“The Friday TV Report” 12 + Netflix! from Sally Ember, Ed.D., and her mom

“The Friday TV Report” 12 from Sally Ember, Ed.D., and her mom

Every few weeks starting in the fall of 2015, or when there are new shows or returning shows’ first episodes, I (Sally) plan to update this with our opinions. Check on Fridays! This is the eleventh post, for five weeks ending 6/3/16. Also, as of 5/14/16, we removed all shows that have been discontinued/canceled since we started this posting. As of 5/23/16, I added potential news shows to watch for the fall of 2016.

BACKGROUND

My mom, 84, and I (61) are probably not the “target demographic” for almost any show on television or any movie being produced currently. We live in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, USA (Midwest, for those of you unfamiliar: think of that huge “Gateway Arch”? That’s here). I grew up here but then didn’t live here for 42 years; I’ve been back for about one year, now. We were both raised Jewish, but I have been a meditator since 1972 and a practicing Buddhist since 1996. We are both Caucasian women-born-women. We are considered “middle class” although we have almost zero dollars of “disposable income.” My mom is hetero; I am bisexual. We are both partly disabled. I am highly educated (doctoral degree plus other training); my mom has extensive work-experience, with a high school diploma.

My mom has been a TV watcher for over 60 years. I watched a lot as a kid, but from about 1972 – 2002, I didn’t have a TV and hardly watched it elsewhere, either. I usually didn’t have a TV between 2005 – 2014 as well, but I watched some shows online (Hulu, usually) or Netflix.

We think we should be part of a group that at least some producers are aiming to please, because we (especially Mom) now watch a lot of television. We also get movies regularly from DVD borrowing through our local library. We even occasionally go to a theatre to see a movie. We eagerly await the “new season” of television every one of the four times it seems to occur every year: “Fall Sweeps” happen, but so do Mid-season Sweeps, Mid-year New Seasons, and channels with an entirely different set of “seasons.”

AND, UPDATE: We (in late 2015) started to have Netflix!

However, we are consistently disappointed that many shows we do like are cancelled and some shows we despise seem to go on forever.

Again in Spring-Summer, 2016, I/we continue through the year with this Report.

image from http://www.tophdgallery.com

We don’t watch: most “sit-coms,” any zombies or vampires, reality shows (except one on BBC), extremely violent shows, premium channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz), “teen” shows.

Fall TV + Netflix, 2015 – Spring/Summer, 2016

Our planned evening viewing line-up for shows (updated frequently) is as follows, sort of in calendar order, BUT, those I’ve already reviewed get “bumped” to the bottom of this post.

Scroll down if you don’t see a show “on top” that you want to read my review of.

NOTE: Our viewing “schedule” includes a lot of recording-and-watching-later, due to simultaneous broadcasts and my early bedtime.

**usually only Mom watches

*usually only I watch

NEW SHOWS

Weeks ending 5/6/16

*Preacher AMC (May)

*Cleverman Sundance (May-June)

*Feed the Beast AMC (June)

The Tony Awards (CBS special, 6-12-16)

Brain Dead CBS (June 13)

NETFLIX Premier dates for 2016 (some are not new shows, but they’re new to us):

[We don’t know anything about these show, below, but may check some out.]

Flaked – March 11

The Ranch – April 1

Lost & Found Music Studios – April 1

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – April 15

Kong: King of the Apes – April 15

Marseille – May 5

Word Party – June 3

Stranger Things – July 15

The Get Down – August 12

NEW/AS YET TO BE SCHEDULED on TV

For the summer/fall of 2016:

This is Us NBC

*Making History Fox

The Blacklist: Redemption NBC

The Jury ABC

MacGyver CBS

*The Good Place NBC

Frequency CW

Miranda’s Rights NBC

Shots Fired Fox

Timeless NBC

Broken ABC

*Doubt CBS

Great News NBC

Zoobiquity Fox

**Chicago Justice NBC

Conviction ABC

Emerald City NBC

**Bull CBS

The Death of Eva Sophia Valdez ABC

Pure Genius CBS (10/27)

Bunker Hill CBS

Marvel’s Most-Wanted ABC

Drew CBS

Notorious ABC

**Presence ABC

Time after Time ABC

Imaginary Mary ABC

Pitch Fox

RETURNING SHOWS (tried and liked, up until now… Won’t comment on them all, but a few are worth mentioning.)

