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!

 

 

TV Shows: My Reviews Spring 2017

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Amazon, Netflix, Salem, Salem TV Series, streaming TV, television, Television series, The Americans, The Man in the High Castle, TV Series, TV Shows, Vikings

As many of you know, I am more of a TV show watcher than a movie watcher. I just love how plot lines and characters develop over the course of ten or twelve episodes. And there’s much more to explore during those episodes than during a two or three hour movie.

Since January, I have watched four shows that I am going to review right here. Warning: SPOILERS!!!

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE:

Season Two of this Amazon program was much like its predecessor. It was slow yet suspenseful, and you had to pay close attention in order to follow what was going on.

In the end, I felt the twist and turns were great, and really eyebrow raising, especially during the last episode. I really want to know what John Smith’s son is really going to do. Is he really going to sacrifice himself and practically commit suicide so he wouldn’t bring shame to his family? And just how did Trudy survive everything and where was she hiding?

Again, the show moves slowly, but it makes sense given all that occurs. It really makes you wonder what the world would be like if the Allies lost WWII. And as you might guess, it is not a pretty world!

VIKINGS:

Wow, just wow. Season Five of Vikings did not disappoint in a lot of ways, though there were a few parts that did. I can’t believe Ragnar Lothbrok is dead, and it makes me wonder why the show won’t end with that. Instead, it is going on for another season. That, I guess, would be the last one because the show seems so empty without Lothbrok.

But it looks like the story of his sons will be the focus, as well as Lagertha. But even then, as I think about it, there has to be a way to end Vikings with a bang. I do have faith that the writers of this show, who usually do an excellent job, will find a way. But as of now, I am feeling doubtful because Lothbrok is gone, as well as the King of Wessex. Rollo is still alive, but he seems to be retired from doing raids. What kinds of stories will be told, besides what Lothbrok’s sons will do with Lagertha? After all, she did kill Queen Aslaug, the mother of Ragnar’s four younger sons.

We shall see…

SALEM:

The third season of this WGN series was a lot better than the second. The acting was better, the story line was better. Last season was all over the place, and I was starting to think the actor who plays John Alden was miscasted. Here, he is less of a modern guy, and more of a soldier who has seen a lot. That’s a relief. Janet Montgomery who plays the main character of Mary Sibley is excellent in her role.

The best part of season three is the guest appearance by Marilyn Manson. Now, I am and never was a fan of his, but I feel his presence on this show adds a lot of flavor to it. The best part is when one of Satan’s agents comes to his door, and Marilyn Manson’s character humbly let him enter. I laughed out loud during that scene, because I’m sure if the day ever comes that Satan’s agents roam the earth, Marilyn Manson will certainly be delighted to let him into his home.

Anyway, this season was good. However, I felt during the final episode there were some closures going on that probably should not be. As in, why is Tituba sent away? Is she off the show for good? What will become of John and Mary if she’s bound to Salem for life? All this seems to indicate the show may not come back, yet it is popular enough to return for a fourth season.

I certainly hope it will return for another season because I find Salem to be very entertaining.

THE AMERICANS:

This fifth season of The Americans was a bit of a disappointment. I felt it moved too slowly and some of the things that could have led to something much bigger, did not. While I don’t feel the show has jumped the shark, I do feel the writers might be running out of ideas.

One thing I so believed during this season was that Philip and Elizabeth’s son, Henry, was secretly recruited by the KGB behind their backs. Claudia had told them the Center does that, and that was what led them into telling Paige about who they really were and what they really do. So I was certain that Henry was secretly a spy. After all, why else was he rarely on the show? Then the writers made him super smart and wanting to go to boarding school, and that theory fell apart, much to my chagrin.

There were some pluses to this season. The part where Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” played while Elizabeth took a close look at all of her belongings, and Paige left the church for good, was certainly sentimental. The scene where Philip and Elizabeth got married for real was sweet and touching.

The sad part was seeing Martha in the Soviet Union. She is clearly so miserable and lonely, and it is sad because she was totally duped by the man she loved. Granted, she did commit treason by putting that recorder in the pen, and could have gone to prison if she stayed in the U.S. But, she was manipulated and used as a pawn, unbeknownst to her. It makes you realize how life can go wrong for all of us just because we crossed paths with the wrong people!

So, next year is the final season of The Americans. I am so interested to see how this would go down. I predict Philip and Elizabeth will defect!

OK, that does it for the first half of year. I will return by the end of the summer with reviews for Master of None, Game of Thrones, Orphan Black, House of Cards and perhaps more!

