picspammy Challenge #29, End of Year: TV in 2011
And I am finally done, just in time. This is all based on my own watching habits so there will obviously be shows that are other people list yet missing here. I think it's important to say that I don't watch Community, or Parks & Recreation, or The Good Wife, or Downton Abbey, or Leverage, or Castle, or Cougar Town, or Misfits, or even American Horror Story. But they’re all on my To-Watch list, which grows longer everyday.
There were also a million and one new shows this year so I have no idea how I fit it in but I’m almost watching double the amount of last year. That’s also why this picspam is super image-heavy as it was actually created with tumblr in mind. I was going to re-do it for livejournal but I had trouble narrowing things then I just got lazy and couldn’t be bothered so here it is in full.
Saying Goodbye to the Best Show on TV
Friday Night Lights
"Jason Street got paralyzed. I realized that he was this great guy, I mean like this hero, and it happened to him. And it, it made me realize that life isn’t fair for anybody. Not just me. I became friends with Julie and Mrs Taylor started to take some interest in me. Started doing my homework. You. I met you. I started to feel like I was on the inside instead of the outside." - Tyra Colette, 3.12 "Underdogs"
If are not already watching/have watched this show, please, please do. I love how everyone on this shows moves forward in life, not necessarily onto better things, but they change, they grow. Apart from S2 that we shall all pretend did not happen, the only thing that I'm unhappy with is lack of Jason/Tim reunion scenes. The final scene was great and I do love Billy - though how Dillon is going to cope with him now being the parental figure - but, argh! Where was Jason Street, this should have been his scene!
As a Tim/Lyla fan, I would have loved for Minka to come back but unlike Adriana's character Tyra, who left to see the world, go onto better things; Lyla no longer belonged in Dillon. Many first love/childhood sweethearts don't actually end up together and married. We already have Coach/Tami and Matt/Julie so another pair to me seems a bit much (I probably only know three couples like that in real life). If she did come back, it would seem less real and more of a forced happy ending, putting to waste that bittersweet moment in 4.06 "Stay". They knew they loved each other but were just destined for different. However I do find it a little strange that with Buddy and the Jr. she never came back for Christmas.
5 Favourite Returning Shows (Fall)
Doing a full season of twenty-plus episodes is hard to maintain, especially if there isn’t some sort of procedural template. This is what I believe makes TVD such a great show, that it can maintain high quality drama without the crime/monster of the week formula. This is also the other reason why I seem to prefer the 13 episode seasons more this year. With half the time, the stories seem to have better pace, less filler episodes and selfishly, it means less downloading.
Fringe
“And I have no idea how to bring our Olivia back. It’s all because of that temptress. She tricked my son with her carnal manipulation and he fell right into her vagenda.”
Can you believe Charlie Francis got married to Bug Girl, OFFSCREEN?! I wanted to see that! So I'm guessing with Prime Suspect over, we should be getting more Kirk Acevedo. Unpopular opinion; as much I love Seth Gabel, I don't think we need one on our side. Or at least I don't see the point in having to make all these personalities so polar opposites. Every character is supposed to the same... "base" and events and action from there on, make the person we become. Yes, it's an alternative universe and alternative events have occurred but does that mean the other version of each character will always take such different paths?
NCIS: Los Angeles
"I know what’s wrong here. There can only be one alpha male in a partnership. Problem is, we got ourselves a pack of two."
The only crime procedural on my list; there's lots of action which is missing on shows like Criminal Minds, there's that bigger bang factor (literally) which differentiates it from the original NCIS and there's character development unlike CSI and it's spin-offs.
Nikita
“Yeah. Nikita Incorporated, baby. Live and work, all in the same space. Just like the Enterprise.”
This is the worlds most underrated series. Ever. I would compare it to TVD; the perfect pace, the characters, the action scenes (best choreographed fight scenes on TV). Just without the supernatural element. Or the high school drama. I love Alex and Lyndsy Fonseca is crazy beautiful. And to a certain extent, her character is more intriguing, more complex, and probably holds more potential storylines. But considering how the show is named Nikita, I was surprised by how much of the back first season was focused on Alex. I wonder if it's because it's airs on The CW and the typical audience is 12 - 18, so that makes Maggie Q and Shane West a little too old?
Sons of Anarchy
“I’m not sure which cancer is worse, the one in me or the one in Charming.”