*Orphan Black

Cool return: they seem to have gone backwards or into a a parallel universe in which the original clone character (Beth, the cop) isn’t yet dead (or else one of the other clones is playing her…?). And, there is another new clone, but some of the same original clones from the lst season(s). Only watched one Episode and am mostly confused, but intrigued. Wondering if I missed an entire season or what?

Will keep watching, just to find out!

Tatiana Maslany is amazing. If you haven’t seen this show and love great acting, tune in (but it does get a bit violent, sometimes).

Keeping

Grace & Frankie (on Netflix) Season 2 (May-June)

AS YET TO BE SCHEDULED, Returning

*Halt & Catch Fire TBD

Longmire (Netflix)

From Previous Weeks’ New Shows Reports

(only some are kept for more than a few postings, below)

The Great British Bake Off

It’s on again with new contestants and it’s excellent! This is only reality show we watch because the baking concoctions and watching the bakers create them are fascinating, always unusual and new to us, informationally. Many funny moments, but not at any baker’s expense, usually, which we like.

Plus, none of the competitors is actually a professional baker: a student; one makes satellites; a retired teacher; one also paints. So interesting that these individuals chose to compete in this way.

RECOMMENDED HIGHLY. Wish we could taste the entries!

Blindspot

Very unnecessary gratuitous violence and nudity in the opening scenes: trigger warnings for sexual and child-abuse violence as well. I say “unnecessary” because the opening scene for getting a message to the FBI Agent could have happened ANYWHERE. He didn’t even have to be on duty to get a message, right? So, right away, my mom and I are not liking this show’s choices.

Second, it’s unnecessarily confusing, which seems to be what passes for art and mystery these days in both TV and film scripts. Guess what, writers and directors: making the scene so dark the audience can’t see what’s going on, making the audio so muddy no one can understand what’s being said or overlaying the music so loudly the dialogue gets lost is not “cinema verite.” It’s “cinema awful.”

Third: how about dispensing all together with the growing popularity of conveying important information to the audience by attempting to put a text message to a character on screen? Between the terribly small text sizes, poor resolution on the cell phones’ screens and bad camera angles, WE CAN’T READ THE MESSAGES! Duh!

Fourth, the story for this pilot was also extremely cliched and not very interesting, except for the sub-plot (which should have been the main plot, given the hype for this show) regarding the identity of this amnesiac protagonist. We find her interesting. The crimes she’s supposed to help solve: not so much.

UPDATE in November: We’ve been watching weekly. It’s somewhat interesting but also quite absurd and getting more so by the week.

We probably plan to keep watching, but we bet we won’t like it much and we also bet it’s cancelled soon.

Rosewood

Refreshingly NOT CAUCASIAN, not all heterosexual (but not “camp,” either), not too serious version of “non-cop with special abilities working with police” dramedy.

Strange casting for Anthony Michael Hall as a grumpy detective, but great to see him, again. Liked Lorraine Toussaint in her somewhat minor but obviously recurring role. Liked the main character and his sister’s banter a lot.

Definitely keeping this one.

Quantico

My mom and I liked Quantico for the first half or so. Then, it devolved, as so many do, into chases and violence and not much (else?) to commend it.

The premise was supposed to be that this is a show about a new cohort of recruits at the FBI federal training academy (Quantico) in the USA. Why didn’t they stick with that? Why did they think they needed a terrorist bombing/ “moles”/ multiple deceptions-based plot?

We know it’s an FBI show and we did expect some of the above. But, really, when more than a few minutes of every show is devoted to pursuit chases and macho posturing/inappropriate blame and shaming, we look at each other and say: “Not enough plot, eh?”

UPDATE in November: going back in forth in time from the cadets to the present is a good idea but not done well at all. Relying too much on different hairdos for the female characters and who’s having sex with whom to anchor the timeline (who cares?). Still watching, but not sure why.

We’ll probably watch one or two more episodes, but we bet it’s cancelled.

Colony

We were very confused and a bit impatient with the way this series’ pilot throws viewers into the middle of an alternate Earth near-future without sufficient explanations. However, we kept watching and did enjoy the pilot, despite our bewilderment.

We liked seeing Josh Holloway, since we liked him so much in the all-too-soon-cancelled Intelligence, and Amanda Righetti, from The Mentalist, which we loved.

