays. I believe the ability to mix really great music with real talent is special. Some of my favorite songs today came from the show and have meaning in my life. For those who are seeking inspiration in your life I recommend listening to a song titled, "A Life That's Good" as it's become the theme song in my own life. I believe more people will fall in love with the show just as I have once they really listen to the music and their lyrics. They will become attached to the characters just as I have as there is real chemistry between them. The chemistry between Connie Britton and Charles Esten (AKA Rayna Jaymes and Deacon Claybourne) is especially breathtaking. The passion of loyal Nashville fans is unique as well as so many of us have bonded through the show and become friends (even globally). For those who are looking for a show that will make you smile, laugh, cry, sing, dance, and even get angry at times because of your investment with each character, then this is definitely the show I highly recommend investing your time with.

Elissa - Nashville is a drama about talented artists trying to make it in the music industry. It is a unique show because it incorporates original music written by local Nashville songwriters, and what some people might not know is that when you see a character singing or playing guitar on Nashville, that actor REALLY is singing and actually plays guitar! Every year, the cast even goes on tour across the US and performs songs from the show - and they have started writing their own material too. I didn't like or know anything about country music before I stumbled upon this show. It is shot in Nashville. You can download every song heard in an episode on iTunes and they put 2 albums out every year with all the songs from each season, that do quite well. The mix of romance, music, drama and the struggles of being an artist makes for a very entertaining show. It deserves more recognition.




The Originals:
Netflix, Hulu subscription - current season

Marissa - In the beginning, I was not open to The Originals because I thought it would be cheesy but I watched past the pilot and I grew to love the show. Every week I could not wait to see what would happen, and I still get that feeling now that I am into the third season. I would try this show because you will get a thrill out of it.

Danny - The Originals has a perfect blend of action, drama, supernatural, and romance. I've been following this show since it first came out and I can honestly say it's in my top 5 favourite shows ever.

Obsessed with Mikaelsons - The show is based on a family, a complicated one where they betray and hurt the ones they love. But even when hate is in its strongest form, they still love each other. It's a battle with lots of twists and everyone fights for something, mostly family or redemption. Everything is complicated, but even when all seems burnt to ash, there is always hope.




The Player:
Hulu subscription - current season

Romeo Yotat - The Player is one of the most amazing shows I ever seen. It keeps you on edge on your seat every time. The premise is creative, the plots have been extremely interesting, and the acting is really good. This show takes an old premise - that of the lone vigilante - and develops it in new and interesting ways. It has Excellent writing, action scenes with Snipes and Winchester, and excellent acting. You won't be disappointed.




Please Like Me:
Hulu subscription - all episodes

Gio - I've already pitched Please Like Me last year, but it's still pretty much unknown and it's not fair. It tells the story of Josh, a boy that realizes he's gay after his girlfriend breaks up with him. The show deals with rough issues like depression, bipolar disorder and abortion with grace and tenderness. Please Like Me was nominated for an International Emmy and won a lot of Australian awards. It's produced by ABC (Australian TV) and Pivot, which airs it in the US.




Reign:
Netflix, Hulu subscription - current season

Spindae2 - First off to all of you who never watched an episode of Reign, it is a beautiful story about evolution of a young girl into a queen. The intrigue, the court politics, the sexy actors and the occasional CW love triangle just made this show such an enjoyable ride. It isn't a perfect show - it has its major ups and downs, but when it's up the acting, dialogues and storytelling is simply amazing and so enjoyable to watch. It has major guilty pleasure potential. Even though the CW love triangle writing killed the show during season 2, it bounced back nicely in season 3. Don't read the 2nd paragraph if you haven't watch the show.

Second off if you have dropped Reign cause of the Frary mess, go back and enjoy the show again. After his death, Reign found its place again. Once again it is about politics, strategic moves, game changers and all the secret stuff happening behind the nice facade of the French court.

Tyanna - Reign is one of the CW's most promising shows. Given its strong female lead(s) and historical context, it has shown itself to be unique and fresh without the need for procedural elements. Yes, the second season wasn't as good as it could be with the love triangle, poorly done political storylines and lack of character growth, but this has all changed. Season 3 brought a much needed fresher look into Mary's life as a young monarch. Along with a new focus on her character and the new and far more intriguing problems she faces, the show is better than ever. Mary Stuart of Scotland had a very complex, rich and tragic life. We have barely begun to scratch the surface and cancelling this show will never give us the chance to do so. This show has strong women, fun and appropriate political storylines, social commentary on gender roles and elitism, and decades of history to cover one of the most formidable and tragic females monarchs that ever ruled. It would be a shame for it to go to waste.

Alanna - This show is a historical drama based on Mary, Queen of Scots, which may not have historically correct costumes but the costumes are still beautifully done and represent each character's personality. The plot is exciting with twists and turns that you never expect. It's exciting and intriguing! The characters are full of heart and soul and will either make you root for them or make you hate them with a burning passion. If you love strong female characters, then this is the show for you!




Sleepy Hollow:
Hulu subscription - all episodes

Words One - There's nothing else like it on TV. It's a supernatural procedural with a sense of humor and a marvelous cast. It's the only show I have ever binge watched.




Tyrant:
Hulu subscription - season 1

Harry - In its third season, it's relevant about the Middle East struggle. There's lots of action and suspense.




UnReal:

Kissan Capers - This show has amazing writing and twists to its story. The characters are mean, vile and superb at what they do while the setting is based on a Bachelor type reality show. This show was on Lifetime during the summer and was one of the lowest rated shows if not the lowest.

As always, the season finale of The Librarians came too soon. It seems like we just got the premiere and we are already looking towards season 3. Thankfully there is a season 3 to look forward to. While this is the end of the season, it's not the last roundtable review though. We will be doing a season 2 wrap up later in the week. If you'd like to be part of it, let me know in the comments.



What was your favorite thing about this episode?

BlueStar - The ending. It was nicely wrapped up like it was the first finale, and everyone was happy. I love the cheeriness of this show compared to the dark, dramatic, and heartbreaking shows I usually watch. The Librarians is so much fun.
Emma - The end - Eve giving Ezekiel, Stone and Cassandra assignments, Cal back to his old self and Flynn calling it "our" library. That was a big step for Flynn and I hope we see more of that team mentality from him next season.
Ivan - My favorite thing about this episode was Flynn and Eve and seeing Flynn's excitement over meeting Shakespeare. I always love seeing Flynn's excitement over this job and also Flynn and Eve's relationship. I hope he becomes a regular now that he can because it's always so awesome to see him here.
Kris - The time travel room. You had the TARDIS, the DeLorean, the dinosaur time traveler, and Cassandra's reaction.
Matt - The way they brought everything together and made it work. Stone, Cass and Jones working together. Flynn and Eve kissing for 400 years. Jenkins understanding that it was not Arthur, but Flynn who came back to save England. Moriarty turning out good. The return of Excalibur. So hard to pick one.
Dahne - The twist was my favorite simply because I did not see it coming at all.



If you could change anything about this episode, what would it be?

BlueStar - It feeling a little rushed. This is due to the overall pacing of the mytharc this season though. There wasn't enough balance between the mytharc and stand alone cases this season.
Emma - I wish Moriarty would've survived. He would've been a fantastic long term villain that could pop in to harass Eve and the Librarians from time to time.
Ivan - One thing I would change would be for them to have used the DeLorean instead of the glass ball to time travel. No, I'm kidding. I wouldn't change a thing; this episode was the best of the best.
Kris - Once again, when Flynn shows up, the rest of the Librarians are basically shoved to the side to make it his show. I would instead give the Librarians the "A" storyline, and relegate him to the "B" storyline.
Matt - Flynn's audition was a little cringeworthy.
Dahne - My biggest issue is that the fictionals storyline had to be rushed because they didn't include it more in the overall season. I'm also not a big fan of time travel or the focus being so much on Flynn at the expense of the other librarians even though he was much, much better this time than normal.



Time travel is a tricky concept to get correct. How well do you think The Librarians did it compared to other shows? Did the concept work within the framework of this story? Why or why not?

BlueStar - I think The Librarians handled the time travel concept well. I'd say it was in the middle, neither the worst or best I've seen it handled. I think the concept worked well particularly because they made it clear that they could not change the past. Changing the past on some shows is a bad idea.
Emma - I think it worked, if only because they all admitted that it was confusing and that they hated it! I knew they would figure out a way to get Eve and Flynn back to the present timeline but I'm glad that it wasn't easy - 400 years as a statue so they could return to their time without the chance of altering the past is pretty brilliant.
Ivan - The Librarians did very well in the time travel concept. I think it worked because Flynn kept an eye on nothing changing and because it made sense for them to have to find out when Prospero was created. The paradox not allowing Eve and Flynn to come back to the present at that time is also pretty new in the time travel concept.
Kris - I think that it worked very well in that they weren't allowed to change things unlike other shows where the characters are allowed to do what they want willy-nilly, and time will handle it. Time travel worked for the story, as it brought together several things that occurred over the season: the locked room, the note, and there was something else that I forget right now.
Matt - I loved the tongue in cheek references to other time machines - the DeLorean, the TARDIS, etc. Yes, they got it right! Flynn and Eve returning via an alternative and clever means is a perfect Librarians-style solution.
Dahne - I always have trouble with the logic behind time travel but this one worked better than most for me. Having Baird and Flynn as a statue was inspired. Also the time machine room was hilarious.



In the episode, the twist is that Prospero is really Shakespeare turned into his own character by words of anger. Did the twist surprise you? How effective did you think it was?

BlueStar - I was surprised by the twist. I hadn't considered that could happen. For me it worked, though I didn't have a strong opinion about it.
Emma - It did surprise me but it's likely because we haven't seen Prospero since the beginning of the season so there was no movement on his story line that could've allowed me to figure it out sooner. It was a good twist but I think it would've had more of an impact if the mytharc was better paced through the whole season.
Ivan - I was completely surprised by the twist of Shakespeare being Prospero but it also made sense because of what Moriarty said about his plan not being from "Tempest".
Kris - Yes, it did. I thought that Shakespeare would accidentally call forth Prospero, see what the character was like, and change the story, binding Prospero. Instead he becomes Prospero, something I didn't see coming, making it very effective.
Matt - It was an amazing twist, I never saw it coming. It was perfect in a way though, because it made sense of how Prospero materialized in the first place.
Dahne - The twist was the best thing of the episode for me simply because it took me completely by surprise. I knew something was up when Moriarty talked about the forest being Prospero's dream but I did not put two and two together. It was a smart plot choice and a whole lot of fun.



As the season finale, how well did you like this ending? Do you feel the season has sufficient closure? How does it compare to you with season one's finale?

BlueStar - I loved the ending of this season, but as I've said before I was disappointed by how little attention the fictionals storyline got. The first season was better at giving the villains screen time and development. This season Prospero was barely around, mostly just getting mentions. However, I loved that we ended this season with everyone together at the Library. The first season's ending of them going on different adventures was also nice, but this one was sweeter.
Emma - I liked the ending and I feel the same closure as I did with any other case of the week episode. Of course, that's not necessarily a good thing. This was supposed to be the season long mytharc - it should've held more weight than a case of the week villain. Season 1 finale was definitely better.
Ivan - I liked the ending very well. It gave us closure but at the same time we know it's coming back. That's what I like about Rogers; he doesn't leave us in a cliffhanger like other show runners. I liked this Season Finale because the Librarians were all together. It showed the family they have become and not like last year with them being separated.
Kris - I thought that the ending was...okay. It brought together several items that occurred over the length of the season, but it focused too much on Flynn being Flynn. Season one's finale instead focused on Eve, her relationship to the Library and the other Librarians, and her finally feeling like she belonged there.
Matt - It was better than season one's ending because it kept them all together. I would like to see the secondary villain survive in future if they have a moment of redemption though - Moriarty and Lamia have both died after discovering the good in their own souls.
Dahne - I have mixed feeling about this finale compared to season 1. I like how in both the story is closed so no one has to worry about if the show ends on a cliffhanger or not and it's refreshing to have a happy ending for once. I also think that the twist was bigger since many people had already guessed Dulaque and Jenkins' roles in season 1. However as a whole I like the season 1 finale better because the focus stayed on Jenkins and Baird as opposed to sharing the focus with the romance of Baird and Flynn. That was overdone in my book and I hope they do not make Flynn a regular next season.



What grade would you give this episode? Why?

BlueStar - I'm giving it an A because ignoring the pacing of the season as a whole it was a really solid finale and I enjoyed it a lot.
Emma - B, saw some growth in Flynn and it wrapped up the season so if we hadn't gotten another season, I would've been OK with it ending but the overall execution of the season long mytharc was very much lacking.
Ivan - I'm giving this episode a A+, i loved everything about it.
Kris - B-. While it was fairly decent episode, with a bunch of little things to fan over, it felt too much like it was vehicle to show off Flynn. To put it another way, Prospero was Shakespeare's empowerment fantasy, while Flynn felt like a writer's empowerment fantasy.
Matt - A+, it just tied everything together so perfectly. My second favourite of the season after the Jones-video game episode.
Dahne - B because what they got right they got really right. What they got wrong was in large a bigger problem for the season instead of focused on this episode. Well, except the Flynn acting filler and the eye roll worthy romance issues.



Anything you would like to add?

BlueStar - This show continues to be my favorite fun show I watch on TV and I can't wait for the next season.
Emma - I'm glad we have a S3 but since it's only for 10 episodes, I hope the writers decide to go one was or the other with it. Either make all 10 episodes case of the week type mysteries or make all 10 episodes about an overall mytharc (or do 5/5 on two different mytharcs).
Ivan - Thank you TNT for giving us a 3rd season of this show, we don't have shows like this anymore. They're always just dark, gritty and moody. Not to mention it's very family friendly and that's very rare nowadays.
Kris - 1) Eve's Lady of the Lake moment, while it didn't make a lot of sense, was very nice.
2) Excalibur is still tripping me up. If Flynn received Excalibur in 1611, shouldn't that have been the Excalibur of 1611, and therefore when he brought it with him to the future, wouldn't that have removed it from the normal timeline so that he couldn't have it in episode 1.1?
Matt - MORE EPISODES IN SEASON 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dahne - I am glad that we have a season 3 and I'm really looking forward to it. However I think they need to block out the season better and not throw the mytharc as bookends to the season. It would be better to not have any overarching mythos at all than to rush it as badly as they did this season.



Screen caps by Screencapped, Three If By Space, and me.

Thanks for checking out The Librarians' roundtable for the season 2 wrapup. If you would like to be part of the article which will be posted here and on SpoilerTV, all you have to do is answer as many or as few of the questions below.

Hi and welcome to a very special edition of Last Week in TV. Usually this is where we would review the shows we've watched, but most shows are on hiatus right now so we're saving any reviews for next week. This week we take a look at how the TV season is going now that we've reached the midseason hiatus. That means going over our favorite episodes for the year and giving out special awards. Even our faithful readers got in on the action to choose their awards as well. Tell us if you agree or disagree in the comments and feel free to hand out your own awards. Also if there is a show you would like to see me review, please nominate it in the short 2-question form below. Until next week when we go back to our normal format, happy TV viewing and I hope your new year is going well.









Blue Star -
1. "Bewilderment of the Heart" - Dominion (It was the best overall episode of the show and had some beautifully shot scenes. Also, the song "Goodnight, Travel Well" by The Killers was perfect for the ending.)
2. "Baby" - Supernatural (This episode called back to the good old days of Supernatural. There were a lot of brotherly moments and some interesting angles were taken while being filmed.)
3. "YHWH" - Person of Interest (POI has always known how to do a season finale, and this episode was no different.)
4. "Paradox" - 12 Monkeys (This episode finally revealed what Cole's visions were about, managed to make me love a one-episode character, and had some unexpected twists.)
5. "And The Point of Salvation" - The Librarians (For exploring Ezekiel's character and making him more sympathetic. Plus, the time loop/game reboot plot was well done.)


Emma -
1. Forever, 1.14 – “Hitler on the Half Shell”
2. The 100, 2.13 – “Blood Must Have Blood, Part II”
3. Agent Carter, 1.07 – “Snafu”
4. Jane the Virgin, 2.08 – “Chapter 30”
5. Zoo, 1.12 – “Wild Things”




Jessica VanWinkle -
1. It’s All My Fault- How to Get Away with Murder ~This episode had me in suspense the entire time, and all the reveals didn’t disappoint. This was a great way to wrap up the first season of the show.
2. May God Bless You and Keep You Always- Parenthood ~This was the best way to end a series. We had closure for all the characters that we loved, and we got a chance to say goodbye to the Bravermans.
3. Blood Must Have Blood, Part Two- The 100 ~This was an amazing season finale. It was action packed and very emotional. The writing and acting were top notch.
4. Purpose of the Machine- Agents of Shield ~This was my favorite episode of the series. I loved how the team came together to get Jemma back. I especially loved the reunion of Fitz and Simmons.
5. Three Bells-Chicago Fire ~This episode was a very nice tribute to our beloved Leslie Shay. I think I cried almost the entire time. Firehouse 51 just isn’t the same without you, Shay!


