TV Show Reviews: Summer 2017

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Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Master of None, Netflix, Orphan Black, reviews, Shameless, streaming TV, TV, TV Programs, TV reviews, TV Series, TV Shows

Hey everyone!

I hope you’re all enjoying the last days of summer! I certainly am, trying to enjoy the last bit of warm days as the cooler weather sets in.

I just want to make a note about a slight change to this blog. Earlier I said I would blog every Friday. Well, I’ve decided to instead blog every Monday due to my schedule. I do have a busy schedule, and I’m hoping Monday would be much easier for me to write on this blog. So let’s see…

Anyway, it is that time for me to review the TV shows I watched since the last TV review post. Like many, I prefer TV shows over movies, and I’ve been active on my TV viewing (or Netflix, or live streaming, whichever method). Here goes on my reviews…

WARNING: spoilers up ahead!

MASTER OF NONE:
I really did not like this second season. It started off being funny, but the part where Dev Shah started to fall in love with the engaged Francesca, I started to lose interest. That was the second time Dev got involved with a woman already taken (remember Claire Danes’ character in Season 1?), and I just felt uneasy with it. Yes, there was chemistry and love can be complicated. But, I just…I don’t know, felt uneasy. I kind of hope he and Francesca do stay together, but at same time I do not. Let’s see what Season 3 brings.

ORPHAN BLACK:

Image via Flickr via Creative Commons

The final season to one of the my favorite shows! Tatiana Maslany’s acting was great as always; it never fails here. I liked how there were flashbacks to when Allison and Helena learned they were clones. I’m glad Cosima and Delphine are still going strong. I also liked how at the end, they talked about the many clones all over the world, and the best part was the humbling of superbitch Rachel. The sad part was obviously when S was killed. I really like the actress, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and looking forward to see where she’ll pop up next. Heck, I’m ready to see where Tatiana will pop up next. This is not the last of her great acting. She’s got a lot to do in the future, and I’m looking forward.

HOUSE OF CARDS:

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Whoa, this show is something else.However, I felt this season, HoC got in over its head. There were too many deaths and “accidents” that can’t not be linked to Frank and Claire Underwood. Yes, it was obvious those characters would have met violent ends; that’s the way the show and the Underwoods’ work. But I felt this time it was overdone. And now the Underwoods are going to go against each other? Is Frank going to somehow kill Claire and make it look like an accident? Are these two going to kill each other in the end? Eh, it just seems like too much now. The psychopathy of the Underwoods just seems overdone. But that’s just me…

GAME OF THRONES:
What would a review post be without Game of Thrones? Like many, I obsessively watched and overanalyzed the show this season, and feeling devastated that it won’t be back until 2019 or so. But I’m glad Jon Snow’s parentage and real identity has been revealed in full, just as we take a look at the actors’ ass during an incestuous sex scene (sorry, I had to go there!). I’m also thrilled that Littlefinger has finally been killed off, by symbolically getting his throat slit. I, like many, got a little nervous with Sansa and Arya fighting. But I also read the many articles about those two, and was relieved to remember Arya had handed Sansa the dagger, and therefore was not going to kill her older sister. Whew!

But now there are only 7 episodes left for GoT. I can see the writers and producers cramming things into those episodes and not doing such a good job at it. I mean, I could see the final season for GoT be really rushed. If this past season was rushed, imagine what the next and final one would look like. But we’ve got a long wait…

SHAMELESS:

Image via Wikipedia

This is another show that I recently joined on the bandwagon. I binged on this Showtime show late last year, and this June, watched its seventh season on Netflix. I really like it, because the show is simply shameless. I mean, the characters have no shame! From Debbie raping a guy and then aimlessly getting pregnant, to Lip’s self-destructive ways, the characters live up to the show’s moniker. But it does it in a funny way! Like, there’s humor attached to the lousy behavior of everyone on the show. Amazing how that’s been worked out. I also like how the show brings to light bipolar disorder through Ian. Other programs, like Homeland and the movie Silver Lining Playbook, don’t treat bipolar disorder with much education and kindness. Shameless does, and I give it a lot of credit. I suspect next season will be the last, as it will be the eighth season. Looking forward to it!

