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Weekly TV Round-Up
Oct. 19th, 2014 08:33 pmIf you can't have butter, all grains, refined sugars...here's a good chocolate chip cookie recipe: http://paleotable.com/2014/02/chewy-paleo-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Although, be careful about getting them too gooey.
1. For the tv snobs/culture vultures out there, you know who you are, the best written/acted/produced new series that I've seen is probably The Affair on Showtime. It stars Dominic West (of The Wire and The Hour fame), Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierny, and Joshua Jackson - and is told in somewhat the same style as True Detective was. In that - a detective for reasons yet to be revealed is questioning two people who had an extramarital affair several years ago in the Hamptons. The people are being questioned separately, and their recitation of the events leading up to and including the Affair contradict one another. So it becomes a fascinating he said/she said character study. More compelling than you'd expect, and deftly filmed and written. Also an oddity amongst critically acclaimed television in that it is not violent (at least so far) and doesn't depict violent situations and people. Plus female characters are leads.
2. Marvel Agents of Shield is actually entertaining me this season. Also, I rented episodes 16-24 of the previous year, and well - it was entertaining towards the end of S1. They had major pacing problems up to and including episode 16 (the Thor Episode), once "Winter Solider" came out - the series took off and became a closer fit to what fans have come to expect from a Mutant Enemy franchise. (ie. the stalwart and true hero turning out to be a villain.) While, it's definitely not on par with Mutant Enemy's previous efforts (hello, we have Marvel pulling the strings so sort of expected), it is entertaining and worth a second look - assuming of course that you enjoy this sort of thing.
3. Grey's Anatomy was also quite good this week. Considering it's been on for 11 years, that's an accomplishment. Focused on Meredith's mother, Ellis Grey, who died several years back.
4. Scandal - I know I'm supposed to feel sympathetic towards Jake, Olivia's latest beau, but ever since he killed those three journalists in cold blood, and rather brutally, I've found him to be a wee bit on the creepy side. Of course most of the characters on this series fall in the creepy category (the President killed a supreme court justice (granted she was dying anyway of Cancer - but that's not why he killed her and blew up a plane of over 200 people during his navy days). That said, Scandal isn't meant to be taken too seriously, it's sort of a satirical take on The West Wing, and a suspense thriller. Rhimes even does the rapid talking thing in hallways. Also, unlike various other tv series, it has a lot to say about gender and race relations - without being preachy about it.
5. Jane the Virgin turns out to be an entertainingly witty satire of Spainish Telenovelas. It reminds a touch of Ugly Betty, but without the cringe-inducing embarrassment humor and well a mostly Latino cast. I think there's one or two people who aren't Latino in it. There's a hilarious bit, where Rafael's lesbian sister, who happens to be gynecologist, accidentally artificially inseminates Jane (the Virgin) instead of giving her the pap smear. (By the way, if you are a virgin, you don't really need a pap smear - because you can only get HPV through ahem, sexual intercourse or so I've been told.) Who knew Pap Smears could be so risky. Although this isn't as outrageous as it sounds - gynecologists aren't the most reliable of doctors or so I've discovered. In this case - she was upset because she'd walked in on her wife having an affair with her assistant (the wife's assistant).
It plays the scenarios straight - so it is hilarious, more so than if it went for parody. I'm not a fan of parody or exaggerated comedy. I like subtle and absurd situational comedy.
6. Doctor Who - Flatliners - now that was an entertaining and interesting episode. Rather liked the twisty monsters - which were unique and I haven't seen done before. Moffat does come up with the most interesting monsters that I've seen. ( spoiler )
I'd say it's been an uneven season but they are all uneven. I had issues with all the seasons that I've seen. (RTD and Moffat seasons, don't remember old school Who.) So far this episode, Listen, and the one where Who plays a Janitor at the School - are my favorites. The rest I've sort of forgotten. Still the theme of someone attempting to sacrifice themselves to save everyone - except this round, Clara stops them. Although she did have a higher body count than the Doctor tends to have.
And I know, I know, I'm in the minority on this point, but the old doctor/young companion relationship doesn't quite work for me for some reason (maybe because to date it has been a psuedo-romantic pairing or played that way?). Also Capadali isn't quite doing it for me - again no clue why. Doesn't seem to bother anyone else.
So probably not that big an issue.
7. Vamp Diaries
Not as entertaining as last season, and I'm not sure where they'll go once Damon and Bonnie get back...but it does have a few moments. I am having issues with Elena again this season - but I'm guessing that I'm supposed to? And show, please stop killing off characters that entertain me. I'm guessing Caroline would agree, since she liked the character too. Agree with Caroline - both Stefan and Elena are acting like self-absorbed jerks, whose method of dealing with grief - is not exactly healthy to everyone around them, and should be smacked upside the head, repeatedly. Also, more Alaric please.