Laura Markus-
5. Heroes: Reborn: June 13th, Part 2 (Rank: A+) ~The return of Matt Parkman before he was completely heartless, interesting backstories for Luke/Joanne and Carlos, more insight on Nathan (Tommy) and Malina, and overall a very consistent and nice ending to this time-travel story.
4. Battle Creek: Stockholm (Rank: A++) ~Russ gets abducted, and his own captor got him to loosen up. Is there any more I can say? Milt and Russ hugging in the basement is everything I could've hoped for from the series.
3. HTGAWM: What Did We Do? (Rank: A+++) ~On par with Kill Me, Kill Me, Kill Me, this mid-season finale was a thrill ride from beginning to end. Beautiful, breathtaking acting from everyone involved. The scene with Annalise convincing the Keating Five to shoot her is going in my favourite scenes of all time.
2. Daredevil: Nelson v. Murdock (Rank: A++++) ~A beautiful rest from the nonstop fighting scenes and a great continuation of the craziest cliffhanger I have seen in a long time. A stunning character and relationship piece and the flashbacks with Matt and Foggy were so fun to watch.
1. Limitless: Headquarters! (Rank: A+++++) ~The Bruntouchables montage at the end taught me the lesson of not turning off the episode until the full credits run. A hilarious episode with a fantastic premise, great acting, witty writing, and very cute moments. My favourite show of the year's best episode by miles.


Michaela -
1. Mr. Robot-1.04- Da3mons- The trippiness of Elliot’s hallucinations in this episode show a more creative facet of the show than was unexpected, but highly appreciated. Elliot’s breakdown in his motel room after feeling abandoned reveals a lot about Elliot’s damaged psyche as well as his connection to Mr. Robot.
2. Jessica Jones-1.07- Top Shelf Perverts- Jessica had mostly been able to keep her self-destructive tendencies in check until this point, but her inner demons finally got the best of her, causing her to go into a boozy, self-destructive tailspin. Her showdown with Kilgrave at the police station was also delightfully dark and gripping.
3. American Horror Story: Hotel- 5.02- Chutes and Ladders- A few of the reasons I love American Horror Story are its ability to constantly surprise me and to explore dark issues in an entertaining way. This episode finally introduced Evan Peters’ evil James March and gave the audience greater insight into the darkness both inside the hotel and within its guests.
4. UnREAL-1.10 - Future- If there was any doubt about whether or not Rachel Goldberg was an antihero, those doubts were cast aside with this episode. Instead of buying into the fantasy she disingenuously sold to other women, Rachel chose to stick with what she was good at, manipulating people in order to make good TV.
5. The Jinx- 1.01-Chapter 1: A Body in the Bay- This is probably the first documentary other than Paris is Burning that I’ve actually enjoyed watching. The premiere of The Jinx was so creepy and enthralling it has to make my top 5 list.


Missions -
1. How to Get Away With Murder – 2x09 – What Did We Do?
This episode was just brilliant from beginning to end. Every single actor on this show brought their A-game and the writing and directing was phenomenal. We finally found out who shot Annalise and fortunately, the scene was so well executed that it is one of the best moments of the entire year.
2. The Leftovers – 2x10 – I Live Here Now
It is hard to only pick one episode of the Leftovers, but for me this was the best episode of the season, maybe even the series next to the excellent season 1 finale “The Prodigal Son Returns”. I loved every single one of the 73 minutes since it was beautiful, brilliant, exceptionally acted, with one of the most satisfying moments on TV.
3. Game of Thrones – 5x08 – Hardhome
Hardhome was an exceptional installment and probably its best episode yet. We got to experience the Massacre at Hardhome, presenting to us what the actual threat is and how “bad” and frightening it is. It was truly a cinematic experience with the best CGI, the best directing, and best cinematography that I have ever seen.
4. Homeland – 5x09 – Our Man in Damascus
Once again Homeland proved that it was one of the most intense and best written shows on television. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and I have never yelled at my TV as much as I did during the last 10 minutes of this episode when Carrie is trying to find the terrorists at the Berlin Hauptbahnhof.
5. The 100 – 2x16 – Blood Must Have Blood, Part 2
“May we meet again…” That was one of many scenes in these amazing 42 minutes that made it one of the best episodes of 2015. After Clarke and Bellamy irradiated Level 5, I had no idea what would come next. The final 10 minutes both shocked me (ALLIE) and broke me (Clarke leaving Camp Jaha and saying goodbye to Bellamy)


Swanpride -
1. Daredevil 1.02 "Cut Man" - It is a little bit strange that of all the Daredevil episodes I like the one which basically covers his origin the best, but not only did I really feel for Jack Murdock, I also thought that the way his story intercut Matt's current struggle after getting badly hurt was very cleverly done. That the episode introduced Claire and ended with the famous hallway fight scene was just the Icing on the cake.
2. Outlander 1.16 "To Ransom a Man's Soul" - This was a hard episode to watch, but I was really pleasantly surprised with how well the show runners managed to maintain the balance here. Rape is never an easy topic and it's way too often portrayed in a questionable manner. But here it is shown how traumatizing the experience is and how difficult and slow the healing process.
3. Agents of SHIELD 2.21 and 2.22 "SOS" - The two episode season finale was more like a one and a half hour TV movie than a show. It was suspense from start to finish and the proof that it was worth it to stick with the show through a sluggish first season and despite one or two questionable episodes in season 2
4. Agent Carter 1.07 Snafu - Agent Carter provided one good episode after another, but this was the one, in which everything came to a head. Peggy calling out her co-workers was just as satisfying as Dooley's fate was heart-breaking and the scene in the cinema is the stuff horror movies are made of. By the end of this episode, Agent Carter cemented itself as the Marvel show with the highest body count, which is quite a feat considering the concurrence.
5. Vikings 3.08 "To the Gates" - I was really disappointed with the last season of Vikings overall, but this one episode was truly impressive. The way the battle for Paris was staged didn't make up for removing step by step everything I loved about the show while emphasizing the elements I considered more questionable, but if there is one episode I had next to nothing to complain about, it is this one.


Dahne -
15. The Flash - 2.06 - Enter Zoom ~This had a great combo of drama, action, and especially humor. I laughed harder at the fake Linda and Barry fight than anything else that week.
14. The Librarians - 2.08 - And the Point of Salvation ~It gave Ezekiel some much needed character development but also provided one of the most heartfelt moments of the season.
13. The Goldbergs - 3.01 - A Kicka** Risky Business Party ~I liked this one especially because Laney's desire to have a mom tempered some of Beverly's most over the top actions. Plus that Beverly impression of Tom Cruise's dance was hilarious.
12. Quantico - 1.07 - Go ~I liked how the episode kept building tension through the fake bomb and the terrorist plot got very interesting at this point too. Before it was mostly the training sessions I looked forward to.
11. Code Black - 1.09 - The Son Rises ~The hospital cases in this one were so heartwarming and engaging that I almost did not want to leave them to go back to the regular cast. If you're unsure about this show, I would suggest checking out this episode.
10. The Blacklist - 3.07 - Zal Bin Hassan ~The Blacklist is the most improved returning show for me, save Supernatural. Putting Liz on the run with Red was inspired. Still this episode makes the list for me mostly because of Navabi's past.
9. Scorpion - 2.03 - Fish Filet ~Sylvester has really grown into his own in Scorpion this season. While the Megan episodes were more heartbreaking, I actually chose this episode where Sylvester has to go undercover in a prison because it shows his tremendous growth.
8. Into the Badlands - 1.06 - Hand of Five Poisons ~As the best action show on TV, part of why I chose this finale was the epic battle scenes. However it's more because each characters was left in a state of flux so now I'm worried about them all. Except Quinn, whom I hope is dead.
7. Stalker - 1.18 - The Woods ~Stalker is a prime example of why you shouldn't judge a show by its pilot. This episode was all about female power as Beth attempts to take down her own stalker.
6. Galavant - 1.01 - Pilot ~I was hooked on this show right from the first song. The lyrics and dialogue are snappy with miles more snark than any other comedy airing. The pilot is pure fun.
5. Agent Carter - 1.05 - Iron Ceiling ~This is the episode where her male counterparts learned exactly what Carter was capable of, which made for some great scenes and better action. It was a close call to choose this one over Snafu though.
4. Forever - 1.15 - The King of Columbus ~I still miss Henry and Abe's interactions and this was one of the better ones along with 1.14's Hitler on the Half-Shell. It dwelt a lot in flashback but most importantly it focused on Henry's feelings about Abe reaching out to his biological family and Abe reassuring Henry that he will always be his dad.
3. Supernatural - 11.05 - Thin Lizzie ~I was very tempted to pick Baby because of all of the nostalgia that comes with it but I think this was a better episode overall. I like that it brought back genuine scares to Supernatural and still captures the feel of season 1 when the brothers were working together that I so much admire this season.
2. How to Get Away with Murder - 2.09 - What Did We Do? ~While overall the show is in a sophomore slump to me, this midseason finale packed quite the punch. It was one twist and powerful acting scene after another, solidifying Viola Davis' nomination for a Best Actress Emmy nod again next year. The acting, directing, and cinematography were top notch.
1. The 100 - 2.15 - Blood Must Have Blood, Part1 ~While not the best episode of season 2 of The 100 (that would be Spacewalker), this was definitely the best episode of the year for me. Emotions ran high as the grounders and the 100 joined forces on the eve of attacking the Mountain Men. Then came the best twist of the year, one I'm still not over.






Blue Star - Dominion
1. Bewilderment of the Heart (Because of everything I said in part 1)
2. Sine Deo Nihil
3. Son of the Fallen
4. The Narrow Gate
5. Reap the Whirlwind
6. Heirs of Salvation
7. Lay Thee Before Kings
8. The Seed of Evil
9. Day of Wrath
10. House of Sacrifice
11. Mouth of the Damned
12. A Bitter Truth
13. The Longest Mile Home (Though it had some great scenes [the hug!] I found that the episode was mostly just about wrapping up some storylines and it ended up being disappointing compared to the rest of the season.)


Emma - Criminal Minds
1. 11.07 – “Target Rich”
2. 11.04 – “Outlaw”
3. 11.01 – “The Job”
4. 11.05 – “The Night Watch”
5. 11.03 – “Til Death Do Us Part”
6. 11.08 – “Awake”
7. 11.09 – “Internal Affairs”
8. 11.06 – “Pariahville”
9. 11.10 – “Future Perfect”
10. 11.02 – “The Witness”


Jessica VanWinkle - Nashville
1. We’ve Got Nothing But Love to Prove (episode 10) ~This was my favorite episode of the season hands down. Deacon proposed to Rayna, and some unnecessary characters left the show. Can’t wait for the show to return in March!
2. Can’t Get Used to Losing You (episode 7)
3. Can’t Let Go (episode 1)
4. Stop The World (And Let Me Off) (episode 5)
5. The Slender Threads That Bind Us Here (episode 4)
6. How Can I Help You Say Goodbye (episode 3)
7. Till The Pain Outweighs The Shame (episode 2)
8. Please Help Me I’m Falling (episode 6)
9. Three’s a Crowd (episode 9)
10. Unguarded Moments (episode 8)


Laura Markus - Heroes Reborn
1. June 13th, Part Two (A++++)
2. Game Over (A+++)
3. Sundae, Bloody Sundae (A++)
4. June 13th, Part One (A+)
5. 11:53 to Odessa (A)
6. The Lion's Den (A-)
7. Brave New World (B+)
8. Odessa (B)
9. The Needs of the Many (B-)
10. Under the Mask (C+)


Michaela - Mom
I don’t laugh as much at this show as I do with some of my others, but it’s always heartwarming and the mother-daughter relationship between Bonnie and Christy is one of the best on broadcast.

1. 3.05- A Pirate, Three Frogs and a Prince
2. 3.06- Horny-Goggles and a Catered Intervention
3. 3.04- Sawdust and Brisket
4. 3.02- Thigh Gap and a Rack of Lamb
5. 3.03- Mozarrella Sticks and a Gay Piano Bar
6. 3.01- Terrorists and Gingerbread


Missions - Once Upon a Time
Overall, I was very disappointed with the first half of Once Upon a Time’s fifth season. It started with exceptional installments, however after that, it just kept going downhill. The twists are terrible, the execution is poor, and almost everything comes across as cheesy. Hopefully the Underworld arc will improve the quality again.

1. The Price, 5x02
2. The Dark Swan, 5x01
3. Dreamcatcher, 5x05
4. Birth, 5x08
5. Nimue, 5x07
6. The Bear King, 5x09
7. The Bear and the Bow, 5x06
8. Broken Heart, 5x10
9. Siege Perilous, 5x03
10. Swan Song, 5x11
11. The Broken Kingdom, 5x04


Swanpride - SHIELD
1. 3.09 Closure (A++++++)
2. 3.08 Many Heads, One Tale (A+)
3. 3.10 Maveth (A+)
4. 3.07 Chaos Theory (A)
5. 3.02 Purpose in the Machine (A-)
6. 3.06 Among us hide (A-)
7. 3.01 Laws of Nature (B+)
8. 3.05 4,722 hours (B+)
9. 3.03 A Wanted (In)human (B)
10. 3.04 Devils you know (B)




Best Returning Show:
Blue Star - Dominion
Emma - Jane the Virgin
Jessica VanWinkle - How to Get Away with Murder
Laura Markus - How to Get Away with Murder
Michaela - How to Get Away with Murder
Missions - Homeland
Swanpride - SHIELD
Dahne - The Blacklist

Best New Show:
Blue Star - Into the Badlands
Emma - Code Black
Jessica VanWinkle - Chicago Med
Laura Markus - Limitless
Michaela - Jessica Jones
Missions - Blindspot
Swanpride - Jessica Jones
Dahne - Into the Badlands

Most Improved:
Blue Star - Supernatural
Emma - Sleepy Hollow
Jessica VanWinkle - SHIELD
Laura Markus - Hawaii 5-0
Michaela - Gotham
Missions - The Leftovers
Swanpride - SHIELD
Dahne - Supernatural

Least Improved:
Blue Star - Grimm
Emma - Grimm
Jessica VanWinkle - The Good Wife
Laura Markus - Shameless
Michaela - Grey's Anatomy
Missions - Empire
Dahne - Grimm

Best Pilot:
Emma - Blindspot
Jessica VanWinkle - Quantico
Laura Markus - Blindspot
Michaela - Mr. Robot
Missions - Blindspot
Swanpride - Jessica Jones
Dahne - Blindspot

Worst Pilot:
Emma - Truth Be Told
Jessica VanWinkle - Rosewood
Laura Markus - Quantico
Michaela - The Magicians
Missions - Scream Queens
Swanpride - Supergirl
Dahne - Dr. Ken

Best Scene:
Blue Star - Michael's speech to Not!Alex in "Bewilderment of the Heart" (Dominion)
Emma - Jane Doe emerges from the bag on Times Square (Blindspot)
Jessica VanWinkle - Fitz rescues Jemma in the episode “The Purpose of the Machine.” (SHIELD)
Missions - Annalise begs the Keating 4 to shoot her and is finally shot by Wes, however, in the wrong spot (How to Get Away with Murder)
Swanpride - Fitz rescuing Simmons from the Monolith (SHIELD)
Dahne - Bonnie confronts Annalise (How to Get Away with Murder)

Best Character:
Blue Star - Michael (Dominion)
Emma - Jesse aka Mama (Code Black)
Jessica VanWinkle - Leo Fitz (SHIELD)
Laura Markus - Brian Finch (Limitless)
Michaela - Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones)
Missions - Annalise Keating (How to Get Away with Murder)
Swanpride - Trish (Jessica Jones)
Dahne - Jessica (Fresh Off the Boat)

Character That Most Needs to Go/Be Fixed:
Blue Star - Adalind (Grimm)
Jessica VanWinkle - Jackson Avery (Grey's Anatomy)
Laura Markus - Frank (Shameless)
Michaela - Flynn Carsen (The Librarians)
Missions - Carrie Matthison (Homeland)
Swanpride - Robyn (Jessica Jones)
Dahne - Adalind (Grimm)

Best Character Interaction:
Blue Star - Amy and Ty (Heartland)
Emma - Ravi and Liv (iZombie)
Jessica VanWinkle - BAU team (Criminal Minds)
Laura Markus - Matt and Noah (Heroes: Reborn)
Michaela - Jimmy builds Gretchen a pillow fort and stays with her despite her depression (You’re The Worst)
Missions - Oliver and Barry (Arrow/Flash crossover)
Swanpride - Jessica and Trish (Jessica Jones)
Dahne - Joe and Barry (The Flash)

Best Action:
Blue Star - sword fighting in Into the Badlands
Emma - Arrow
Jessica VanWinkle - Arrow
Michaela - M.K. gets his booty handed to him by Waldo (Into the Badlands)
Swanpride - Ward causally kidnapping Werner van Strucker from a boat full of body guards (SHIELD)
Dahne - Into the Badlands

Biggest Surprise:
Blue Star - Into The Badlands hooked me not only because of the action but also several of the characters
Emma - Walter’s considerable character growth this season (Scorpion)
Jessica VanWinkle - Wes shot Annalise on How to Get Away with Murder
Laura Markus - Criminal Minds setting up Penelope and Derek to be in serious trouble
Michaela - We actually got an Ezekiel-centric episode on The Librarians and it was actually pretty amazing
Missions - Arrow’s awesome season 4, after the profoundly disappointing season 3
Swanpride - Lash having a human form. Once this was revealed, the next conclusion was obvious, but I really didn't see that one coming beforehand. (SHIELD)
Dahne - Both Galavant and Agent Carter got renewed and a place on the midseason schedule