 

 

A Review of the Recent Seasons of My Favorite TV Shows

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Game of Thrones, Orphan Black, Salem, television, Telly Programs, The Americans, The Secret Circle, TV, TV Programs, TV Shows

Well, what a year it has been with some of my favorite TV shows! Like many, I’ve been watching Game of Thrones, Orphan Black, The Americans and House of Cards. I even binge-watched the second season of Salem. So, with the first half of the year over, allow me to review the shows I’ve watched during this time!

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

GAME OF THRONES:
Wow, what a wild ride this season was! All the seasons of Game of Thrones is a wild ride, but this one had an obvious feminist take on it. All the major female characters took a major part in the game, and even became the actual game players. It was great to see Sansa Stark rise and become the smart woman she is now. And I am so glad she got her revenge on Ramsay Bolton! That smirk on her face was one for the ages.

The ending of the Season 6 was something else. I’m still so upset over Cersei using the weaponry on the High Sept, killing hundreds of people. That whole scene seemed over the top for me, and I’d like to know how Jaime is going to handle knowing his beloved sister did something he tried to stop so many years ago. I am also still sad Queen Margery is dead. As sneaky and untrustworthy she was, she was a smart woman who knew who to play the game. I was wondering how she was going to slither her way out of the High Sparrow’s grasp, but looks like we’ll never know. Sigh!

And what about Jon Snow?! Of course, everyone knew he was coming back from the dead. And I am so glad his true parentage has been revealed. That was a secret that couldn’t be kept quiet. And he’s King of the North now! We all know how that ended last time, but there’s no way Jon is going to die twice.

I am feeling bummed that the Season is over, and we all have to wait 10 months before Season 7 begins. But it is good to know that when it does, sh*t is really going to get real in Westeros!

THE AMERICANS:
What a great, underrated show. I don’t understand how it does not get Emmy or Golden Globe nominations. I know there’s a lot of great shows out there, but this one needs to be recognized.

What a great fourth season this show had! Last year, there was a huge cliffhanger where daughter Paige told her pastor that her parents were Russian spies. This season, we saw the intense consequences of that action, along the consequences of the other actions both Philip and Elizabeth do for the sake of making the world a better place. It was painful to see what they did to Martha, and Yung-Hee and her family. But it was interesting to see Elizabeth’s iciness begin to thaw, and to see her question – even just a little bit – whether all she was doing was worth it. That is something we have seen both characters do since the very first episode, and it is a question that keeps growing bigger for them, Philip especially.

But the question now is, how loyal will Paige remain to her parents? And when will the writers do something for Henry, who seems to just exist to make noise during intense scenes?

ORPHAN BLACK:
This show keeps getting better and better, and I don’t mean simply because of Tatiana Maslany’s acting. Although the latter continues to astound me, the storyline of this show keeps getting better.

Image via Flickr via Creative Commons

I liked how this season, we finally got a look at what drove Beth Childs to suicide, and it was great to see the Neolutionists play a role in this show again. Too bad, they are incredibly ruthless and scary. But looks like no one is as scary and ruthless as Rachel is, the evil clone. I doubt she’s going to last Season 5; Sarah seems to have good reason to knock her off. Better Rachel than the much loved Cosima!

One thing: is the show ever going to explain how Sarah’s daughter, Kira, was able to survive getting hit by a car in Season 1? I hope so because it is never good to leave a loophole that keeps viewers guessing.

HOUSE OF CARDS:
My god! If there was ever a character, or characters, to love to hate, it is Frank and Claire Underwood. To me, they represent all that is awful in the world – and it is addictive to watch them. Grrrr!

Image via Wikimedia Commons

I just want to know what will stop these two? What or who will stop them? Because it looks like nothing, not even each other. They play dirty, even though their world is a filthy one (politics, I mean). I guarantee in Season 5, more people are going to die because of them. By that, I mean, the New York governor running against Underwood in the election, or Claire’s new boyfriend. Hey, remember what happened to her last paramour?

The writing and dialogue on this show continues to be amazing, especially the last line of the season: “We don’t run from terror; we make the terror.”

SALEM:
I really liked the first season of this WGN show, so when Season 2 came to Netflix, I happily binged-watched. Unfortunately, it was a dissatisfying season.

It started off OK, but then the story line began taking too many odd turns. I also felt the acting was much weaker this season, and some actors might have been miscast in this show. For example, the guy who plays John Alden just doesn’t fit. He fits as a witch hunter, but not as a romantic hero. The final lines of the season, where he whispers, “I love you, I love you” over and over to a supposedly dying Mary Sibley, sounded awkward.

