February 15-21, 2015
* New series in CAPS
* Reviews May Contain Spoilers
Note: I’m no longer reviewing The Blacklist due to time constraints.
The Walking Dead (AMC) – Episode 5.10 “Them”
I loved this episode. I loved everything about it. I loved watching this group fight not against walkers or other people but against death in the most simplistic way. The group has no car, no food or water…they’ve been reduced to eating dogs. The desperation to live to see the next day is realer than ever before. This episode was about a hopelessness that we don’t often get to see at this level on the show because it hasn’t been an issue for the group on their travels. But a dry spell was coming. And boy did it come. Thank God for the rain.
On top of that, they’re still reeling from the deaths of Beth and Tyreese. Maggie is almost numb but Sasha still very much has her heart on her sleeve and she’s angry. I loved seeing these two different dynamics because everyone mourns differently, everyone reacts to their struggles differently and seeing the contrast was so true to that. Sasha got a little out of hand while the group handled the small herd they came about. Let’s hope she surrenders to the group in time because she could cost someone their life if she’s out of order again. She can be angry and do what it takes to keep the group alive at the same time.
Then there’s the storm that’s practically a hurricane. Only the barn that the group seeks shelter in miraculously stays in one piece. I loved that they found shelter in a barn shortly after Maggie lost the last person she lived on a barn with. I love that the barn was still standing after the storm. It’s so telling about Maggie. After the storm she’s been through, she’s still standing.
Finally, there’s the guy that comes to Maggie and Sasha saying that he has good news. That guy is Aaron! Yes! Aaron! The Alexandria storyline is starting and I am so excited!!!! I can’t wait to see what the cast and crew have in store for the fans of the comics bringing this storyline to the small screen. I can’t wait! As for this episode? Absolutely beautiful and what a wonderful transition, set up to our next big milestone!
GOTHAM (Fox) – Episode 1.16 “The Blind Fortune Teller”
Solid episode. Fish Mooney is doing her thing, ruling and reigning and surviving where she can. Gordon has a bit of a family circus war on his hands. And Bruce Wayne is on his own mission.
Castle (ABC) – Episode 7.15 “Reckoning”
I was really looking forward to this episode given where we left off in the last episode. I’m happy to say that this storyline really paid off. Great job, writers! This was very thrilling and tense and had my heart racing. Even though we all knew that Beckett was going to be okay, the in between, the journey to get to that safety point was really nerve wrecking and I loved it.
Photo: Kelly’s troll, inspired by the Tower Bridge in London. Credit: Syfy
Face Off (Syfy) – Episode 8.06 “Troll Bridge”
Champion Teams:
Team Rayce: Adam, Anthony, Rob, Logan, and Regina
Team Anthony: Kelly, Alan, Ben, Daniel, and Jamie
Team Laura: Darla, Julian, Emily, Gregory, and Stephanie
Check out last week’s review here.
This week, host, McKenzie Westmore took the group along the LA River to deliver the next challenge dealing with…trolls. The challenge? Select a city and create a troll that lives beneath it. Trolls! Yes! Great challenge!
The bridges they had to choose from? Golden Gate Bridge, Tower Bridge, Corvin Castle Bridge, Dragon Bridge, Helix Bridge, and Python Bridge. Anthony chose the Helix Bridge. Rob and Kelly chose the Tower Bridge. Ben and Darla chose the Python Bridge. Jamie and Adam picked the Dragon Bridge. Emily and Logan picked the Golden Gate Bridge. Stephanie and Julian took on the Corvin Castle Bridge.
Darla seemed pretty stuck during the first day in the lab but ended up finding her way enough to be safe for the week. Ben seemed a bit concerned during last looks but his was easily the most inventive so it came as no surprise when he became a top look. The guest judge for this spotlight challenge was Actor, Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy).
On the stage? I loved Kelly and Stephanie. Absolutely fantastic. Truly. I loved Emily’s look as well though I didn’t get as much of a troll look there. Anthony’s was quite impressive. As was Adam’s. Julian’s was pretty cool as well. Ben’s was very unique, that’s for sure. Rob’s looked more like a goblin than a troll but it was still good. Logan’s had too much of a bird feel to me. The judges loved Kelly, Ben, and Jamie with the winner being Jamie. The bottom looks were Anthony, Emily, and Rob. I was bummed this week because I actually liked all of the bottom three looks and Anthony, who I really didn’t want to see get eliminated got the boot. I’m really going to miss Anthony. He was so much fun to see each week! I can’t wait to see what he does next!