Biggest Wish:
Blue Star - The Walking Dead to stop repeating the plot where every season the group finds an apparently safe place to stay only for it to end up not being safe (Let's mix it up!).
Emma - Brian and Harris do NOT hook up (Limitless)
Jessica VanWinkle - I want Antonio Dawson to have more screen time and be featured more on Chicago PD. Jon Seda is a great actor and deserves better than what he’s getting.
Laura Markus - Limitless could use some LGBTQ+ representation
Michaela - The terrorist in Quantico is confirmed and his/her motivations are made clear in a way that makes sense
Missions - Once Upon a Time: Get rid of half the characters, such as Robin or Hook, and stop putting the primary focus on Captain Swan
Swanpride - Can Fitz get some happiness? Just a little bit, please? (SHIELD)
Dahne - That next year there will be a better crop of new comedies. (all networks)

Most Heartbreaking:
Emma - Barry gets beaten up and humiliated by Zoom (The Flash)
Jessica VanWinkle - Megan's death (Scorpion)
Missions - Ward's death (SHIELD)
Swanpride - Fitz listening to Jemma's recording from the alien planet (SHIELD)
Dahne - the breakup of the Scott and Stiles bromance (Teen Wolf)

Most Anticipated Midseason Show:
Blue Star - Second Chance
Emma - The 100
Jessica VanWinkle - The 100
Laura Markus - Angel from Hell
Michaela - The Catch
Missions - The Family
Swanpride - Agent Carter
Dahne - The 100 (returning)

Other Awards:
Jessica Van Winkle - Favorite New Character - Connor Rhodes (Chicago Med)
Jessica Van Winkle - Character I Miss Most - Peter Mills (Chicago Fire)
Missions - Best Episode of a Binge-Watched Show - The Prodigal Son Returns (The Leftovers)
Swanpride - Most Meta - Sherlock special (Sherlock)
Dahne - Best Episode I Watched This Year - Doctor Who - 3.10 - Blink, but it didn't air this year so it didn't count
Dahne - Best New Character Interaction - Jesse and Rorish (Code Black)
Dahne - Best Update to a Classic Speech - instead of searching every farm house and hen house, Ressler wants to search every Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit thread (The Blacklist)
Dahne - Most Anticipated New Midseason Show - The Shannara Chronicles
Dahne - Best Music - surprisingly Wicked City
Dahne - Worst Return - Metatron (Supernatural)
Dahne - Most Ridiculous - the Super Fun Guy outfits (Scorpion)
Dahne - Best Surprise - Iris calmly accepts that Joe was protecting her from her mom instead of it being a long, drawn out rift between them (The Flash)
Dahne - Best New Character (male / female) - Jesse (Code Black) / Shelby (Quantico)
Dahne - Best New Character in a Returning Show - Morland Holmes (Elementary)
Dahne - Most Improved Character (male / female) - Asher (How to Get Away with Murder) / Kirsten (Stitchers)
Dahne - Biggest Shock (plot) - The 100 by far
Dahne - Sweetest Comedy Moment - daddy and daughter dancing in the grocery store (Life in Pieces)
Dahne - Best Cliffhanger / Best Use of Flashbacks - surprisingly Quantico beats out How to Get Away with Murder in both categories
Dahne - Most Missed Show from Last Season - Forever
Dahne - Best Awww Moment - Red tells Liz she's his home (The Blacklist) followed very closely by Walter calls Sylvester his brother (Scorpion)
Dahne - Best Acting - Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder)





Best Returning Show:
1 - How to Get Away with Murder
2 - Arrow / Doctor Who / The Librarians / SHIELD
Honorable Mentions - Bron/Broen, Chicago Med, Grey's Anatomy, Grimm. iZombie, Mom, NCIS: LA, Supernatural, The Flash, The Leftover, The Middle, The Walking Dead

Best New Show:
1 - Jessica Jones
2. Supergirl
3. Into the Badlands / Limitless / Quantico / Scream Queens
HM - Blindspot, Code Black, Killjoys, Minority Report, Mr. Robot, The Last Kingdom, The Muppets, UnReal

Most Improved:
1. Arrow
2. The Flash / Grimm / SHIELD
HM: Doctor Who, Elementary, Fresh Off the Boat, Gotham, Mom, Reign, Scandal, Supernatural, The Affair, The Blacklist, The Leftovers, The Librarians, The Mindy Project, The Originals

Least Improved:
1. Castle / Modern Family / Scorpion
HM: Arrow, Beauty and the Beast, CSI: Cyber, Elementary, Empire, Gotham, Grey's Anatomy, Grimm, Jane the Virgin, Nashville, Once Upon a Time, Pretty Little Liars, SHIELD, Teen Wolf, The Walking Dead

Best Pilot:
1. Blindspot / Quantico
2. Limitless / Supergirl
HM: Ash vs. Evil Dead, Code Black, Dark Matter, Flesh & Bone, Heroes: Reborn, Into the Badlands, Minority Report, Mr. Robot, Scream Queens, Sense8, The Last Kingdom

Worst Pilot:
1. Scream Queens
2. Blindspot / Blood & Oil / The Player
HM: Agent X, Limitless, Minority Report, Rosewood, Supergirl, The Grinder, The Magicians, Truth Be Told

Best Character:
1. Annalise Keating / Jessica Jones
HM: Bonnie (Mom), Brian (Limitless), Carrie (Homeland), Chad (Scream), Cisco (The Flash), Connor (How to Get Away with Murder), Damien (Arrow), Dean (Supernatural), Elizabeth (Madam Secretary), Grant (SHIELD), Kara (Supergirl), Lara (Minority Report), Laurel (Arrow), Leo (SHIELD), Nick (Grimm), Oliver (Arrow), Ravi (iZombie), Rick (The Walking Dead), Saga (Bron/Broen), Sherlock (Elementary), Sue (The Middle), The Doctor (Doctor Who)

Character That Most Needs to Go:
1. Morgan from The Walking Dead
2. Felicity from Arrow
3. Jo Wilson from Grey's Anatomy
HM: Adalind (Grimm), Alex (Grey's Anatomy), Cassandra (The LIbrarians), Castiel (Supernatural), Greer (Reign), Hook (Once Upon a Time), Iris (The Flash), Liz (The Blacklist), Major (iZombie), Malcolm (Arrow), Michael (Jane the Virgin), Patty (The Flash), Priest (The Walking Dead), Theo (Teen Wolf), Tom (The Blacklist)

Best Character Interactions:
1. Ezekiel and the team from The Librarians / Jessica and Trish from (Jessica Jones)
HM: Bellamy and Clarke (The 100), Bonnie and Annalise (How to Get Away with Murder), Bonnie and Marjorie (Mom), Brooklyn 99, Cat and Kara (Supergirl), Into the Badlands, Kara and Alex (Supergirl), Kensi and Deeks (NCIS:LA), Klaus and Lucien (The Originals), Lara and Arthur (Minority Report), Liv and Ravi (iZombie), Liz and Red (The Blacklist), Max and Caroline (2 Broke Girls), Meredith and Penelope (Grey's Anatomy), Monroe and Rosalee (Grimm), Pack vs. witches (Bitten), Ragnar and King Ecbert (Vikings), Sam and Dean (Supernatural), Sam and Lucifer (Supernatural), Sheldon and Amy (The Big Bang Theory)

Best Action Scenes:
1. Arrow
HM: Agent X, Daredevil, Dominion, Grimm, Homeland, Into the Badlands, Jessica Jones, The LIbrarians, Once Upon a Time, Scorpion, SHIELD, Vikings, The Walking Dead

Most Heartbreaking Show:
1. Grey's Anatomy / The Librarians / Once Upon a Time / SHIELD
HM: Arrow, Chicago Fire, Doctor Who, Dominion, The Flash, Grimm, How to Get Away with Murder, Hannibal, The Originals, Scorpion, The Leftovers, The Walking Dead, You're the Worst

Most Anticipated Midseason Show:
1. The 100
2. Legends of Tomorrow
HM: Agent Carter, American Crime, Banshee, Better Call Saul, Daredevil, Game of Thrones, Girls, Lucifer, Guide to Surviving Life, Galavant, (You, Me, and the Apocalypse)
Shows that were nominated but didn't qualify because they have already aired in the 2015-2016 season: Arrow, Grimm, How to Get Away with Murder, Into the Badlands, SHIELD, Supernatural

As you get prepared to watch tonight's season 5 premiere of Teen Wolf, why not play along with our Teen Wolf Bingo? It's much safer than a drinking game and just as much fun. I am constantly tweaking the spaces so if you have a suggestion for the Bingo card either tweet me it @Dahne1 or put it in the comments below. Also if you are live tweeting tonight's episode, let me know so I can add you to the Tweetfeed list. Teen Wolf is always better when we react together. Don't forget to let me know how you do at Teen Wolf Bingo. There's no prizes but you do get bragging rights.


Bingo Card Links:

Online
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Welcome to the final The Librarians Roundtable Review of the season. It's been one quick journey, too quick, but packed full of fun and lots of good conversation. A huge thanks to everyone who has participated this year, whether in the official roundtable, in the comments, or reading it. It's been a real pleasure to experience the season with you. I hope you have enjoyed the journey with the librarians and will be back again next time for more adventure.



What was your favorite thing about this season?

BlueStar- It was as fun as the last season and explored some underdeveloped characters.
Ivan - I loved seeing more of Flynn. I know most people don't love him but I do and I hope he becomes a regular. He belongs on this show so I really hope he becomes a regular.
Michaela - Ezekiel finally got some much-needed character development that made him much more sympathetic. I also liked that his relationships with all of the other Librarians were deepened and developed, as were the relationships between all of the Librarians in general. It was nice to see all of the different pairs of LITs and how they worked together and interacted with one another.
Dahne - My favorite thing is that they are still having fun with the premise. The show is entertaining and light with enough humor and action to balance everything nicely. I would add that the character development is the best change.



If you could change anything about this season, what would it be?

BlueStar - As I keep mentioning in the past articles, I'd integrate the main plot with the fictionals more into the rest of the season. Prospero should have been more involved in the season and I wish we'd also have seen a couple more fictionals on Team Fiction.
Ivan - Honestly, it would be to have seen Prospero more this season. It was really strange just seeing him in the beginning and the end of the season.
Michaela - I wish the season-long myth arc had either been dropped or significantly improved. It didn't really do much for me and I thought it was handled very poorly. The decision to include or not include Moriarty/Prospero in any given episode seemed very random and haphazard which made the season overall seem extremely poorly planned. The writers should have either put more thought into how they'd balance the procedural Case of the Week elements with the season-long arc, or just not have bothered with an arc at all.
Dahne - The overall pacing with the mytharc. I was really excited about the idea of fictionals and then nothing came from it. I would rather go straight up procedural than have 2 episodes in the beginning, nothing in the middle, and then rush all the mytharc at the end. Now they've wasted a brilliant idea for a season.



What was your favorite episode of the season? Why?

BlueStar - "And The Point of Salvation" was my favorite episode because it explored Ezekiel's character and gave some real depth to him. And while it was humorous as every episode is, it was also quite emotional. "And The Final Curtain" comes in at a close second though.
Ivan - My favorite episode definitely was "And the Point of Salvation". It was because of the amount of emotion Ezekiel went through. What started as a very funny episode became one of the more dramatic episodes to date. John Kim was amazing in the episode.
Michaela - "And the Point of Salvation" is my favorite episode, hands down. I wasn't expecting to get an Ezekiel-centric episode at all this year, let alone one that was so good and surprisingly heartbreaking. This episode gave us a lot of insight into Ezekiel as a character. I especially liked seeing why he chose to put emotional distance between himself and the other characters and how he regrets not being more noble or likable in their eyes. It was also wonderful to see what type of person he became once his desperation to escape the time loop broke down his facade of arrogance, self-centeredness and misanthropy. I didn't think such a light-hearted show could get to me like this episode did.
Silver - "And the Final Curtain". Because I'm a great fan of Time Travel and loved the way they did it. Also, the scenes alternating between Flynn's fight and the LiT's doing the exorcism.
Dahne - "And the Point of Salvation" was not only the best episode for me, but it was also the most memorable. They did a great job of allowing the audience to get to know Ezekiel better. Since he was one of the least developed in season one and one of the least sympathetic, it was needed. With the exception of the ending, it hit every high note.



Which character did you think was developed the best? Which character(s) do you feel need(s) more development?

BlueStar - I think Ezekiel was developed the best this season. His episode really made me feel for his character and enjoy having him around more. I think Eve, Jenkins, and Jacob could all use more development.
Ivan - I think Flynn was the character that was developed the best. He started this series by not really being part of the team. I mean he was there but he never called himself another Librarian. It was always "I'm THE Librarian" never "I'm A Librarian". So this season he embraced being another Librarian; it was really great to see. I think Cassandra needs to be developed more. We've seen bits of Jacobs's back story and we saw a more heroic side to Ezekiel but nothing really from Cassandra so yeah, her.
Michaela - I thought Ezekiel was developed amazingly well in his episode, but I would like to see a bit more development for him next season as well. Out of all the characters, Cassandra seems the least developed and most caricatured to me, so I would like to see her get more development in season 3.
Dahne - Ezekiel, hands down. While most of the praise went to the Ezekiel-centric episode, he actually showed growth throughout the season. Even Jake remarked on it. Plus he was toned down quite a bit from the obnoxious brat he was in season 1. As for future development, I would like to see them capitalize on the forward movement with Ezekiel more and maybe delve into his past a bit. However the character that has been shafted the most has been Jake. I would really like to see him get a meatier storyline. Jenkins, I want more of period. Although I do want Cassandra to change the most, I don't necessarily think we need to focus more on her since she got the majority of focus in season 3.



How do you think season 2 compared with season 1?

BlueStar - I enjoyed Season 2's stand alone episodes more than Season 1's, but Season 1 did a better job with the main myth arc. However, I think Season 2 did better with character development.
Ivan - Season 2 was certainly more episodic in a way but also the team was a full family whereas Season 1 was more serialized but the team was still feeling each other out and not really being a family yet.
Michaela - I liked season one slightly better just because I thought the seasonal arc was less messy in season one than it was this season. However, I think the best individual episodes of the series aired this year, so the difference in quality isn't major to me.
Dahne - It's a tossup for me with season 2 moving slightly ahead. I think season 1 did a much better job with the pacing and the mytharc. It's a shame because the mytharc of season 2 had far more possibilities. However the standalone episode in season 2 made much more of an impression on me than those in season 1 did. I also think season 1 was more uneven as to the quality of the episodes. I didn't dislike any of these episodes whereas I was frustrated part of the time with the season 1 episodes.



What are the top 3 things you'd like to see in season 3?

BlueStar -
1. The main plot weaved into the season better.
2. More exploration of the characters and their backgrounds, mainly Eve, Jenkins, and Jacob.
3. For Flynn to work well with the team and not be at the center of attention all the time for the episodes he is in.

Ivan -
1. Okay the first thing would be for the show to show Merlin. I've kind of wanted to see him for a while since learning of Jenkins being an Arthurian character.
2. For development between Jacob and Cassandra. I need them to get together so badly! They're too adorable for words, so please more romantic development between them.
3. I would really like to see flashbacks to the LIT's before the Library called them, especially Ezekiel's secret agent life for the Queen.

Michaela -
1. More character development for Ezekiel.
2. Cassandra needs to be both humanized and toned down.
3. The writers have to find a purpose for Flynn other than Super Librarian or Eve's Love Interest. I also hope he's less hammy in season three so he doesn't pull focus from the other characters or annoy me as much.

Silver -
1. Another Time Related Finale because I really want to see what kind of Time Travel they'd use next.
2. That they explain that spark of magic Cassie had at the end of "Fables of Doom".
3. A (female) love interest for Cassandra.

Dahne -
1. Tone down or get rid of both Cassandra and Flynn. Cassandra acts, dresses, and speaks like a child. She is annoying like a child too. They need to let her grow up, cancel the high squeal voice that goes through my head every single time, get her adult clothes, and stop making her so irritating. She's the worst character on this show for 2 years running. Flynn constantly becomes the center of attention in every episode he's in, which interrupts the team feel to the whole show. He's also wildly overacted in a way that distracts me from the plot. Noah Wyle needs to calm down with this character. He's a much better actor than this.
2. Fix the mytharc problems. Season 1 was no great shake at the pacing of the mytharc but it is genius compared to season 2. At this point, I'd like to see them forgo the season-long mytharc altogether and do straight up standalone.
3. More Jenkins time and back story. A lot more.


Anything you would like to add?