No other show has me as confused about the timeline as SOA. Sometimes multiple episodes cover one single day. Up until the finale it was a good, slightly unbelievable yet better-than-the-last type of season. The finale let it down for a number of reasons. Firstly, for the past three seasons - even the sub-par season 3 - the last episode had always been the highlight, wrapping up all the storylines and setting the pace next year. This time we were given 13 episodes which seemed to lead to an inevitable conclusion: Clay dying, or at least being kicked out of the MC. But instead we were cheated out. The Irish not dealing with anyone but Clay just seems so stupid of a reason to keep him around. The moment he laid his hands on Gemma, it severed that one lasting bond, that last redeeming quality. His club and his actions had corrupted him so much he's longer the person we saw at the beginning. Losing Ron Perlman would be tragic, but if they weren't prepared for it, there shouldn't have been such a huge build-up. Calling a hit on Tara makes him a horrible person, but it wouldn't be sooooo out of character that you couldn't still root for him. Jax is also starting to annoy me. Physically he's at a different place at the table, mentally he's the exact same boy four years ago. I think the exact quote is: "Walking away from my club is one thing. But letting it die, I can’t. It’s part of me." He should just admit to himself what we all know, he walks away from the club, it dies. So therefore he wants to keep the MC alive, leaving is just not possible. Once he realises that, we can get onto actually changing the club into what he wants. Obviously as a fan the series it's much more enjoyable with Ron still part of the cast and Jax in charge but plot wise we are pretty much in the same place and I have no idea how Kurt Sutter has another three seasons planned. Maggie put in an amazing performance, as always, but I still don't fully understand what she represents. Is she supposed to be the voice of conscience? My favourite side story was meeting Tig's crazy daughters and even though he knew she was lying he was willing to give up a couple of hundred dollars so his daughters would come by and visit more.
The Vampire Diaries
“I don’t want to be a vampire, Stefan. I never wanted to be one.”
Homecoming was such a mediocre way to end the year. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed TVD and it’s still one of the best shows on TV but after everything in Season 2, I just expected something that wasn’t so... obvious. TVD isn’t True Blood, it doesn’t try to shock us just for the sake of it and Katherine needs to stop being a plot device. It wouldn’t kill to know a little more of what her reaction to Mikel was, when she got the call from Damon, why she even decided to help him (i.e. plot details). We all knew Klaus was never going to die, I just wasn’t expecting Mikel to be so easily killed. He was made to sound like the bigger, badder villain, we were getting all these ominous end-of-the-world messages and he pretty much did nothing apart from compel a hybrid. Which again seems like something Klaus wouldn't have missed. I mean if I just made a group of vamp-wolf hybrids the first thing I would do is check them for classic vampire/werewolf weakness. Which leads me to that fact that if his family is so important to him, essentially his weakness, why would he have them in the back of a van secured by only a padlock? At least we got over the ghost thing quick enough. Season 2 and Elijah were my definite favourites.
Justified
"Normally, I would’ve just shot you myself the second you pulled, but I am doing my level-best to avoid the paper work and the self-incrimination that comes with it, that Lord knows you’re the kind that makes it worth it more."
So technically, this is isn't a fall show, or a summer show, or even a winter mid-season replacement... but it's still one of my favourite shows. Season 2 just justified that (horrible, horrible pun that wasn't intended).
5 Favourite Returning Shows (Summer)
What used to be ‘filler-tv’, summer is now the best place for quality drama. It could an illusion created by the fact that summer shows are off-air for nine months and the anticipation makes me more agreeable. I find that there are two main qualities that make me like summer TV: a) half the episodes and b) they follow the format of either less procedural/more drama or slightly procedural/feel-good-enjoyable.
Pretty Little Liars
"And whatever A gives, the bitch takes back."
So the back half of S1 was great. It's the perfect guilty pleasure show with just enough intrigue to keep you hooked. The scope of which A works within is getting ridiculous (seriously, A shaped cereal in a school canteen??) and here's me hoping it doesn't follow the original plot used in the book.
Covert Affairs
"You are either the best operative I have ever seen, or the absolute worst. I can't make up my mind."