But, we never watched Lost, The Walking Dead or Hercules, so the others are new to us, except for Peter Jacobsen, from House and Madam Secretary, and Paul Guilfoyle, from CSI.

Luckily, I had taped the “Colony: Behind the Wall” show, which we watched after we saw the pilot. That was excellent, because it explained a LOT. We also got to see how and why they established some of the special effects and sets for this series. We are now looking forward to seeing the subsequent episodes.

Without giving away too much. we appreciated the parallels the producers/creators are deliberately creating between Nazi-occupied Paris and a hypothetically occupied Los Angeles, asking us all (and all the characters are also asking themselves and each other): what would you do? Would you be a collaborator or a resister? Are you a pragmatist/selfish/greedy “winner,” or are you trying to keep going with “normal” life while wresting control from the occupiers and collaborators as you do? What lengths would you go to and what risks would you be willing to take under these circumstances?

Excellent questions and cool concepts.

You can to the series’ website and choose your side and see what you get into there! http://www.colonytv.com/

Keeping this one.

*The Magicians (new to me, Season 2)

Don’t know how I missed this last year, but catching up, now, and liking it enough to keep going. Kind of trite, but interesting. Liking Anna Dudek in the headmistress role.

Keeping, for now

*Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (2/8/16)

I loved Samantha Bee on The Daily Show and awaited her new individual show with great anticipation. I was not disappointed.

Bee was funny, insightful, appropriately outraged and very bold, extremely feminist and “in-your-face,” but since I agree with her POV, this all worked great, for me. I laughed out loud and sighed with relief at many of her “bits.”

Finally: a feminist’s POV delivered with wit and humor about this horrible election season! Yeah! And, more coming, I’m sure.

Definitely keeping!

*The Catch 3/24/16

Watched both of the first two episodes and are hooked by the twists and intrigue. Mireille Enos (who bears an uncanny resemblance in voice, appearance and style to Ellen Pompeo of Grey’s Anatomy; guess producer/creator Shonda Rhymes has a “type”!), Peter Krause (a very different role from the geeky dad/husband in Parenthood!), Alimi Ballard (loved him in Numb3rs), Jay Hayden, who is unfamiliar to me as are Rose Rollins, Jacky Ido and Elvy Yost, comprise a strong cast.

Good to see Sonya Walger in another eveil beauty role: she’s gso good in these!

Keeping.

RETURNING SHOWS Reviewed previously

Stitchers

The new season hasn’t started, yet (March, 2016), but my mom and I found Stitchers in the spring of 2015, late into the season, so we’re very glad we have the DVR set to record re-runs. ABC-Family is showing last season’s Episodes (some of them, anyway) in preparation for the mid-season return of this great show.

Because it’s on ABC-Family, all the violence is low-key and mostly off-camera (yeah!), while the characters and plot are much better than on “adult” stations.

Take a hint, “adult” stations: this is what TV should be like!

Keeping and excited to have it return with new Episodes in 2016, on its newly named BOOM station.

Scorpion

Could be that this show, like so many, is becoming a bit too formulaic, a caricature of itself. This season’s opener had a few too many “Oh, one of the bizarre genius’ amazing ideas, number four, didn’t work, so we’re going to die” moments. It was good to see the lead from Forever (Alana De La Garza) showing up as a recurring character in this show, since Forever was unfortunately cancelled and she was great in that.

However, like Mysteries of Laura, why do writers believe that they have to introduce a class-A horrible person as a new character to create tension or conflict? Can there really be no other way to bring in a new collaborator or boss than to have that character be a grouchy idiot or plain stupid or both?

Please, also, tell us: why does Katherine McPhee almost never sing in this show? She has a spectacular voice. What a waste.

Probably keep watching, but not as excited about this show as we were last year.

Mysteries of Laura

Writing is tighter, which we appreciate (less silliness, more story). Not all the first year’s characters are “back,” but most are. There is a new addition who has so far been given a very trite role, but we liked Callie Thorne a lot in Necessary Roughness, so we’ll see how it goes.

Someone should tell Debra Messing‘s hair stylist to tone down her dye job. Number one: what police detective could afford to keep that up? Number two: it looks awful on her.

What happened to the chef/love interest for Messing’s character? It is not credible and is a slap to feminists everywhere that the writers would be reuniting her romantically with her cheating ex just because he got shot. We really hope that is not where this season’s plot is heading.

Keeping this one on our watch list, but skeptical.

