“Cougar Town” 6×08 – This One’s For Me

Grade: B+

Opening Title Sequence: “Welcome to Cougar Town. Badly break for secret treats.”

I haven’t been a weekly reviewer of Cougar Town‘s final season, not because there hasn’t been anything especially endearing about it but because it’s difficult to express my love for this group week after week. I’ll look like a obsessed maniac if I keep giving this show As, right?

In “This One’s For Me”, the show steers away from storylines that are strong and emotional, a theme that’s been driving this show in the past few episodes, and instead relies on being ridiculously fun and compelling. While watching the eighth installment of this season, I realized how tough it was going to be to watch the show end its 6-year run soon.

What I particularly enjoyed this week about the cul-de-sac’s adventures was Jules and Grayson’s subplot. Their relationship hasn’t always taken the spotlight. The show has always instead relied on focusing on Jules’ relationships with everyone else, often pairing Grayson in a storyline with someone else (Andy for some bromance, Travis for some father/son moment or even Ellie for some hilarious banter). I loved how she finally allowed him to trust her keep this new secret of his–him being in a ridiculous yet outrageous comedy show–and the way the show ends, with Jules laughing hysterically at Grayson’s performance while saying she still doesn’t understand a single thing, is amazing. I love Courteney Cox’s face in that moment–it’s so real and amusing. This heartfelt moment was the perfect way to end this episode.

Elsewhere, Laurie paired up with my favorite character Ellie in a funny B-subplot about dressing up like your kid. I’m glad that Travis and Laurie’s kid isn’t getting in the way of good storytelling this season (as babies are usually the jump-the-shark moments in sitcoms), and I kinda want to see Laurie and her son dressed alike MORE–that was such a perfect scene.

Andy and Travis’ dynamic is always amusing to watch, and their desire to play videogames behind their women’s backs allowed for some fun and interesting developments. Seriously, I can’t bid this show farewell.

Favorite Quotes

Jules: At least none of these things are weird sex things.
Tom: Uh, two of them can be.
Jules: Which one? No–I don’t want to know. It’s the fedora, right?

Grayson: Starting tomorrow, my bar will be closed for a week.
Andy: Did someone finally get sick from eating the food?
Laurie: Or is it smelling the food? I think the smell is worse than the taste.

Andy: Tom, I need protection.
Tom: Are we talking condoms or guns?
Andy: No, I need–you have guns?
Tom: I dunno, you have money?

Jules: Bingo! Case closed.
Ellie: Actually, it’s not. It’s very open.
Jules: That’s what I meant. Case wide open.

“The Flash” 1×13 – The Nuclear Man

Grade: B

The Flash finally gave us the Firestorm backstory episode we were waiting for. Appropriately called “The Nuclear Man” (Firestorm’s nickname in the comics), the episode juggled two different themes and tones.

While we have to wait for next week to see what really happened to Firestorm in the end, it was amusing to watch any interaction he had with Caitlin because of their shared history, and Robbie Amell delivered a very convincing performance. It must be difficult to be two different characters at the same time, and Amell nailed them both with ease.

Another strong subplot was the Joe/Cisco investigation to Barry’s mother’s murder. Even as I take my time to warm up to Cisco and his sometimes-ridiculous remarks, I had to be thrilled with that revelation at the end. Now that Joe and Cisco are aware that an adult-Barry was at the crime scene when Nora was killed, it should be interesting to see how the show handles time-travel for the rest of the season.

Sadly though, I wasn’t too fond of the Barry/Linda C-plot. I didn’t think they have any chemistry together and to make things even worse, Iris was involved in this weak subplot. The fact that she felt the need to include herself in their relationship makes me hate her even more, and I can’t understand why she’s suddenly feeling jealous. Where’s Eddie to distract her or something?

But even with these two highly different tones, it’s hard not to love Barry Allen or the show in general. The writers are clever enough to make us invested in these characters already, and as long as the show continues to impress with cool CGI effects and an entertaining story, there’s no reason to stop watching.