When it aired last year I actually skipped over this. But then Piper Perabo got a Golden Globe nomination so I had to check it out. And I am surprised. She's actually not bad, and she has enough of a screen presence to keep audience engaged. My favourite character is obviously Auggie, so that makes my favourite episode the flashback to Iraq (I think?) and how he became injured. I'm just going to pretend the random four episodes we got at fall didn't happen and apart from that I generally don't think there's an episode I don't like. There are plot holes, and half the stuff doesn't make any sense but it's all just fun and enjoyable. Would also love to see Jaimie come back for a few episodes.
Haven
"The only thing I feel is you."
Rookie Blue
"Well I think he knows exactly what he's doing. Think about it. He spends all day with a relatively attractive young woman who hangs on his every word, files his reports and makes his coffee. I mean why would he give that up? You're like his hot secretary with a gun."
Rookie Blue is the slightly more serious, better written, more believable and rookie-ish version of Covert Affairs. They both premiered the same season as well which I found interesting.
Breaking Bad
"Gus is dead. We've got work to do."
Do I even need to bother explaining why this show is here? If you don't already this is must watch TV.
Top 5 OTP's
Dany/Drogo (Game of Thrones)
"I know you're very far away. but come back to me, my sun and stars."
I'm all about the doomed couples. I've read the books, obviously knew Drogo was going to die but still can't help myself. Like everyone else I wasn't happy with the way the writers started off the relationship - that wedding night was consensual.
Gannicus/Melitta (Spartacus)
- "To gaze upon you every day and be denied your touch... I have never turned from challenge. Yet I am without strength to face this one."
Like I said, if I know someone's going to die, I will probably ship it.
Hanna/Caleb (Pretty Little Liars)
- "What, and now you think you have to throw down too?"
- "What if I don't want to?"
- "That's okay."
- "What if I do want to?"
- "That's... okay, too."
Lucrezia/Cesare (The Borgias)
"If anything happened to her... I’d die."
This is the reason I'm still watching The Borgias, they have amazing chemistry and are so frickin' cute!
Caroline/Tyler (The Vampire Diaries)
"She's been there for me, more than anyone has been in my entire life. I kind of fell for her because she's pretty incredible and I don't know how anyone wouldn't."
I thought long and hard about this one because Tyler being sired is really putting out their spark.
Coach Taylor/Mrs. Coach(Friday Night Lights)
"Will take me to Philadelphia with you, please?"
The most amazing married couple ever.
Kensi/Deeks (NCIS: LA)
"Did anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you’re homicidally angry?"
10 Favourite New Shows
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
“There is only one way to become champion; never fucking lose.”
It shouldn't have worked. In six short episodes, this show was able to make me cry and laugh and care more about the characters than shows have with multiple seasons. Unlike Blood and Sand, the prequel got straight into the plot and by the time the first hour was up, I realised I hadn't missed Spartacus, like I thought I would, and when it was all over I just wanted more and more! I feel a little guilty but Gannicus is now officially my favourite character, he's a badass fucker and will be coming back in January to join the revolution.
The sequel wasn't just another set of characters - it intertiwned with current (as in season one) events and helped explain some stuff in detail, like how Oeamus because Doctore, the fall out between batiatus and Solo, who Titus died and even the reason behind Lucretia and Cruxis's affair, and set up some reference points for the upcoming season.
Revenge
“In the end, the only person we can truly trust, is ourselves.”
I was watching the pilot episode and I knew I'd seen Emily VanCamp before (in something other than Brothers & Sisters) then during Christmas TV I caught the Ben Hur miniseries last year which had Klaus and Lana Lang Joseph Morgan and Kristin Kreuk in it! REVENGEEEE! Biggest surprise of this fall, Revenge is such soapy addictive goodness, it's like the grown up version of PLL but the writers know what they're doing.
Homeland
“I missed something once before. I won’t, I can’t let it happen again.”
I know alot of people have mixed feelings about Claire Danes, but if you've watched this show, I'm sure everyone agrees that her portrayal of Carrie is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. At the beginning, from announcement to pilot, I always felt that Homeland was going to be a one season thing. Not necessarily because it would get cancelled but because the plot wouldn't allow multiple seasons and Claire would most likely go back to films. Seeing as we now have season two next year, I was wondering if anything from the finale was changed/edited. Considering it was quite a late pick up, I'm guessing there wasn't much they could do. But does that mean the directors might have changed anything knowing there was going to be more episodes? I'm happy with the way it ended, I love that Damien Lewis is back next year, but if it really only was one season, I think I would have preferred that Brody's vest didn't malfunction.
