Round Two: Family Tree

Family Tree: Season 1, Episode 2 “Treading the Boards” (B+)

With this second episode, I’m confident that I like this show, though it’s definitely among the odder entries I’ve seen. Michael McKean really is very funny as the show’s patriarch, and Chris O’Dowd serves as a good lead. We didn’t see much of his sister Bea in this installment, but what we did was rather amusing, and I’m sure that she’ll be back to play a bigger part in episodes to come. Tom’s search for information about his grandfather progressed considerably as he discovered that he was not actually Asian, as his father had colorfully commented on, but an actor who had been dressed in makeup. The trip to the theatre was entertaining, partially because of Pete’s antics but also because of the discovery that Tom’s grandfather was part of a horse costume, which of course prompted Pete and Tom to enter a race with said costume. The silliness of why his ancestor’s partnership with his other half dissolved was emphasized appropriately, and I love that the two-legged animal won the race. My favorite part of the episode, however, was something similar to last week but done just as well in this installment. Pete managed to find another winner in Tom’s date, who this time didn’t believe in dinosaurs but instead was obsessed with bones, which Tom seemed to find so peculiar and disconcerting. The length of that scene was incredible, and I hope that such interactions become a regular and consistent part of this show since so far they’ve been wholly worthwhile.

What I’m Watching: Veep

Veep: Season 2, Episode 6 “Andrew “(B+)

We get to see the foul-mouthed, angry side of Selina quite frequently, but it’s much rarer that we see her put on a show and get caught flirting in the process. I heartily enjoyed hearing how everyone, Gary in particular, disliked Andrew and were nervous about what would happen when he and Selina got together. Catherine did a marvelous job analyzing the various horrific stages of their interactions, and her best comment of the dinner was the expression of her belief that her parents might have sex on the table in front of her, which neither of them seemed to mind. It’s constantly entertaining to see Selina’s actions misinterpreted by the press, and to see her try to change her behavior at the table when she realized people were getting the wrong idea. Mike’a accidental reviving of the “Meyer the Liar” catchphrase was an unfortunate return to form for him, but it was hardly surprising. I was pleased to see not one but two “In the Loop” cast members in this episode – Miimi Kennedy as the House Majority Leader, who I feared would be bleeding from the teeth as she was in that film, where Anna Chlumsky played her assistant, and Zach Woods, who American audiences might know better from his recent role on “The Office” as Gabe. He did a great job as Amy’s date to the party who got a cold reception from Dan and who was devastated to learn that Selina didn’t remember him. Jonah’s scenes with him were tremendous as well.

What I’m Watching: Mad Men

Mad Men: Season 6, Episode 8 “The Crash” (B)

I wouldn’t call this episode a bad hour, but it had a dreamlike feel that made it hard both to keep a linear narrative straight and to keep track of what was real and what wasn’t. It’s so interesting to see how the as-of-yet-unnamed office works with its various personalities thrown together, but I think that last week’s installment with Ted scolding Don for being late and then Don getting Ted drunk was more than effective enough. We also barely saw Pete in this hour, or Roger for that matter, making it all about our primary characters, Peggy and Don. It was no surprise that Stan made a move on Peggy and that she politely rejected him after giving it a moment’s thought, and she seemed truly annoyed by the sight of him having sex with another woman later. Don’s maniacal researching made him look like a madman, and coming home to a robbed house only to pass out was unnerving. For once, Betty got to be the better parent, furious at Don and Megan for leaving the kids home alone, and Henry had to be the one to try to calm things down. It’s frightening to see just how easily the would-be Grandma Draper snuck in, and paired with flashbacks of Don’s childhood, it gave the episode a bizarre mood. I think the present-day (1960s, that is) timeline is fascinating enough, and sticking there with all the drama that already exists is sufficient to make for a great and compelling episode.

