The premise of the blog entry is this: Over the course of the week, I will watch one episode of each and every show in my rotation and blog about it. I open each episode write-up with my thoughts about the series in general. I'll then watch the episode, and as a follow up I will write down my thoughts about that episode in particular. Then, on to the next show.
Once I've made my way through one episode of each and every show in my rotation, I publish the blog and you all can read it. Or not read it. Whatever. I mainly do this for my own entertainment. Sometimes I will go months between watching episodes of certain series, and this is a good way to refresh my memory and try to get me back into shows I have strayed away from.
Sound simple? Good, because it really is. I shall now begin.
Season 1
Episode 10
"Peter"
In a small mountain town, people who have died over the years have suddenly started coming back to life, unchanged from the day they died and with seemingly no recollection of their death. We have seen this basic premise before, but the Returned handles things a bit differently from other shows and movies with similar concepts. This show is all about the people, all about character development. Watching how the characters react to this bizarre circumstance, watching them cope with grief and personal demons they thought they had recovered from is fascinating to see.
There are many mysteries and questions that have yet to be answered swirling around the show. The bad news is that the Returned was cancelled in the USA after just one season, which means these questions will go forever unanswered, unless the show miraculously gets picked up again. The good news is that the French version is still out there, so if you like this show, you can turn around and watch the French version for answers. I prefer the French version anyway, but it is still disappointing to see the American version of the show cancelled.
This is the final episode of the show's one and only season, so once I finish this episode - the Returned falls out of my rotation. I pretty much know what happens because I've seen the French version of the show, but I'm still curious to see how the US version handles the season one finale. So far, this version of the show has been relatively unchanged from the French version, so I'll be surprised if they stray from the script here.
*watches episode*
Well darn. Through the first nine episodes I had thought that this show was going to be a simple rehash of the French edition, with a few minor changes thrown in here and there. This is the episode where the show finally starts to veer away from the French version and do its own thing, and of course this is where the show ends because of its cancellation.
The show takes quite a few dramatic turns. Camille kills Ben by sleeping with him. We find out Peter is one of the returned, and has a completely different backstory than in the original version. Victor leaves town, Simon foresees the dam bursting and the town flooding. What's her name gets married to the cop, who apparently doesn't get killed off this time around. There are many other changes too, but I will not go through all of them.
It is a shame that this show has ended, especially with so many unresolved stories dangling around out there. Overall I still prefer the French version of the show. Better, creepier atmosphere. More believable characters. A much more ominous tone. But this was still pretty good. I like how they started to do things differently at the end. The whole swarm story line seems to have been dropped, and I am curious what they were going to do here. Fingers crossed someone picks this up and continues the story line some day, but I doubt that is going to happen.
Well, now the Returned is out of my rotation and opens up a spot for a new show to take its place. Maybe I'll finally get around to season 4 of House of Cards, season 3 of Bates Motel, or perhaps I'll finally fire up Jessica Jones. We'll see. For now, I will stick to the shows that I am actively watching, and if I determine my rotation has room to squeeze another show in, I may do so.
Season 8
Episode 10
"Reynolds vs Reynolds: The Cereal Defense"
Hey look at this, back to back season finales in my rotation. This is the last episode of season 8 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I am not a huge comedy fan, so I tend to only keep one or two comedies in my rotation at any given time. I think once I finish this season I will take a break from this series for a while and bump it out of my rotation. Then I'll add How I Met Your Mother (which I have been on break from) back into my rotation, since I've been on break from it for several months now. Sound like a plan? Wonderful, because I was doing it anyway.
This is not my favorite show in the world, but I like it a lot better than other comedy shows with their moral lessons and obnoxious laugh tracks. This show attempts to teach you nothing. In fact, it does quite the opposite. The humor is rude, crude, about as non PC as you can get. At times the show is very funny. At other times it is very stupid. But for the most part I like it.
No idea what this episode is about, but from its title I am guessing it involves some kind of court room action. Probably over something stupid.
*watches episode*
Well, I was sort of right. This episode does revolve around a trial, but this trial doesn't take place in an actual court room. Dennis is rear ended by Frank while at a red light. Dennis, for obvious reasons, holds Frank responsible. But Frank says that Dennis should be held responsible because he was eating a bowl of cereal in the car when the collision occurred.
The gang stages a trial at Paddy's. As you would expect from this show, the trial gets out of hand and veers wildly off course. Everyone's credibility is called into question. Shenanigans ensue. It was a fun episode, but in the grand scheme of things not too horribly memorable. Usually each season ends with a stronger quality of episode, but this one was just okay. Still, okay for this show is a lot better than okay for a lot of shows, so at least it has that going for it.
Season 4
Episode 2
"Chuck Versus the Suitcase"
This show has been in my rotation for a long time, a few years at least. It is taking me a quite while to get through it. I like the show. The characters are great, it is funny, there are a lot of awesome guest appearances by some of my favorite people in the nerd universe. Its a nice, fun, fast paced show. My problem with it is that I don't find the story line very gripping.
The show focuses on an ordinary computer repair guy named Chuck, who becomes a CIA asset when a program is inserted into his brain that helps him identify suspicious characters, drawings, symbols, etc. He is forced to work as a spy while also trying to juggle his "real" life and keep his involvement in spy activity secret from his friends and family.