Teen Wolf
“Blood spurted out of his mouth, okay? That doesn’t exactly qualify as a minor injury.”
At first I thought I was going crazy because I was actually enjoying an MTV original drama?! This is actually well thought out, the actors are solid - the weakest actually being main guy, Tyler Posey - and the twists are kinda clever.
Being Human US
“We’re all hiding something, aren’t we? From the moment we wake, look in that mirror, all we do is spin our little lies, suck in that gut, colour that hair, twist off that wedding ring. And why not? What’s the penalty? What are the consequences, really? “I’m only human,” you say, and all is forgiven. But what if some cruel twist of fate makes you something else, something other? Who forgives you then?”
I'm British, obviously I'm attached to the original but I'm open minded to accept that the remake is actually good. The main plot is the same but with double the episodes there some great original stuff in there too. One of my favourites was Aidan visiting Josh at home with his family. The two Sam's give a great performance week in,, week out.
Alphas
“Red Flag and the government’s own Alpha program are two sides of the same coin.”
If you’re looking for something like “X-Men” and “Heroes”, as advertised, then this is not it. Its not good versus evil. Its not trying to save the world. Yes, there’s a big bad enemy but more importantly its just simple trying to be, the primary goal of our alphas is to understand their abilities, and hopefully help others alike - maybe a little more equality for their species/race would be nice too. Unlike X-Men and Heroes, our characters aren’t the “classic” heroes, revered and loved, there no animal bites, no risking their lives for the greater good, no I-am-the-all-important-key-to-the-world. They aren’t even vigilantes as the government has Rosen and the team on a tight leash. Our "Alphas" aren't actually in a position of power at all. The series started slow (as with all Syfy shows) but slowly built up pace. The moment that got me hooked was episode six, “The Adventures of Bill and Gary”. It's interesting to see them grow into a proper team.
Game of Thrones
“Winter is coming.”
It’s cinematographic-ly pretty, and in general does the book justice. Yet maybe it's the same reason I don’t think A Song of Fire and Ice is actually all that great of a book. I love the world building, the politics, the twists and the brave decision to kill off characters (although this plot device is getting rather overused). With so many characters I found it hard to connect to them and it always feel as though the story isn’t actually getting anywhere. I only just finished book three, but from what I read off Wikipedia, Daenarys is still stuck in her own little world across the sea and I’d be surprised if she actually meets any of the other main characters before the end of the century. I’m assuming following seasons will follow the one-season-per-book timeline and I’m curious to see what happens when they run out of material - this is based on the presumption that it might take another five years for the next book to be published.
Hart of Dixie
“See the New Yorker in the Chanel jacket, that doesn’t quite fit in? That’s me, Dr Zoe Hart. Yesterday I took a cab to my job at one of Manhattan’s best hospitals; today, I’m on a bus in the middle of nowhere.”
Grimm
“How long have you been at this? You seem kinda new.”
What would I do without the Internet because it'd have take me hourrrrssss to figure out how to spell Blutbad (and realise that Blutbaden is I think, the plural), or things like Bauerschwein (the piggys), Ziegevolk (the toad eating goat), or Gefrierengeber (Santa's friend who could be a reindeer?). The easiest to spell would be the Jägerbär - obviously without the accents and I would have replace "bär" with "bear". But yes, fairytale wise I prefer Grimm over Once Upon A Time. I can feel the hate already.
The Hour
“I run a news programme. It’s my job to cover the news. That is what I intend to do tonight. Anything else is reckless. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a show about to go on air that I must attend to. It must be those maternal instincts again.”
Favourite Female Lead Characters
Daenerys Targaren played by Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
"I have never been nothing. I am the blood of the dragon."
Olivia Dunham played by Anna Torv (Fringe)
"You know, being you and living your life, only me more homesick for my universe.It must be hard to develop trust in people when all you've got is yourself. It must be terribly lonely."
Nikita played by Maggie Q (Nikita)
"Don’t get me wrong. I want to stop running. I’ve been running my whole life. I want a home. I just want to be able to live with myself when I get there."
Hanna Marin played by Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars)
"Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool my best friend? You're dead meat."
Carrie played Claire Danes (Homeland)
"I am crazy!!"
