Sorta light but rambling TV rundown
Nov. 10th, 2015 07:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedi_of_urthFlash 2x05
I think I liked that episode, but I know I didn’t love it. A lot of the character interactions were pretty good, mostly around people’s reactions to Harry (that will make things easier) and Cisko’s stuff. Though now I’m more bothered by Jay not being in the last episode, since he’s supposed to be “part of the team” but really hasn’t been. On the related note of Jay/Caitlin, I want to like it, I think I could like it if weren’t so soon after Ronnie, but as is I can’t get into it. Given the way Kendra’s name got dropped at the end I kind of feel like I’m supposed to know who she is, and the only thing I can think is she’s supposed to be Hawkgirl being set up for LoT, but I don’t actually know that at this point. Also I have to dock this a bit considering the flashforward in the final scene from the Arrow premier, starting to plan for how to take on Zoom this early just feels pointless since we know Barry will still be fighting that battle six months from now. I do however enjoy that Harry’s such a major dick, in contrast to the seemingly kindly but ultimately evil Wells we used to know, but I don’t support Jay walking out so quickly, I don’t think it worked.
Agents of SHIELD 3x06
Well, I can say I did not see that coming (the thought may have crossed my mind midway through the episode that *maybe*, but that’s not the same as seeing it coming). I did find it distracting early on that Andrew was in such good shape, I just didn’t expect it was intentional, after all Jemma seems all better now than she was when she first got back, back when she seemed to have actual issues with what happened but doesn’t now. I do like the continued, possibly unconscious, parallels the writing draws between Coulson and Fitz wrt May and Simmons respectively; and I’m rooting for both those ships. I’m still not sure what to make of Coulson-Rosalind, but I am interested to see what happens. While I wouldn’t trust that we got Phil’s 100% honest reaction in the moment finding out how the ATCU is dealing with things, I think he’s aware that what they’re doing is decently grey where Skye isn’t seeing it; whether it’s acceptably grey depends on some factors not addressed here, like if the cure is going to be a choice and what the consequences are for choosing not to take it, etc. This is basically the MCU’s way of getting around not having the rights to the X-Men franchise isn’t it? As you can probably tell I liked this one a lot more than the last one.
Arrow 4x05
I have to say first that this episode felt very necessary, I’m just not sure how much I liked it. I liked it okay certainly, but I’m not sure I like it’s a lot. There’s some definite meta fodder in what’s going on between Oliver and Laurel, but for this reaction bit I’ll stick to being glad it’s plutonic while very much stemming from their previous relationship. With such a necessary episode I will have to wait and see how things pay off before being have many solid thoughts about it. Aside from that Sara and Thea both really need to go and kill Malcolm.
Downton Abbey 6x07
That was...emotionally satisfying if not a little underdone, at least that’s my thought for now. I do feel like I’ll like this season more when I can watch it as a whole in a day or two than I’ve enjoyed it week to week (or sometimes longer); admittedly that’s true of most shows in the end, at least for me. Though I really dislike Tom pushing Mary at Talbert when it really just feels like Tom wants to bro-date him himself; that’s not a measure of how much Mary and Henry would work. But also, puppy.
Downton Abbey 6x08
I can’t say I liked that. I liked the first half or so, but I didn’t like the conclusion. I just don’t believe Mary and Talbert are all that in love, nor do I think they’re well suited, what do they actually have in common aside from a tendency to argue and borderline verbally and emotionally abuse each other? Outside of the car racing I don’t really know anything about Talbert, and that’s the part Mary will never exactly love even if she can be okay with it. I still don’t understand why everyone was so convinced they belong together and it’s super annoying when people keep making such claims that just aren’t supported in the story. Talbert’s such a shallow character that I can kind of pretend that what we’re seeing is him in love with Mary, but Mary’s dialog and her actions are in massive conflict, and we do know her character enough to really judge whether she seems in love with him and she doesn’t. And this rushed marriage isn’t exactly helping convince me this is a brilliant idea, in fact it makes me really suspicious of Talbert wanting to trick her into it. All that said, the Mary-Edith conflict portion of the story did work for me, aside from some of the dialog going a bit meta and overall being rather rushed. I do expect Edith and Bertie will work thing out in the Christmas special, I do actually see what those two see in each other so I hope the better couple works out. I’ve long suspected that the final episode of this show will contain a lot of snapshots taking us further on in the story, and I still mostly think that although they will probably have to spend at least half the episode resolving things before skipping forward in time. I’ve also always kind of thought the final episode should somehow include Sybil and Matthew somehow showing up even if just as ghosts, but don’t know if that’s very likely.
Castle 8x06
It’s weird having an episode completely without Beckett, but I think I liked it anyway. And I wouldn’t be surprised but we get a flip side ep coming up, because Beckett being out of town for the week is kind of suspiciously like she would be looking into something important. I’m surprised it’s taken the writers this long to do another Slaughter episode, although I wasn’t exactly clamoring for one. I really liked the one back in s4, but that one was born out of a pretty dark place in the characters, where this one isn’t quite the same case. And it’s good to not need them to have the same flavor and explore different dynamics, but it kind of did need Beckett to be part of the story somewhere I think. Overall, it was pretty well done and not something I was expecting, so also good.