The show started slowly (for me anyway) but it has picked up as of late. Most of his friends and family now know what is going on with him, and have been caught up in his adventures. Also - the program in his brain has advanced to the point where he can learn things like fighting styles, lock picking, safe cracking, and other activities which could help him become a better spy in the blink of an eye.
It's been a few months since I've watched an episode of this. It dropped off my "recently watched" list on Netflix, and I forgot about it for a while. But now it is time to resume watching again and see if the show pulls me in to the point where I watch more than one episode every three months or so. The show only has 5 seasons, so I am getting to the end. Slowly.
*watches episode*
Hey, hey. I actually liked this episode. A lot.
I could tell it had been a while since I'd seen the show because I had forgotten most of what was going on (like the side story with Chuck's mom and everything). But I think the break will end up being a good thing for me. I was sort of not feeling the show for a while (hence it falling off my recently watched list). But now that I've taken a break and recouped, so to speak, I find the show to be a lot more fun than I had previously. Absence makes the heart grow fonder? In this case it may be true.
In this episode Chuck and Sarah headed to Milan to track down an arms dealer who also happened to be a supermodel. Chuck and Sarah were in the middle of a small tiff, mainly focusing around Sarah's reluctance to unpack her bags and settle in with Chuck. The situation was not improved when Chuck showed obvious attraction to the woman they were supposed to be apprehending. Back home, Morgan showed his worth to the team by pointing out the flaws that Buy More was showing as a front for the CIA/NSA base, and how someone with spy training could see right through that front. He fixed the problem by bringing back all the old crappy employees like Jeff and Lester to make the appearance of an actual Buy More more believable.
Fun episode, I really enjoyed myself. There was humor, there was action, and we got to see a bunch of incredibly hot scantily clad women. And this episode's special nerd cameo was Lou Ferrigno, otherwise known as the dude who used to play the Incredible Hulk.
I can easily see myself getting back into this show now that I've watched this episode and had fun with it. And that's one of the main reasons why I started doing this one episode from each show blog in the first place. To rekindle my interest in shows I hadn't seen in a long time. So bravo, Dan. You done good, son.
Season 1
Episode 5
"Pretty Poison"
This was my absolute favorite cartoon when I was a child. I planned my schedule around the show. I rarely, if ever, missed an episode. I loved it. I remember at some point my schedule changed, or maybe the time the show aired changed, and I was no longer able to watch the show anymore. It was devastating.
As an adult, I've looked high and dry for this show online with no luck. You'd think Netflix would have it, but no. Hulu: no. I finally struck gold finding it on Amazon. All 4 seasons, all 85 episodes. Hallelujah amen.
For some reason the episode order is all out of whack on Amazon. For example, episode 2 is listed as the Christmas episode that I remember taking place near the end of season 1. It seems like the episodes were put up there in random order. I'm sure it has something to do with production order rather than airdate, but it is still annoying. As a result, I have been picking and choosing which episodes to watch, trying to watch them in as close to chronological order as I can. Although according to this I am only on episode 5, I have in actuality watched probably about 10 to 12 episodes so far.
Unlike other cartoons such as TMNT (which I gave up on) this show has actually aged well. I am excited to watch more and eventually get around to the episodes that I missed the first time through the series.
*watches episode*
This was a classic Batman episode. I knew what episode this was just from its title. This is the introduction of Poison Ivy to the cartoon canon, and it is quite the introduction. Ivy is a rabid environmentalist, and when Harvey Dent decides to destroy a biological preserve in Gotham to build a prison, she takes her revenge. She kisses Harvey while the two are on a dinner date with Bruce Wayne. Little does Harvey know, her lipstick is poisoned. Harvey collapses into his dessert, and is rushed to the hospital.
Bruce puts two and two together and determines that Ivy was the one who poisoned his friend. He dons his bat suit and comes to investigate Ivy's lair, where he battles some evil plants and finally subdues the villainess in green. It was a very simple and straightforward episode, many of these Animated Series episodes are, but there is no doubt that it is a memorable one. As a kid, this was my first experience with Poison Ivy, and this version of her is the one that has stuck in my head over the years.
Uma Thurman? Puh-leeeeease.
Season 22
Episode 8
This Game Respects Big Moves
I have seen every season of Survivor to date, but in the last 6 or 7 years I have been going back and rewatching the old seasons over again from the beginning. I started at season 1, and now I find myself all the way up to season 22: Redemption Island. It has taken me a while to get here, but pretty soon I should be all caught up and will have seen every season out there twice.
My initial thoughts on this season were kind of "meh", and nothing I have seen so far up to this point in my rewatch has changed my mind. Rob dominates and everyone falls all over themselves trying to please him. I am a Russell fan, and I hated how his tribe threw an early challenge to get rid of him. What a terrible idea. Throwing team challenges in this game always seems to come back and bite people in the butt, and it definitely has here, as Russell's old team is now down 6-5 at the merge.
The only saving grace this season is Philip. You just never know what the guy is going to do or say. If it wasn't for him, dear Lord would this be an awful season. Anyway, this next episode is the merge episode, so I am kind of looking forward to seeing it. I know who wins, but I don't really remember what happens to get to that point. Hopefully it is not as boring as I seem to remember.