Favourite Male Lead Characters
Josh Radcliff played by Sam Huntington (Being Human US)
"OK, look, if he sees you, if he senses you, do you have any idea what that would do to him? What it would do to us? He could sell the place! He could sell tickets like that guy who saw Jesus on the taco shell! Listen, if he comes, I think that Sally should stay upstairs."
August "Auggie" Anderson played by Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs)
"Well you went from thrilled for me to sad for you in two seconds."
Coach Eric Taylor played by Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
"You may never know how proud I am of you."
The Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith (Doctor)
"Are you mad? You know the stories about the Doctor? The things that man has done? God help us if you've made him angry!"
Raylan Givens played by Timothy (Justified)
"Well I gotta talk to some people... alone, so, ither you let me go, or I'm gonna have to give you the slip."
Favourite Female Supporting Characters
Caroline Forbes played by Candice Accola (The Vampire Diaries)
"I'm not girly little Caroline anymore."
Kensi Blye played by Daniela Ruah (NCIS: LA)
"Excuse me? A computer program can’t duplicate a skilled human lip reader."
Kenzi played by Knesia Solo (Lost Girl)
"Oh, my favourite literary quote about regret, wow. Fun! Um, well, I think it was the great poet, uh.. Ludacris, who said: Regret is fo suckas, fo suckas, fo suckas. Regret is fo suckas. Bitch."
Favourite Male Supporting Characters
Marty Deeks (NCIS: Los Angeles)
"You should always know your partner at least 10 years prior to marrying them. You date me for a decade, you deserve my hand in marriage."
Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf)
"Personally, I'm a fan of ignoring the problem until eventually it goes away."
13 Favourite Episodes
Friday Night Lights 5.13 - “Always” (Series Finale)
"You changed me life, Coach".
I'm pretty sure I started bawling before the opening credits came about. There's Matt and Julie, Coach and Tim, Matt and Landry, Coach and Mrs Coach - just like the old times, I even liked the Tim/Becky scene (I hated them in S4) plus it mixes in pefectly with all the new cast and storylines.
Our last look at Dillon, Texas and the cast is a basic music montage with minimum words. I loved that after Vince's last throw we don't see the ending and instead the day morphs into one eight months later, keeping us guessing, looking for clues. It points out that winning or not, was not the main focus, instead it's the journey of how they got there.
There are a few things that I can nitpick about, most importantly, there was no final scene between Tim and Jason! No scene between Tyra and Landry.
Game of Thrones 1.09 - “Baelor”
"You think my life is such a precious thing to me, that I would trade my honor for a few more years...of what?"
Spartacus: God of the Arena 0.05 - “Reckoning”
"A day, a year, a man either knows his heart or he does not."
Supernatural 6.15 - "The French Mistake"
"Hola Mishamigos. J-Squared got me good. Really starting to feel like one of the guys."
Teen Wolf 1.04 - “Magic Bullet”
Derek: "You faint at the sight of blood?"
Stiles: "No but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!"
The Vampire Diaries 2.21 - “The Sun Rises”
"Just turn it off, Jenna. Turn it off. You won't be scared anymore."
Justified 2.09 - “Brother’s Keeper”
"You pick the devil you run with."
Sons of Anarchy 4.10 - “Hands”
"He's not goin' down by law. He's gonna die by the hand of a Son."
Homeland 1.07 “Weekend”
"How do you know what tea I drink?"
It was between this episode or 1.05 - "Blind Spot", but Carrie and Brody on screen together, in a cabin, got my vote.
Sherlock Holmes (BBC) 1.01 - “Pilot” (Series Premiere)
" I'm not a psychopath, Anderson, I'm a high-functioning sociopath, do your research."
Alphas 1.11 - “Original Sin” (Season Finale)
"No, I’m not coming home tonight, Mom. I.. I can’t tell you. but my friends need my help… all of my friends. Yeah, I love you too, Mom. Mom, please, don’t cry. Listen, Bill’s gonna protect me. He’s my partner, he-he’s very strong. One time he pushed me over, which was better than taking a bullet. I said don’t cry."
Lost Girl 1.09 “Original Skin”
"OMG babe, check it out. I got the wolf junk!"