The Finale of HBO’s “Girls”

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complex characters, complex women, Girls, GirlsHBO, HBO, Lena Dunham, TV Shows, women in fiction

Tomorrow marks Easter Sunday, a major holiday for a lot of people. It also marks the series finale of the oft-discussed HBO series, “Girls”. After 5 years and 6 seasons, the brainchild of millennial superstar Lena Dunham is ending. If you watch the show, like I do, you are probably feeling down that “Girls” is ending.

I have watched the show since the beginning. I have to be honest and say that I have had a love/hate relationship with it. There were times when I thought “Girls” was a parody of millennial women. But then I realized I knew people who reminded me of Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshana, and that made me realize that the show was more realistic than I wanted to believe. That was when I despised the show because the characters were largely unlikable for numerous reasons. Hannah was self-absorbed. Marnie was a narcissist. Jessa was a trainwreck. And Shoshana was just plain annoying. I always hoped that either girl would wise up and grow up, but that never seemed to happen. Yet I could hardly tear my eyes away from each episode.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

But this season seemed to showcase what the point of each character was, especially the ninth episode which aired this past Sunday. It was the part where Hannah and Jessa were making peace seemed to sum up this entire series. Hannah told her former-best friend that she was simply doing her best. Jessa responded by saying that her best was awful.

Those two lines seemed to click something in me, and perhaps other viewers. What Lena Dunham did with her female characters was make them as complex as possible. Many people have complained about the characters as unlikable whom could not be related to, yet there were many who saw themselves or people they knew in these four young women. So Lena Dunham was doing something right. And what she did right was create complex, human beings for her show. Neither of the four characters were perfect. In fact, they were far from perfect – totally far!

But then again, aren’t we all?

Aren’t we all just trying our best in a complex world that hands us situations where we have to choose to right moves, that often aren’t for the best or may be the worst? We make mistakes, even though society largely scolds us all for making them. We handle life by the best way we handle them, as far as our self-awareness, intelligence and strategy skills allow us to. And we do what we can. Hence why we are all complex, even us women.

That’s my takeaway from “Girls”: it was a show about complex women who were neither good nor bad. They had their pluses and minuses. They had their smarts and their dense moments. They were simply human. Human beings trying to make it in New York and having their romantic relationships along the way.

I say Lena Dunham did a great job portraying complex young women for her series. I hope to do the same thing for my stories where I aim to write about complex characters who are also neither good or bad. No one really is, except psychopaths who are 100% evil. But anyway, complexity is fun and is easier to relate to. I give Lena Dunham credit for taking that risk, especially with young female characters. Too often, female characters lack complexity. I feel as if Lena broke that mold.

So, this Sunday, I will watch the grand finale of “Girls” and get all sentimental that it will be over. But I will also feel glad that I watched the show, and took part in a major cultural event.

 

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.

 

TV Shows! There’s Too Many of Them!

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Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Golden Age of TV, Master of None, Netflix, Netflix and Chill, Salem TV Series, streaming TV, television, The Man in the High Castle, TV, TV Shows

Hee-hee! I just had to say that!

But really, there are a lot of great TV shows out there and I’ve watched a few programs I hadn’t seen before in recent months. So, with my favorite shows not yet airing their latest seasons (Game of Thrones, House of Cards, The Americans, etc.), I’ve decided to dedicate this post to the other shows I’ve watched:

BREAKING BAD:
I finally jumped on the bandwagon and decided to see what was so awesome about this show. Early on, I could clearly see why. Excellent acting, great storyline, a lot of suspense and tension, plus amazing characters whether they were likable or not. Like many who watched this show before me, I became addicted to this show, though there were times when it got too much and I had to take a break from it. I have to admit Walter White’s arrogance started to get to me around the time he began working for Gus. It made sense why he became a meth cook, but his ruthlessness came to the surface early on, and sometimes I had to wait a few weeks to watch the show again. I knew he died at the end of the series, and I wanted to see how.

But boy, during the last season, I wanted to kill White myself. This guy became pure evil by then, and I found it intolerable. I’m still haunted by those episodes, two months after watching them. I guess a lot of people are, based on what others say when I bring up the show to them.

Overall, though, it was a great show. It really asked the question about what people would do in certain situations, and it captured the human reaction to difficult moments. Sure, there were some truly evil people on this show, but there were also truly human people here. Meaning, there was no right and wrong to what most of the characters did; they were just stuck in difficult situations and trying their best.

SALEM:
I only saw the first season of this (I believe) Canadian show on Netflix, but I am hooked! It’s a fictional take on the Salem witch trials – only this time, witchcraft is real here! And by witchcraft, I mean, satanic worship. This may offend some people who call themselves witches in the neo-pagan sense. I don’t know if the show got the two confused, but all I can say, it is an interesting take on the historical elements on this fascinating moment in American history.