*watches episode*
Merge episodes are typically better than your average episode, as there are a million ideas floating around out there, so many different ways that the vote could go. This episode was no exception, in fact it may have even been better than your typical merge episode with Matt returning from Redemption Island and adding a whole new wrinkle to the game.
Boston Rob's team was up 6-5 at the merge, and with Matt returning, that made it 7-5. Matt dug his own grave, however, flip flopping back and forth between which way he wanted to go with the vote. And then he made the dumb mistake of telling Rob about it. He thought that God was telling him to stay loyal to his old team (you know, the one that voted him out first) so he decided to stay true to his original team.
But it turned out to be the wrong move. He should have went with the Zapateras, who were offering him final 3 or 4. True, they possibly could have turned on him before that point, but he would have made it further than this. Plus, he had proven how strong he was at the challenges. He could have won his way to the end if need be. But nope. Matt was blindsided in an epic split vote and sent straight back to Redemption Island. I guess God is a Boston Rob fan.
Speaking of Rob, I have never been a huge fan of his, but I have to admit that he has played this game beautifully so far. It took him 4 tries to finally win the game, so no one will say he is the best player ever. But I think of all the people who have played the game, he "gets it" the most. Each and every single time he is gold. He has won me over with the way he plays the game, which I never would have thought possible back in the first All Stars when I hated him so much.
Season 1
Episode 12
Romeo and Romeo
On we move to the second comedy currently in my rotation - Raising Hope. I like this show a bit more than It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It's smarter, the humor involves more than just people being dicks to each other all the time. There is still a lot of gross out humor and "low brow" jokes that the other show is famous for. I think why I like this show better is because of the characters. They are more relatable, they aren't so one dimensional, and they actually have a little bit of good in them as well.
If you've never seen it, this show revolves around a young man named Jimmy and his dysfunctional white trash family. They try to raise a baby that Jimmy had as a result of a one night stand with a convict on the run. The convict has been caught and executed, and now this single father, who is still living at home with his crazy parents and even crazier grandma, finds himself in the awkward position of having to raise this baby.
It's a fun show, I think I've enjoyed pretty much every episode I have seen. I'm not a big binge watcher, especially of comedy series, but I could see myself at some point getting on a roll with this one and racing through its 4 or 5 seasons in a pretty quick time. A quick time for me, anyway.
*watches episode*
Yeah, this was yet another good episode. Surprise surprise.
In this one, Jimmy is struggling with the fact that as a single father raising a small child, he has no friends who know what he is going through. His lady friend at the grocery store decides to "set him up" with a customer she knows who is also a single father raising a small child.
The two hit it off right away, but when the two families meet each other for dinner, they clash and all kind of shenanigans ensue. Matters aren't helped when Jimmy's new friend (I forget his name. I wonder if he will become a regular on the show?) tries to pick up Jimmy's lady friend and he takes offense. And by lady friend, I mean a friend who is a lady. She has a boyfriend. But Jimmy keeps holding out hope they will break up and he will be first in line.
Like I said, another good episode. I don't know why this surprises me every time I watch this show. I keep expecting the show to crash and burn or fall apart, and so far it hasn't. Hopefully they keep this up for the remainder of the show's run, because so far I am a pretty big fan.
Season 1
Episode 9
Fortunate Son
Plus I like seeing how primitive things were in the days before The Original Series. I like seeing the Federation as we know it come into being, plus I like observing the strained relationship between the Vulcans and the humans. It is interesting stuff.
The god awful opening theme song has GOT to go, though. Here is to another good episode!
*watches episode*
Just like with Raising Hope, I don't know why I am surprised every time I watch a new episode and enjoy it. Probably because I've heard so many bad things about this show, I keep expecting it to crash and burn. But I liked this one a lot!
The episode focuses around a conflict between these big slow moving, human manned freighters and the Nausicans, who keep coming in to attack these humans and steal their shit. The Enterprise is called in to help out a freighter called the Fortunate after it is attacked, and they find that the crew has a Nausican prisoner on board that they are torturing for information. When the Enterprise demands the release of the prisoner, the freighter's crew attacks the Enterprise and runs off to take revenge on the Nausicans.
The Enterprise pursues, and after a tense stand off with the Nausicans, the prisoner is returned and the situation is defused.... for now.
Like I said, it was a really solid episode. I like the story line, I like that we got to see a little bit of the Nausicans, who I mainly remember from the DS9 episode where Bashir is attacked by one of them. They may be in other episodes too, but if they are I do not remember them. So it was cool to see a little more of them.
But mainly I enjoyed the fact that we really got to dive into the backstory of the black crewman aboard the Enterprise. Uhhhh.... I forget his name. Aside from the show's featured regulars, I have a hard time keeping track of the names of the side characters. But he had a great role in this episode, and I look forward to seeing more of him in the future. Good episode, hopefully Enterprise keeps churning them out.
Season 2
Episode 1
Scattered
If you are reading this blog right now, you probably think I am the biggest TV watching freak in the universe. This actually used to not be the case. In my spare time I would watch movies, play games, or mess around online. If I did watch a TV show it would be a reality show like American Idol or Survivor, but that's it. I did watch Lost religiously, but that was the exception rather than the rule.