This was another fun episode, and can only truly be appreciated in motion
5 Saddest Character Deaths/Departures
Jenna Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries 2.21 - "The Sun Never Rises")
Ned Stark (Game of Thrones 1.09 - "Baelor")
Melitta (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena 0.05)
Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire 2.12)
Vincent (Bones 6.22 - "The Hole in the Heart")
Things That Disappointed / I Didn’t Like (But Don’t Kill Me)
Things That Disappointed just means it didn't live up to expectations, most commonly over-hyped but not necessarily that I didn't like it. Things I Didn't Like, on the other hand, means I probably didn't like it.
Camelot was definitely biggest disappointment. It also destroyed any good thoughts I previously had about Jamie Campbell Bower. True Blood turned Hoyt into a crazy depressed manic but Jason sleeping with Jessica was just heartless. And even though Eric and Sookie finally got it on, it got boring quickly. Very quickly. And that's a cheated shower scene. A Charlie’s Angels reboot is something the world just doesn't need right. I will admit that it was a pretty show and by the time it was cancelled, it wasn't all that bad. Nothing as horrible as The Playboy Club. Dinosaurs was the only redeeming quality of Terra Nova and I'm just going to pretend that season of Dexter just didn't happen. I have no idea what Person of Interest is about... a machine that predicts events? I don't know how anyone agreed to let Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour air. This is what they gave up JJ and Prentiss for? There was absolutely no explanation as to the difference, if there was any, to the two groups. Plus why is their office at the back of a gym? And how arrogant can the writers be? They ended on a cliffhanger thinking the Criminal Minds popularity would pull them through.
And a few unpopular opinions: Suits just didn't work for me. I don't know why but it feels like White Collar and that other USA legal show. Pan Am had a great start, and one of the best pilots, and then it literally died. For a group of girls who travel together, spend more time with each other than family, they don't seem very friendly or close? Dean has limited emotions and Ted is boring! Normally for new shows, the pilot episode is one of the weakest. A strong pilot is normally a positive sign. Not here. Same with Once Upon A Time. The pilot had so much potential but it's turned out to be something different to what I expected. It's a little too Disney-esque, I was expecting something darker, and it's trying too hard with it's mythology but not giving us any answers, even seven episodes in.
• do not hotlink.
• credits : true blood, all other screencaps by me
• images edited by me, please do not repost on tumblr, it's already THERE (or at least getting there).
There were also a million and one new shows this year so I have no idea how I fit it in but I’m almost watching double the amount of last year. That’s also why this picspam is super image-heavy as it was actually created with tumblr in mind. I was going to re-do it for livejournal but I had trouble narrowing things then I just got lazy and couldn’t be bothered so here it is in full.
Saying Goodbye to the Best Show on TV
Friday Night Lights
"Jason Street got paralyzed. I realized that he was this great guy, I mean like this hero, and it happened to him. And it, it made me realize that life isn’t fair for anybody. Not just me. I became friends with Julie and Mrs Taylor started to take some interest in me. Started doing my homework. You. I met you. I started to feel like I was on the inside instead of the outside." - Tyra Colette, 3.12 "Underdogs"
If are not already watching/have watched this show, please, please do. I love how everyone on this shows moves forward in life, not necessarily onto better things, but they change, they grow. Apart from S2 that we shall all pretend did not happen, the only thing that I'm unhappy with is lack of Jason/Tim reunion scenes. The final scene was great and I do love Billy - though how Dillon is going to cope with him now being the parental figure - but, argh! Where was Jason Street, this should have been his scene!
As a Tim/Lyla fan, I would have loved for Minka to come back but unlike Adriana's character Tyra, who left to see the world, go onto better things; Lyla no longer belonged in Dillon. Many first love/childhood sweethearts don't actually end up together and married. We already have Coach/Tami and Matt/Julie so another pair to me seems a bit much (I probably only know three couples like that in real life). If she did come back, it would seem less real and more of a forced happy ending, putting to waste that bittersweet moment in 4.06 "Stay". They knew they loved each other but were just destined for different. However I do find it a little strange that with Buddy and the Jr. she never came back for Christmas.
5 Favourite Returning Shows (Fall)
Doing a full season of twenty-plus episodes is hard to maintain, especially if there isn’t some sort of procedural template. This is what I believe makes TVD such a great show, that it can maintain high quality drama without the crime/monster of the week formula. This is also the other reason why I seem to prefer the 13 episode seasons more this year. With half the time, the stories seem to have better pace, less filler episodes and selfishly, it means less downloading.