Speedy Bits

-What’s with that woman who lives in Barry’s old house now? The way she stares at Joe is creepy and equally hilarious.

-Loved the heartbreaking look on Caitlin’s face as Barry takes her and runs while Firestorm explodes.

-General Eiling is coming back apparently. Clancy Brown is perfectly casted for this devious role, but I’m still waiting for Gorilla Grodd!

-Where can I get a mirror like the one at Barry’s old house?

-I suppose Linda didn’t notice how fast Barry was vibrating when he got, um, “excited”?

Red Blurs & Quotes

Cisco: Aren’t you worried about moving too fast?
Barry: No, what do you mean? It’s a second date.
Cisco: No, no, no, no. I meant going too fast, hurrying. Look, I mean, you’re fast, but there’s fast, and then there’s fast. Am I being subtle enough?
Barry: You’re really not.

Joe: You change one more time, I’m gonna shoot you.

Joe: I’m good at reading people. That’s how I know I can trust you with my suspicion. When I go talk to the family and friends of a murder suspect, somebody I know is guilty, and I tell them the person they love is a killer, guess what they say? That’s not the person I know.

“How To Get Away With Murder” 1×12 – She’s A Murderer

Grade: B

An entertaining episode this week that ended with quite a bang.

What worked about this week’s episode is that it steered away from any ridiculous and often unnecessary storytelling device and decided to just give us actual story. That and the fact that we spent almost the entire hour speculating with the law students where and when Annalise was going to turn on them—and then she ended up having an entirely different plan.

Flipping on Nate was quite the unexpected twist that makes me love-hate this show. I still worry that the writers here sometimes make Gotham look like a wonderfully-written show, but that ending was satisfying and thrilling that it made me forget most of the terrible things that went on before (example: case-of-the-week).

I’m still baffled by every show nowadays that continues to be formulaic without using its cases-of-the-week to tell a larger story throughout the season. Was anyone really interested or even listening to the case this week? Does anyone really care if Annalise wins or not? I certainly didn’t because it made little to no sense at all compared to the bigger plot here which involved Hannah Keating making sure that Annalise’s house gets a search warrant.

Marcia Gay Harden delivered quite the impressive performance, particularly in the courtroom where she made Bonnie look like a laughingstock in front of an audience. It was rewarding to see that kind of soapy, disastrous scene take place—why, I’m not sure. And that’s a feeling that I have every time I watch this show.

But other than that, I’m starting to enjoy how unsettled the students are about any piece of evidence that comes to light. I don’t care about whatever crap Rebecca was involved in with that Rudy kid, but Michaela and Connor (and even Laurel sometimes) are proving to be intriguing enough to keep me invested. With only 1 episode left before the 2-hour finale, I hope the show doesn’t screw up again after what’s been a very rocky season.

Sneaky Courtroom Bits

-Even with that shocking ending, I worry the show isn’t using shock-value (like it has before) at the expense of character development. I sincerely hope Annalise has her reasons for turning on Nate, even though she could have easily brought down the Keating Five and walked out without (less) blood on her hands.

-I LOVED Bonnie’s scene with Annalise where she tells her she’s figured it all out and that she won’t get away with this.

-Asher continues to be clueless about everything going on around him.

-Of course Annalise cleaned the floor after they all killed Sam. Because she’s a part-time cleaning lady when she’s not busy being a murderous plotter or a manipulative law professor/attorney.

-Speaking of which, how scheming is Annalise when she tells Connor without her, he goes to prison? Same goes to the flashback that reminds us how she similarly manipulated Michaela and Wes into trusting her.

-Why is Frank such a good boy to Annalise? Is there anything else here, or are we supposed to believe this guy is freakishly loyal?