Battlestar Galactica is what got me hooked on watching TV series' on a regular basis. I thought Lost was a one time fluke. I never knew that there was this whole universe of amazing TV shows out there that I was missing out on. A friend of mined loaned me the boxed set for Battlestar Galactica, and I binge watched it like you wouldn't believe. In fact, this may be my most watched show of all time. I have seen the series in its entirety 3 or 4 times, making this my 4th or 5th watch through of the show.
This is a great series, perhaps my favorite show ever. It is a sci fi series that centers around a group of humans who survive a nuclear holocaust at the hands of an army of robots (Cylons) that they created over, what, 50 years ago? These humans form a fleet and take off into space, away from the Cylon threat. Their goal is to find the mythical planet of Earth where they can settle down and rebuild the species once again. Little do they know, that there are Cylon models out there that look and act just like humans, and they have traitors in their midst. There is a lot more to the show than this, but that is just the basic, generic summary of events.
It is a fantastic show. It is loaded with action, mystery, suspense, intrigue. It keeps you guessing at every corner. The characters really make the show go. It is such a strong cast. I you haven't seen this, I can't recommend it enough. Watch it now! Stop reading and go watch it!
The last episode I watched was a few days ago - the season 1 finale. Now I'm starting season 2. There is a lot going on, and I can't wait to dive back into this super amazing show.
*watches episode*
Sometimes when I have seen a movie or a TV show multiple times, my attention will start to drift and I don't enjoy the movie or show as much as I normally would. That's exactly what happened here. I turned on the phone, started playing Candy Crush Jelly Saga, and that was it. The show simply became background listening for me.
I'm not too concerned, as I have seen this show a number of times and I knew exactly what was going to happen. If I had never seen BSG before, playing on my phone while watching the episode would have been an inexcusable lapse of judgment. But I still followed the episode, I still knew what was going on. I wasn't as immersed as I should have been, though. For future episodes I am definitely going to have to make sure the phone is as far away from me as humanly possible.
I still found it to be a very good episode, definitely worthy of being the pilot episode for season 2. Things picked up right where they left off. Adama shot, the "away teams" crash landed on Kobol, and Starbuck confronting Helo and Sharon over Sharon's being a Cylon. The main focus of this particular episode was on the fleet and Adama's health. A Cylon base star jumps in after Adama's wounding, and the fleet is forced to jump away and strand the away team on Kobol. Confusion ensues when the Galactica jumps to a system and finds itself alone. Where did the fleet go?
Apparently there was some kind of confusion with the coordinates. Not only is the fleet defenseless, but now Adama does not have access to a doctor. Gaeta saves the day by coming up with a plan to temporarily link the ship's systems, jump back to Kobol, and rejoin the fleet after an extra jump there.
It was an action packed episode. There was a good space battle, some tense fight scenes on the surface of Kobol, and some heart pounding medical drama regarding Bill Adama's health. Good episode overall.
Season 2
Episode 7
"The Gold Violin"
Due to all the hype surrounding Mad Men, I really expected this show to be better. Not that it is bad, but it just isn't at all what I was hoping for. I thought it would be more intense and drama filled. I thought it was the kind of show that kept viewers on the edge of their seat. It is nothing like this, however. It is a very slow, methodical, and occasionally boring character driven drama set in the office of an advertising firm in the 60's.
I am hoping there will be a big payoff coming soon. I am halfway through season 2 now and there haven't been any big events, nothing that has shocked me. No moments where I am like "OMG I must see what happens next!" and binge one episode after another. The show sure is taking its time to get somewhere, if it even is indeed going anywhere at all.
Let's hope this is the episode things start to heat up, but I am not going to hold my breath.
*watches episode*
Uh uh. Good thing I didn't hold my breath because this is exactly the type of episode I expected it to be. The main focus of this episode was about a new painting the big boss of the ad company had put up in his office. Everyone is curious about the painting, and an adventurous group of thrill seekers goes up there and sneaks in to take a peek. One of the perpetrators, a secretary, is fired over this transgression. But then she comes back after appealing to another one of the company's bigwigs. Thrilling stuff. Truly.
That's sarcasm by the way.
Another story line for this episode revolved around one of the firm's account managers who also doubles as a fiction writer. He gives one of his stories to a coworker to read over - and the coworker then invites him to dinner with his wife. When the writer comes to the coworker's house, they eat dinner and talk. More thrilling stuff! The only interesting thing about this whole plot line is that it seemed as if the coworker dude was displaying homoerotic tendencies towards the writer guy. Scandalous! Oh yeah, and Don Draper's wife finds out that he has been cheating on her, which is probably like the biggest event that's happened on the show so far.
That's basically how the entire show has gone so far. Little office dramas. Some minor character spats. A lot of characters fuck a lot of other characters. The show sounds boring, and I know I like to poke fun of it at times, but it really isn't that bad. Despite the fact that it can be dull at times, I am genuinely interested in these characters. The acting on the series is strong, and although it seems like nothing is happening half the time, the 45 some minutes always inexplicably seems to fly by each time I watch an episode of this. It's weird. I'm just waiting for it to really get good. This has got to happen at some point, right? I mean there has got to be a reason this show is so popular.