What I’m Watching: Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones: Season 3, Episode 8 “Second Sons” (B+)

This episode was very focused, cutting out Ned’s sons in favor of some royal happenings that are going to seriously confuse the Lannister-Tyrell lineage. Tyrion vowing never to hurt Sansa was sweet even if she didn’t seem to care, and after being embarrassed by Joffrey during the ceremony when he took his stepstool away, he got his revenge by threatening him when Joffrey planned to go have his way with Sansa. Tywin was wise enough to prevent that situation from turning ugly, but Tyrion isn’t exactly currying favor with Joffrey. A drunken Tyrion commenting on Sansa’s long neck was amusing, and his final remark before passing out was much more worthwhile, telling her that he won’t share her bed until she wants him to. I don’t think she meant to be truly unkind with her response, but she has absolutely no clue what’s going on, and didn’t notice that Shae was pleased to see that the sheets hadn’t been used. Margaery had what definitely ranks as her worst encounter, as Cersei threatened to strangle her if she ever calls her sister again. Daenerys’ journey is filled with murderous individuals, and this latest slimy person appears to be swayed by her beauty and wants to align with her rather than kill her as he had initially planned. I’m glad that Stannis freed Devos and that Melisandre didn’t sacrifice her poor would-be victim. I’m hoping for major movement on that front as well as on Arya’s journey with the hound, and I have no idea what to make of Sam’s latest run-in with the White Walker.

What I’m Watching: Orphan Black

Orphan Black: Season 1, Episode 8 “Entangled Bank” (B+)

I look forward to the arrival of a new episode of this show every week, which I now will only make me more disappointed once this show wraps its initial ten-episode order. Yet I’m confident that it will have a long and thoroughly interesting life since it has already been renewed by BBC America for a second season. It’s never that just one thing happens on this show, and one startling realization on a character’s part is always followed by something else. Art’s discovery of Sarah’s existence led him straight to Mrs. S and to Felix, both of whom handled their interrogations well, but of course he put together the fact that Felix was the one who called him. I love that Alison showed up drunk at Felix’s after opting to have sex with Aynsley’s husband (who I knew would have a bigger part than his one scene in last week’s episodes given the choice of actor), and that Sarah decided to bring her right to Mrs. S so that they could show her what was really going on. Helena taking Kira turned out to be nothing to worry about, but Kira getting hit by a car is the last thing Sarah or any of the clones need right now. It was great to hear how Delphine justified sleeping with Cosima, discussing sexuality as a scientific spectrum, and it was interesting to see that, while she did tell Dr. Leekie a good deal of what she found in Cosima’s files, she left out Kira’s existence. Paul is far from done advocating for his new girlfriend Sarah, and getting on Dr. Leekie’s good side while Olivier got himself taken out definitely puts him in an ideal position to help her.

What I’m Watching: Elementary (Season Finale)

Elementary: Season 1, Episodes 23 and 24 “The Woman” and “Heroine” (A-)

Now this was a finale if I’ve ever seen one. Turning the return of Irene and the search for Moriarty into a two-hour event was a brilliant idea, and this double-episode was gripping from start to finish. I did think it was peculiar to cast a known Brit as the American girlfriend of Sherlock Holmes, and it wasn’t long before Natalie Dormer started using her native accent, as this show pulled an enormously creative move and opted to have Moriarty in this universe be a woman, and none other than Irene herself. I suppose it’s not much of a shock considering that Watson’s gender has already been swapped, but it was a major twist and one that was extremely well-handled. The first episode had a foreboding feel to it as Sherlock had to contend with a broken Irene, while the second saw her in an entirely different light, with Watson set to take her down while Sherlock was grappling with this mind-blowing revelation. I’m glad he didn’t actually overdose, but it was so interesting to hear Moriarty explain that she never expected him to get addicted to drugs. Their initial meeting, however staged on her end, was mesmerizing, and it’s rare to see Sherlock so happy to be around someone. This finale, with its bee-naming conclusion, was much more like a cable series season ender, wrapping up its plotlines neatly rather than introducing a major cliffhanger not to be solved until the beginning of next season. While others would dismiss this show as just another CBS procedural, I would classify this as hands-down the best new broadcast network offering of the season. I eagerly look forward to Sherlock’s return in the fall.