NCIS New Orleans

Good start to the new season. Like the new character (female, African-American, kind of snarky and good at her job).

Shalita Grant, on her own Instagram account.

Plot was so forgettable, though, that it’s hard to remember it even one day later. Not a good sign.

Speaking of not a good sign: since when does anyone go undercover into a very tight-knit, paranoid network with less than one day’s preparation and no experienced handler? Ridiculous.

Also, why do so many of these law enforcement shows involve one or more characters who come into some money and then use some of it to purchase a bar/restaurant? Why do they all drink so much alcohol?

Prediction: drinking is going to go the way of smoking in media. Remember: EVERYONE used to smoke, good guys, bad guys, women, kids; since about 1985, only bad guys or historical figures smoke on screen and very few public places allow it anymore, either, because IT KILLS PEOPLE. So does alcohol. Drinking will disappear from all but the most ritualistic, celebratory or heinous occasions and characters’ habits, and no one who drinks will drive, unless the storyline dictates that they die or kill others. Life will soon follow.

My mom plans to keep watching. I probably won’t.

**Grey’s Anatomy RETURNS 2/11/16

I am a long-time fan of this show, especially, Ellen Pompeo, so glad this opener featured a lot of her. Like her shorter hair, also. Good to have a strong story featuring Miranda Bailey’s character; she’s creator/producer Shonda Rhimes‘ counterpart, for sure.

Loved the anti-homophobia storyline and the actions/discussions this inspired, especially for parents of LGBT kids and for everyone about bullying. Excellent PSAs built right into the show.

Not sure where they’re going with the marriage of Jackson and April or why they’re making Arizona such a ditz. Need to fix all that.

Do not miss Patrick Dempsey at all.

Glad Grey’s is back.

Scandal RETURNS 2/11/16

Glad this opener was a lot less violent than many of the Episodes last year. Hated those. Had to fast-forward through much of those B6-13-ish scenes. Since Olivia’s father’s character is absent and the actor playing him took a new job (as medical chief on Proof), who will the new villain be?

While it is fun to see the Prez finally get with Olivia right in the West Wing, her character is correct when she says that they can’t just waltz into a new relationship as if everything is fine when the President takes a mistress while still not divorced.

Please explain to us, though, why the obviously psychotic and possibly amnesiac ex-Vice-President, Sally, gets to mouth off as if she is occupying some moral high ground when she murdered her own husband? Did everyone else forget that, too?

The Princess Diana storyline seemed oddly placed and very out-of-synch with everything else. Why have that?

The writers may have painted themselves into quite a few corners at this point, it seems.

Plan to keep watching, but where is this going?

How to Get Away with Murder RETURNS 2/11/16

Glad Viola Davis won the Emmy. She deserved it. Good acting by her and many on this show is not enough to save it, though.

The writers of this show are a weird bunch, for sure.

Not liking the incestuous undertones and physicalization between her character and Wes (Alfred Enoch; yes, from Harry Potter films!). NOVEMBER: NOW they’re hinting that he may be her child??? ICK ICK ICK.

Not liking the very late-in-the-storyline and oddly placed introduction to her character’s being bisexual, although we don’t mind that she is at all.

The writers seem to enjoy making almost every character psychotic and murderous. How many are they planning to kill or frame?

UPDATE in November: Only 2 more Episodes. Not liking the way the writers start with the end and then bring us forward to that point each week by giving little hints along the way as to how the characters get to that juncture.

The production values are so bad and the timeline jumping done so poorly that we have no idea what’s going on most of the time. Filming is too dark and cuts are too quick. Dialogue is not loud enough.

We do keep watching but we’re glad when it’s over. Too dark without much to redeem it.

Blue Bloods

My mom LOVES this show and watches re-runs for fun, mostly because she loves Tom Selleck as the family patriarch and Chief of Police. So, with great anticipation, we started watching the season opener.

What a disappointment. Why, oh writers, do you think Blue Bloods and your fictional NYC should continually deal with Islamic terrorists and terrorist threats? Not only does it fan the flames of anti-Islam sentiment in this country (the last thing we need), but it’s BORING, predictable and flat.

This episode made Danny’s character (played somewhat woodenly by Donnie Wahlberg this week) even more of a jerk than usual. Then, it had the hilariously unlikely premise that somehow, out of thousands of police detectives and officers, only the Reagan family’s detective, Danny, and his brother, Jamie (Will Estes), on patrol could possibly be involved in the same terrorist plot.