BlueStar - To add to the wish list I'd like Cassie's character toned down and act a bit more her age. She comes off as the youngest in the group even though Ezekiel actually is. And if Flynn's not at the center of the episodes he is in I'd like him around for one more episode than the previous seasons. Also, are they ever going to deal with Morgan Le Fay again? She got away and there's no way she's done causing trouble. I am curious as to where the Ladies of the Lake storyline goes too. They seem very interested in the women of the library.
Ivan - Just want to say thank you so much Rogers for bringing back a show that the entire family can watch together. I can barely count in one hand the shows that families can watch together that are NOT on kids' channels.
Michaela - Thank you to everyone who watches this wonderful and fun show! I hope season three has both a coherent season long arc and some amazing individual episodes. See you all next year!
Silver - How many people think that they mentioned Jenkins' immortality enough times for it to classify as suspicious?
Dahne - For the most part, I want them to keep doing what they're doing while trimming some excess. Keep it lighthearted. Keep it fun. Keep it slightly in the cheesy. Dump the romance between Baird and Flynn because it makes both characters worse and focus on the team as partners and friends. Nothing more. Ever. I'd like to see them functioning even better as a team as they learn to trust each other more without adding any new characters to distract from the team.



Screencaps by Universal, IMDb, Rick's Cafe Texan, Examiner, Tumblr, Space, and me.

Note - This review was based off the screener sent out by MTV. Some things are slightly different, like in the episode airing there was a previously section but not in the screener.


Previously on Teen Wolf…there were no previouslies so let me summarize. It all went to hell. The pack was broken, the school was broken, Theo was revealed to be a murderous liar who lies, steampunk scientists did not get ganked, Lydia and Sheriff were barely hanging on, Kira was gone, Malia was being pursued by her own homicidal mom, Scott and Hayden died…for about 2.2 seconds so, yeah, and Parrish was revealed to be a hell hound long after I stopped caring. Time to build the pack back up, starting with the foundation of Scott and Stiles.

In a creek of weird bowling ball stones, Lydia walks the path of Theo's now dead sister. Valack coaches her to provide more details in his search for answers, helping by drilling a hole in her head because….he's the absolute worst doctor in the history of doctors. Lydia complies and we both jump when DeadRaeken grabs her arm to show Lydia her gaping chest wound. She's missing a heart. Um, say what? Valack thinks organ transplant and he's right, just not at a hospital. The steampunk scientists took DeadRaeken's heart, still in perfect condition due to hypothermia, and put it in Theo to make him a genetic chimera too. Maybe that's why he was more successful than the others. He literally has his sister's heart. Oh and ewww. I didn't think the steampunk scientists could go higher on my to die list, but hey, they did it in 2 minutes. Congrats, creepers. Valack still has questions though. "But why him? Why choose a 10 year-old willing to kill his own sister?" I think you answered your own question, Valack. What 10 year-old not only watches his sister die instead of helping but is actually part of the plan that kills her? Say it with me, folks. Theo CANNOT be redeemed. You can't fix psycho. You just can't. Lydia asks the more pertinent question. "Why do you care?" Good question since Valack's role in this whole sordid play is still very vague. Will he end up being the good guy or just the lesser evil at the moment? If the steampunk scientists are older than dirt, how'd he even get in with them? More importantly, will we find out before I don't care anymore? Valack at least answers one question. The steampunk scientists are doing all of this to….create the perfect killer? That's it? What kind of goal is that? You bend the law of physics and your big plan is to create a monster? Hmm, no points for you. Valack is all hung up on how Theo fits into everything. Here's an idea. Ask him yourself. After all, Theo and his "should be dead" B pack arrive at Eichen House to visit Lydia. That can't be good.

B Pack take out the red shirts when who should appear but Creeper Orderly. Come on, Theo. Do us all a favor and take him out too! No? Darn. As for Theo, he doesn't care about your stinking visiting hour rules, silly orderly. He's taking Lydia…but not before she recaps 5A for anyone who forgot. The most important part is that Sheriff is dying. Oh heck, no! Not on my watch! Luckily StepDoc (formerly HotDoc - thanks Ivan for the update) is there to save the day. While some newbie nurse hassles Stiles over insurance, StepDoc is tries to keep Sheriff's insides from coming out. Sheriff of course is more worried about Stiles. "Where's my son? Where's Stiles?" Awww, you just take care of you now, Sheriff. Thankfully, Mama McCall comes to the rescue like always, taking care of the insurance like a boss. She calls Scott but Stiles nixes her call to Malia because…Jeff wants Stiles alone and grieving at the hospital? Sadist! Newbie Nurse is determined to make everything harder too. "Is there anyone else we need to notify? A next of kin?" Stiles: "No, it's me. It's just me." Awww, baby. My heart hurts for you already. With ever wonky werewolf powers, Scott isn't doing hot either. He isn't healing, he can barely make his eyes glow, and walking is beyond his capabilities as the floor lurches and he faints. Poor baby! Can nothing go right in Beacon Hills? As Scott lies alone on the floor, Stiles sits alone crying in the waiting room. We're only 8 minutes in and I can't take the pain. Jeff Davis, you leave my poor babies alone. You hear me! Dylan O'Brien again sells his emotions with nary a word and my heart breaks in two with his worry and fear. Parrish however has skeevy dreams about showering with Lydia, so moment over. Please excuse me while I drink an entire gallon of brain bleach. I don't care if Parrish suddenly realizes that Lydia is in trouble, this wholly inappropriate relationship needs to go. Now! I've already lost ALL respect for Parrish because of it.

Deputy Red Shirt is also less than okay with him. (Since she surprisingly survived season 5A, she needs a new name too. Any suggestions?) She tells Parrish they have far too many other things to worry about, including his bar-bending act, so he can stuff it and find Lydia on his own. DRS: "Do you have any idea what's going on? The high school sign somehow ended up in one of the hallways, the library is completely wrecked, there might be a prehistoric animal running around the streets, and I am starting to seriously think about a transfer." About time someone decided to leave this hell hole. Go with that thought. Parrish instead goes with his inner hell hound and finds a catatonic Lydia lying near the nematon. It's his new lot in life as he also finds a still passed out and bleeding Scott at the McCall house. Nothing they can do there so it's off to the hospital they go as Mama McCall wakes Stiles to say his dad will be just fine. Hallelujah! With tears of relief filling his eyes, Stiles can barely believe it as he and Mama McCall share a moment. Since joy is no longer allowed on Teen Wolf, Lydia managed to claw a warning on the nematon of a bloody sheriff's badge. Sure enough, it all goes south fast. A rash crawls up Sheriff's neck and StepDoc doesn't know why. Since things are sufficiently tense, it's time to emoangst with Liam, who nobly yet stupidly wants to tell Deputy Red Shirt that Hayden is dead. Mason nixes it as the bad plan it is, especially with Scott's blood all over him. Beating someone to a pulp will do that. Pressing questions like why Super Special Snowflake Liam can take down a true alpha…AGAIN, even one on wolfsbane, must wait. Mason does his best Stiles speech. "Although the last few hours haven't been your best, this is no way to fix it. She's gonna find out. It's not gonna hurt any less coming from you." Liam agrees and gets distracted by Hayden's scent since, you know…not dead. Big sigh. If they resurrect that club too, they owe me a new TV. Mason convinces Liam that Hayden is dead while the audience sees her reflection behind them. I don't care one jot.

I do however care deeply about Scott and Stiles' broken bromance. Parrish admits Lydia while Scott heads upstairs to find his former best friend in the middle of a breakdown and yelling at everyone. "Somebody needs to tell me what's happening to him!" Mama McCall: "We don't know." Ouch! Stiles sees Scott, who's still bleeding by the way, and immediately turns all that rage on him. He takes Scott down, showing how injured Scott really is. Stiles: "You trusted him. You believed him. Right, huh? So where were you? So where the hell were you?" StepDoc breaks them up and Scott exposits, "Look, your dad's not the only one who got hurt." Stiles: "Oh, you'll heal." Scott: "I'm not talking about me." That gets Stiles' attention. Downstairs, ScienceMom does her best to reassure herself although she has been here before with Lydia's grandma. She whispers that they will get Lydia the best help but draws the line at Stiles. ScienceMom: "No, no you don't. You're not coming in here. Get out!" She's at Stiles freak out level here and won't let Stiles confirm his theory. ScienceMom: "I know who did this. You! All of you! Get out!" Stiles wants to check the back of Lydia's neck because Beacon Hills Memorial is the least competent hospital in all of Fictionville. Seriously, who admits a catatonic teen and doesn't at least do a cursory examination? You'd think someone would notice her gaping neck wounds. Time for a mini-pack powwow. They exposit that Theo attacked Sheriff to keep Stiles from helping Scott but aren't sure why he needed Lydia. Parrish: "We need to find this kid." Mama McCall: "Isn't that a little dangerous, especially since he almost killed my kid?" Good point. Stiles argues that Theo doesn't want Sheriff dead, a point Parrish finds hard to swallow, but Theo did tell Stiles where his dad was so there's that. Mama McCall: "What do you want to do? Talk to him?" Stiles: "If it saves my dad, then yeah." I'm with Stiles here. Time to cure Sheriff. Scott wants to come too but Stiles nixes that idea because Theo thinks Scott's dead. Mama McCall nixes Stiles because she's not stupid. Parrish is just confused. Welcome to the Teen Wolf fandom, sir. You fit right in.

True to form, Stiles is right. There's no need to find Theo because he willingly comes to Stiles. Scott hides at the top of the stairs to monitor Theo's heartbeat and Stiles tosses Scott's shirt at Theo when he comes in to disguise his scent. It's a better plan than the mountain ash barrier, which of course doesn't work. Stiles: "Did you kill my best friend?" Theo: "Let's be honest Stiles. Is he still really your best friend?" Ouch! Stiles doesn't answer. Double ouch! Stiles: "Are you gonna let my father die?" Theo looks genuinely surprised to hear of Sheriff's woes so something's amiss. Theo: "I'm not the bad guy, Stiles. I'm just a realist. I'm a survivor. If you knew the things that I know…" Stiles cuts him off to demand details. Theo: "I know what's coming. I know what the dread doctors created and I know what Parrish is." Oh sit down, Theo. We all know what Parrish is and not just a skeevy adult having sex dreams about a teenager. Stiles confronts Theo about assaulting Lydia but Theo calls her, "collateral damage." Reason #459 of why Theo must die, just not before 5B ends. He's too much fun to die too soon. Exposition over, he heads out so Stiles tries to stop him but he pushes Stiles against the stairs, knocking him unconscious. For those keeping track at home, this is the 3rd brain trauma of the night but not the last. Here's hoping the kids have insurance too. All these jabs to the head can't be doing Lydia, Stiles, or Scott any good. I do like how Stiles keeps hearing his dad's voice when he's out though. It's like Sheriff is motivating him to keep going and to stay focused. Meanwhile, a bewildered ScienceMom for some reason decides to allow Eichen House to take Lydia away. Say what? Why would she agree to send her daughter to the same place that killed her mother-in-law instead of say, leaving town as fast as humanly possible to get help somewhere safe? Come on, people! Parrish objects strenuously, vowing to rescue Lydia, but things make a whole lot more sense when Eichen House Head morphs into Valack. Yikes, that's some powerful Jedi mind control. I guess Science Mom gets a pass for possibly the worst decision yet, and let's face it. Lydia's parents aren't going to win any awards.

Shockingly neither is StepDoc. Liam and Mason pester him about dead bodies to the point that anyone with half a brain would be suspicious. Instead of asking pertinent questions like, "Why are you sure your girlfriend's dead?" or "What the heck is going on here?" he tells them to go home. That's some seriously shoddy parenting there and StepDoc was so good at it in season 4. Maybe he's exhausted. I think Mason is too because instead of escorting Liam home, he mentions the nematon so Liam switches gears. Mason: "I need to learn to shut up." Yes sir, you do. I foresee more fun with holes in our future. Oh joy. They skedaddle to the completely wrecked library where Liam has PTSD and Mason channels his inner Giles to find an obscure book about lay lines. Remember them? He uses them to figure out where the nematon is although Lydia and Stiles tried for weeks. Still this is Super Special Snowflake Liam so I'm sure his inner supernatural tracker will lead him right to it. At least they confirm the nematon has its own supernatural force field that keeps people from seeing it until it wants to be found. That makes slightly more sense than the theory that it moves around the forest in an elaborate game of tag. Mason wants to copy the map but Liam rips it right out of the book, causing Mason to look on in shock. Best reaction of the night. They head to the woods but no such luck until…Mason remembers Liam is a Super Special Snowflake, assuring Liam that he's the bestest guy ever and that trying to kill Scott was not his fault. It was that pesky supermoon and Liam's own emotions over Hayden. Liam doesn't buy it so Mason gives him every excuse in the book. The whole point of this scene is to convince viewers that Liam is not a world-class douche for trying to kill Scott. How much it works depends on if you ever liked Liam in the first place, so no. Mid-pep talk Mason decides they can only see the nematon with Liam's glowing werewolf eyes. Viola, up pops the nematon with its 4 bodies, minus B Pack.

Since finding the nematon won't change anything and we already know Hayden isn't there, we thankfully go back to Scott and Stiles….where it's chillier than the Arctic. Yikes! Scott goes to help Stiles up but Stiles brushes his hand away and walks right past him. Ouch. Scott says Theo's heartbeat held no clues but it did jump at hearing that Sheriff is being poisoned so they surmise that he didn't know. They brainstorm what everything means and I'm delighted to see them work in tandem like they used to. This is the most time screen time together Scott and Stiles have had since 5A's premiere. Smart Scott takes the lead and realizes that Theo didn't attack Sheriff; it had to be another chimera. Things are going so well…right until Stiles locks Scott out of the car, saying he can do the rest himself but Scott disagrees. Scott: "Do you even know where you're headed? Come on, let me help. I can find the clues that you can't." It's a rational proposition but Stiles is not in a forgive and forget mood. He starts the car but Scott stands in front of it and refuses to budge. Yes! Best Scott move in a long time. He won't give up on their friendship and he's sure not giving up on Sheriff. Scott realizes what we all knew before secrets and lies tore the brothers apart. They are always, always stronger together and so is this show. You cannot have Teen Wolf without the Scott and Stiles bond. You just can't. Scott knows that but Stiles is still hurt that Scott believed Theo over him. Scott: "You can't do this alone, okay? You need me. You need all of us. I can get more help. I can text Liam." Stiles: "Liam just tried to kill you." Very, very good point. Scott: "Okay, then at least let me help." Stiles: "You believed him." Scott: "You trusted him too. Theo got to all of us." Hmm, I don't agree with that. Stiles said over and over again that they couldn't trust Theo. He used him when he had to but I don't buy that Stiles ever trusted him. Now, Theo DID get to him. That I believe 100%. Theo masterfully screwed with everyone's head. Stiles: "You know you don't even know the real story." Scott: "I don't need to. All that matters right now is your dad." I agree with this too, although I hope we don't miss out on Stiles talking to Scott about Psycho. I'll be ticked off if they just gloss over that scene too.

However this is not the time for it. It is time for a Scott McCall pep talk. Scott: "Come on, Stiles. We survived an alpha pact, a dark druid, professional assassins. We can survive dread doctors and chimeras too." You bet you can! Together. And together, Stiles realizes they don't have to track a chimera. They just need to find the latest missing teen and just like that, they're back on the same side. Don't get me wrong. They are NOT okay, but there's a glimmer of okay and their screen time isn't separated. That's a wish list checkmark right there. The two find the chimera using Stiles' police connections and Scott breaks into his locker to track his scent. He also calls Malia to help over Stiles' objections. Urgh! I like Malia. I don't care if they are broken up or not, but I better get my Malia time and it better not stay awkward between these two. Frankly Stiles needs Malia because the kid they're looking for is dripping silver goo and hunted by the steampunk scientists. We all know how that ends. They track him to the tunnels, where Malia and Scott briefly angst over Stiles. Malia: "He didn't want you to call me, did he?" Scott: "No. Is it that bad?" Malia: "We kind of broke up I guess." Scott: "Yeah, we kind of broke up too." Ouch! 3A, leaving hearts broken all over the place. Mainly the viewers'. Scott offers to be Malia's sounding board but she brushes him off. "I said I'd help find this kid and I'm doing it to try to save Stiles' dad. Don't ask me to talk." Methinks Malia is about to break up with the pack. Urgh! Scott tries one more time to fix the pack but Malia catches the scent and it's off they go. Sheriff however, isn't going anywhere as poison spreads throughout his body. StepDoc is stumped so he goes to the one fountain of answers, Mama McCall. Smart man. StepDoc: "If you know something about this that I don't…" Mama McCall: "Me?" StepDoc: "Yes, you. Nothing seems to faze you and not to sound accusatory but it's obvious you know something." Mama McCall: "Knowing something is different from understanding it. Yeah, I could tell you things - really bizarre things - but right now I can't tell you anything that is gonna save his life." Mama McCall counsels buying as much time as they can because it's up to their kids now.