Season grade: A-
Season MVP: Jonny Lee Miller

What I’m Watching: The Office (Series Finale)

The Office: Season 9, Episode 23 “Finale”

After about 200 episodes, there was a lot riding on this finale. I personally feel, as I believe most do, that the show peaked in its second and third seasons, and had some great installments in season four too. Sticking with the show even through Steve Carell’s departure was both an act of loyalty to the show and to my enthusiasm for TV, and though this season was frustrating, I think it all paid off with this very fitting finale. Fast-forwarding a year was a useful device that didn’t feel manipulative, and it’s just the right amount of time to be able to recap important life events without having to outfit characters differently to show that they have aged. Jim’s status as best man and his excitement about “guten pranken” was touching, and it’s nice to see that, after everything, he and Dwight became genuine friends. Making up a story about how the best man can’t be younger than the groom was an amazing way to introduce a cameo that I was expecting but still surprised me in the moment, which was Carell back as Michael, set up by Dwight for the most triumphant “That’s what she said” ever. Featuring Michael only enough for Pam to exclaim that he pays for two phones so that he can have more pictures of his kids was probably a result of Carell’s availability more than anything, but it was still just the right note. Bringing both Kelly and Ryan back and having them run off together was great, and it’s good that this episode wasn’t drowning in other return appearances. Erin’s parents both showing up was wonderful, and her character makes more sense now that we know that she was spawned from Joan Cusack and Ed Begley Jr. Stanley retiring and Kevin and Toby being fired were eventualities that were well-handled, and it’s great that Pam decided that she and Jim should move to Texas so that he could work with Athleap. Even Andy got redeemed by his owning of the mockery he was subjected to after his breakdown went public. I don’t think that the past few years justified the wait for this finale, and the focus on the documentary this season wasn’t necessary, but this was a tremendous and satisfying way to end this show. I’ve been thinking about this episode a lot, only good things, since it aired on Thursday. Last week, I re-watched a few of the episodes I remembered liking most, including “The Job” and “Dinner Party,” and in lieu of selecting a best episode right now, I’ll plan to do a retrospective with the best-ever episodes sometime in the next few weeks.

Series finale: A-
Season grade: C+
Season MVP: John Krasinski as Jim
Series grade: B
Series MVP: Steve Carell as Michael
Best Season: Season 3
Best Episode: TBA

What I’m Watching: Nashville

Nashville: Season 1, Episode 20 “A Picture from Life’s Other Side” (B-)

With just one episode to go this season, fans of this show can be secure in the fact that it will be back for a second year. Major changes are already underway as of this hour which are sure to have a lasting impact on the show when it returns. Most devastating is Jolene’s death, which serves to contrast the relief that Juliette might have felt by Dante being removed from the equation. I’m unimpressed with how Dante’s arc progressed, that the betrayed Jolene but then turned out just to be in it for the money, making the crucial mistake of starting with one ultimatum and then presenting another when the first was all set to be met. Offering up an SD card in this day and age hardly carries any weight since it's incredibly easy to copy such a thing. Without her mother in her life, Juliette really will be more along, but the tragedy of it all may help her to focus. Whether that brings Avery into her romantic life is another question, and it’s peculiar to see how that has been fast-tracked to the point of almost being ready to happen. Gunnar continues to make Avery-like mistakes in his relationship with Scarlett, and as if saying that he does what he wants with his love life wasn’t bad enough, he had to go get himself arrested and miss Scarlett’s big debut, likely losing her permanently. Tandy’s hostile takeover attempt is mildly intriguing but ultimately irrelevant since she and Lamar are such minor parts of this show, and it’s much more notable that Rayna went to Lamar for help when Teddy tried to block Deacon from being around his daughters. Promising Teddy that Maddie would never learn the truth was an olive branch, but it seems that one of the parents was too stupid to realize that leaving a paternity test lying around the house in a place Maddie would know where to look might lead to her one day finding it.

What I’m Watching: Modern Family

Modern Family: Season 4, Episode 23 “Games People Play” (B-)

For the penultimate episode of the season, we have a perfectly unremarkable installment that revisits some traits and tendencies we’ve seen before from all of our characters. While it’s true that Phil has always been less present and aware of what it is his kids are capable of since Claire spends much more time at home with them, it’s less funny when Claire explicitly points out that it’s the case and waits for Phil to wake up to the sheer reality of the situation. That said, it was still entertaining to see Haley, Alex, and Luke get along long enough for things to bubble to the surface and for them all to explode with confessions about their unexpected secrets. Gloria’s ability to break into homes without being detected was an amusing minor plot point in an otherwise repetitive storyline about how Manny doesn’t always want his mother to be present in his life. The fact that he forgot to give them the invitation to the game night after they speculated for a while about why they weren’t invited was hardly satisfying, and I think it would do the show some good to focus on positive familial experiences rather than have its characters assume the worst. Cam and Mitchell proved once again that they can be the world’s most oblivious parents, so set on presuming that their daughter is going to mimic their traits that they don’t even notice when she does something genuinely and uncharacteristically nice for someone else. I do hope that the season finale reaffirms the quality of this show.