Switched at Birth (ABC Family) – Episode 4.07 “Fog and Storm and Rain”
There was an awful lot going on in this episode. Kathryn found out that her mother has dementia. Bay told Emmett what happened between her and Tank. Regina and Daphne were threatened with blackmail. Let’s talk about that last bit for a second. Daphne wasn’t smart for telling a criminal (who at one point threatened the safety of her and her mother) the truth, expecting him to just go with the flow and Regina wasn’t wise to consider paying him off. It’s ridiculous that these two are desperate to do everything but the responsible thing, facing the consequences of Daphne’s actions. Their lives will be screwed up for a little while if they speak up but it’s not the end of the world. They’ve got support all around them, they can bounce back. It’s great to see the families rally around Daphne and Bay but it’s super disappointing to see it take place for wrong reasons. Right reasons may seem to outweigh the rest but two wrongs never make a right. Never. I don’t know if this is the end of the Daphne-Bay debacle but I hope not because it can’t end on such a dishonest note. Can it?
New Girl (Fox) – Episode 4.16 “Oregon”
Jess’s boyfriend bails on being her date for her dad’s wedding and the crew goes with her to Oregon instead. I loved watching all of them rally around Jess. It was wonderful and sad and hilarious and so many things. It sucks to see Jess sad but it will only be for awhile and we all know it’s for the best that Ryan is out of the picture now that she’s broken up with him. Go, Jess! This episode was so well done. Everything about it was perfect. It’s probably one of my favorite episodes this season. Bravo!
Photo Credit: John P. Fleenor/FOX
The Mindy Project – Episode 3.16 “Lahiri Family Values”
What a great episode! I loved the build up to the team finding out that Mindy is pregnant. Morgan means well but he’s either completely clueless about what’s happening or totally in the know and either way, he runs full speed ahead with whatever it is he knows or thinks he knows and that always bring for great comedy.
I loved seeing Mindy’s brother, Rishi again and seeing Mindy do what she can to help him after she herself was denied a small business loan because of him. This storyline brought upon guest star, John Cho who was just as entertaining as you’d expect. What a great episode! All around. Loved the stories. Loved the laughs, there were a lot this week. Loved everything about it. Can’t wait for more and I’m highly anticipating the upcoming guest star, Vanessa Williams. My Ugly Betty heart is pounding so fast!
Cougar Town (TBS) – Episode 6.07 “The Wild One, Forever”
Jules volunteering Grayson’s bar for prom was pretty ridiculous, even with all of the liquor taken out of the bar. How small is the senior class for them to fit in his bar? Ha ha. Believability aside, this episode wasn’t all that memorable. It was somewhat entertaining but overall, didn’t provide for as many laughs as I wished it did. Only five episodes left! Looking forward to the rest.
Arrow (The CW) – Episode 3.14 “The Return”
Thea has found out that she killed Sara and really that’s all that matters here. We knew that Thea wasn’t a stone cold killer so this test was pointless. That aside, it was fun to see Thea and Oliver work together and it was fun to see a ton of flashbacks. We usually get flashbacks but it was pretty flashback heavy in this episode which I actually didn’t mind. Anyway, pretty good episode but I want more so let’s get this train moving a little quicker, shall we?
The 100 (The CW) – Episode 2.13 “Resurrection”
Strong episode. The war is on and it’s just exciting to see as Mt. Weather continues to fall and Clarke deals with what she is dealing with, all while trying to make her way to Mt. Weather to save her friends. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
The Middle (ABC) – Episode 6.14 “The Answer”
Watching Sue try and try again to find the right time to say no to the marriage proposal, after already having said yes, was hilarious at first and then just so sad. What a wonderful episode. It’s definitely a memorable one for the roller coaster of emotions. Fabulous episode. Eden Sher should be very proud of her work here!
Modern Family (ABC) – Episode 6.15 “Fight or Flight”
I don’t even know where Phil and Claire were flying to or from but all of this was hilarious! I loved Claire’s first class conflict. First class is not always what it’s cracked up to be ha ha ha. You never know what characters you’ll run into, even in first class. Then there’s Phil who is mesmerized by a magician sitting next to him. Oh my God, that couldn’t have been more perfect. I loved that Claire and Phil were on the same flight and had two completely different experiences. That’s how it goes so many times. Ha ha.
Then there’s Jay and Manny who try to stand up to Gloria after Manny goes out of his comfort zone and stands up for himself using physical contact…right before the person he’s standing up to comes to apologize. Ha! Next, there’s Mitchell and Cameron who are once again always there for their friends. Nosy with not all of the information they need to make informed decisions ha ha but always there. Finally, Haley and Alex help Luke break up with his girlfriend and if this storyline wasn’t the most hysterical of the three this season, I don’t know what is. I love when there’s a story that involves all three of the siblings and just the siblings. It’s the dynamic I love the most so I really, really loved this storyline. All in all, fantastic episode. One of the most entertaining this season and most appreciated because it didn’t rely on anything too outlandish, it was just so real. Loved it.