Well one of their kids; Liam and Mason are still playing at the tree. Speaking of bizarre things, it goes from being about 6 am to dusk in a millisecond. Instanight, a Beacon Hills phenomenon. Seriously, one minute they find the nematon in the bright sunshine and now it's suddenly evening. It does allow the police to sneak up on them though. Huh? Oh forget it. Logic left ages ago. Hayden leads police to the bodies but no one seems surprised to find a shocked Liam and Mason there. I'd feel like Liam at seeing Hayden again but she was only dead for 2.2 seconds so I can't summon the energy to care. Back in the tunnels, Scott realizes this is the only new set that is going to survive season 5. Maybe. Stiles doesn't care because he's freaking out about his dad. We get it. You're worried. Stop yelling at everyone. Chimera #512 tires of it too and throws Stiles into a wall, making it blackout #2 for him and a fantastic flashback for us. Stiles remembers his mom's funeral, when his dad told him, "Hey, you've still got me." Baby Stiles and Sheriff hug as my heart melts. Awww. Even better Sheriff Yoda tells Stiles to wake up and the dream melds into Scott taking Stiles' hand to help him up. I like that Sheriff's voice encourages Stiles every time. I like Scott at his side even more. While Scott makes sure Stiles is okay, Malia pins the chimera but the steampunk scientists are coming. Malia lets up but Stiles pins the hapless chimera to the wall instead, who gets amnesia when he changes. Stiles and I find that convenient so Stiles grills him until Scott says to get the chimera to the hospital and save his dad while Scott and Malia stall the steampunk scientists. Malia, being smart, is not too keen on this plan but Stiles goes for it while Scott starts bleeding again. Stiles and Chimera #512 don't get very far because a barred gate is in the way. Chimera #512 decides to use his super powers to break the lock but it requires him to change, which often leads to him going out of control and clawing people to death. I'm just not feeling this plan. While it's a typical bad Teen Wolf plan, it makes for one heck of a plot device. As the chimera changes, Stiles realizes one of his claw spikes is broken and viola. We have an answer.

Conveniently our chimera friend stays in complete control and Stiles gets word to Mama McCall. Not quite sure if Chimera #512 will get away from the steampunk scientists though. That's up to Scott and Malia, who are in a standoff with them. Er, more accurately Scott and Malia are standing around while the steampunk scientists sloooowly make their way down the hall. It's like watching slow moving zombies. At least it gives Malia time to freak out. "Scott, we're gonna die down here." Scott: "No we're not." Malia: "How can you be so sure?" Scott: "Because you're not the only one that I called." WOO HOOOOO!!!! It's Argent! Man, I missed you. 5A wasn't the same without your wisdom and guns. He tells Scott and Malia to duck but no one gave him the memo on the steampunk scientists' ammo stopping power. Oops! He blasts them anyway as they all run to swelling hero anthems playing in the background. If anyone deserves that anthem, it's Argent…or maybe Mama McCall. She corners StepDoc to insist that he perform emergency surgery right now on Sheriff. StepDoc is reasonably puzzled but Mama persists. "He's being poisoned by bone marrow. I know it doesn't make any sense. I know what it sounds like, but you have to open him up. Do it now!" Being smart man and not caring that there's no way in Hades Sheriff's crummy insurance is going to cover this, he follows Mama's orders. As Sheriff worsens, he finds and removes the bone shard. Since Teen Wolf isn't Teen Wolf without a questionable slow-mo moment, Scott, Malia, and Argent enter the hospital only to get that silent reassuring look only Mama McCall can give. Sheriff is okay. Whew! Team Pack saves their own once more and most importantly, they did it together. As an exhausted Stiles lies with his head on the hospital bed, Sheriff awakens. He strokes Stiles' arm, waking him. Sheriff: "It's okay, Stiles. You've still got me." Both Stiles and I tear up and he grabs his dad's hand. Sniff, sniff. These two are awesome.

With 5 minutes left in the episode, Theo and Hayden traverse the same tunnels as Team Pack. Why? They're looking for Chimera #512 too. Popular kid. Hayden's confused about how she can track him but Theo says it's the jaguar in her drawn to the berserker in him. Okay…why is that exactly? They never did explain why Kate could control berserkers. Hayden's too busy being confused about why she's even with Theo to pursue answers. Does she even remember what happened? And Hayden is finally interesting to me again. She realizes that steampunk scientists got Chimera #512, which ticks Theo off because they keep getting in the way of his pack. Even more worrisome to his ego is a symbol of a broken circle with a smaller broken circle in the center etched into the wall. Theo: "It's a symbol, a symbol of an alpha and his pack." Hayden: "Who's pack?" Theo: "Scott's." Say what? Scott has a team emblem? Good for him. Jumping back to Eichen House, Valack is impressed as well. "It was more than a symbol, wasn't it? It was a promise to reunite them." Lydia agrees. Valack: "Has Scott done it yet? Will he be coming for you?" Ha! Even Former Triclops wants the pack back together. Lydia: "Someone's coming but it's not Scott." Duhn, duhn, duhn. Enter Theo and B Pack. Like Theo, Valack insists he's the good guy. He's keeping Lydia safe from the steampunk scientists, who don't yet realize that Lydia is the key. Theo's pack is more concerned about Valack's treatment methods. Chimera #492: "She doesn't look good." Screamer: "She's got a hole in her head. That's not a good look for anyone." Ha! Very true. Theo goes all noble and yet shady, which causes Valack to question his motives. "Now what would a pack of chimeras want with a banshee?" Theo: "I don't want a banshee. I'm looking for a hellhound." I guess that makes Parrish the hot girl now. Right on cue, he melts the gates to rescue Lydia. Valack: "You wanted a hellhound. I think you found one."

This is now my third time watching this episode and while not perfect by any stretch, it did what I needed it to do. Like Mama McCall stated in the midseason finale, I needed hope. Hope that the pack would right itself and come back stronger. Hope that my favorite bromance wasn't gone. Hope that the show would fix the issues of seasons 4 and 5A. I don't expect 3B quality but I do expect Teen Wolf to keep righting itself. I see aspects of this throughout. First and foremost, it gave Scott and Stiles screen time together. They cannot begin to fix the mess between them if they are never in the same room together. For a vast part of this episode, they are working together as a team. Each brings their own skills to a mutual task and it's one of the few times when a Teen Wolf plan actually works because of it. While it is clear that Stiles is holding a major grudge, Scott is working diligently to piece back the pack he lost and it is one of the better leadership moments in Scott's history as true alpha. He will not let Stiles go off on his own and he's not losing his best friend without a fight. I love that. It shows Scott's strength even as his werewolf powers are failing. The heart of this show has always been and will always be the bromance of Scott and Stiles and to see him fight to keep it alive is awesome. Here's hoping that Stiles bends soon too because that's #1 on my wish list. I also like that once again Mama McCall calms the storm and saves the day. I really cannot overstate how awesome she is and having Argent back is a bonus too. Of course the best part though is that Sheriff is back with the living, safe and sound. Team Parent must prevail. The pack depends on it.

Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - less filler, more story, more questions
Best Scene - Scott won't let Stiles leave without him
Best Awww Moment - Sheriff wakes up and tells Stiles that he's still there
Best Entrance - Argent
MVP - brain injuries because I swear our heroes lose consciousness more times in this episode than in all of seasons 4 and 5A combined
Best Catch - Scott figures out that Theo didn't attack Sheriff, but another chimera did
Best Flashback - Stiles and Sheriff at the funeral of his mother
Best Silent Moment - Mama McCall reassures Scott, Malia, and Argent with just a look
Best Reaction - Mason to Liam ripping the page out of the book
Worst Doctor - Valack, who drills into Lydia's skull
Worst Plan - Thinking anywhere in Beacon Hills is safe, much less Eichen House. Really, ScienceMom? Didn't your mother-in-law prove it's not safe? You need to leave Beacon hills for safety. How about fleeing with your catatonic daughter to Europe where she can hang out with Jackson?
Worst Parenting - Lydia's mom has the excuse of being freaked out. What's Hot Doc's excuse? If your kid comes up to you asking about if their friend's body has shown up, you need to start asking questions. Lots of questions. Specifically, why exactly do you think she's dead?
Biggest Blech - Parrish is still having sex dreams about Lydia and almost causes a car crash because of it
Biggest Ho Hum - Liam realizes Hayden is alive. Whatever. We didn't even have time to miss her.
Biggest Shock / Best Back Story - Theo let his sister die so that he could take her heart and become a chimera? That's just cold, man.
Biggest Question - Who's the last chimera?
Biggest Ouch - Theo calls Lydia "collateral damage"
Biggest Eye Roll - Stiles and Lydia search everywhere for the nematon but who finds it on his first try? Why, it's Super Special Snowflake Liam Dunbar of course.
Biggest Hmmm - If you figured out how to live forever, why would your #1 ambition be to create the perfect killer? The steampunk scientists need to rethink their life goals.
Biggest Understatement - Mason tells Liam that this hasn't been his finest moment
Biggest Freak Out / Most on Edge - tie - Stiles and Lydia's mom
Best Return - Hot Doc
Least Welcome Return - Creeper Orderly / steampunk scientists
Least Effective Bragging -We all now know what Parrish is, Theo. Sit down.
Least Surprising - Valack is pretending to be the Eichen House Director so he can take Lydia
Most Awkward Relationship - tie - Scott and Stiles / Stiles and Malia
Most Missed - Kira and family
Most Shoddy Hospital Work - Did no one do a cursory check of Lydia to see if anything else is wrong? No wonder this hospital has such a terrible mortality record. It's not just the supernatural wreaking havoc but the fact that Mama McCall may be the only competent person on staff.
Most Wonky Werewolf Powers - Scott, who doesn't seem to be healing and even faints
Smartest Cookie - tie - Hayden's sister finally realizes that she needs to leave Beacon Hills / Hot Doc realizes that Mama McCall knows more than everyone else
The Am I Missing Something?" Award, part 1 - Did they ever clarify why jaguars and berserkers are drawn together…or how Kate could control the berserkers…or what the point of bringing Kate back was?
The "Am I Missing Something?" Award, part 2 - Since when does Scott's pack have a symbol?
The "Nope, That's NOT Even a Little Suspicious" Award - Liam keeps grilling his dad about whether Hayden's body has been found. Way to keep him from thinking you're a psycho killer if it did, Liam.
The "Say What?" Award - Stiles never trusted Theo.  He used him to get what he needed but that's not the same thing as trusting him.
The "Oh Baby" Award - Stiles' tears hurt my heart so watching him cry alone in the waiting room while waiting to see if his dad is going to make it is painful
The "If At First You Don't Succeed" Award - Why do they keep trying to shoot or claw the steampunk scientists? At this point, I'm thinking some kind of electromagnetic weapon instead.
The "Not Them Again" Award - steampunk scientists really need to go
The "When in Doubt" Award - just trust Mama McCall because she's always right
The "Out of the Frying Pan" Award - First, Valack takes Lydia. Now Theo is coming after her. Neither is a good alternative. Now would be a great time for her to save herself.

Best Quotes -
1. Scott: "You can't do this alone, okay? You need me. You need all of us. I can get more help. I can text Liam." Stiles: "Liam just tried to kill you." Scott: "Okay, then at least let me help." Stiles: "You believed him." Scott: "You trusted him too. Theo got to all of us." Stiles: "You know you don't even know the real story." Scott: "I don't need to. All that matters right now is your dad. Come on, Stiles. We survived an alpha pact, a dark druid, professional assassins. We can survive dread doctors and chimeras too." Stiles: "We're not looking for a missing chimera. We're looking for a missing teenager."
2. Sheriff: "Hey, you've still got me." / Sheriff: "It's okay, Stiles. You've still got me."
3. Mason: "I need to learn to shut up."
4. Parrish: "We need to find this kid." Mama McCall: "Isn't that a little dangerous, especially since he almost killed my kid?"
5. Chimera #???: "She doesn't look good." Screamer: "She's got a hole in her head. It's not a good look for anyone."



Screencaps by Screencapped, WereDeer Stiles,  and Status Stilinski

Hello and welcome back to our regular format for Last Week in TV after our previous awards column. Unlike years past, it feels like there really is no winter hiatus since shows have come back so quickly. This edition in particular has a lot of pilots and I didn't even get to see many of them. Bordertown is missing because it wasn't at all my kind of show. I barely got through the end of it. I've also not included And Then There Were None, Colony, Billions, Dickensian, or War and Peace, many of which I had not heard of before the last two weeks. I will be adding them in as I get time. This week also saw the return of favorites Teen Wolf and Galavant. See, no hiatus here. Has your TV week been as busy? Any new or midseason shows you've seen that have blown you away? Tell all in the comments below. Also don't forget to nominate your favorite shows for me to watch. Next week I will be reviewing nominated episode, Friday Night Lights'"The Son". I'm excited because I've heard great things about it. So until next week, happy TV viewing.









Elementary - 4.07 - Miss Taken

This is my favorite Elementary episode of the season and surprisingly it doesn't have Sherlock's father in it. Instead we learn of Joan's issues with her dad. Apparently after she found out about his affair, she has had trouble relating to dear old dad. Her father, stuck for a book idea and desperate to reconnect with Joan if only through writing fiction, pens a novel loosely based on Joan and Sherlock's adventures. This was one of the better personal subplots of Sherlock and I liked getting to meet Joan's stepdad, especially since he's played by John Heard whom I've liked since Beaches. It was also interesting to see Joan getting emotional in her personal life. Her anger and hurt is very real but in the end, she comes up with a way to reconnect with her dad in a way they can both live with. On Sherlock's side, there is Moriarty Junior. I don't know if anyone else saw traces of Moriarty in this imposter but I found her fascinating. Sherlock obviously does too given the expert way she lies. I love that this girl is still a complete mystery to Sherlock at the end and if there's one thing Sherlock doesn't deal well with, it's an unsolved mystery. That gives me hope that we will see Cassie again.

Grade: A-

Best Reason to Watch - both the case and the personal aspects were fascinating
Best Scene - Watson's dad says he wrote the book to feel closer to her after his affair
Best Awww Moment - Watson suggests that her dad and she work on his next book together
Most Fascinating - Cassie
Most Subtle Mockery - Joan basically blasts her father's book for including guns, karate, and two leads hooking up, the exact things that make Elementary different from all the other cop shows out there
Most Violent Plan - Sherlock detonates a bomb in the suspect's home to get access to it
Most in Need of Returning - while I would love to see Joan's father again, I am more fascinated by Cassie's chameleon act and how obviously smart she is
Worst Home Decorating - color coded case files on the walls and floors
Biggest Hmm - Exactly how much money does Watson make in this detective business? If she can buy 4,000 copies of a hardback book at roughly $15 a pop at the drop of a hat, she's making a nice salary.
Biggest Facepalm - I accidentally spoiled myself on IMDb about what I thought was the big plot twist. Luckily Sherlock revealed the twist 14 minutes into the story so I wasn't spoiled the whole episode.
The "Welcome Back" Award - John Heard from a bazillion movies / Kathryn Erbe from Law & Order: Criminal Intent / Raphael Sbarge from Once Upon a Time / Ally Ioannides, who plays Tilda on Into the Badlands

Best Quotes -
1. Joan's Dad: "So how did you know that that was me?" Joan: "Grover Ogden? We lived on Ogden Avenue. Grover was our dog and by the way, that's how you make a porn name, not a pen name."
2. Cassie: "May I come in?" Sherlock: "Well I'm not sure you should. There's no wood chipper in here."
3. Sherlock: "Frankly Captain, I'm surprised you don't find our thesis more compelling." Gregson: "I find it compelling as hell but I also think I'm the only parent in the room."
4. Sherlock: "You are one of the best liars I have ever met and that is saying something."





Heroes: Reborn - 1.11 - Send in the Clones
BY Laura Markus

Fantastic episode! One of the best I've seen. This episode was undoubtedly the best, cohesive episode of the entire series. Every plot line impacted the bigger picture in some way, and I was thoroughly interested in all of them, unlike other episodes. Luke and Malina were adorable together and their meet up with Quentin and Phoebe was intense. Erica is still a b****, and I still wanted Harris dead, and I think I got what I wished for. Nathan reunited with Emily and Anne, Miko interacted with Nathan some more and did the killing of Harris, and Farah and Carlos freed the EVOs and reunited with Father Mauricio and José. We saw Joanne for a bit, who got an alarming request from Erica. I cannot wait for the remaining two episodes!

Grade: A+

Best Reason to Watch - Everyone had equal, useful, and thrilling screen time.
The "Missing in Action" Award - Noah Bennet. Where's he at?
Best Scene - Luke and Quentin having an exchange in a cornfield.
The "Finally!" Award - Miko kills Harris, the original Harris, so hopefully he's gone for good now.
Saddest Scene - After finding where Micah was being held, Mauricio gets shot.
The "Oh, Crap!" Award - Erica tasking Joanne to kill Malina, who's being protected by Luke.
Funniest Moment - Luke, saying, "You can't block a glock."
The "You're Ruining My Favourite Character" Award - Two words: Matt Parkman.

Best Quotes:
1. Luke: "Okay, okay, go, go. Go to the barn at the edge of the field." Malina: "No. I'm the one they're after. This isn't your destiny." Luke: "You don't know that." Malina: "How are you gonna defend yourself? You don't have your power." Luke: "You can't block a glock. Now go, please. Please!"
2. - Quentin: "Whoa, whoa!" Luke: "Drop the gun." Quentin: "You're that Odessa guy. You're the one who stole Noah Bennet's car. You killed all those people at Primatech. You shot me." Luke: "My wife wanted to kill you. I told her not to. One of the few things she was right about. Gotta love second chances."
Quentin: "You're on the wrong side, buddy. You don't know what you're doing. [...] Where's Bennet? Why are you running the show?" Luke: "Bennet's gone." Quentin: "What?" Luke: "Why are you worried so much about Bennet, anyway? You should be worried about yourself. If you even think about pulling that trigger, I will roast you faster than your buddy over here. [...] How committed are you? You willing to die for your side?"
3. Malina: "You shoot fire balls out of your hands. Why do you need a gun and bullets?" Luke: "Well, because my powers are unreliable without the sun. So, if we have to fight at night, we're gonna need insurance. We are in Missouri, after all. I can get you your own gun if you want one." Malina: "No need, I have a 24-hour power."
4. Miko [about to fight Harris]: "I've been looking forward to this."