Amusing Keating One-Liners

Annalise: Here’s the thing, Mr. Walsh. You’re not gonna trust me. That’s just not in your nature. But you can stop worrying because—and you might have forgotten this—but I’m your only option here. Without me, you’ll go to prison.
Connor: That doesn’t mean we won’t end up there.
Annalise: No, it doesn’t. But the odds are better with me.

Asher: What did you think they’d find, the bloody knife Annalise hid under her mattress? Our boss would be a better killer than that, yo.

Bonnie: You’re not going to get away with this, Annalise. Not if you keep avoiding the police. Hannah’s smart. She loves Sam too much not to solve this. And I know why you want to protect them, but they’re sneaking off all the time to talk. You didn’t do this. They did. Don’t let them ruin you.

“Gotham” 1×15 – The Scarecrow

Grade: C+

A very disappointing episode.

There wasn’t much going on this week on Gotham where the second part of the Gerald Crane arc seemed to be even worse than the first. If anything, I’m willing to admit that this show doesn’t do two-part arcs well. There was so much potential here, but they ruined it all with another lame procedural case-of-the-week that had zero character development and wasn’t even thrilling.

The biggest problem here is that everything is extremely predictable on Gotham. Nothing about Jim and Bullock investigating the case was original or even entertaining for that matter. Another thing I’m starting to loathe is how every episode starts with a murder, proving that the show is unwilling to let go of its dreadful formulaic format anytime soon. Unlike The Flash, this show doesn’t use its weekly villains to improve the dynamics between its core characters.

And then there’s Fish Mooney. Last week’s extremely weird and cartoonish ending didn’t really have any on-screen consequence, which is a shame because I wanted to see Fish in a horrible fight scene for once (I’m assuming it would have been horrible, of course). Being trapped in some sort of underground prison with a bunch of other creepy men was even more cartoonish than anything the show has done so far. And the way she manipulated the Big Boss and slit his throat was very expected. Zero character development here too.

The fact that I actually enjoyed young Bruce’s storyline is not a surprise, seeing how he’s been one of the very few reasons I’m still watching this mess. But looking back at this particular plot, nothing happened there either. Sure, it was amusing to see Bruce hiking and reminiscing about his father, especially with the heartwarming father/son moment he shared with Alfred in the end. But when a subplot as straightforward and simple as that becomes the highlight of the hour, you realize how crappy everything else must be in comparison.

Bat Bits

-At this point, I’ll be seriously surprised if the show can deliver a well-written episode before the season finale.

-Leslie and Jim are very cute together. Even though I’m starting to become a little annoyed with Ben McKenzie’s serious face, I can never get bored of Morena Baccarin.

-Another Barbara-less episode! Anyone else cheering?

-Penguin and Maroni’s scene should have been thrilling, no? And I actually laughed at how Maroni kept pouring champagne into Penguin’s glass until it started to spill. Why does this show make it so easy for me to mock?

-David Mazouz has been delivering an incredible performance as Bruce. To me, he’s more talented than Jada Pinkett Smith.

-I love when Carmine Falcone trash-talks Fish Mooney. It’s so hilarious.

“Gotham” 1×12 – What The Little Bird Told Him

Grade: B

Much better, but still not great.

Gotham tried to redeem itself (which is a good thing since the show has been renewed for Season 2) with an hour that felt like the better half of last week’s episode. And while some things worked perfectly, there were a lot of things that still felt a bit off.

Good things first: Christopher Heyerdahl as The Electrocutioner was the best thing this episode had going for it. His creepily disturbing performance was brilliant and intense, making me want to see more of this villain (a first, for this show) and reminded me so much of The Flash (only, you know, this is actually Gotham where hilarious things like stopping a villain with a cup of water is totally possible). The fact that he wasn’t dead by episode’s end was a nice change of pace for the fate of bad guys on this show. More of guys like this, please.

