Friday, October 25, 2013

Tributes & Downstairs Controversy

Okay, you guys gets one of two TV jumble blogs for this week (the second one is tomorrow) because a lot of shows have returned and I want to try and cover as many as possible.


Bates Motel: Seven episodes in and this show has kept a steady pace with great storytelling. The toxic relationship both Norma and Norman seem to have seems to get worse and worse and given that Dylan is caught in the middle of it, I do wonder if he'll end up dead fairly soon. Speaking of dead, Zach's quick decline into an all out bastard before being killed was kind of predictable but Romero turning out to be an ally is an interesting move. I'm not sure though the love triangle with Norman, Emma and Bradley is as compelling but it's being better handled than I expected it to be. Overall, this continues to be an extremely enjoyable show.


Downton Abbey: The last three episodes of Series 4 have been an interesting time for the show. The controversy of Anna's rape certainly seems to have divided critics more than actual viewers and the suitors seem to be fairly coming in for Mary. I'm going to take a wild stab and perhaps assume that Tony Gillingham will be husband number two for Mary but it might help if the writing for them felt a little more organic. Aside from that, it's a mixed bag with Rose and Edith's plots being decent enough, Carson's wise cracks amusing and Thomas's friendship with Baxter, but the likes of Molesley and the Daisy/Alfred/Ivy/Jimmy quadrangle along with Edna's scheming are some of the low points of this series. Plus, can we have more scenes with Violet and Isobel?


Glee: Tribute episodes are a hard thing to pull off and if ever there was going to be a scrutinized episode of the show, it would be the one that commemorated actor Cory Monteith and had the character of Finn killed offscreen. This was something of a tough episode to watch and personally, not one I ever want to watch again. I think the episode however did a great job of sending off the character and actor respectively and all of the cast pulled a blinder here. It made for uncomfortable viewing but it was the right way to address Monteith's passing nonetheless.


Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D: I'm still watching this show but it's not really gripping me. It's fun, amusing, diverting and we're seeing the team somewhat warm to each other but it's also lacking something at the moment. I think maybe there's a lack of urgency with some of the plots or that the characters don't feel too formed yet (Ward is a bit generic, Fitz and Simmons are practically the same person). I do however like that we're getting some conflict with Skye and her belief systems, Melinda continues to be great to watch and Coulson's plot with a former protege in the last episode that aired on Channel 4 was pretty impressive. That being said, I think the show could take some notes from Arrow in terms of fleshing out the team though.


Once Upon A Time: We've had a good slew of episodes here. I liked that we've seen Pan being more of a menace and the fact that he was able to finally manipulate Henry was a nice way of showing that he meant business. The history he had with both Neal and Rumple though felt a tad predictable as does Charming's frustrating way of holding back important information. Still though, we've had episodes that have introduced Tinkerbell, revealed that Robin Hood could be Regina's true love and even revealed that Mulan has feelings for Aurora. I'd say overall this has been a great start to the season so far.


- Suits has been renewed for a fourth season by USA Network.
- Expect a reboot of Murder She Wrote. NBC have picked up a pilot for the show.
- Whoopi Goldberg will be voicing the role of the White Rabbit's wife in Once Upon A Time In Wonderland.
- Kathryn Prescott has signed up as the lead in upcoming MTV series, Finding Carter.
- Sean Maher will appear in Arrow's second season as the villain, Shrapnel.
- Both Homeland and Masters Of Sex have been renewed for further seasons by Showtime.

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