Mom- 3.07- Kreplach and a Tiny Tush
BY Michaela

This was probably the funniest episode of the season so far for me. Gregory’s mom was shockingly, hilariously mean and she catalyzed some amazing reactions from Bonnie, Christy, Gregory and Violet. Her comedic timing and delivery are ones for the ages. Linda Lavin should seriously win an award for this because I laughed out loud multiple times during this episode. Kreplach and a Tiny Tush was the most farcical episode of the season and it worked out surprisingly well. I’m not usually a fan of farces, but the way that each person came barging in to demand Christy’s help while she was trying to have a normal and respectable party for Violet and her soon to be mother-in-law was unexpectedly hilarious and well-crafted comedy. The B-plot involving Bonnie and her inability to admit that Steve was her boyfriend wasn’t as funny but it did have its moments and it provided insight into her character. This isn’t the first time one of the Plunkett women has been shown to be uncomfortable with emotional intimacy or commitment. Christy had a similar storyline in season two. Like mother, like daughter, I guess. It was unfortunate to see Bonnie lose someone she cared about because she couldn’t admit she was in a relationship, but to be honest, Steve wasn’t really a catch and Bonnie deserves better.

Grade: A

Best Reason to Watch- The wonderful balance of character work and humor.
Best Scene- The hilarious dinner party towards the end of the episode that lets everyone showcase their remarkable comedic talents.
Best Guest Actor/Actress- Linda Lavin
Most Effectively Broad Comedy- The constant and increasingly ridiculous entrances of recurring characters coming to either confront Bonnie or demand Christy help them out.
Best Caretaker- Christy, who does her best to help fix everyone else’s problems while making a good impression for her daughter.
Master of Verbal Takedowns- Phyllis, who was able to shock even Bonnie silent.

Best Quotes-
1. Christy: “We’ll be on our best behavior. You’ll swear we’re other people.”
2. Bonnie: “Which one do you want first? Keep in mind, the pizza will get cold, but this (gestures to body) will stay hot forever.”
3. Bonnie (after her boyfriend asks her out to lunch): “That’s not even one Shade of Grey.”
4. Christy: “Mom, from the bottom of my heart I just gotta tell ya: Your problems are stupid.”
5. Christy: “Mom, do you mind taking your dumb*** life outside?”



Sherlock-The Abominable Bride
BY Swanpride

I had a lot of reservation concerning this special. For starters, I feel that it mostly exists to badly conceal the fact that the waiting time between the season is becoming longer and longer, to tide the fandom over during a wait which will at the very least last three bloody years. But I also didn't really see the point to putting the characters back in time. After all, if I want to see a Victorian Sherlock, there are a lot of shows to pick from. But in the end, it blew my mind! And that even though it turned out to be what I usually hate seeing in TV, a dream episode. Usually one dream sequence is enough to put me off an episode, and here I got a 90 minutes mind trip. I think my dislike for this kind of episodes stems from the fact that most dream sequences in TV feel more like filler than anything else. They usually don't have much of a meaning and next to no purpose aside from showing some trippy scenes. But this special actually did have something to say. In fact, the meta narrative of this one is so complicated, I will need weeks to digest it. We have:
1. A commentary on the source text Sherlock Holmes Fans will love (the episode is firing references by the minute! And sometimes the second.)
2. A commentary on the inherent sexism of the source text which was written in a very different era and the need to give the female characters (mainly Mary) a voice in a modern adaptation of it, whether certain parts of the fandom like it or not.
3. A delve into Sherlock's complicated psyche, how he sees himself and his relationships to the different people in his live.
4. A more thorough exploration of Sherlock's drug addiction than we've gotten beforehand.
5. And between all of this are some much needed answers for the current time-line. Yes, Mycroft knows who Mary is, and Mary knows that he knows. Yes, Moriarty is truly dead. And yes, fans will now spend the rest of the waiting time looking for clues on what is about to come.

It is really impressive how the show pulls off all this without missing a beat. Well, perhaps for one exception. Fat Mycroft didn't really work for me. Or, to be precise, the way he was portrayed as over-eater rather than someone too lazy to move enough, bothered me. They took the (unfunny) joke way to far, imho. That this complicated construct works at all is mostly due to the excellent actors. Special shot-out for Martin Freeman, who manages to portray Watson slightly different from John, inserting him expertly with some Victorian stiffness, Marc Gatiss, who might deliver his best performance so far by portraying Mycroft's complex feelings for Sherlock spot on, and Louise Brealey, who somehow manages to make the notion of a woman posing daily as a man believable. Thus said, this is an episode for the dedicated fans, for those who have fun taking apart the different layers and spotting the references. It is a love letter to Sherlock Holmes, but also to those, who follow his stories and try to understand him. Casual watchers will most likely feel lost.

Grade: A

Best Reason to Watch - Finally something new to talk about for the content starved Sherlock fan!
Best Scene - The short glimpse into Mycroft's memories of Sherlock's drug addiction.
Best Character - Inside Sherlock (naturally), Out Mycroft is stealing the show.
Best Turn - The cut back to the tarmac. While there was something off about what was shown beforehand, I really didn't see that coming.
Best Prop - The Reichenbach Fall, in all variations.
Best Effect - Most of the show-typical flourishes have become familiar at this point, but they are still compelling to look at. I especially loved the way they cut from the Victorian apartment to the modern street in the end.
Most Creepy - Everything involving the bride delivers on the kind of old-fashioned Victorian horror I was missing in the Hound of Baskerville episode. This song will haunt my dreams!
Most Deliberately Ridiculous - Watson saying to the maid that he will tell his wife to a have a word with the maid.
Most Satisfying Moment - John kicking Sherlock's addiction down the waterfall.
Biggest Head Scratcher - Is Janine's presence a hint that Sherlock overlooked her and that she has a connection to Moriarty?

Best Quote:
1. Watson: "Those are my words, not yours! That is the version of you that I present to the public. The brain without a heart. The calculating machine. I write all of that, Holmes, and the readers lap it up. But I do not believe it."
2. Holmes: "Pass me your revolver. I have a sudden need to use it."
3. Mycroft: "What do you think of MI5 security?" Mary: "I think it would be a good idea."





Angel from Hell - 1.01 - Pilot

I have to admit that I was underwhelmed about seeing this pilot after the previews came out. Jane Lynch plays Amy, a character as unappealing, gross, and obnoxious as the promos make her out to be. However there is a lot more heart here than I expected as well. Allison's family is supportive and interesting characters in their own right. They dump (I think) the most annoying character right in the pilot and Maggie Lawson makes Allison sympathetic if slightly too nice. The only real problem I foresee from this pilot is that Amy is very likely to get on my nerves. It's definitely not marathon material. What remains to be seen is if it is weekly material or not. It gets 2 more episodes to convince me.

Grade: B-
Ranking - 3
Audience - people who are fine with bodily function jokes and can use a little heart in their comedies

Best Reason to Watch / Biggest Surprise - the heart
Best Scene - Amy cheers up Allison with S'Mores
Best Character Interaction- Allison and Brad
Most Over-the-Top - Jane Lynch as Amy
Biggest Product Placement - Pantene
Cheesiest Moment - Allison sees Amy in a picture of her as a little girl
Worst Lie - Amy says she has cancer to get Allison to go to the bar with her
The "Welcome Back" Award- Maggie Lawson, formerly from Psych / Jane Lynch, formerly from Glee / Kyle Bornheimer from Agent Carter and Playing House / Liza Lapira from Battle Creek and NCIS / Kevin Pollak from The Drew Carey Show and She's All That

Best Quotes -
1. Allison: "Another scarf? I didn't agree to move in with Steven Tyler's mixed aunt."
2. Allison: "Look, I am a skin doctor. I think what you need is a psychiatrist or maybe a sober living arrangement."
3. Allison: "Dad, come on. We're dermatologists, not cautionary tales."
4. Allison: "Everybody, the party celebrating my relationship ended when my relationship ended." Brad: "You heard her, folks. Move it or lose it."
5. Allison: "Are you applying for the job of her gay best friend?"



Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life- 1.01 - How to Survive Your Lovable Jacka**

I have a feeling Cooper Barrett's life is going to be far too silly for me. Barry, the episode's title character, is an idiot, plain and simple. When he was explaining why that TV was so important to him, it should have been touching to me. Instead all I could do was roll my eyes at all the stupid stuff they did in pursuit of it. He's going to have to improve big time or else he will be the deal breaker on this show for me. Still even the best characters were annoying in their immaturity. Josh can't just tell his wife that he's spending time with his brother? Why? In the end, I am not sold on this show but I'm not sure I wouldn't like it later either. The format of storytelling over several years is intriguing and Cooper could go either way as a character. Therefore it gets one more episode to make me believe in its charms.

Grade: C
Ranking: 3-
Audience - people who adore lovable loser characters

Best Reason to Watch - characters have a real bond
Best Character - hmmm, a tie between Cooper and Josh right now
Best Save - Josh with his minivan
Best Reference - Batkid
Best Reason to Check the Label - Cooper's energy drink contains the day-glo element in glow sticks
Least Surprising - the TV they stole was not theirs
Most Surprising - the landlord stole the TV
Most Novel - the episode takes place over 5 years and as a concept it actually worked for me
Worst Plan - stealing your TV back
Worst Hiding Place - the dryer
Worst Pet - full size pig in an apartment
Worst Timing - Cooper gets kidnapped right after kissing Kelly on national TV
The "Welcome Back" Award - Liza Lapira from Battle Creek / Justin Bartha from National Treasure

Best Quotes -
1. Neal: "The thing is, dude, I've been crunching some numbers and based on my looks, salary, and personality deficiencies, there's an 87% chance my wife will have a moustache." Cooper: "Then she'll be the luckiest, hairiest woman in the world."
2. Neal: "You make the creepiest first impression. Have I ever told you that before?"
3. Cooper: "The guy learning to use the door is Neal."



The Magicians - 1.01 - Pilot

So Harry Quentin gets an invitation interview to attend a school of magic in England New York under the watchful care of Dumbledore the Dean. That is if he can find Platform 9 ¾ the university. Applicants can get to Narnia Brakebills University through a wardrobe grandfather clock, an elevator, or a particularly stubborn windswept paper. Quentin arrives via the paper and qualifies to attend by making the world's best house of cards but sadly his best friend Edmund Julia is a Muggle and in a jealous fit goes off with the White Witch Peter, aka Voldemort the bad guy. While at the school munchkinsSusan Pevensie his favorite British fictional character tells Harry Quentin that he is the special chosen one and NOT to follow the yellow brick road. Quentin and the audience are rightly confused but he joins the cool kids to learn how to have sex in the air and pick on not-so-cool kids. There he meets Hermoine Alice, who is unimpressed with his living under the cupboard story general 20's emoangsting and misunderstood woe. Then things get REALLY weird. All kidding aside, this episode does read like bad fan fic, trying to answer those really tough Harry Potter questions like:
What would happen if Harry Potter took place in America but still had cool accents?
What would happen if Harry Potter took place at college so we could have all the sex, drinking, and drugs Harry and friends missed out on?
What exactly does JK Rowling have against America anyway?

Still for all its story issues, the bones of a great new fantasy adventure are there. The pacing in the pilot is a mess as it tries to create its world but since that is largely scaffolded here, there should be more time to flesh out the story in the next couple of episodes. The characters are already interesting and there's a significant cliffhanger to grab people's attention. Episodes 2 and 3 should tell if this will be another example of a show rising above its pilot or if it is best to be consigned to the fan fic it came from.

Grade: C
Ranking - 3 (cautiously)
Audience - those who wish Harry Potter was more R than PG-13

Best Reason to Watch - it sets up its world well and is significantly creepier than other fantasy shows
Best Scene - the end
Biggest Hmm - I think I read this story. I think it was called the Chronicles of Narnia. No, Harry Potter. No, every Harry Potter knockoff that came afterwards.
Biggest Jump - when they find the dead guy
Biggest Creeper - Pete
Biggest Wiggins - the creepy smiley face on the mirror
Least Necessary - close up of some woman dancing whose shorts are way, way too short / same goes for magic flying sex
Most Impressive Interview - Quentin makes one heck of a magic trick
The "Go with Your Gut" Award - avoiding a séance makes a whole lot of sense to me
The "Welcome Back" Award - Sera Gamble, who was also executive producer and writer on Supernatural / Rick Worthy, who played Alpha Vamp on Supernatural

Best Quotes -
1. Quentin: "I don't want to get kicked out and I really don't want to be the guy who dies in the first 10 minutes of the movie because he's like 'You know what? Let's take out the Ouija board. What could possibly go wrong?'"
2. Quentin: "Am I hallucinating?" Eliot: "If you were, how would asking me help?"
3. Dean: "This school exists for a single and timeless purpose - to reveal your innate abilities and hone them to the highest degree. Now what you do with that is entirely up to you. If you want to take over the world…we don't teach that…but give it a go."
4. Margo: "It's good to be aware the world is inherently unfair. Act accordingly."
5. Quentin: "The alumni guy…he works for you." Dean: "Mmm hmm." Quentin: "Was he murdered?" Dean: "He snuck a box of Oreos." Quentin: "Magicians can't eat Oreos?" Dean: "Diabetics can't eat Oreos."



The Shannara Chronicles - 1.01/1.02 - Chosen

The Shannara Chronicles is visually stunning. The sets, scenery, and costumes are rich in design and breathtaking to behold. As such, it already stands out among typical MTV fare. They obviously have quite the budget to work with and it shows. Basically it is a hero quest tale of an unlikely trio: Wil is learning magic and is the protector of the group, Amberle is an elfin princess and leader of the quest, and Eretria is a human thief who must betray the group in order to earn her freedom from her ruthless father. These first two episodes are largely set up of the world and as such, the pacing gets stuck in the middle. However it picks up towards the end with a good cliffhanger to boot. You don't need to have read the books to enjoy the show and there is a lot of potential here. If you like fantasy stories, I highly suggest you check this one out.

Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - the world building is stunning and rich
Best Action - Allanon vs. Dagda Mor
Best Save - Eretria saves Wil from a troll
MVP / Best Behind the Scenes Work - the cinematography which is stunning
Best Entrance - Allanon
Best Cliffhanger - the harpy
Best Twist - it takes place after the apocalypse of man / both Allanon and the Dagda Mor (the Warlock King) are druids
Best Genre Trope - magic always comes at a price so it can't be used wily nily
Best Reveal - Allanon tells Wil that his father was a hero
Best Plan - the shapeshifter pretends to be Amberle to get Lorin to tell her where the other Chosen are so she can slaughter them
Best Fountain of Youth - Allanon's 300 year nap
Best Negotiator - Eretria, who bargains Wil for her freedom from the Rovers
Best Visual (besides the landscapes and architecture? - Dagda Mor breaking Allanon's sword
Worst Job Perk - every time Amberle touches the Ellcrys, she gets visions of death and demons
Worst Parent Ever - Cephelo, Eretria's adopted father, who threatens to sell her off
Worst Break Up - Amberle gets a vision of herself killing Lorin so she breaks up with him, draws his sword, and knocks him out with it before running away
Biggest Hmmm - If all evil needs to do is take out the Ellcrys, then why didn't the shapeshifter at least try to cut it, burn it, or at least take off some of the leaves? It's magic is failing so it seems like a full frontal assault on it might do the trick.
Biggest Idiot / Most in Need of Growing Up - Wil
Biggest Surprise - I'm not sure I have ever seen a show on MTV with breast and butt nudity and it has more gore than most too. MTV is definitely reaching for a broader audience with this show.
Biggest Fake Out - the opening
Biggest Twist - the family dog is possessed
Biggest Eye Roll - Amberle's aunt and Allanon have a romantic past
Most Interesting Premise - the remnants of our world being used in this future world
Least Likely Protector - Wil can't even protect himself so I'd say Amberle and Eretria better take on that role themselves before the whole mission fails
Least Faith and Possible Biggest Foe - Arion isn't buying this magic stuff and could turn the people against King Eventine
Least Surprising - Eretria drugs Wil to rob him
Least Traditional - the Elvin race does not believe in magic
Strangest Tradition - How does running blindfold in the woods make you a good botanist or caretaker?
Smartest Cookies - both Amberle and Eretria know the other is lying
The "Welcome Back" Award - John Rhys-Davies, my beloved Arturo on Sliders but best known for Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones / Manu Bennett from Spartacus and Arrow / James Remar from State of Affairs and Dexter

Best Quotes -
1. Wil: "Why don't you just call it a book of magic? Is it a Druid requirement that everything has to sound so mysterious?"
2. Wil: "So I'm supposed to use elf stones I don't have to protect a princess who doesn't want to be found from a demon hoard bent on laying waste to the world and even if I succeed, which is entirely doubtful, my life could still be doomed because magic will have fried my brain. I liked it better when we didn't talk."
3. Arion: "Do you have any respect for Elvin traditions?" Ander: "Only the ones with parties."
4. Wil: "I think it's better if the druid explains everything." Amberle: "You’re here with a druid? I thought they were all dead." Wil: "This one just took a very long nap."
5. Wil: "Oh, I'm an idiot." Allanon: "You'll get no argument from me."
6. Wil: "Aren't you curious about ancient humans? How they were able to build these incredible things?" Eretria: "Look. They're dead; we're not. End of story."
7. Eventine: "After the War of the Races, I believed that magic had disappeared along with you and the Warlock Lord." Arion: "Well then tell that to your people when their fairy tales are ripping out their hearts."
8. Wil: "My ancient Druid's a little rusty. Maybe you could fill me in."