And less Fish, please. This is where the episode seemed to crumble a bit. Her little plan to take down Falcone once and for all was hard to watch, especially since she decided to do it over the phone (HA!) and also when she decided that she “owed” Falcone the benefit of the doubt by asking him to leave Gotham. I’m still not warming up to this woman because for 12 episodes now, she’s been nothing but “talk”. She’s trying to sound badass and evil but has not done anything about it yet, so I was actually thrilled when her plan backfired (thank you, Oswald). And Falcone strangling Liza was even more amazing and shocking—that’s how you do badass, Fish—but in typical TV trope, Fish had to live (also because this is Gotham and killing her would suggest that the show is improving week after week).

That explains exactly how I feel about Gotham right now. There’s an intriguing universe, some strong characters, and a good story but every time we’re about to reach a climax, something weighs it down. The same goes for Jim who, by the way, doesn’t need an “Arkham Asylum” caption anymore (wow that lasted for an entire episode) and is seen kissing Dr. Leslie Thompkins (who is being very underused here). I’m in no way trying to ridicule this show; in fact, this was one of the better episodes of the season, but I’m worried we’ll be facing another Rogues’ Gallery soon.

Let’s hope this marks a beginning of a better half of the season.

Bat Bits

-Definitely loving the new Jim Gordon. He’s cocky, angry and fearless now, and it’s so much more interesting. He’s also clever (*insert Jim-tossing-cup-of-water joke here*).

-Very rushed: Leslie and Jim. But still a couple I am definitely rooting for. The chemistry is undeniable.

-No Bruce, Alfred or Selina this week. It’s okay, they’ll be back soon.

-OMG Barbara returned! JK, it doesn’t matter. She had an extremely pointless and weird scene. Not sure how that’s different from when we usually see her.

-Hilarious: Liza’s fake “please stop” over the phone to Falcone. A huge LOL moment for me.

-Loved the cinematography, camerawork and visual touches in this episode that really added intensity to The Electrocutioner’s scenes. Falcone’s childhood flashback in the beginning seemed a bit random though.

-Edward Nygma (The Riddler) is amazing. Can’t wait to see him flip off soon.

Also posted on NadsReviews

“Jane The Virgin” 1×10 – Chapter Ten

Grade: A

Wow, I really love this show.

I was worried that Jane The Virgin will return from its winter hiatus differently. The show has definitely changed since Gina Rodriguez took home best-performance award, also earning The CW its first ever Golden Globe. But luckily, this is still exactly the same show I watched and loved a couple of months ago.

I’m still incredibly astounded by how much I love the narrator. Recapping everything Petra has done to Rafael in the past 10 episodes through quick and delightful on-screen cliffnotes was a highlight–but his hilarious one-liners are the ones that put a huge grin on my face. Everything from “not that one, you perv!” to “this is the information Rose came for (pun. Intended.)” were funny, on-spot and exactly what make this show deserving of its critical acclaim.

But let’s talk about that last thing the narrator said, after Michael says that he will never stop fighting for Jane’s love, “And for as long as Michael lived, until he drew his very last breath, he never did.” Wow, just wow. Is this foreshadowing, or simply the writers toying with our brains a little? Because it horribly sounds like Michael is about to die, really soon (perhaps by solving this whole Russian drug story?). Either way, this felt like a truly genius move from the writers. In fact, it reminded me of How I Met Your Mother (in its early golden years), where they would constantly toy with its fans’ brains until the very end. Good job, Jane. Good job here.

The entire episode was just perfect. I was a little worried Alba would end up with some memory loss–or even worse, deportation. But that storyline, like so many others in Jane The Virgin, disappeared rather quickly. This is no complaint though; I’m a sucker for fast-paced storytelling and so far, this show does it with grace and utter perfection.