I think I liked that episode, but I know I didn’t love it. A lot of the character interactions were pretty good, mostly around people’s reactions to Harry (that will make things easier) and Cisko’s stuff. Though now I’m more bothered by Jay not being in the last episode, since he’s supposed to be “part of the team” but really hasn’t been. On the related note of Jay/Caitlin, I want to like it, I think I could like it if weren’t so soon after Ronnie, but as is I can’t get into it. Given the way Kendra’s name got dropped at the end I kind of feel like I’m supposed to know who she is, and the only thing I can think is she’s supposed to be Hawkgirl being set up for LoT, but I don’t actually know that at this point. Also I have to dock this a bit considering the flashforward in the final scene from the Arrow premier, starting to plan for how to take on Zoom this early just feels pointless since we know Barry will still be fighting that battle six months from now. I do however enjoy that Harry’s such a major dick, in contrast to the seemingly kindly but ultimately evil Wells we used to know, but I don’t support Jay walking out so quickly, I don’t think it worked.
Agents of SHIELD 3x06
Well, I can say I did not see that coming (the thought may have crossed my mind midway through the episode that *maybe*, but that’s not the same as seeing it coming). I did find it distracting early on that Andrew was in such good shape, I just didn’t expect it was intentional, after all Jemma seems all better now than she was when she first got back, back when she seemed to have actual issues with what happened but doesn’t now. I do like the continued, possibly unconscious, parallels the writing draws between Coulson and Fitz wrt May and Simmons respectively; and I’m rooting for both those ships. I’m still not sure what to make of Coulson-Rosalind, but I am interested to see what happens. While I wouldn’t trust that we got Phil’s 100% honest reaction in the moment finding out how the ATCU is dealing with things, I think he’s aware that what they’re doing is decently grey where Skye isn’t seeing it; whether it’s acceptably grey depends on some factors not addressed here, like if the cure is going to be a choice and what the consequences are for choosing not to take it, etc. This is basically the MCU’s way of getting around not having the rights to the X-Men franchise isn’t it? As you can probably tell I liked this one a lot more than the last one.
Arrow 4x05
I have to say first that this episode felt very necessary, I’m just not sure how much I liked it. I liked it okay certainly, but I’m not sure I like it’s a lot. There’s some definite meta fodder in what’s going on between Oliver and Laurel, but for this reaction bit I’ll stick to being glad it’s plutonic while very much stemming from their previous relationship. With such a necessary episode I will have to wait and see how things pay off before being have many solid thoughts about it. Aside from that Sara and Thea both really need to go and kill Malcolm.
Downton Abbey 6x07
That was...emotionally satisfying if not a little underdone, at least that’s my thought for now. I do feel like I’ll like this season more when I can watch it as a whole in a day or two than I’ve enjoyed it week to week (or sometimes longer); admittedly that’s true of most shows in the end, at least for me. Though I really dislike Tom pushing Mary at Talbert when it really just feels like Tom wants to bro-date him himself; that’s not a measure of how much Mary and Henry would work. But also, puppy.
Downton Abbey 6x08
I can’t say I liked that. I liked the first half or so, but I didn’t like the conclusion. I just don’t believe Mary and Talbert are all that in love, nor do I think they’re well suited, what do they actually have in common aside from a tendency to argue and borderline verbally and emotionally abuse each other? Outside of the car racing I don’t really know anything about Talbert, and that’s the part Mary will never exactly love even if she can be okay with it. I still don’t understand why everyone was so convinced they belong together and it’s super annoying when people keep making such claims that just aren’t supported in the story. Talbert’s such a shallow character that I can kind of pretend that what we’re seeing is him in love with Mary, but Mary’s dialog and her actions are in massive conflict, and we do know her character enough to really judge whether she seems in love with him and she doesn’t. And this rushed marriage isn’t exactly helping convince me this is a brilliant idea, in fact it makes me really suspicious of Talbert wanting to trick her into it. All that said, the Mary-Edith conflict portion of the story did work for me, aside from some of the dialog going a bit meta and overall being rather rushed. I do expect Edith and Bertie will work thing out in the Christmas special, I do actually see what those two see in each other so I hope the better couple works out. I’ve long suspected that the final episode of this show will contain a lot of snapshots taking us further on in the story, and I still mostly think that although they will probably have to spend at least half the episode resolving things before skipping forward in time. I’ve also always kind of thought the final episode should somehow include Sybil and Matthew somehow showing up even if just as ghosts, but don’t know if that’s very likely.
Castle 8x06
It’s weird having an episode completely without Beckett, but I think I liked it anyway. And I wouldn’t be surprised but we get a flip side ep coming up, because Beckett being out of town for the week is kind of suspiciously like she would be looking into something important. I’m surprised it’s taken the writers this long to do another Slaughter episode, although I wasn’t exactly clamoring for one. I really liked the one back in s4, but that one was born out of a pretty dark place in the characters, where this one isn’t quite the same case. And it’s good to not need them to have the same flavor and explore different dynamics, but it kind of did need Beckett to be part of the story somewhere I think. Overall, it was pretty well done and not something I was expecting, so also good.