Season 4
Episode 4
Shadow Warrior
Slowly but surely I am making my way through this series. I feel like each episode of this show is very hit or miss for me. There have been some really great episodes throughout this show's run, but there have been some very boring, simple minded ones as well.
Being a huge Star Wars nut, I want nothing more than to love this show, but I just can't. It is too inconsistent for me. Visually, it never fails to impress. But as far as actual quality of episodes... meh. Hopefully this is a good one, though. From reading the episode description on Netflix, it sounds like Jar Jar Binks is going to be heavily featured here. I know most people hate him, but he never fails to amuse me.
*watches episode*
Meh sums up this episode pretty well. It wasn't amazing, it didn't completely suck. It was just okay.
Anakin, Padme, and Jar Jar return to Naboo to investigate claims that the Gungans are looking to betray the Republic by joining the Separatists and declaring war on the Naboo. Upon further investigation, our heroes discover that the leader of the Gungans, Boss Lyonie (what happened to Boss Nass?) is being controlled by the Separatists through an enchanted necklace. The necklace is removed, but before the Boss can refute his claim to war, he is stabbed and slips into a coma. Jar Jar, who looks like this new Boss, is forced to impersonate him in an attempt to keep the Gungans from joining the Separatist forces. The Gungans turn on the Separatists, capturing General Grievous in the process.
Anakin is lured into a trap and captured by the Separatists. He is ransomed for the safe return of General Grievous. The exchange is made, and the Separatists leave, their plot to destroy Naboo and lure the Gungans to their side squashed. Jar Jar is hailed as a hero, and the episode ends.
As I mentioned, it was an okay episode. It had a few funny moments, but the story line of the episode seemed to do nothing to advance the overall story arc of the Clone Wars. It didn't affect anything, and it just seemed like kind of an irrelevant happening in the grand scheme of this war. This whole episode could have never happened, and we would never have known the difference. Plus: General Grievous, the badass who the entire Republic army couldn't bring down, is captured by a group of Gungans. Really?
I had noted before watching this episode that the Clone Wars has been mainly hit or miss for me. This was definitely a miss episode. Not that it was awful or anything, it was just a bit boring and inconsequential. I am a little over the halfway point of this series, and I kind of can't wait for it to be over.
Season 1
Episode 13
"The Fix"
This was a show that everyone went nuts over in the mid 2000s, but somehow I missed out on the Heroes phenomenon and didn't start watching it until late last year. Seeing as how I have been watching it for several months now and I am only to episode 13 should tell you that I am not digging it as much as I thought I would.
I expected this to be epic, mind blowing TV that would keep me coming back for more, sort of like Lost, which I have heard this show compared to. But I just can't get into it for some reason. I don't dislike the show, I just find myself struggling to care much about it. I keep waiting for a hook of some kind to grab me and pull me in. That may still happen, but as of right now I continue to watch this show at the pace of about 2 episodes a month. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
And the sad thing is is that this is supposed to be the show's strongest season. Some of the later seasons are supposed to suck. Heroes is supposed to get worse as it progresses. If I can't get into the show now, what in the world am I going to think of the show when seasons 3 and 4 come around? I'll stick with the show for now, but if I am still feeling the same way by the end of the first season, I may consider dropping it from my rotation or taking a good long break from it for a while. We'll see what happens.
*watches episode*
I am still not particularly blown away or impressed by this show. It was just another run of the mill episode. It was... fine I guess. Nothing particularly memorable happened in it. Again, it wasn't terrible. It just wasn't very interesting to me.
I guess if there is one upside to what I have seen of Heroes up to this point it is that it seems to be building towards something special. I am willing to ride things out for a little while to see if there is some kind of a big payoff coming soon.
I really want to like this show. I truly do. But it isn't quite working for me, for one reason or another. I just feel really impatient and fidgety when I watch this, and I often find my mind wandering to other things like checking Facebook or playing on my phone. Maybe I just have to accept that this show isn't for me. Which is weird to me because I had heard so many good things about Heroes. I thought for sure I would love it. But I don't.
Season 1
Episode 5
"The Priest"
I don't really consider this a part of my TV show rotation, but I saw it pop up on Netflix and it made me realize that I still haven't finished the series. I am a fan of the basic story; I have read all of the books by Ken Breun. But I have been taking my sweet time watching all the episodes of this on Netflix. I believe it has taken me about 2 or 3 years just to get up to episode 5. Which obviously is a snail's pace. I think since this is only one season with 6 movie length episodes, I consider this more of a movie series than a TV series. So I have been using that to justify taking my time. If you compare that to the Hunger Games, which took 5 plus years to release 4 movies, than I guess I'm watching this quickly in comparison.
For those who don't know what this is about, this is a series about a drunken private detective that takes place in Galway Ireland. I was first drawn to the series because it stars Iain Glen, who plays Ser Jorah on Game of Thrones. I am a fan of this actor, and he does a terrific job here. It is a very dark show that explores a lot of touchy subjects such as molestation, violence against women, and abuse at the hands of "the institution".