Fringe
“And I have no idea how to bring our Olivia back. It’s all because of that temptress. She tricked my son with her carnal manipulation and he fell right into her vagenda.”
Can you believe Charlie Francis got married to Bug Girl, OFFSCREEN?! I wanted to see that! So I'm guessing with Prime Suspect over, we should be getting more Kirk Acevedo. Unpopular opinion; as much I love Seth Gabel, I don't think we need one on our side. Or at least I don't see the point in having to make all these personalities so polar opposites. Every character is supposed to the same... "base" and events and action from there on, make the person we become. Yes, it's an alternative universe and alternative events have occurred but does that mean the other version of each character will always take such different paths?
NCIS: Los Angeles
"I know what’s wrong here. There can only be one alpha male in a partnership. Problem is, we got ourselves a pack of two."
The only crime procedural on my list; there's lots of action which is missing on shows like Criminal Minds, there's that bigger bang factor (literally) which differentiates it from the original NCIS and there's character development unlike CSI and it's spin-offs.
Nikita
“Yeah. Nikita Incorporated, baby. Live and work, all in the same space. Just like the Enterprise.”
This is the worlds most underrated series. Ever. I would compare it to TVD; the perfect pace, the characters, the action scenes (best choreographed fight scenes on TV). Just without the supernatural element. Or the high school drama. I love Alex and Lyndsy Fonseca is crazy beautiful. And to a certain extent, her character is more intriguing, more complex, and probably holds more potential storylines. But considering how the show is named Nikita, I was surprised by how much of the back first season was focused on Alex. I wonder if it's because it's airs on The CW and the typical audience is 12 - 18, so that makes Maggie Q and Shane West a little too old?
Sons of Anarchy
“I’m not sure which cancer is worse, the one in me or the one in Charming.”
No other show has me as confused about the timeline as SOA. Sometimes multiple episodes cover one single day. Up until the finale it was a good, slightly unbelievable yet better-than-the-last type of season. The finale let it down for a number of reasons. Firstly, for the past three seasons - even the sub-par season 3 - the last episode had always been the highlight, wrapping up all the storylines and setting the pace next year. This time we were given 13 episodes which seemed to lead to an inevitable conclusion: Clay dying, or at least being kicked out of the MC. But instead we were cheated out. The Irish not dealing with anyone but Clay just seems so stupid of a reason to keep him around. The moment he laid his hands on Gemma, it severed that one lasting bond, that last redeeming quality. His club and his actions had corrupted him so much he's longer the person we saw at the beginning. Losing Ron Perlman would be tragic, but if they weren't prepared for it, there shouldn't have been such a huge build-up. Calling a hit on Tara makes him a horrible person, but it wouldn't be sooooo out of character that you couldn't still root for him. Jax is also starting to annoy me. Physically he's at a different place at the table, mentally he's the exact same boy four years ago. I think the exact quote is: "Walking away from my club is one thing. But letting it die, I can’t. It’s part of me." He should just admit to himself what we all know, he walks away from the club, it dies. So therefore he wants to keep the MC alive, leaving is just not possible. Once he realises that, we can get onto actually changing the club into what he wants. Obviously as a fan the series it's much more enjoyable with Ron still part of the cast and Jax in charge but plot wise we are pretty much in the same place and I have no idea how Kurt Sutter has another three seasons planned. Maggie put in an amazing performance, as always, but I still don't fully understand what she represents. Is she supposed to be the voice of conscience? My favourite side story was meeting Tig's crazy daughters and even though he knew she was lying he was willing to give up a couple of hundred dollars so his daughters would come by and visit more.
The Vampire Diaries
“I don’t want to be a vampire, Stefan. I never wanted to be one.”
Homecoming was such a mediocre way to end the year. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed TVD and it’s still one of the best shows on TV but after everything in Season 2, I just expected something that wasn’t so... obvious. TVD isn’t True Blood, it doesn’t try to shock us just for the sake of it and Katherine needs to stop being a plot device. It wouldn’t kill to know a little more of what her reaction to Mikel was, when she got the call from Damon, why she even decided to help him (i.e. plot details). We all knew Klaus was never going to die, I just wasn’t expecting Mikel to be so easily killed. He was made to sound like the bigger, badder villain, we were getting all these ominous end-of-the-world messages and he pretty much did nothing apart from compel a hybrid. Which again seems like something Klaus wouldn't have missed. I mean if I just made a group of vamp-wolf hybrids the first thing I would do is check them for classic vampire/werewolf weakness. Which leads me to that fact that if his family is so important to him, essentially his weakness, why would he have them in the back of a van secured by only a padlock? At least we got over the ghost thing quick enough. Season 2 and Elijah were my definite favourites.