The one thing that I didn’t like was the opening credits. Marilyn Manson sings the show’s theme song, and I feel his heavy rock sound does not mix well with this historical drama. I mean, the show is about the 1600s, and here’s this loud, rock music setting up the show. It just doesn’t fit to me.

But anyway, the show has good acting and a juicy storyline with a lot of twists and turns. The costumes are awesome too. There’s a few scenes that I couldn’t watch because they involved either too much blood or a large tarantula. But I am eager to see more episodes to a show I already consider one of my favorites.

MASTER OF NONE:
Another show I’m glad to say is one I will be looking forward to see in the future, mainly because this is a comedy. After finishing Breaking Bad on Netflix, I needed something lighthearted and funny, so I chose this. Thankfully, I did because I had a good laugh for its whole 10 episodes! I like how Aziz Ansari captures the confusion of trying to be an adult when you’re in your early 30s – living in New York, no less. It was also good to tackle the issue of racism towards Indians in Hollywood and elsewhere in America. This is definitely a show I’ll be looking forward to see more episodes from.

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE:
I barely watched this show. OK, I saw three or four episodes. But I couldn’t continue. Not that its bad, because it isn’t. It asked its question of what would the world be like if the Nazis and the Japanese won WWII, which I am sure many people wonder. Well, the answer is, a lot of people are being ruthlessly killed. I mean, the Holocaust is still ongoing. It just got too depressing for me to continue watching. It is a good show with good acting and a fascinating plot. But the way life in America under the Nazis and the Japanese was too overwhelmingly sad for me. Maybe another time I’ll watch it, when I am ready to brace the depressing world, but not now.

Right now, I am watching Downton Abbey again. I stopped watching during Season 3 because I didn’t think I could handle all the character deaths. But after all the other shows I’ve been watching, I think I could handle it now 😉

 

The Latest on My TV Shows

Tags

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…

Tags

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

 

 

 

 

Dracula: Season 1 Review

Tags

Dracula, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, NBC, TV reviews, TV Shows

So NBC’s Dracula completed its first season this past Friday. That was quick. Doesn’t it seem like the show only debuted yesterday?

Click for the show’s page on IMDB

Well yeah, it only had 10 episodes for its first season. It is still not known if the show will be renewed for a second season as NBC is reportedly still thinking it over. Supposedly, there were some issues with the ratings, but those picked up during the last couple of episodes, so there may be hope.

But until then, I’m going to give my thoughts on this season and whether I’ll be tuning in for Season 2, if there will be one.

Overall, I felt Dracula was all right. I thought the acting was pretty much good overall, the costumes and set design was amazing, and the storyline was OK. I was uneasy when the show premiered because I was concerned that Dracula was going to be a soapbox to preach against Big Oil. Fortunately, that did not happen and the Big Oil topic became secondary. Instead, what we got was Dracula trying to walk in the sunlight so he could get revenge on the Order of the Dragon with Van Helsing, whom he was surprisingly in cahoots with.

I grew to like this new take on the Dracula-Van Helsing rivalry. Obviously they despised each other, but both needed each other in order to fight the Order of the Dragon, which had ruined them in two very different ways. I liked how this tale had Dracula as a member of the Order, only to be cursed to be a vampire by them. However, I wished we had seen more of Dracula’s life from before he was turned into the vampire. We kept seeing the same images over and over of Van Helsing’s family ruthlessly being killed by the Order, yet not enough of Dracula suffering from them. I get it that the angle was mostly on Van Helsing as he aimed for revenge, but it got tiresome and painful to see the scene where his son is forced from him and into the burning house. I wished we had seen more of Dracula with his wife, Ilona, who was killed by the Order, because that was what he was focused on, second to getting revenge from the Order.

I found Mina to be likable in this version, though maybe a little naive. Harker had good reasons to be suspicious of what was going on between her and Alexander Grayson. Lucy here reminded me a lot of the one in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1994 film, particularly when she, ahem, measured Harker’s pants. I wonder if having her being in love with Mina was a nod to the hinted lesbianism between the two in Coppola’s movie.

Harker is someone to like and cheer on. Yes, he was a douche for downplaying Mina’s interest in medicine, but given he’s the good guy in this story, there’s a reason to cheer for him. I was so mad at him when he joined the Order, but luckily, he realized that was a bad idea during the final episode. I’m glad he and Van Helsing are going to team up to destroy Grayson. Harker knows he has been causing chaos in his life and wants to ruin him, and Van Helsing is done with Dracula. It will be interesting to see what this duo does to ruin Grayson.