I also don’t like where this show is going. It was so sad to see Mary and John’s young son turn into a vessel for the devil, and the weird things this devil wants to do with Mary is really creepy. Also, I wish Anne Hale didn’t turn to the dark side, so to speak. I think it would’ve been better if she kept wrestling with her powers rather than quickly become an evil witch in her own way. It was too quick for me.

But I’ll give the third season a shot, in hopes that everything is turned around for the better. Right now, it seems like the writers don’t know what to do with the show. Let’s hope they fix what started off as a good show.

 

The Latest on My TV Shows

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Game of Thrones, Once Upon A Time, Orphan Black, television, The Americans, TV, TV Shows

Ah, so many TV shows, so little time!

OK, I want to go over the shows I am watching now, and what I think of them now.

First off, Once Upon A Time. Yeah, that show. I swore I wouldn’t watch that anymore after a beloved character was unnecessarily killed off. But I came across a forum thread about it and read about a honest talk Regina and Snow White (I prefer calling her that over just plain Snow because it makes me think of a powdery substance some people stick up their noses). So I found that episode OnDemand and thought it was a fairly good episode. The whole Wicked Witch-Rumple storyline is silly, and I feel so sorry for Robert Carlyle. He’s a great talent, and that’s being mistreated on this program, which is a big train wreck now. And what is with Zelena’s hellbent determination to travel back in time? Yeah, she wants to correct what went wrong for her, but in regards to the grand scope of the whole show, its just…ugh, what’s going on here? On the plus side, that heart-to-heart talk between Regina and Snow White was a long time in the making, and I’m sure fans of the show have been aware of that. I’m glad those two had that chat. It was clear to me that Regina just wanted to make Snow White miserable and not really kill her. There needed to be some healing between those two, which is a happy ending in some ways.

The Americans keeps getting awesome. I’m more drawn to the storyline regarding Elizabeth and Philip, and their children, Paige and Henry. I like how Paige becoming a Christian is tormenting Philip’s conscience, yet I’m nervous how far Elizabeth would go to stop Paige from getting more involved in her church. The fact that those two willingly lie to their children about everything – who they are, where they came from, just everything to the core! – boggles me. What deceptive parents they are. They’re totally contradicting themselves by insisting they love and care for their children, yet they lie like hell to them. Holy crap. And how can they just stand there while Henry cried over his remorse for breaking into a neighbor’s house just to play video games, and not have that truly tear at their conscience? And I am, tear! Not the whole, whoa we aren’t good people either, but hey its for the Motherland! That’s not true remorse. Their kids are better than them, and while Philip is aware of that, Elizabeth is going to be more of problem with Paige. I’d like to see this play out, and I’m really looking forward to an episode when the kids find out who their parents really are. Ah, consequences!

Orphan Black is back, and it is so good so far! I always love it when two or more of the clones are in the same scene together. Just like in the first episode when Sarah and Cosima were skyping with Alison. That is such a treat for fans. And the twists and turns are so awesome. I have no idea where this show is going, especially with Helena actually being alive, but I’m looking forward to everything. Just one complaint: can they stop with the gay stereotypes when it comes with Felix? Yeah, some gay guys are like that, but not all. It’s annoying. At least he’s good comedy relief.

And then there’s Game of Thrones. I am so glad as everyone that King Joffrey is dead and gone. Woo-hoo! Ding dong, the a**hole is dead! But whoa, am I having a hard time dealing with the gratuitous nudity, sex and gore on this show. It’s always been part of Game of Thrones, but I’m tired of it. And I certainly am sick of the rape on this show. Yeah, this is a brutal world where women are not treated well, but come on, knock it off already! It’s almost like rape is being mocked here. Oh yeah, enough of the cannibalism. I like to snack while watching my shows, and nausea is not a good thing. Seriously, what is worse: rape or cannibalism? Both make me shudder, but there’s something more barbaric and frightening about cannibalism that makes it worse than rape. I mean, as a woman, rape terrifies me. But cannibalism strikes more fear in me than that. Hmm, sounds like another post for me?

Anyway, it looks like things are going to start really moving with the next episode. The White Walkers appear to be finally, well, walking. Jon Snow is ready to take action, and I’m glad Sansa’s story arc is about to take off too. I’ll be tuning again this Sunday!