On the surface Jack seems to be a rough, gruff drunkard with a tough guy demeanor, but he has a strong sense of justice and often will do whatever it takes to do the right thing, even if his methods don't necessarily follow the strict rule of the law.
Having read the books, I have a vague memory of what the story of this episode will be about, but they change so many things from the book to the TV screen that I am not sure just how accurate my memories will be.
*watches episode*
This was super good. It kind of makes me sad that there is only one more Jack Taylor left after I finish this. The episode centers around the murder of a priest. After doing some digging, Jack discovers that the priest had molested some kids when he was younger. One of the kids grew up to be a successful businessman, the other a junkie who turned into a sexual predator himself.
Obviously, he turns his attention to these two people. An intense investigation is launched. Expect lots of sex, violence, swearing, drinking, the usual kind of hard boiled Irish PI stuff. Of course, things are not as straight forward as they seem to be and the killer turns out to be a surprise that no one sees coming (well, I kinda did). The episode ends on a cliffhanger too, as something terrible happens to Jack's partner right at the very end of the episode. I seriously wanted to just go ahead and watch the final episode, but I had to restrain myself. I'm a firm believer in delayed gratification.
Great episode, great series in general. If you like a good PI story, and you like dark gritty dramas that aren't afraid to take on the seedy underbelly of the criminal element, you'd probably love Jack Taylor. I tend to not even like the detective genre, but I am a big fan of this.
Season 1
Episode 4
"The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine"
Don't let the fact that I am only on episode 4 fool you. I have been watching this show out of order for a while now. About 2 years ago I began watching the series by firing up season 1. I quickly found myself disappointed that the iconic theme song for the series didn't come along until season 2. So I skipped ahead to season 2 just solely because of the theme song. I am weird, I know. But it didn't feel like the Twilight Zone to me without it.
Now that I am done with season 2, I have gone back to season 1 to mop up the episodes that I skipped the first time through. A lot of these episodes are pretty good. Some of them are kind of lame. I can never tell what I am going to get when I fire up the Twilight Zone.
Episode 4 is next. Let's see what this one is all about.
*watches episode*
Like I had mentioned, some of these episodes can be hit or miss. I think this one was a hit. It wasn't like OMG AMAZING!1@!@ or anything like that, but I enjoyed myself. The episode is about an aging actress who is stuck living in the past. She has a movie theater in her home, and spends the majority of her days hanging out in the theater watching old movies that she had starred in in her youth. Friends and acquaintances are always trying to get her to come out and face reality, but she just won't have it.
Finally one day, the maid comes in and is shocked to find that the actress has physically entered the movie on the screen. She rushes to find someone to help, and when they come back, they beckon her to return. But onscreen, she ignores them and walks away. Lost to the real world, finally getting what it is she's wanted this whole time. To live forever on the big screen.
It was a simple episode, but it was a lot of fun. I knew there was going to be some kind of a twist at the end, but I didn't know what it was going to be. I thought she would kill herself, or the movie would come to life. Something like that. And it turns out I wasn't too far from the truth. I thought a clever twist might be that she would be cast for a movie where she'd play an actress who couldn't let go of her glorious past. That way she could live a normal life to all outside appearances but in her mind playing a role in a movie at all times 24/7. But that didn't happen.
Still, a fun episode. Sometimes I hit a poor episode when I watch this show and that turns me off to the Twilight Zone for weeks or months at a time. This one was definitely good enough to keep me watching.
Season 3
Episode 10
"New Warriors"
This season has been a little different. Instead of each episode being its own entity, there has been a continuing story line. Spider Man has been battling Taskmaster, trying to recruit "gifted" people to join SHIELD, while Taskmaster has been trying to recruit them to his evil cause. I'm curious to see where this is all going, and it looks like this episode may be a big turning point in the series.
*watches episode*
This was nothing to get excited over. The continuing story line continued this episode. Spider Man is training his recruits at SHIELD headquarters. He is looking to turn them into a team called - you guessed it - the New Warriors. These New Warriors are put to the test quickly when Taskmasker and his team attack the helicarrier.
This was your typical Ultimate Spider Man episode. It was basically all fighting. There were bad jokes aplenty. Like I said before, nothing to get excited over. I do like the fact that they are building up this New Warriors vs Taskmaster story arc, but at the same time I find myself tiring of it. I can see from reading the episode descriptions that it should be over soon, so at least I have some change to look forward to.
Season 2
Episode 8
"Empty Planet"
I like this show, but I am not watching it at a very rapid pace. Each episode is its owned contained story line, so there is really no reason to binge watch this or watch it quickly. I'm taking my time, enjoying it at my own pace.
Sometimes this show can be super good, sometimes super predictable. Occasionally there are episodes that can hit you hard emotionally. Most of the episodes are pretty detached and methodical, though. I'm hoping for an intense, emotional episode. Let's see what I get this time around.
*watches episode*
This was one of those detached, methodical episodes. In this one, a bomber is targeting locations that seem to be very high tech. The team assembles, and determines that this must be someone who is an anti technology activist.
More bombs go off, a new victim pattern is discovered. Clues lead our super team to a young man who believes his mother (a science fiction author who wrote a book about advanced technology and its cons) gave him up at birth. He is bombing people to get to her and send her some kind of message. To bring her book to life. He is caught at the end when he approaches his mom, who tells him that the child she gave up in her youth was a female. So there is no way that he could be hers.