The other thing that made Chapter Ten such a grondbreaking success comes from Michael’s redemption. Ever since the breakup, Michael has been a boring, pathetic man trying to win back his girlfriend by demeaning her new man-toy. Finally this week, he figures out a better and truly redemptive way of earning back the love–and that is by helping Jane’s illegal immigrant almost-dead grandmother stay in the country, without letting Jane find out. It’s a brilliant move that makes Michael much more interesting. Because like that poignant, touching scene the two of them shared in the elevator, Michael and Jane don’t seem to be over that quickly. And I, for one, am glad. I love having this Michael/Jane/Rafael triangle. And I love not knowing who to root for even more.

Have you finally caught up to Jane The Virgin?

“Revenge” 4×13 – Abduction

Grade: B+

I really loved this episode, and it really almost deserved an A.

Revenge has always been a roller-coaster, delivering one lackluster episode before having everything torn down in the other. It’s a smart if not sometimes aggravating mechanism this show has been using for 4 years–and we still fall for it.

The thing about “Abduction” that made it work was the bittersweet “series finale” feeling that it had–almost until the closing moments of the episode. Everything from Emily and Victoria budding up in an attempt to trick Malcolm Black and have their freedom again, to Jack and David sharing their concerns about how this whole ordeal was going to end. It was intense, and I freakin’ loved every minute of it.

Victoria was by far the episode’s highlight, proving that her loyalty is still something no one can figure out. The way she screamed at Malcolm just seconds before he was about to slice Emily’s throat is an incredible moment of television. It came as an unbelievable shock–and it didn’t stop there; her squeals and screams of horror as the villainous Black was about to throw Emily Thorne into the “fire of hell” showed us that Victoria is a human being with actual blood. You know, if you look deep down.

I mean, deep deep down. Because as the episode was coming to an end, one thing was still unsure: why in the world Margaux is still on this show? I watched this episode with one of Revenge-lover friends, and he couldn’t bring himself to listen to the French blonde taking up the screen because she was that annoying. Especially with the show ending with her words “It will be me who destroys her”. Why go there, Revenge? Why torture us with more ridiculous, useless, boring, outrageous, vomit-inducing, cringe-worthy storylines and characters? This was a MAJOR turnoff for me.

But like I said, the episode was still an intense and incredible hour of television. I thoroughly enjoyed Louise’s interactions with her mother (loved the non-fakeout fakeout, leading us to believe her mother wasn’t actually there at first but just another hallucination from Louise)–and I loved Nolan and Louise’s sudden marriage as well! These two definitely lighten up the mood whenever the show goes too crazy (did you see the cages Victoria and Emily were locked up in? Cray-cray!) and I just love seeing them together.

At this point, I’m still watching only because I can’t stop. This is not a show that deserves to go longer than 4 seasons. It’s been a great ride so far (Season 2 excluded) but I worry that the addition of too many complicated storylines and useless characters (Margaux in particular) will be the death of me.

“Revenge” 4×12 – Madness

Grade: A-

All hell broke lose on this week’s Revenge–and boy was it glorious to watch.

My favorite part about this show right now is how messy everything is, and how much the writers are appreciating that mess by adding even more mess. Wait, am I making any sense?

It’s hard to make sense after watching such a “maddening” episode of Revenge that ended with Victoria and Emily on the floor, with Malcolm Black hovering over their bodies. What a chilling scene.

But other than that, this episode saw more focus on Louise and how cray-cray her brother and family are. They’ve been drugging her for years, causing her to see hallucinations and talk to ghosts. What a disturbing little life Louise has had, and it was surprisingly entertaining to watch this B-plot take place on Revenge. It’s a good thing Louise is such a likable character because Elena Satine is now a regular cast member. Sadly, this worries me: is this not the final season of Revenge?

Nolan and Emily’s interactions were, as always, the episode’s highlight. Their talks about moving on and “the end” were moving and poignant, two things this show has become ever since it decided to kill of Daniel.