Before the show aired, Jonathan Rhys Meyers warned that Dracula was not a good guy here, and that is true. His Dracula is the unlikable villain that you strangely want to see succeed. Really, him making Lucy a monster because she hurt his reincarnated wife was him being a tool. Yeah, Dracula made Lucy a vampire in Bram Stoker’s classic, but ugh! Oh yeah, his creepy obsession with Mina was not romantic at all. I’d like to see what will happen when Mina realizes Grayson is a vampire. It won’t be easy for her to cope, now since the two of them have finally had sex. It’s like her attraction to him has been sealed. And will Grayson want to make her a vampire, even though he thinks it will be an abomination? Or will Mina ask to be one?

So yeah, overall I thought it was good. Not stellar, but not bad either. There were some episodes that dragged a little. I felt some of the sex was put in for the gratuity rather than to tell a story. The costumes are mostly good, but the makeup on the women was so not Victorian, especially Lucy’s eyebrows and Mina’s lipstick. The acting is fine, though I’m not impressed with Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Yes, the guy is sex personified, but based on The Tudors and The Mortal Instruments, I can’t help but think that he does the same acting over and over. Sigh!

If the shows is renewed for a second season, I’ll tune in. I’m not too worried about this show jumping the shark because if it does, it won’t be as painful because I wouldn’t call this show great. It’s good, just not great. But it is entertaining, pure and simple, and that’s enough.

Another Post About TV Shows…

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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!

 

TV Premiere Review: Dracula

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Dracula, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, NBC Dracula, TV, TV reviews, TV Shows

I’m sure some of you are aware that tonight was the premiere of the much anticipated program, “Dracula” on NBC. Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, it is supposed to be a retelling of the Dracula tale, with some loyalty to Bram Stoker’s classic along with a new interpretation. I tuned in tonight, all giddy and excited. And also intrigued by how the blood and sex would be depicted because it is network TV.

Click for source of promo poster

Overall, I am curious about how this show will play out. I like how the show has the same story ideas like Mina Murray being Dracula’s reincarnated love, Dracula relocating to Victorian era London for business purposes, and so on. But there are some aspects I’m not too sure about, and may have to get used to.

This show has woven political statements against the oil industry into this show.  See, this Dracula is out for revenge on this ancient Order of the Dragon, which killed his beloved wife centuries earlier. This time, the Order has evolved into oil tycoons, and Dracula made his hitlist right after his coming out party in London.

NOTE: The Order of the Dragon is obviously a reference to the real Dracula, Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler. His father, Vlad II, was a member of the Order of the Dragon in the 15th century, with the goal of protecting Christianity in Eastern Europe. I wonder what the writers were thinking with making the Order about the oil tycoons and not Dracula himself.

The last ten minutes show Dracula is not operating alone. Van Helsing practically hired him to knock off his enemies as a sort of deal to bring a truce between their warring orders. I like the twist that Van Helsing supports Dracula. He practically hunted down Dracula’s grave, brought him back to life and brought him to London under the identity of American businessman Alexander Grayson. But I’m not sure if I like the idea of Dracula working for someone. I always saw him as his own person doing his own thing. So this is a new idea that I’m not so sure if I could like, but if it works it may be interesting!

What I am nervous about is what the promos show for the rest of the season. Why, oh why, did they make Dracula another whiny vampire who hates what he is? Come on, enough of that! Dracula always loved what he was and he had no regrets. I know regretful vampires are all the rave these days, but to do it to Dracula is, honestly, an abomination 😉

So Dracula is going to stalk Mina Murray until she falls in love with him…and who knows what will happen. The upper class businessmen will continue to look to destroy the man they know as Alexander Grayson. Also, there is a woman who appears to be part of a secret group of vampire hunters. We saw her practicing her fighting and sword skills before confronting a female vampire, who may have been created by Dracula. Looks like Dracula may be creating his legion of vampires, or there is another vampire around. The show hints Jack the Ripper was actually a vampire.

So, this is definitely a new version of Dracula. It does live up to the tagline, a legend is reborn. I get it that writers may want to experiment with a new take on a favorite horror character, but sometimes those experiment don’t always work out. That being said, I do think there is a chance this show may pull it off if done right. But don’t make Dracula a platform for rants against oil tycoons. Just make a good love story, intrigue and action, and I could be satisfied. Oh yeah, keep it up with the gorgeous period dresses!

And I was satisfied with other parts of this show. I found Jonathan Rhys Meyers delicious as always (yeah, my tweets make that obvious, lol). I was not bothered by his American accent. The network TV sex was hot, though I think I’ve been spoiled rotten by cable TV in that respect. And I do like the Dracula/Van Helsing twist. But the conspiracy aspect may just annoy me, and I hope it doesn’t ruin the show. But we shall see.

Until then, ladies and male-oriented men, here’s something to make you wild, from the first three minutes of the show!