Typical Criminal Minds episode. The team investigates a killer, all the leads and clue following turn out to be pointless in the end as the killer slips up and exposes himself. It was a fun episode though. They usually are. But a lot of these episodes feel like filler to me sometimes, and no way in hell will I remember this in five years. Decent episode, but it left virtually no impact on me whatsoever.
Season 3
Episode 20
"Jose Chung's "From Outer Space'"
To say that I am watching the X-Files slowly would be an understatement. I started season one over three years ago, and I am still not even through season three yet. I find a lot of these episodes to be quite boring. True, some can be really great. But the dull/boring episodes seem to far outnumber the good ones.
To me, this show majorly lacks the binge-worthy quality of so many other series' out there. Each episode is its own case, and even when there are continuing episodes I don't find them very interesting. I am toying with taking an X-Files break after season three, and possibly bumping it out of my rotation entirely in favor of something new that I (hopefully) would like more. We'll see what happens. I don't think I will ever stop the X-Files completely since it brings back so many fun memories from my youth, but I don't think I'll ever watch any faster than at my current snail's pace. A good episode here would go a long way in determining this show's fate for me.
*watches episode*
I had heard that the X-Files liked to throw in a funny episode here and there, but this is the first time I've actually seen one of them. I wasn't sure if I'd like it or not, and having seen it, I am still not sure whether or not I do.
In this episode, an author comes to interview Scully about a case involving aliens that she and Mulder had investigated so that he can write a book about it. The episode is told from many different perspectives, and often shows things that are silly and unbelievable, even by the X-Files standards. This was meant to be an off the wall episode, lighter in tone than many of the series' usual episodes.
Reading around online, it seems that this is a very popular episode, often ranked in people's top 10 X-Files episodes. I didn't hate it, but I didn't particularly like it. If this is the best the show can do, and I still don't like it... I don't know. I'm beginning to think it is time to put the X-Files on hiatus, maybe permanently. Seeing how I am almost done with season 3, this seems as convenient a stopping time as any. I've given this show 3 seasons to pull me in, and it hasn't succeeded. If I don't like the show by now, chances are I will never like it. X-Files, you had a good run (well not really) and it is time I put you to rest. It's not a you thing. It's a me thing.
Season 3
Episode 2
"We're Not From Here"
With season 8 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia wrapped up, it is time to put How I Met Your Mother back in my rotation. Once I finish season 3 of this show, I will put this on hiatus and go back to It's Always Sunny again. Back and forth, back and forth. It's how I do things. Comedy is one of my least favorite genres, so I try to not have too many in my rotation at the same time.
It has been a while since I've seen an episode of this, but if memory serves me right, Ted and Robin are broken up? I seem to remember Ted drunkenly getting a tramp stamp in the last episode but that's about all that stands out to me. I'm sure things will come crashing back to me quickly. This is not the most overly complex show out there.
*watches episode*
I'm glad this show is back in my rotation because I enjoyed this episode a lot. What really makes the show for me is the characters. I truly like each and every person on the show, and that makes it so much more enjoyable to watch. It is just a fun show. I won't say it is "realistic," but a lot of these stories feel like they could have been pulled from real life experiences of the writers, and I like that.
This episode had a couple things happening at the same time. Robin realizing that the guy who she met on vacation that she is seeing may not be right for her. Marshall struggling with writing a personal note to Lily for her to read in case he dies (this is a thing?). Ted and Barney going out and pretending like they are tourists to pick up chicks.
Too much stuff happens to the characters over the course of this series to be believable, but as I said it does feel like some of these stories are pulled from real life experience from the writers. They are almost too clever to be completely imagined. I'll have to look it up someday. I probably won't but who knows? Regardless, great episode. I am glad this show is back. It's like being with old friends again after a long hiatus.
Season 1
Episode 4
"The Things We Do"
I have mentioned the slow pace with which I am watching the X-Files and Criminal Minds, but they don't even come close to comparing the pace at which I am watching Wentworth. I started watching this show last year some point, and I am only up to episode 4 so far. Assuming I started this around October, that means that in about give or take 7 months I have managed to watch 3 episodes of Wentworth.
It's not even that I don't like the show, because every time I watch an episode I like it a lot. It is more that I am holding myself back from getting too deep into the show because I know that once I get on a roll I am going to want to binge this because it is so good. Maybe this will be the episode that finally kicks off my binge run of the show? Could be, could be. Only one way to find out.
*watches episode*
So far, the show hasn't let me down. This is yet another episode that I have liked.
It is easy to dismiss this is as an Orange is the New Black impostor, but this isn't the case. Despite the similar setting of a woman's prison, the two shows are very different in tone. This show is a bit darker. It is more violent. It places more focus on conflict between the characters in the prison, which can get scary at times. There is not much comedy to be found here. There is lesbian sex, but its not one of the focuses of the show.
I am terrible with names, so I don't know a lot of the names of the minor characters. But the main character is named Bea. She comes to jail for... something to do with her husband. Trying to kill him? This shows you how long it has been since I've seen an episode of this. The show is told mainly from her perspective, although several of the supporting characters get episodes of their own, flashbacks and all. Bea is thrust into the middle of a conflict between two of the prison's bigger personalities - Jacs and Franky. Both want to be in control and both hate each other with a passion. And they both want Bea on their side.