Agent X - 1.09 / 1.10 - Penultimatum / Fidelity

Volker started out as a crazy but interesting villain. By these episodes, he's just ridiculous. No one would ever follow someone that insane. He's way, way too over the top and as such has sucked out a lot of enjoyment in these episodes. However, everything else rocked. From John deciding to give it all up to Millar sacrificing himself to his arch enemy in order to save everyone, the plot moved quickly with lots of action. The snark came out in spades as well. I really, really like Olga and was pleasantly surprised to learn that Pamela was not part of the Evil League of Evil. I really thought that she would be part of a big twist but instead she was rescued in due time, bringing about Old Case for the ride. So glad he was part of this, especially when he was bantering with Millar. That was a high point of the episode along with the action. In the end, I am very glad that I got to watch Agent X and I'm sorry it is not getting a season 2. It had great structure and a swift moving plot that kept my attention while introducing characters I was interested in learning more about. It's also the second best action show on TV right now, after Into the Badlands, which hopefully will get a second season.

Grade: B / B- (both significantly lower for the annoyance that was Volker)

Best Reason to Watch - Natalie
Best Scene - Natalie vs. Millar
Best Action - battle royale at the theatre
Best Banter - Millar and Old Case
Best History Lesson - Natalie about Roosevelt
Best Awww Moment - John and Natalie make sure each other are okay
Best Action Moment - John knocks a guy out through the bookcase
Best Use of Home Alone - John coats the stairs with olive oil to make all the bad guys fall down
Biggest Face Palm - Exactly how many times can one president be almost assassinated?
Biggest Product Placement - Microsoft One Note
Biggest Filler - all the flashbacks
Biggest Sacrifice - Millar
Biggest Say What? - How long has passed since the last episode? The president is now back in office after being poisoned.
Biggest Laugh - Volker's plan backfires when only one gun works
Weirdest Fashion Choice - Pamela's dress when it hits the light looks muddy
Most Crazy - President who wants to create his own army of Agent X's / Volker in all things
Least Surprising - Volker kidnaps Pamela
The "No Damsel in Distress Here" Award - Natalie continues to prove that she can take care of herself and I really like that
The "Oh No You Didn't" Award - Natalie calls John "kid"
The "Welcome Back" Award (character) - Olga, Dante's thugs, every villain in this show that isn't dead
The "Welcome Back" Award (actor) - Helen Slater, the original Supergirl herself

Best Quotes -
1. Olga: "You and Volker used to be partners? I'd laugh if it wasn't so tragic in a very Russian kind of way."
2. Zoya: "You almost didn't make it." Guy: "He doesn't look so tough." John: "I make up for it in sarcasm."
3. John: "Did you miss me, Malcolm?" Millar: "Like a migraine once it's gone."
4. John: "Right now your life isn't worth sh**, Ray." Volker: "You know John, I think you're seriously becoming co-dependent on me." John: "That's funny, Ray. You're the only one who can turn a death threat into a compliment."
5. Old Case: "I'm assuming we're gonna shoot everybody today except Pamela Richardson." Millar: "And me." Old Case: "And you." Millar: "And maybe you."
6. Old Case: "So what are you packing nowadays? A lap top?" Millar: "No, it's a Sig Sauer 229, 40-caliber. It's 12 in the mag, one up the pipe." Old Case: "Well that's 13. That's bad luck." Millar: "Yeah for somebody. What do you got?" Old Case: "Old Reliable - Colt 1911." Millar: "Which is terrific if you're Sergeant York. That thing only chambers 7 rounds." Old Case: "Well you know what they say? If you're doing your job right, you only need one, buddy."
7. Millar: "Out of curiosity, how long were you planning on torturing me before you kill me?"



Ash vs. Evil Dead - 1.10 - The Dark One

I don't even have the words. That has to be one of the suckiest endings for a show I have ever seen, whether it is coming back or not. The "good guys" just make a bargain with the devil and head off to Jacksonville? What the heck? Ugh!

Grade: D+

Best Reason to Watch - you've come this far
Best Scene - Kelly's excitement at burning down the cabin
Best Reaction - Ash to realizing that they have to go into the cellar
Biggest What the Heck - THAT'S how this ends? Are you kidding me?
Biggest Torture Porn - Heather's long death
Least Helpful - Heather, who only adds to the volume
Most Likely to Tell You Like It Is - Kelly, thankfully
Most Gross - barfing up demon worms
Most Persistent - Kelly, who will burn the whole place down to get to her friends
The "Please Stop Talking" Award - if Ash would just stop hero monologuing, he'd have the demons all killed by now
The "Nope, Just No" Award - I refuse to watch bugs crawling over people
The "Taking It to a Whole New Level" Award - creepy kid demons
Best Music - Back in Black by AC/Dc

Best Quotes -
1. Ash: "Okay that lady has my book and she has my Pablo. I've got to save him. I'm not losing anybody else I care about." Kelly: "That includes me, right?" Ash: "Of course." Heather: "And…and me." Ash: "Uh, yeah sure, just…you know, stay close to her."
2. Ash: "Look, she's just gonna Godfather all the demons together. Make the world a better place." Kelly: "That logic seems wrong."
3. Ruby: "You know that deep down we both want the same thing." Ash: "No, I'm pretty sure I don't want to destroy humanity."
4. Heather: "The Dark Ones? That's a rough nickname." Ash: "Yeah, well at least they're honest."
5. Ruby: "Just take the deal. It's what you've always wanted." Ash: "No, it's not just about my life anymore. I want their lives back too. They're coming with me."



TBBT - 9.12 - The Sales Call Sublimination

Jane Kaczmarek is the big draw in this episode. I hope she is a recurring character because I think she could add a new dimension to an old show. Besides, it is a relief to finally see someone allowing Leonard to be central. I'm with both of them about his mother and if this gives Leonard a chance for some character growth, I am all for it. Stuart moving out was surprisingly touching too, until he turned creeper. I like the whole feel of a kid moving out vibe they had going even if I can do without hearing about their sex lives in any room. Plot C with Sheldon and Raj was the most forgettable though. It wasn't bad but just there.

Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - Leonard, who finally gets some sympathy
Best Scene - Howard and Bernadette find Stuart's stuffed animal
Best Addition - Gallo, who I hope will be back as a recurring character. I think a lot of these guys could use therapy.
Biggest Nostalgia - Howard and Bernadette miss Stuart
Biggest Side Effect - not sure I could push a drug with homicidal rage as a side effect
Biggest Creeper - Stuart standing over a sleeping Bernadette and Howard
Most in Need of Meeting Cassandra from The Librarians - Sheldon has the same way of seeing, hearing, and smelling patterns that Cassandra has
The "My Eyes, Oh My Eyes" Award - Please give me warning when Howard is going to pose in his underwear. That's a look away moment.
The "Welcome Back" Award - Jane Kaczmarek from Malcolm in the Middle and Playing House

Best Quotes -
1. Leonard: "Dr. Gallo made me realize that I'm a worthwhile person and that my feelings matter." Raj: "I learned that for free from a cat poster but good for you."
2. Penny: "I mean have you ever had sex with a stuffed Wookie watching you?" Gallo: "I went to college in the 70's. It was a hairy time. I'm gonna say yes."
3. Leonard: "I'm not gonna make a fake appointment with a psychiatrist. What would I say is wrong with me?" Raj: "Low self-esteem." Howard: "Social anxiety." Sheldon: "Sexual insecurity." Leonard: "None of that is true." Penny: "Denial. See sweetie, the list goes on and on."
4. Amy: "I wish you were here." Sheldon: "At a neurobiology conference? What a mean thing to say."
5. Sheldon: "I suppose it could end up on a collision course with earth and destroy life as we know it." Raj: "You dream different than me."



The Blacklist - 3.09 - The Director, Part 1

About halfway through this episode I was afraid that it was going to end in a much too depressing place. Now I fear that things are going too well for Reddington's merry band. No way they stay on top throughout these two episodes. Structurally, this is a better plan because like Neal Caffrey and Michael Westen always say - it's after the success that you have to be most wary. Now I'm on edge about what exactly is going to go wrong. You can't take down the season's Big Bad in the 9th episode, can you? Surely not. Either way, next week's episode is must see TV for me. One of the things that I liked best in this episode was Ressler. Personally I think the guy gets an unfair shake and I admire his morals. I like even better that it was Tom who convinced him to stick to them. It was a great scene, one made better by all the small changes in Tom. I also loved Aram's role although it was the polar opposite. It's nice to see someone who still goes with their gut and will give everything for his friends. Mostly though, this episode earns an A- because the whole road to taking down the cabal has been fascinating and I cannot wait to see where it ends.

Grade: A-

Best Reason to Watch - everything is in place to take down the cabal, or at least the Director
Best Scene - Tom talks Ressler out of killing Solomon
Second Best Scene - Reddington thanks a nervous Aram for saving Liz
Best Entrance - Ressler
Best Save - Tommy Markin, the name by which Ressler knows Hitchin is part of the cabal
Best Timing - Panabaker, who takes Liz into custody right as the Director is walking her out the door
Best Plan - play dead
Worst Plan - let Venezuela bankrupt America
Biggest Oops - Ressler trusts the wrong woman
Most Diabolical - the Director sucks the air out of Keen's holding cell so Aram has to open the doors
Most Prepared for a Rainy Day - Reddington with storage units in every state
Most Needing to Die - Solomon, who slightly edges out the Director
The "Didn't See That Coming" Award - Aram pulls a gun on the Director
The "Are You Kidding Me?" Award - The best of the best in the cabal could not figure out Navabi as the password? How did they survive this long?
Best Music - Gamble Everything for Love by Ben Lee

Best Quotes -
1. Ressler: "You're under arrest for the attempted murder of a federal agent, the attempted murder of a material witness in a federal investigation, treason, espionage, conspiracy to commit…you know what? Why don't I get you a penal code? It might be easier to figure out what you haven't done."
2. Navabi: "I'm willing to take responsibility for my actions." Red: "Watch out. That's the kind of spirit that could save America."
3. Tom: "Your dad, you want to know if he died for nothing. Whether he did or didn't depends on whether you pull that trigger."
4. Ressler: "Since when did you grow a conscience?" Tom: "I don't know. Since I've been hanging out with you. I'm not happy about it either."
5. Panabaker: "I have never seen two people so disappointed that the country isn't under attack."



Galavant - 2.01 / 2.02 - A New Season (aka Suck It Cancellation Bear) / World's Best Kiss

Galavant was one of my favorite new shows last year and I was elated when against all reason it got renewed. The first episode calls back to the slightly inane but fun of the first season. I could have done without all the gay bar references. We got it the first time. Still the songs were fun and snarky. Nothing like a show that can make fun of itself. The lyrics of It's a New Season had me rolling, even after the 10th time hearing them. It's definitely making my iTunes list. The second episode, in contrast, was a complete downer. I didn't laugh hardly at all and the World's Best Kiss song is one of the drippiest, boring songs the show has done to date. It's worst than the Xanax one and Jacka** in a Can from last year. Even worse, it turned the Isabella and Galavant relationship into a melodrama instead of something fun. King Richard is enough moping for one episode. On the plus side though, Madalena and Gareth trying to figure out the furnishings brought a typical Galavant sparkle to the episode and I wish there had been more of them.

Grade: B / C-

Best Reason to Watch - the humor like always
Best Scene - the opening song
Best Aww Moment - Galavant says he has faith in Richard
Best Meta - the premiere title
Best Move - Richard knocks Galavant out to get him to listen
Best Reaction - Chef, who is highly irritated with Isabella for not giving him the amulet before she fell asleep
Best Song - It's a New Season / Let's Agree to Disagree
Best Reference - the Brady Bunch / Excalibur
Worst Bath - Sid gets tossed in the moat
Worst Misunderstanding - Galavant and Isabella's phone call
Worst Taste - Gareth and his dogs jousting painting
Most Strange - crystal ball is as glitchy as Skype
Most Talented - Galavant, who has some mad bartending skills
Biggest Spoiler - Sid
Biggest Baby - King Richard
Biggest Face Palm - Richard gets the ship scuttled
The "Say What?" Award - How exactly does a castle disappear?
The "Something's Never Change" Award - spas still get you with cancellation fees
The "Welcome Back???" Award (character) - Jean Hamm
The "Welcome Back" Award - Kylie Minogue from Young & Hungry and every pop hit list a few decades past

Best Quotes -
1. Pirate Ship: "You'll know hell's freezing if we get decent ratings."
2. Peasants: "So in the weeks to come ignore the pageants that they'll hold." Gareth: "Skip the football matches…" Jester: "And the Globes made out of gold." Pirates: "Screw all those apprentices…" Peasants: "And every bachelorette." All: "We're getting to the miracle that no one thought we'd get."
3. Magdalena: "That's irreplaceable. I killed the family of weavers who made it."
4. Pirates: "It's a new season so hold on to your sword." Castle: "A new season, which you'll probably record."
5. Pirate King: "Don't know if you noticed but 4 pirates walked the plank last week. Middle of the ocean, just walked right off." Richard: "So what are you saying?" Pirate King: "What I'm saying is. We're gonna have to kill you if you sing the freaking song." Galavant: "What?" Pirate King: "It didn't win an Emmy. Now it's time to move along."
6. Guard: "Hear ye, hear ye. Presenting the queen and the guy that with the queen when she killed the other guy who was trying to be the king." Gareth: "Maybe later we can discuss my title."
7. Pirate King: "With new guests who'll cost the network a fortune."
8. Sid: "Aww Gareth, are you asking me to teach you to read?" Gareth: "No! Reading's for morons who can't understand pictures."




The Goldbergs - 3.11 - The Tasty Boys

To be honest, this review is almost entirely about the Murray and Beverly subplot. Barry and Adam creating a rap band to Erica's irritation was there. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. I really have no strong feelings one way or another about it. But Beverly and Murray, now that I want to see more of. I didn't realize how much I missed stories that revolve around them as a couple until this episode aired. I like how they are two very different people and yet it is those differences that make them so good together. I will never get enough of hearing them explain how much they mean to each other and giving credit where credit is due. Plus both Jeff Garlin and Wendy McLendon-Covey are awesome comedic actors and watching them play off each other is always fun.

Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - Beverly and Murray
Best Scene - Murray tells Beverly that she's important to him
Best Reaction - Murray and Beverly to tasting New Coke
Best Played - Beverly overhears Barry saying their band is ill and he uses it as an excuse to skip school
Best Montage - Beverly and Murray putting the lazy Susan together to the Beastie Boys
Best Reference - New Coke and Bob Villa
Worst Reference - Beastie Boys
Worst Position to be In - Bill is stuck between a stubborn Beverly and a stubborn Murray
Most Surprising - Erica suddenly is shy about her songs but she was going to be in a band with Laney last season
Least Surprising - Beverly manipulates Murray into getting a new kitchen and Murray makes the kitchen exactly how it was before Beverly ruined it
Strangest Hoarding - Classic Coke
Weirdest Scene - Murray in a turtleneck on the floor ready for a picnic
The "I'm with You" Award - Murray, I'm no fan of jeans either. Sweats/pajamas or work clothes for me.

Best Quotes -
1. Murray: "You've got to understand. Just because I don't like things to change doesn't mean you don't matter to me. I never thought I'd be happy but you built this life for us and I love it just the way it is."
2. Erica: "What's the holdup guys? The monster you've created is waiting to eat you alive."
3. Murray: "What the hell happened?" Beverly: "I wrecked the kitchen. Now I have no place to cook. We're gonna have to order Italian takeout like a bunch of hoboes." Pops: "That Bob Villa's a real piece of work. Building us up; making us think we can lay tile. We can't lay tile."
4. Murray: "That's it. I'm a floor person now."
5. Barry: "It's called hype." Erica: "No, it's called lying."



The Librarians - 2.10 - And the Final Curtain

Each season of The Librarians seems to fly by faster than the next. This one was blink and you'd miss it quick. For all the issues I have with the overall pacing of the mytharc, the finale was good. The twist about Prospero caught me completely unaware and even the time travel elements did not bug me as much as they normally do. I do wish that the other librarians not named Flynn had more to do in this, that romance wasn't a focus at the end, and the fictionals storyline wasn't over so quickly, but standing on its own, this finale was complete, fun, and nary a cliffhanger in sight.

Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - the happy ending
Best Awww Moment - Jenkins calls Eve his guardian
Best Reaction - Flynn to seeing Shakespeare
Best Twist - Prospero is just Shakespeare's id come to life so they have to exorcise him with Shakespeare's own words
Worst Acting - even Shakespeare and company realizes Flynn is a terrible actor, always overacting
Biggest Ewww - eating rat
Biggest Hmm - If there is no electricity, how are the lights and appliances in the library working?
Biggest Filler - Flynn doing Shakespeare, which was not in the least funny and killed way too much time
Smartest Character - Moriarty, who figures out that this is not Prospero's story
The "Welcome Back" Award - Excalibur in one of the most inventive resurrections yet
The "I'm with You" Award - I'm with Baird. Time travel sucks as a plot device.