( spoiler )
Although, be careful about getting them too gooey.
1. For the tv snobs/culture vultures out there, you know who you are, the best written/acted/produced new series that I've seen is probably The Affair on Showtime. It stars Dominic West (of The Wire and The Hour fame), Ruth Wilson, Maura Tierny, and Joshua Jackson - and is told in somewhat the same style as True Detective was. In that - a detective for reasons yet to be revealed is questioning two people who had an extramarital affair several years ago in the Hamptons. The people are being questioned separately, and their recitation of the events leading up to and including the Affair contradict one another. So it becomes a fascinating he said/she said character study. More compelling than you'd expect, and deftly filmed and written. Also an oddity amongst critically acclaimed television in that it is not violent (at least so far) and doesn't depict violent situations and people. Plus female characters are leads.
2. Marvel Agents of Shield is actually entertaining me this season. Also, I rented episodes 16-24 of the previous year, and well - it was entertaining towards the end of S1. They had major pacing problems up to and including episode 16 (the Thor Episode), once "Winter Solider" came out - the series took off and became a closer fit to what fans have come to expect from a Mutant Enemy franchise. (ie. the stalwart and true hero turning out to be a villain.) While, it's definitely not on par with Mutant Enemy's previous efforts (hello, we have Marvel pulling the strings so sort of expected), it is entertaining and worth a second look - assuming of course that you enjoy this sort of thing.
3. Grey's Anatomy was also quite good this week. Considering it's been on for 11 years, that's an accomplishment. Focused on Meredith's mother, Ellis Grey, who died several years back.
4. Scandal - I know I'm supposed to feel sympathetic towards Jake, Olivia's latest beau, but ever since he killed those three journalists in cold blood, and rather brutally, I've found him to be a wee bit on the creepy side. Of course most of the characters on this series fall in the creepy category (the President killed a supreme court justice (granted she was dying anyway of Cancer - but that's not why he killed her and blew up a plane of over 200 people during his navy days). That said, Scandal isn't meant to be taken too seriously, it's sort of a satirical take on The West Wing, and a suspense thriller. Rhimes even does the rapid talking thing in hallways. Also, unlike various other tv series, it has a lot to say about gender and race relations - without being preachy about it.
5. Jane the Virgin turns out to be an entertainingly witty satire of Spainish Telenovelas. It reminds a touch of Ugly Betty, but without the cringe-inducing embarrassment humor and well a mostly Latino cast. I think there's one or two people who aren't Latino in it. There's a hilarious bit, where Rafael's lesbian sister, who happens to be gynecologist, accidentally artificially inseminates Jane (the Virgin) instead of giving her the pap smear. (By the way, if you are a virgin, you don't really need a pap smear - because you can only get HPV through ahem, sexual intercourse or so I've been told.) Who knew Pap Smears could be so risky. Although this isn't as outrageous as it sounds - gynecologists aren't the most reliable of doctors or so I've discovered. In this case - she was upset because she'd walked in on her wife having an affair with her assistant (the wife's assistant).
It plays the scenarios straight - so it is hilarious, more so than if it went for parody. I'm not a fan of parody or exaggerated comedy. I like subtle and absurd situational comedy.
6. Doctor Who - Flatliners - now that was an entertaining and interesting episode. Rather liked the twisty monsters - which were unique and I haven't seen done before. Moffat does come up with the most interesting monsters that I've seen. ( spoiler )
I'd say it's been an uneven season but they are all uneven. I had issues with all the seasons that I've seen. (RTD and Moffat seasons, don't remember old school Who.) So far this episode, Listen, and the one where Who plays a Janitor at the School - are my favorites. The rest I've sort of forgotten. Still the theme of someone attempting to sacrifice themselves to save everyone - except this round, Clara stops them. Although she did have a higher body count than the Doctor tends to have.
And I know, I know, I'm in the minority on this point, but the old doctor/young companion relationship doesn't quite work for me for some reason (maybe because to date it has been a psuedo-romantic pairing or played that way?). Also Capadali isn't quite doing it for me - again no clue why. Doesn't seem to bother anyone else.
So probably not that big an issue.
7. Vamp Diaries
Not as entertaining as last season, and I'm not sure where they'll go once Damon and Bonnie get back...but it does have a few moments. I am having issues with Elena again this season - but I'm guessing that I'm supposed to? And show, please stop killing off characters that entertain me. I'm guessing Caroline would agree, since she liked the character too. Agree with Caroline - both Stefan and Elena are acting like self-absorbed jerks, whose method of dealing with grief - is not exactly healthy to everyone around them, and should be smacked upside the head, repeatedly. Also, more Alaric please.
( spoiler )