This episode focused more on the conflict between those two inmates, and Bea's struggle to try to remain in the middle and not pick a side between them. But when Jacs threatens Bea's daughter in the outside world, that changes things. Other story lines this episode include a former alcoholic facing possible release who attempts to get straight. A woman busted when she attempts to smuggle drugs into the prison through her little daughter's body. A prison guard continuing the investigation of the murder of his wife (formerly another prison guard). And Jacs learning that her husband is cheating on her out in the "real world".
Great, that ought to improve her already surly disposition.
There is a lot going on with the show, and I really like it. I have yet to be impressed by an episode, so hopefully I can pick up the pace and start watching it a bit faster than I am right now. I don't see why this wouldn't happen, and soon.
Season 2
Episode 1
"It's Time to Move On"
I consider this one of the best shows in my rotation. It is fast, it is fun. Great characters. Great twists. A cliffhanger at the end of each episode. This is definitely one of the most binge worthy shows I have ever encountered. Shows like this are the reason that I watch other shows (such as Wentworth) at such a slow pace. I am surprised season 2 is out on Netflix already because it seems like I just got through with season 1. But this is fine by me as the show is a lot more fresh in my memory than it would have been if I had had to wait for a long time between seasons. Maybe now I will actually be able to catch up and watch this live on TV when season 3 comes out.
If you have never seen this before, you need to. It is about a lawyer who teaches a college course in law. She does whatever it takes to win the case and passes this information to her students. Ironically, she and the students get caught up in a murder case of their own. The students must rely on the teacher and her knowledge of the law to navigate a series of pitfalls that could expose their guilt at any time,
It's an intense, fast paced show that never gets boring. Last season ended on a whodunit as a major character was killed. So that is the main story leading into season 2. Now that this season is on Netflix I am going to start it up. No doubt I will finish with it pretty quickly, within a couple of weeks. Then I can plug something else into the rotation while I begin the long wait for season 3. Hopefully there is no 2nd season letdown!
*watches episode*
The show picked up right where it left off at the end of season 1. Fears of a letdown in season 2 are completely unfounded. The episode answered the big question that was posed to us at the end of season 2. While we know who the killer of Rebecca is, the case is far from over as everyone is so caught up in these murders that to implicate anyone in particular would be to implicate themselves. Most of the action in the episode centered around Annalise as she takes on a new case where two siblings are accused of killing their parents. A new character shows up, played by Famke Jansen (Jean Grey from the X-Men and the Russian babe Onatopp in Goldeneye). She has a history with Annalise and seems to know things about the murder that she shouldn't.
Basically all the characters are still walking on eggshells. No one knows what happened to Rebecca (some know she is dead, some think she just disappeared). They're still trying to cover up Sam's death. Things could come crumbling down at any moment. But they still must work cases and continue on like nothing is going on.
The episode ends with yet a flash forward to the future, when Annalise is found lying on the ground in her home, shot. I doubt she's been fatally wounded, but it is still a big event on the horizon. I bet the rest of this season plays up to that point, like how they played up to Sam's death and the bonfire last season.
No sophomore slump here! This show is just as good as I remember it. I don't know when the next time will be when I write a blog entry on my TV rotation, but I can guarantee you there is no way I will still be watching this when that time comes. This is a show I will binge and be over with (until season 3 comes around) very very quickly.
---
So ends this blog entry. 19 shows were in my rotation, and I have watched 1 episode of all 19 of them. 1 of these shows I have finished completely (the Returned), 1 I have reached the end of the season and will take a break from (It's Always Sunny), 1 I am giving up on completely (The X-Files), and 3 I am nearly finished with the season and will take a break for a while when I do finish them (Survivor, Mad Men, and Jack Taylor). I will also take a break from Batman: The Animated Series when I finish season 1, since I have too many cartoons in my rotation with Spider-Man and the Clone Wars in the mix.
So that will mean that 7 spots will be opening up in the near future. I have several shows on deck to plug these holes. I have been taking breaks from House of Cards, Bates Motel, Friday Night Lights, the 100, and American Horror Story. I have new seasons of all these shows waiting in the wings ready to swoop in. I have been wanting to rewatch Better Call Saul now that I've seen Breaking Bad twice. I also want to start Walking Dead from the beginning again. I want to watch Jessica Jones on Netflix, and then follow that up with Daredevil season 2. I've been told I'd love Sherlock, so I want to watch that. I also want to see Ash vs the Evil Dead and Aquarius. But these aren't on streaming of any kind so it is proving to be difficult to find these shows to watch.
But the point is, I have an ungodly amount of shows already in my rotation, and an ungodly amount of shows waiting in the wings for me to resume again. It seems like I am never going to be caught up with having things to watch. The good news is that I have dropped Buffy and the X-Files out completely, so there are 2 extremely long shows that I don't have to worry about watching anymore. That's a sigh of relief.
Hope you enjoyed reading this and hope you don't think I am a complete psycho now for being caught up in so many shows. I need help, and fast.
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