Best Quotes -
1. Cassandra: "It's Schrödinger's cat." Flynn: "No, he's upstairs in the theoretical animals wing." Cassandra: "He's alive?"
2. Baird: "Was the world originally ruled by talking dinosaurs, Flynn?"
3. Ezekiel: "The internet is gone. Welcome to 1995." Flynn: "Ooh I hope not. I made some very poor bicycle pant choices back in '95." Baird: "There are no good bicycle pant choices."
4. Flynn: "Don't worry. Nobody understands time travel."
5. Ezekiel: "Finally, permission to steal anything we want." Jake: "This is what you got from that speech?" Ezekiel: "Subtext, mate."



Limitless - 1.12 - The Assassination of Eddie Morra

While I wasn't a fan of the midseason finale, I did really enjoy this episode. One of the biggest questions of this series is what Morra's intentions are for Brian and his overall plan for the world. It's hard to tell if Morra is essentially a good guy or a bad guy or something very murky in the middle. What exactly are his plans for NZT world domination (just guessing that power is the bottom line here)? Generally I like to get clear answers or at least be working towards answers to the big questions of any series (looking at you season 1 The Blacklist) but I actually think Limitless benefits from keeping Morra's agenda hidden here. To know to soon would either mean that the audience knows more than Brian, which really does not fit here, or it takes any tension out of Brian's struggle to make meaning out of his new abilities. In the end, the power play of putting Brian in the middle without help from anyone at the FBI made for a riveting hour of TV, especially since the audience is not clear whether he made the right choice or not. Of course he wasn't going to kill her but did he get in closer to the devil by pretending that he did?

Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - Harris is now suspicious of Morra
Best Scene - Piper shows up at Brian's parents' house
Best Comic Relief - Ike, even in hallucination form
Best Offer - Brian gives the old mobster a tape of his wife singing to get him to talk
Worst Plan - Morra tells Brian to embrace the no conscious side of himself
Least Surprising - Brian did NOT kill Piper
Most Laissez Faire - Naz
Most Brilliant - Forget those NZT people. Harris is putting two and two together without it and coming up with all the answers.
Biggest Say What? - Piper tells Brian's parents that she's his new girlfriend
The "More the Merrier???" Award - Exactly how many faux people are going to advise Brian this time?
The "Welcome Back" Award - Georgina Haig from Fringe

Best Quotes -
1. Boyle: "How did we even function before you came along?"
2. Sands: "We supplied her with NZT until she went a bit mad, declared war on Mr. Morra and anyone associated with him. She's been a total pain to be honest."
3. Piper: "You don't get it yet. If someone doesn't stop Morra, no one's gonna be able to just live their life. The whole world's gonna be very different, Brian. You can't play both sides forever."
4. Boyle: "You know that 'I barely listen to anything you say' recap thing you do? It's rude."
5. Brian: "The people I love aren't gone yet. They're here. If I leave, I might as well kill myself."



Scorpion - 2.13 - White Out

In many ways this should have been a winner of an episode for me, especially since I have been waiting for more insight into Happy's character. Now the Happy stuff was great but otherwise the entire episode felt flat to me. I always hate Ralph as savior plot twists. I barely tolerate the character as it is and I'm not fond of the acting, although I am sure playing an emotionally stunted elementary student would be difficult for anyone. I also am over Happy and Toby. I was surprisingly all for it in season 1 but they have squandered my goodwill and now I'm just meh about it. Scorpion doesn't do more than 1 episode romance very well at all. Despite these personal dislikes, the story lacked oomph. I didn't for one minute believe that Happy or Toby were going to die and unlike other episodes where it didn't matter, the pacing made the whole plot feel like an eternity. One that was utterly predictable on top of it. This was the very first time I was bored in Scorpion. Let' not make this a pattern.

Grade: C+

Best Reason to Watch - focus on Happy
Best Scene - Happy's dad shows her a video of her mother when she was pregnant with her
Best Negotiator - Cooper
Worst Shot - Toby when throwing ALL the bagels
Worst Trend - smashing words together (even though I'm guilty of it too)
Least Surprising - the storm got worse right when they needed it NOT to
Most Heartbreaking - the soldier's message home
Most Fun - rooftop snowball fight
Most Contrived - Toby and Happy need to conserve body heat together
Biggest Hmm - Why do they keep separating Sylvester from the main group this season? Why is Happy constantly in life-threatening danger?
Biggest Eye Roll - Ralph saves the soldiers. This trope is so old.
The "Never Thought I'd See the Day" Award - Happy shocks Toby so much he's quiet
The "Oh Please Don't" Award - Walter and social media is a bad combination in so many ways

Best Quotes -
1. Toby: "Do you guys even read the Constitution anymore?"
2. Paige: "A break from caffeine might help with the blood pressure." Cabe: "So would a break from this place."
3. Toby: "I know I've called you cold and unfeeling but this is ridiculous."
4. Toby: "I'm not worried about the storm picking up. I'm worried about this hut picking up."
5. Cabe: "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Sylvester: "I am a hypochondriac. I have been taking my own blood pressure since I was 9."



Teen Wolf - 5.11 - The Last Chimera

The first and foremost thing that I needed this episode to do was give me hope that the pack would get back together and be stronger for it. In this, the 5B premiere exceeded all my expectations. First, there was an abundant amount of Scott and Stiles working together time. I don't think they've had so much screen time together since the premiere of 5A. It made my heart happy to see them playing detective together, each using their skills to help find answers. Bonus points to Scott for not allowing Stiles to ditch him but emphasizing that they need each other to survive Beacon Hills. I loved seeing this good leader side of Scott, one determined to get his pack back together no matter what. While the rest of the episode was somewhat hit (Sheriff lives!) and miss (everything Liam and Mason), I got what I needed as a fan from this premiere and it has left me eager for more.

Grade: B+

Best Reason to Watch - less filler, more story, more questions
Best Scene - Scott won't let Stiles leave without him
Best Awww Moment - Sheriff wakes up and tells Stiles that he's still there
Best Entrance - Argent
MVP - brain injuries because I swear our heroes lose consciousness more times in this episode than in all of seasons 4 and 5A combined
Best Catch - Scott figures out that Theo didn't attack Sheriff, but another chimera did
Best Star Wars - Valack Jedi mind warps ScienceMom into signing over Lydia into his care
Best Flashback - Stiles and Sheriff at the funeral of his mother
Best Reaction - Mason to Liam ripping the page out of the book
Best Return - Hot Doc
Worst Doctor - Valack, who drills into Lydia's skull
Worst Parenting - Lydia's mom has the excuse of being freaked out. What's Hot Doc's excuse? If your kid comes up to you asking about if their friend's body has shown up, you need to start asking questions. Lots of questions. Specifically, why exactly do you think she's dead?
Biggest Blech - Parrish is still having sex dreams about Lydia and almost causes a car crash because of it
Biggest Say What? - Theo let his sister die so that he could take her heart and become a chimera? That's just cold, man. (sorry, bad pun)
Biggest Ho Hum - Liam realizes Hayden is alive. Whatever. We didn't even have time to miss her.
Biggest Question - Who's the last chimera?
Biggest Eye Roll - Stiles and Lydia search everywhere for the nematon but who finds it on his first try? Why, it's Super Special Snowflake Liam Dunbar of course.
Biggest Hmmm - If you figured out how to live forever, why would your #1 ambition be to create the perfect killer? The steampunk scientists need to rethink their life goals.
Biggest Understatement - Mason tells Liam that this hasn't been his finest moment
Least Welcome Return - Creeper Orderly / steampunk scientists
Least Effective Bragging -We all now know what Parrish is, Theo. Sit down.
Most Surprising - Valack is pretending to be the Eichen House Director so he can take Lydia
Most Wonky Werewolf Powers - Scott, who doesn't seem to be healing and even faints
Most Shoddy Hospital Work - Did no one do a cursory check of Lydia to see if anything else is wrong? No wonder this hospital has such a terrible mortality record. It's not just the supernatural wreaking havoc but the fact that Mama McCall may be the only competent person on staff.
Smartest Cookie - tie - Hayden's sister finally realizes that she needs to leave Beacon Hills / Hot Doc realizes that Mama McCall knows more than everyone else
The Am I Missing Something?" Award, part 1 - Did they ever clarify why jaguars and berserkers are drawn together…or how Kate could control the berserkers…or what the point of bringing Kate back was?
The "Am I Missing Something?" Award, part 2 - Since when does Scott's pack have a symbol?
The "Oh Baby" Award - Stiles' tears hurt my heart so watching him cry alone in the waiting room while waiting to see if his dad is going to make it is painful
The "If At First You Don't Succeed" Award - Why do they keep trying to shoot or claw the steampunk scientists? At this point, I'm thinking some kind of electromagnetic weapon instead.
The "Not Them Again" Award - steampunk scientists really need to go
The "Out of the Frying Pan" Award - First, Valack takes Lydia. Now Theo is coming after her. Neither is a good alternative. Now would be a great time for her to save herself.

Best Quotes -
1. Scott: "You can't do this alone, okay? You need me. You need all of us. I can get more help. I can text Liam." Stiles: "Liam just tried to kill you." Scott: "Okay, then at least let me help." Stiles: "You believed him." Scott: "You trusted him too. Theo got to all of us." Stiles: "You know you don't even know the real story." Scott: "I don't need to. All that matters right now is your dad. Come on, Stiles. We survived an alpha pact, a dark druid, professional assassins. We can survive dread doctors and chimeras too." Stiles: "We're not looking for a missing chimera. We're looking for a missing teenager."
2. Sheriff: "Hey, you've still got me." / Sheriff: "It's okay, Stiles. You've still got me."
3. Mason: "I need to learn to shut up."
4. Parrish: "We need to find this kid." Mama McCall: "Isn't that a little dangerous, especially since he almost killed my kid?"
5. Chimera #???: "She doesn't look good." Screamer: "She's got a hole in her head. It's not a good look for anyone."





Galavant Marathon -
Grade: B+
~I didn't have as much time to watch TV as I expected over the break but I did take the time to rewatch Galavant before the season 2 premiere. It was just as funny the second time around, if not a bit funnier due to it beating the cancellation bear. If you have the time, I highly recommend checking it out. You'll laugh your way through. Or just check out the lyrics to the songs.

Best Song - theme, She'll Be Mine , Hero's Journey, Maybe You're Not the Worst Thing Ever, Togetherness, The Monks, Love is Strange, Goodnight My Friend
Best Episodes - pilot, 1.05
Best Moment - Gareth makes Galavant promise to look after King Richard
Best Reaction - Madalena when Galavant starts to sing his love to her
Best Guest - Weird Al / Anthony Head
Best Previouslies - 1.03
Best Move - Madalena kills Richard's brother
Best Continuing joke - "So like 9:00 o'clock."
Best Reference - Kiss The Girl from The Little Mermaid
Best Bromance - King Richard and Gareth
Most Disgusting Yet Peppy - If I Could Share My Life with You
Biggest Laugh - the ending song makes fun of their own Nielsen ratings
Biggest Awww Moment - Gareth hugs an upset King Richard / Galavant tells Sid to just be himself to his parents
Biggest Face Palm - the dungeon doors are not locked

Best Quotes (that are not in songs or else this whole thing would be song lyrics) -
1. Isabella: "Well how's that for timing. Our stars are finally aligning on the same day I'm gonna die." Galavant: "No, no you're not gonna die today. And you're not gonna today. And you're not gonna die today. You might already be dead."
2. Galavant: "Alright princess, you ready to get your kingdom back?" Isabella: "I've been thinking. I can get another kingdom. It's a buyers' market right now."
3. Jester: "Oh please just stop the torture and kill me already." Gareth: "I haven't started yet." Jester: "Wha…he's not part of it?"
4. Madalena: "You two aren't cousins or anything, are you? Oh who cares? You guys couldn't get any weirder looking."
5. Isabella: "I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you but…" Galavant: "But what? You didn't have time in all the hundreds of miles we traveled, all the meals we shared." Sid: "In retrospect the trip through the Forest of Honesty would have seemed like an appropriate time." Isabella: "But my family?" Galavant: "Well perhaps if you told me, we could have made a plan." Isabella: "And you would have helped me, even if you had nothing to gain from it." Galavant: "I guess we'll never find out."



Young and Hungry - 2.21 - Young and Christmas
Grade: C+
~It's a bit treacle-y even for the season and Gabi's high-pitched enthusiasm went right through my skull. I do like how everyone is there for each other though.

Best Reason to Watch - the group is really a family
Best Scene - Josh and Gabi confront JoJo at the homeless shelter
Best Speech - Yolanda says they are all family
Best Awww Scene - Josh faked his injury so Elliot wouldn't be alone on Christmas
Best Internal Monologue - Yolanda
Worst Definition of a Miracle - Sofia, who basically keeps taking advantage of the store clerk
Worst Plan - watching Titanic when depressed
Worst Moral - you can rip people off as long as it's for charity
Least Surprising - JoJo is not well off
Most Embarrassing - Josh's skiing suit
Most Overplayed: Gabi's shock that JoJo is back
Most Generous Return Policy - whatever store they are at, they will take anything back
The "Welcome Back" Award - Jackee Harry from 227 and Sister Sister

Best Quotes -
1. Gabi (about the purse Sofia wants): "Well I can give you 919 reasons why it's just not that into you."
2. Yolanda: "Oh please girl, that story's as bad as your weave." JoJo: "Of course I've got a bad weave. I'm homeless. What's your excuse?"
3. Gabi: "Uh, quick question. Priests can't make out with people, can they?" Josh: "What have you done?"
4. Josh: "You want to talk about it?" Elliot: "What's the point? Alan's already on the cruise. I'd rather talk about why you look like Gumby."
5. Sofia: "Hi. I need to return this but I don't have a receipt." Matilda: "Well I need a family but I made a whole lot of poor life choices."

The bottom line for the 1-hour premiere of season 2 is that if you liked the first season, you're going to love these episodes. If you haven't seen Younger, it's a great time to check it out. The premise is that Liza, a former New Jersey housewife, finds out that her husband has gambled away everything they have. They separate and she moves to the city to stay with her good friend Maggie but can only get a job in the publishing world by pretending to be 26 years old. There she works as an assistant to Diana, a bitter Devil Wears Prada type boss just looking for love, and Kelsey, whom she becomes fast friends with…except that she's lying to her about her age. Liza also meets Josh, a hot young tattoo artist she has little in common with except hot sex. At the close of season 1, Liza tells Josh her true age and things are a bit rocky to say the least. Also Liza's daughter is scheduled to come back home after studying abroad in India, making Liza's double life even more complicated.


Season 2 starts with Liza getting ready to welcome Caitlin back but torn on whether she should tell her daughter the truth or not. She decides to postpone the big conversation, which comes back to haunt her later on. Caitlin is your stereotypical, flighty late teen who is very tolerant of some things and not tolerant at all of others. While I expected her to be the big obstacle in the overall season 2 story, that doesn't appear to be the case and I think how they handle it will benefit the whole series. Plus the first episode works best when it focuses on Maggie and Liza's relationship anyway. Maggie is a rock of support for Liza through a big misunderstanding and common sense when Liza is faltering. The second episode focuses more on Josh and Kelsey. While I could have done without most of Josh's storyline, Kelsey's is fascinating and may actually give Hilary Duff the heft the character needs to stand out on the show a bit more. Kelsey wasn't as clearly defined last season as I would have liked and Duff is capable of doing so much more with the role. The end of 2.02 gives lots of possibilities for the character.


Highlights:

Eliza and the dots
The Caitlin issue at least for the time being
Josh as the voice of reason
Kelsey's new opportunity
Maggie as the voice of reason
Profit through dentistry
Spiteful Diana is a whole lot more fun than desperately lonely Diana



Final Tidbits:

A new ship is born and consummated
Season 3 has already been picked up by the network even though season 2 hasn't aired yet


Grade: B

Best Reason to Watch - the characters and the always charming Sutton Foster
Best Scene - Charles and Kelsey
Best Speech - Josh
Best Moment - Liza tucks in a sleeping Caitlin
Best Mean Girl - Diana and the dentist
Worst "Date" - Diana and Charles
Worst Liar - Josh
Biggest Say What? - Why is Liza mad at Josh for doing his job?
Biggest Face Palm - Liza
Biggest Griller - Lauren
Most Likely to Kill the Mood - Josh
Most Mature Point of View - Josh
The "Hope That's Not True" Award - Kelsey practically writes the book for the author
The "Please Stop Talking" Award - Liza




Best Quotes -

"And then she said that I was having a midlife crisis.""Your crisis was your boring life before this."
"Have you ever heard of punctuation?"
"Hon, let's never stop lying to each other. Okay?"
"Honestly, it's like you've got some form of literary Tourette's."
"Okay, can we stop doing the math now?"
"Wow. If she was okay with the sex change, maybe this won't be such a big deal."


Screencaps by TV Guide, Notey, Pinterest, and We Got This Covered