Finally, almost every secret is out in the open on Revenge now. Ben and Margaux now know Emily is really Amanda Clarke (thanks, Vicky) and that should have repercussions, while Emily and Victoria finally butt heads about Daniel dying in a very honest scene outside the lighthouse. I love Emily VanCamp (she was just as mesmerizing in Brothers & Sisters and Everwood) but her performances on this show are simply astonishing. Seeing her break down about everything that Victoria put her own son through reminded me of last year’s penultimate episode when David Clarke’s name was finally cleared. Both scenes are heart-breaking yet so satisfying at the same time.

I finally find myself anxiously waiting for the next episode of Revenge.

Is it Sunday already?

“Revenge” 4×11 – Epitaph

Grade: A

Who would’ve thought a show that used to be about Charlotte’s addiction problems, The Initiative and a Jack/Fauxmanda relationship would turn into such a highly entertaining and creative series?

It’s still too early to say that the show is back to being its former ass-kicking self, but if this episode (and the next one, which I have seen already) is any indication, I’m ready to say Revenge is BACK, guys.

What was so infuriating and equally astonishing about the midseason finale was the writers’ decision to kill off Daniel in such a brutal matter. Epitaph starts off just seconds after that moment, with Victoria walking in and finding her son shot to death. I particularly loved the scene with Emily talking to the detective as she tells him a made-up story of her drunken ex-husband barging into her house to kill her–leading her to shoot him in self-defense, while we watch in spooky flashbacks how Team Emily (now consisting of Jack, Nolan, David and obviously Emily) managed to hide agent Kate’s body. It’s a brilliant montage that I can’t get enough of.

Another thing the winter premiere pulled off wonderfully is the ability to show Victoria as both villainous and equally distressful. She’s a broken woman grieving over her innocent child–and at the same time a villainous devil blaming Emily for everything she’s done to Daniel over the past 4 years. Their chemistry and ongoing batter, 4 seasons later, is one of the best things about Revenge.

David Clarke is still a bit annoying to me, but it did help to finally have him and Emily working on the same side to cover up their tracks and also protect themselves from Malcom Black.

Even Margaux was slightly better in Epitaph as she is finally part of the main arc and not just standing on the side being annoying. The way she banned from Emily from attending Daniel’s funeral was extremely well-done and equally gut-wrenching, but also very plausible. Why should his murderous ex-wife be at his funeral, right?

I hope the rest of the season continues with this game-changing momentum, leaving us with a solid and satisfying series finale (yes, I’m still hoping this is the final season of Revenge).

“The Big Bang Theory” 8×12 – The Space Probe Disintegration

Grade: A-

This was quite an unusual installment of The Big Bang Theory, and I’ll be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

We don’t often see half-hour sitcoms with episodes that lack wacky kinks and atrocious physical humor, so that’s what really drew me into this week’s episode of TBBT where the show dealt with its core cast’s deep relationships.

What I love about this is that there wasn’t a big premise behind the episode, or any kind of guest star to distract us from the main problem. This was just merely an episode that had friends sitting together and discussing how to move on with their lives. It’s a touching and poignant half-hour that Chuck Lorre usually doesn’t deliver in his sitcoms, and part of that is why I was blown away here.

Sheldon has always been the guy coming between Leonard and Penny’s future. In last year’s season finale, he couldn’t handle the idea of them moving in together–not to mention getting engaged–and literally took off and disappeared for months. But to bring that back up again was a bold if not mean move on Leonard’s part. Their conversation was an honest and brilliant take on real-life relationships, and I’m glad Sheldon is finally coming around the idea of Penny and Leonard living together. Baby steps, guys.

Raj and Howard’s B-plot was also equally honest and quiet, something this show is usually not. I love the writers’ decision to dig deeper into Raj’s religious self–even if it ended on a funny note–because at least they didn’t decide to blow the entire storyline up in flames (which I dreadfully expected) with something trivial. On the contrary, Raj revealed how he really feels about his parents’ divorce, his dog’s new haircut and something about a space probe in a very real emotional scene.

Kudos for everyone for producing such a powerful episode, proving that this season is just as good as the early ones.