 

It’s Game of Thrones Time! Plus Other TV Commentaries…

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Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Kevin SPacey, Once Upon A Time, Orphan Black, The Americans, TV Shows

It’s that time of year again! Game of Thrones is back, and so are my Sunday nights!

I admit I was dreading this season after all the horror from last year. But hey, there’s a lot to look forward to, especially if you accidentally read the comments section of YouTube and the Huffington Post (like yours truly did). But I’ll be ready April 6th with all my snacks, or hang out at one of the many bars hosting Game of Thrones parties around NYC. It will be a party worth attending!

In other TV commentaries…

I’ve hopped on the “House of Cards” bandwagon. Everyone I know and their grandmother is watching this, so I had to check it out. Oh. My. God. Engrossing, jaw-dropping, and Kevin Spacey was meant to play Frank Underwood. As villainous as that character is, Spacey is mesmerizing in the role. Robin Wright is amazing too, and its nice to see her as someone other than Princess Buttercup. Also, isn’t scary to think about how much those in DC could very easily be getting away with?

The Americans is getting very good. I always figured that Elizabeth and Philip would be faced with choosing between their children and the Motherland. While they aren’t there yet, I can see it coming. And with their daughter, Paige, getting suspicious and rebellious, things are ticking away.

Oh, I’m pretty much done with Once Upon A Time. So sad, that started off as a great show. But after Bae’s death, its just not worth it. Its painful to see all the talent on that show wasted. 😦

Orphan Black starts on April 16th! Can’t wait to see Tatiana Maslany in all her glory! Or should I say glories? 😉

© Megan Cashman 2014

 

 

 

 

Another Post About TV Shows…

Tags

Golden Globes, Once Upon A Time, Orphan Black, OUAT, Tatiana Maslany, The Americans, TV, TV Shows

Hi everyone. Sorry that I haven’t been posting much this month. The holidays are always crazy, and I’m sure many of you can relate. There’s the shopping, parties, checking out the holiday sights, and all the good stuff that take away from other things you have to do. But I’ll be back to my usual schedule in January. 🙂

So, this entry is just another one where I chat about TV shows. There’s so many great shows (or used to be great shows) on TV these days, so there’s no way I cannot discuss them. Plus, the Golden Globe nominations were announced so I need address that…

Image via Wikimedia Commons

…especially since I am so glad that Tatiana Maslany has been nominated for Best Actress in a Drama series for her amazing work on BBC America’s “Orphan Black”! I’m thrilled she got that recognition, especially after she was snubbed by the Emmys. Tatiana may not win because she’s not famous enough, and she is up against more well-known actresses like Juliana Margulies. But I’m just glad she’s been nominated.

So, I am still watching my favorite network TV show, “Once Upon A Time”. Unfortunately, I’m starting to wonder if it is slowly jumping the shark. I felt this season started out very well and I had high hopes that it would redeem itself after the it’s weak second season. But the episode that aired this past Sunday has me wondering if the writers have lost all direction. The show just doesn’t make anymore sense and this new twist in the show – with the curse being reversed, everyone going back to the Enchanted Forest, while Emma and Henry stay in our world with no memories of Storybrooke – is so mind boggling that I can’t make sense out of it. I feel like the writers have gotten themselves into a huge mess and are desperately trying to make sense of their initial concept, but they are not doing it well at all. I’ll be nervous when the show returns March 9th because this was a very good show, and it has sunk very quickly.

This is the problem with TV shows. The producers and writers come up with a good concept, but have no idea how to extend it for several seasons. Heck, some don’t know how to extend it for several episodes! I know its only a TV show, just enjoy it, but yikes!

Luckily, early next year another show of mine is coming back – “The Americans”! I initially watched it on FX because the actress, Keri Russell, was on the WB series, “Felicity” back when I was in high school and that was my favorite show back then. But “The Americans” is pretty good, and I’m looking forward to Season Two. Here’s an awesome promo:

Then comes “Vikings” on History, and not long afterward, “Game of Thrones”. Yes, can you believe I’m anxiously waiting for Season Four? Hey, that show is addictive!