BLACK-ISH (ABC) – Episode 1.14 “Andre from Marseille”
When Zoey gets a boyfriend, Dre isn’t too thrilled that her first boyfriend is a white boy but then he dumps Zoey and Dre is upset about that. I love how the tables turn and it turns out Zoey’s boyfriend broke up with her because Zoey is shallow. Ha! Then, Zoey moves on, and this time the guy she hangs out with is black. And reminds Dre of himself. And it turns out that all along it wasn’t about race, because Dre might be shallow too but not that shallow, it’s about Zoey dating period and knowing that one day she won’t be his little girl anymore. Great episode! Can’t wait to see what subject is tackled next week.
The Vampire Diaries (The CW) – Episode 6.15 “Let Her Go”
We said goodbye to Caroline’s mom, Sheriff Forbes in this episode and it was just as heartbreaking as any fan of the show would expect. With her gone now, I can’t help but wonder what Matt’s storyline is going to be like moving forward. He’s the only original cast member still on the show who’s not a supernatural being if I’m correct.
Then there’s Bonnie! I think we were all waiting for Bonnie to come across another person in the prison realm that she’s in. So for her to 1) Find herself in a home that Stefan and Damon used to reside in and 2) Her to come across a stranger from 1903, who turns out to be Stefan’s mother, right before she left the realm was so worth the wait! Bonnie’s back!!! Yes!!! But with Caroline on the way to turning off her humanity, is it too late for her bestie? There are so, so, so many things that can happen with all of these developments. I am so pumped for what’s next. Absolutely fabulous episode. Another game changer for sure. So excited!
Grey’s Anatomy (ABC) – Episode 11.12 “The Great Pretender”
What an episode! Just last week we were watching Coach Beiste on Glee transition and this week, we found out that Warren’s brother is transitioning. What a powerful performance by the cast and very much appreciated episode. I loved that this reveal was not just about whether or not Warren would accept his brother transitioning but it was also about more than that, because it is more than that, there is more to the big picture and that matters too. It all matters. Warren’s brother was going through AND so was Warren. Warren felt lied to and made his feelings known. Will he forgive moving forward? I sure hope so. Anyway, great episode! Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of Rosaline. On another note, it’s good that Meredith took a little break from the world. We all need a break.
Scandal (ABC) – Episode 4.13 “No More Blood”
Oh my God, Olivia got herself out of a trafficking incident by speaking Farsi!!!! YAASSS, Olivia! YAAASSSS. But that was within the first 2 minutes of the show and it wasn’t that easy. I loved how every time Olivia had a little bit more hope than before, it was stomped on yet again. But she never gave up and the people who love her never gave up and together, she was returned safely home. What a victorious episode! I loved it and am sad about no new episode next week but am satisfied that we at least have this fantastic episode to soak in while we wait.
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (ABC)
Episode 1.13 “Mama’s Here Now”
Finding out more about Annalise due to her mother coming to town and seeing this dynamic between the two was something else! Just as disturbing…finding out that Lila wasn’t killed by who we thought! The season finale is next and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us! Once again, the writers have turned what we thought we know on our heads so I’m eagerly awaiting the finale to see what answers we get and what questions will arise and be on our minds for months until season two!
Hart of Dixie (The CW) – Episode 4.06 “Alabama Boys”
This week’s episode was solid. Zoe and Wade, moreso Wade this week, were still very much freaking out over their soon to be bundle of joy. I loved that Wade saw himself in a younger boy. That was hilarious! Meanwhile, Annabeth and George were getting closer. Still don’t know how I feel about that but I’m not hating it so that’s a good sign. That’s all that was really worth mentioning this week. What did you think?
Photo Credit: Adam Rose/FOX
Glee (Fox) – Episode 6.08 “A Wedding”
This episode was so sweet! It was lovely. And you could really tell how awesome the vibe was on set as well, the joy and bittersweetness of it all really shone through. I loved that we got to see so many old faces. I loved that Santana’s grandma came to the wedding, thanks to the scheming of Sue. I loved that Brittany encouraged Kurt and Blaine to get married with them. I loved that Mercedes and Artie sang “At Last” at the wedding. I loved Sugar dancing by herself when Santana and Brittany called for all of the couples to the dance floor. I loved Gloria Estefan guest starring among others. I love, love, love the pact that Tina and Artie made. YES. There are only four episodes left and I think…I think this is my favorite episode of the season. What is yours?