Once again, Erin (Bridget Moynahan) was put in a terrible position regarding a conflict between her job and her dad’s job’s wishes. BTW: Whatever would they do without Erin in the DA’s office? Whom else could her male police relatives trust and manipulate?

The writers then gave Grandpa, Danny’s family, Erin’s daughter and the supporting cast members almost nothing to do. They succeeded in making what can be and often is a great ensemble show with intricate, non-overlapping but thematically-linked storylines into nothing more than a bombing plot/chase fiasco.

My mom is very pissed and comments almost very week, that she doesn’t understand why Jamie Reagan hasn’t been promoted to detective.They made him into an excellent patrol officer and show that he is interested in being a detective, but he apparently has never applied, sat for the exam, or been promoted in five years.

That is unlikely and bizarre, but I just shrug and say: “The writers only want one Reagan in each job.”

VERY BAD CHOICES for this opener. I may not keep watching, but my mom is faithful.

NCIS

Watched the season opener a week late so we could also watch Part II right away, but we don’t understand how there can be a “Part II” to this episode. Aside from that, good to see everyone back and glad that Gibbs is better than okay after seemingly dead and dying several times at the end of last season and in this episode.

Way too much of the medical parts, though, so we fast-forwarded through them all. Using the operating table and its vagaries to provide flashbacks and “back story” is such a overused convention that we were not clear on the reasons for it in this episode, unless it’s to pave the way for Gibbs’ having some kind of retirement crisis.

Tony’s character is developing some complexity, which we like. But, they’ve given very little to the others to do and we miss Ziva.

Definitely going to miss Michael Weatherby for 2016-17.

Keeping this one.

Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Why did they choose not to do a “re-cap,” and then have a few characters “catch us up” by talking about what we all “missed,” which turns out to be way more than where we last left off.

Also, why is Ming-Na Wen gone (plays Melinda May, or May AWOL)? She’s one of our favorite characters.

News Flash: having a bum knee doesn’t turn an agent into a scientist, even if it sidelines her. Since Gemma is “gone,” why not introduce a new character instead of not credibly repurposing Bobbi, since the show is a few short, now, anyway?

The whole “Fitz is trying to find/save Gemma” storyline is leading to…what, exactly?

Also not liking the new can’t-stop-it/him villain/monster.

The “spread” of powers is interesting, but these writers must be talking to Heroes, Reborn‘s writers, or be the same people, because now they have a similar storyline and why is that?

My mom and I both kind of like this show and Agent Carter, but the “inhuman” characters go beyond our interest scope (for us) when they don’t even look human.

Glad to see Rosalind Price in this show, and wondering where her character is going to take things. We really like Skye/Daisy’s character and glad that Lincoln and she may team up, again.

Not sure we’ll keep watching, but giving it another few episodes.

Bones

Season opener did a good job of catching us up on last year’s drop-off points, but we weren’t happy with the plot at all. Very gruesome (ALERT); even more than usual.

Note to TV writers: Why does almost every returning show believe it has to introduce a new boss or investigator as a horrible, somewhat stupid and irrationally mean-spirited person with some hidden agenda or ax to grind (Scorpion, Mysteries of Laura, Nashville, Scandal), particularly when they’re female? We are so tired of this trope.

Second note: Why do you writers think it’s “interesting” to have one of the main characters disappear or seem to be dead within minutes of the opening credits (Castle, Nashville, Heroes Reborn)? We don’t agree. That does not create “tension”; it generates frustration for your returning viewers. We come back to see these characters! Don’t remove one right off! STUPID MOVE.

Probably keep watching but not pleased, yet.

The Blacklist

Not sure where this show can go after the way it left off last season, and the opener seems to have painted it even more into the proverbial corner. How can there be a “Blacklist” story if Reddington doesn’t work with/for his FBI contact any longer because she’s been framed and they’re on the run together?

The whole “she is secretly a Russian spy because her mother was” is so dumb we barely gave it a glance last spring, but now the writers have put some of the loyal to Elizabeth into hysteria. Whatever could be the point of this?

Not liking it much, but probably keep watching if only to find out how they get out of the way they ended the episode: very weird choices.

Keeping, for now.