 

Primetime Emmy Nominations 2013

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acting, actors, actresses, awards, Emmy, Emmy Awards, Emmys, Game of Thrones, Keri Russell, Lana Parrilla, Michelle Fairley, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Orphan Black, Primetime Emmy Awards, Tatiana Maslany, television, TV, TV Shows

So the Primetime Emmy nominations will be announce this Thursday, and I have never been so anxious for award nominations since, like, never. As some of you may know, I watch too much TV, mainly because there are so many great shows on now. I’ve heard some say this is the golden age of television, and it just might be. Programs on network TV, basic cable and premium cable are top notch in terms of production, acting and storyline. Like many, I am really hoping that my favorite actors are nominated this year, and I’ll be biting my nails Thursday morning.

Hopeful as I am to see my favorite actors get at least a nomination, I’ve come to realize that there’s a great chance that most of them will not be named Thursday in the acting categories. When I saw this TV.com article, I came to terms that there are far too many TV shows with great acting to fit into small award categories. That article points out that as many as 40 actors or more can be considered worthy of a nomination, but there are only five spots per category. Oh, what agony it must be to sort out all those performances!

I wish the Emmys will do what the Oscars did for the Best Motion Picture – instead of five nominations, make room for ten. This way the recognition expands, because there are some who just need to be acknowledged.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

The one actress I have in mind to at least – at least! – be nominated, is Tatiana Maslany from the BBC America series Orphan Black. Wow, what a talent! When I first started watching the show, I was only interested in seeing how a science fiction thriller on human cloning and bio-ethics would play out. But as the show went on, I was floored by Maslany’s ability to play a total of seven different characters. All the clones are portrayed by her uniquely, right down to their hand gestures. Even those who only appeared for a few seconds before dying were uniquely done. There were times when I was watching scenes that had either two or three of the clones in them, that I felt the need to remind myself that I was watching one actress, instead of two or three.

So I am truly hoping Maslany gets a least a nomination. I’d love to see her win because of her achievement, but that may not happen. Sure, she’s won a few small critics’ awards, but she’s basically a newcomer on a less-known show on a station that doesn’t get as much attention as the other channels. Unfortunate, but that is how awards work. But honestly, if she does not get nominated, I will write hate mail to everyone in Hollywood! (I’m joking. Really.)

I’ve heard Michelle Fairley, who played Catelyn Stark on Game of Thrones may be recognized for how she chillingly portrayed Catelyn in that infamous episode. That was great acting, and I agree with many how well she embodied the character had losing all hope and will during her last moments. It’s true, and if she’s nominated, she may win because that episode was very controversial, and such attention can garner an award.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

I would like to see Lana Parrilla from Once Upon A Time finally get a nomination. Not only does she appear to have so much fun playing the evil Queen Regina, but when she plays Regina as a young, kinder woman, we see Parrilla’s full acting range. We also saw last season how Regina struggled to be good while having so much vengeance and anger in her. That’s always worth noting.

I expect Keri Russell to be nominated for The Americans. She won a Golden Globe for Felicity and got an Emmy nod for that, so maybe her reputation could bring her a nomination for this role. Plus, she’s playing a cold, calculating spy dealing with loving her spy partner and choosing between being a mother, and defending the Motherland. But who knows?

As for the male actors, I heard Nikolai Coster-Waldau may be considered for his role as Jamie Lannister on Game of Thrones. That scene where he told the real story on how he slayed the Mad King, and reclaimed himself as Jamie, was powerful and marked a turning point for the character. Before, he was an arrogant, impulsive guy, but after losing his hand, he became more humble, and even broken inside. I’d like to see him be nominated. Peter Dinklage, who plays the well loved Tyrion Lannister, could be nominated again. He won in 2011, and was nominated last year. Hmm, two Lannisters up for an award? I’d like to see that. One Lannister who may not be recognized, was Charles Dance who played the patriarch Tywin Lannister. I’d be surprised if he gets a nod, because he doesn’t have much clout. But I loved his scenes. Tywin Lannister is nasty man who will never get the Father of the Year award, but Dance made his scenes so captivating, I found myself actually liking Tywin’s scenes – but I swear, it was for the actor and not the character!

So, the competition is so fierce and the space is so tight. I may not see anyone I’ve mentioned have their name called out Thursday, but I have to accept that because there are so many great performances on TV now. Maybe the Golden Globes next year will make up for any of my disappoints. Especially if Tatiana Maslany does not get a nomination. I know I will be fuming. There are reasons not to nominate her, but uhm, the award is for acting – not fame, right? Right?!