What I’m Watching: The Mindy Project (Season Finale)

The Mindy Project: Season 1, Episode 24 “Take Me with You” (C+)

This finale is representative of the entire first season of this show – entertaining and appealing but ultimately inconsistent and unsatisfying. The thought of Mindy going to Haiti to be with Casey at any point never made sense, and that’s also because she doesn’t ever act much like an intelligent doctor. Cutting her hair is something she would never do, and I find it very hard to believe that she was compelled to action after, much more believably, trying to get out of going with Casey by saying that she wouldn’t do it unless they were going to get married. Her little moment with Danny at the end of the episode, however long we’ve been waiting for it, also felt forced, and too easily avoided by Mindy’s confirmation that she and Casey were back together. This show would do better to dwell on its funnier little moments, like Mindy practicing Skyping with Casey. Chloe Sevigny’s Christina is proving to be entirely uninteresting, and it would be good if she could get some personality akin to the admittedly excitable if not fully realistic person that is Casey, whose career as a minister doesn’t quite jive with the way he acts when he’s with Mindy, especially in their more intimate moments. I want to like this show as it goes into its second season, but I’m still not feeling convinced that it has a strong sense of where it’s going. I would be gratified to see that problem resolved at least somewhat when season two premieres.

Season grade: B-
Season MVP: Mindy Kaling

What I’m Watching: New Girl (Season Finale)

New Girl: Season 2, Episode 25 “Elaine’s Big Day” (B+)

This was an entertaining if occasionally ridiculous episode, and I’m very happy that it played out the way it did. I love how Nick acts around Jess now that they’re technically dating, and having Jess’ dad try to get Nick out of the picture was amusing, though not quite as funny as the fact that he made his “Miami Vice” joke twice. Nick being egged on to participate in the prank specifically because Jess accused him of already being involved was a great way of getting them both to realize how they felt abut each other, and it was very sweet that Jess wanted to “uncall” it and that Nick did too. Their relationship is sure to be rocky, but it’s so worthwhile. Schmidt trying to sabotage the wedding because he thought Cece didn’t want it, rather than because of his feelings for her, was great, though unfortunately Elizabeth wasn’t too happy with it. I really hope Schmidt will choose Cece since seeing them together was a blast. Shivrang running away with Taylor Swift was completely random but a fitting end to that particular saga, and a perfect way to write him out of the show. My favorite moments from the episode included the playing of “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and Nick’s unstoppable dancing, and Winston calling out “Marco” while they were in the ducts together. This season had some strong moments and some weaker ones, but overall it was great fun. It has one of the best ensembles on TV, and I’m definitely looking forward to season three.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Jake Johnson as Nick

What I’m Watching: The Big C (Penultimate Episode)

The Big C: Season 4, Episode 3 “Quality of Death” (B+)

As the end approaches, it’s clear that Cathy wants to go out on her own terms without impacting anyone else in any way. That doesn’t stop her from taking a wild joyride in the car, and she wants to make sure that she’s leaving an impression, shaming the rude orderly after he mocked one of the other hospice patients. Cathy nearly getting strangled by her new friend and realizing that she wasn’t ready to die was emotional, but nothing was more powerful than the sight of Dr. Sherman showing up and having a nice heart-to-heart with Cathy, which was predictably but still devastatingly revealed to be a hallucination since Dr. Sherman had in fact died a week earlier. Showing up to wear her own dress at the fashion show was quite a triumph, and I suspect that may be the last we’ll see of Cathy up and about and doing well. Adam firing Amber was a satisfying moment since she’s been nothing but irritating, and it did serve to shock Paul back into action after he froze following Cathy’s admission to hospice. Seeing them physically fight, with Adam unsurprisingly ending up on top, was worrisome, but it’s clear that they’re just dealing with Cathy’s condition in their own different ways. Sean having second thoughts about his kidney transplant because of the many risks was expected, and I have a feeling that he’ll go through with it because he needs to feel like he contributed somehow. Next week’s finale is sure to be memorable, and, though it may be on her own terms, Cathy isn’t likely to have a happy ending.