Madam Secretary

So far, this wins, hands DOWN, for the best returning show premier! Exciting, unexpected twists and turns and some of the best nonverbal but highly emotional scene and acting I’ve seen on TV in a long time. Kudos to Barbara Hall (writer/producer), to Morgan Freeman (who had a cameo role and directed!), and most especially to both Téa Leoni and Tim Daly. Amazing conveyances of mixed and intense emotions with body language, facial expressions and tightly coiled energies.

Liking the subplots, except for the President’s son-Secretary’s daughter’s romance and his being a junkie. Snooze.

Glad to see Jill Hennesey back on TV. Hope she keeps coming around.

Elizabeth’s interactions with her husbands, kids and colleagues, especially the President’s Chief of Staff, played villainously by Željko Ivanek, were on point every time.

LOVED the musical number at the end! Especially enjoyed Bebe Neuwirth‘s new tenor voice, backed up by Patina Miller and Erich Bergen, both excellent as well, with a more-than-passable demo by Geoffrey Arend.

Definite keeper.

**Hawaii 5-0

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Chicago P.D.

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**NCIS Los Angeles

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Law and Order—SVU

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Criminal Minds

Mom is keeping this on her list for sure.

**Chicago Fire

Mom continues to love this. One of my CHANGES conversations between authors‘ guests, poet performer, James Gordon, has recurring minor roles on this and Chicago PD!)

Stays on Mom’s list

*Being Mary Jane

I almost stopped watching/recording this show because, toward the end of last year, it got very tedious (repetitive, boring) and the lead character was being written into corner after corner. But, I gave it a try for the return and I’m so glad I did.

Now? Excellent writing, sensitive topics [alcoholism, child abuse/molestation, suicide, disfigurement/physical “beauty”/ageism for women (particularly Black women), extortion, drug addiction, dysfunctional parenting, loyalty among friends (or not)], all very well-handled. Great music choices, also.

Mary Jane’s character (played even better, now, by Gabrielle Union) is getting some chutzpah (FINALLY) and growing up (ALSO OVERDUE). Supporting characters (Lisa Vidal, Margaret Avery, Stephen Bishop, Richard Roundtree, Raven Goodwin) are getting more to do, which is great.

Glad to see Loretta Devine on this show, even though her character is so delightfully SCUMMY.

Keeping this one.

Major Crimes

Excellent returning Episode. Glad to see all the main characters back and the writing and acting still strong.

What’s going on with Julio (Raymond Cruz)?

Still don’t believe the Captain Rader (Mary McDonnell) – Detective Andy (Anthony Denison) romance, but there they are.

Rusty (or rather, the actor playing him, Graham Patrick Martin) still looks about 15 but is getting some great scenes.

Keeping this one.

The Librarians

Fun and satisfying return to a new season with this quirky show that is one part Warehouse 13, one part Indiana Jones, one part National Treasure, one part the Da Vinci Code, and I don’t know what else, with some of Buffy‘s campness thrown in.

Excellent special effects and well-drawn characters, even the villains.

Don’t quite believe the romance between Noah Wylie‘s nerdy scholar and Elizabeth Romijin‘s former Secret Service ninja (Noah wishes…), but it’s all light and fun.

Miss Bob Newhart and Jane Curtain; John Larroquette just doesn’t have what they have.

John Harlan Kim, Lindy Booth, and Christian Kane round out the “regulars.”

image from http://www.tvline.com

Good show.

Keeping.

Elementary

We both like this show a lot even though it’s very difficult for us to understand some of the dialogue or to understand Sherlock because of the show’s poor audio quality and his rapid-fire speech in a British accent.

It was kind of a depressing return to TV, storyline-wise. But, great to see Lucy Liu, Johnny Lee Miller, John Michael Hill and Aidan Quinn back again. The opening Episode gave Aidan Quinn more to do than he’d been doing recently, only to indicate a change is in the wind. So, who knows, now?

The week’s case wasn’t so interesting, but the unfolding changes, especially between Sherlock and Watson, are intriguing.

Keeping

On Netflix, new seasons of Jessica Jones and Longmire are now promised for later in 2016, which we LOVE! And, Grace and Frankie returns on May 6! Yeah!

Sherlock (PBS special 1/1/16)

Yippee! Yahoo! Best BBC return-to-season EVER! Fabulous reunions and loved the “premise” (No spoilers, here). How great is Benedict Cumberbatch?

Also, great mystery to be solved.