What I’m Watching: Rectify

Rectify: Season 1, Episode 5 “Drip, Drip” (B+)

This episode started out from an odd perspective, seeing Daniel watch his neighbor bash his head into his cell door many times, and then following him on a hypnotic journey broken by the sight of that flying red balloon. Daniel asking his companion “Are you real?” was a haunting way to close off that part of the episode and get back to the rest of our characters. Tawney telling Ted that Daniel was going to be saved could not have gone worse, and it helped to unleash a truly ugly side of Ted that hadn’t quite reared its head before. Going over to visit Amantha and Janet expressly to break the news about his baptism to them was mean-spirited, and it’s clear that Amantha and Ted hate each other equally. Ted deserves full blame for egging Daniel on and speaking harshly to him in the episode’s final scene, and I do hope that Daniel didn’t go too far and that he didn’t break Ted’s neck. The baptism scene was extraordinarily powerful, with the joyous refrain of “Ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down” interspersed with dramatic, contemplative silence as Daniel underwent his transformative experience. Daniel ending up in front of the school looking lost was intense, and lashing out at Amantha and telling her to stop living her life for him was an unexpected moment of visible passion from a man who tends to keep his feelings bottled up inside. Asking if he could kiss Tawney was definitely a mistake, but at least he asked rather than just tried it.

What I’m Watching: Revolution

Revolution: Season 1, Episode 17 “The Longest Day” (F)

This show’s use of flashbacks needs serious work, since everything contained within this hour doesn’t actually tell us anything new about the strained relationship between Miles and Rachel. I was amused by Aaron’s response to Rachel being physically wounded, telling her that he didn’t want to hear it and trying to force her to move anyway. Healing her was pretty formidable, but the fact that it spawned an entirely two-faced monster who claimed not to care about helping people at all was appalling and unconvincing. Tom shifted back to the coldhearted tyrant he used to be at the beginning of the episode when he tried to bully Jason into shooting him, and then abruptly morphed back into the more accessible and sensitive person he seems to occasionally be, making him even more inconsistent than ever before. I suppose that Charlie isn’t invincible since Danny did go ahead and get himself killed, but it’s still far from suspenseful to see her life put in jeopardy since she’s obviously not going to die. Monroe capturing Nora is a much bigger problem, especially considering the fact that he opted to have one of his most loyal deputies (and one of the show’s best actors, Mark Pellegrino) taken out because he thought that he must have been planning again him. Foster may be set to surrender, but Monroe is unraveling at an alarming rate after losing Emma and now Jeremy, and I suspect he won’t have the upper hand for long. Whether Georgia will benefit from that is a separate question.

What I’m Watching: Defiance

Defiance: Season 1, Episode 5 “The Serpent’s Egg” (C)

What’s the point of having both the lawkeeper and the mayor accompany a prisoner during transport if they’re going to allow her to pick the lock to her handcuffs not once but twice during the trip? They also did a terrible job vetting their passengers, since only the two clueless husbands turned out to be on the side of the good guys. Olfin waited a while to play her hand, and when the prisoner switches sides, you know you’ve come across someone truly irritating. It appears that Olfin won’t suffer any legal consequences for her illegal act, of course, and now she’s gunning for Amanda, who is now going to have to deal with external pressure in addition to the internal stress she already has. Irisa was awfully quick to abduct and begin torturing the Castithan she remembered from her childhood, and chaining Tommy to the radiator seemed like an ill-conceived plan with not much long-term thinking involved. Letting him go because it would deprive him of the chance to have some sort of purpose was an intriguing solution, and it was jarring to see Nolan show up in savior mode in the flashback, exemplified kindheartedness and warmth that we haven’t seen much from him recently. It’s about time Irisa and Tommy got together, and I suspect their romance, while sure to be complicated, will help Irisa become more okay with the idea of being in Defiance. Unsurprisingly, this show will be back for a second season, which is good news, but disheartening considering that this fare gets deemed more worthwhile than the far superior “Alphas.”