Not liking the addiction story line in this or Elementary’s Sherlock (or any show, for that matter), but I guess it is part of the Sherlock character.

Keeping!

*Call the Midwife 4-3-16

Also had a great Holiday Special episode which I watched on New Year’s: catch that if you can! Then, get ready for the next season to start in April!

Suits 1-27-16

Strong return but disappointing plot/story elements. The whole “Michael (played well by Patrick J. Adams) is a fraud, what is going to happen and how bad is it going to get” can’t possibly sustain this season, which must be their last, then.

They’re made Rachel, played well by Meghan Markle (but still dressed inappropriately vampy), whiny, juvenile and ridiculous (and repetitive).

Sarah Rafferty as the impossibly perfect Donna and Gabriel Macht as the complicated Harvey still have the greatest tension (and are decades-long friends, which shows) and lines but not much to do.

Gina Torres as Jessica still wears too much white and is also too vampy in her costuming but is righteously angry and protective, both. Louis is still the most richly drawn and has the most fun stuff to do, and all done very well by Rick Hoffman.

Best unexpected gift acting as Donna’s alternate assistant to either Harvey or Louis is enlivened by Aloma Wright, who is funny, strong and interesting all the time. Also glad to see D.B. Woodside back as Jeff: he’s FIERCE! Appearances by other former characters give the season the feeling of “ending” as well, so we’re happy to enjoy Shelia Sazs, Stephen Macht (yes, Gabriel’s IRL father), Abigail Spencer and others’ returns, even if only for a few minutes.

But, my mom and I believe they have painted themselves into a tedious plot corner which is not enhanced by the one-note character given to the wonderful Leslie Hope as their attacker.

Keeping, but not happy about it.

Rizzoli & Isles February, 2016

Is this R & I‘s last season? So sad!

Very strong start to the returning Episodes. My mom and I both like this show a lot: Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander (we loved her on NCIS as well) are great as a sister-like collegial team, and the supporting cast, while somewhat stock, are fun to see them engage with during each crime-solving journey. Jordan Bridges is a great also-Detective (now), younger brother, with Lorraine Braco as their caring, somewhat hovering and funny mom/surrogate mom.

Like seeing strong, intelligent, competent women working as a team instead of competitively. Thanks, TNT!

KEEPING, BUT, summer, 2016 = last season for this great show.

*When Calls the Heart

Had a great Holiday Special episode, which I watched on New Year’s: catch that if you can! Erin Krakow is great as the lead character, Elizabeth Thatcher, a rich young woman who leaves her safe, city family life to become a Canadian prairie teacher in a one-room school house, with an adorable Daniel Lessing as her Canadian Mountie/ love interest. Yes; hers is one of my alternate reality jobs.

Lori Loughlin is cast as her typically maternal and saccharine character but she does play the best friend/ cafe owner/ widow/ adoptive mother/ landlady well. Other characters are also “stock” and mostly two-dimensional, but I blame the Hallmark Channel’s writers (Janette Oke and Derek Thompson, most recently, but there are 18!) more than I fault the actors.

UPDATE: Saw February’s first Episode. Very fun and satisfying and a bit scary. Liked it, except for the annoying character of Cat Montgomery, played well by Chelah Horsdal.

KEEPING

*The Americans late March, 2016

I like this show, but the content is quite disturbing, for sure. The morality, ethics, honesty and deception issues are quite seriously depicted, there is a lot of violence (which I don’t like), and people are very screwed up, on all sides. Multiple complexities and grey areas are not shied away from, and they include many key events/issues from the USA’s 1980s: bravo to the writers, actors, director, fact-checkers/researchers!

I hate to read subtitles, but having the Russians speak Russian adds verisimilitude, for sure.

Both Matt Rhys (Phillip) and Keri Russell (Elizabeth) give nuanced, fascinating performances, especially when interacting with their now-“read-in” daughter, adolescent Paige (played admirably by Holly Taylor) and Alison Wright as Phillip’s “other” wife.

Remarkable performances also by the great Frank Langella, with key moments played by Callie Thorne, Noah Emmerich, Annet Mahendru, Lev Gorn and brief appearances by Dylan Baker (will he be back?) and Richard Thomas and Costa Ronin (who each did a lot last season) make this a show well-worth watching.

Cringing, but keeping

Filed under: TV and online Series Reviews Tagged: demographics, fall 2015, network TV, opinions, reviews, Television, Television shows