Justified
"Normally, I would’ve just shot you myself the second you pulled, but I am doing my level-best to avoid the paper work and the self-incrimination that comes with it, that Lord knows you’re the kind that makes it worth it more."
So technically, this is isn't a fall show, or a summer show, or even a winter mid-season replacement... but it's still one of my favourite shows. Season 2 just justified that (horrible, horrible pun that wasn't intended).
5 Favourite Returning Shows (Summer)
What used to be ‘filler-tv’, summer is now the best place for quality drama. It could an illusion created by the fact that summer shows are off-air for nine months and the anticipation makes me more agreeable. I find that there are two main qualities that make me like summer TV: a) half the episodes and b) they follow the format of either less procedural/more drama or slightly procedural/feel-good-enjoyable.
Pretty Little Liars
"And whatever A gives, the bitch takes back."
So the back half of S1 was great. It's the perfect guilty pleasure show with just enough intrigue to keep you hooked. The scope of which A works within is getting ridiculous (seriously, A shaped cereal in a school canteen??) and here's me hoping it doesn't follow the original plot used in the book.
Covert Affairs
"You are either the best operative I have ever seen, or the absolute worst. I can't make up my mind."
When it aired last year I actually skipped over this. But then Piper Perabo got a Golden Globe nomination so I had to check it out. And I am surprised. She's actually not bad, and she has enough of a screen presence to keep audience engaged. My favourite character is obviously Auggie, so that makes my favourite episode the flashback to Iraq (I think?) and how he became injured. I'm just going to pretend the random four episodes we got at fall didn't happen and apart from that I generally don't think there's an episode I don't like. There are plot holes, and half the stuff doesn't make any sense but it's all just fun and enjoyable. Would also love to see Jaimie come back for a few episodes.
Haven
"The only thing I feel is you."
Rookie Blue
"Well I think he knows exactly what he's doing. Think about it. He spends all day with a relatively attractive young woman who hangs on his every word, files his reports and makes his coffee. I mean why would he give that up? You're like his hot secretary with a gun."
Rookie Blue is the slightly more serious, better written, more believable and rookie-ish version of Covert Affairs. They both premiered the same season as well which I found interesting.
Breaking Bad
"Gus is dead. We've got work to do."
Do I even need to bother explaining why this show is here? If you don't already this is must watch TV.
Top 5 OTP's
Dany/Drogo (Game of Thrones)
"I know you're very far away. but come back to me, my sun and stars."
I'm all about the doomed couples. I've read the books, obviously knew Drogo was going to die but still can't help myself. Like everyone else I wasn't happy with the way the writers started off the relationship - that wedding night was consensual.
Gannicus/Melitta (Spartacus)
- "To gaze upon you every day and be denied your touch... I have never turned from challenge. Yet I am without strength to face this one."
Like I said, if I know someone's going to die, I will probably ship it.
Hanna/Caleb (Pretty Little Liars)
- "What, and now you think you have to throw down too?"
- "What if I don't want to?"
- "That's okay."
- "What if I do want to?"
- "That's... okay, too."
Lucrezia/Cesare (The Borgias)
"If anything happened to her... I’d die."
This is the reason I'm still watching The Borgias, they have amazing chemistry and are so frickin' cute!
Caroline/Tyler (The Vampire Diaries)
"She's been there for me, more than anyone has been in my entire life. I kind of fell for her because she's pretty incredible and I don't know how anyone wouldn't."
I thought long and hard about this one because Tyler being sired is really putting out their spark.
Coach Taylor/Mrs. Coach(Friday Night Lights)
"Will take me to Philadelphia with you, please?"
The most amazing married couple ever.
Kensi/Deeks (NCIS: LA)
"Did anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you’re homicidally angry?"
10 Favourite New Shows
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
“There is only one way to become champion; never fucking lose.”
It shouldn't have worked. In six short episodes, this show was able to make me cry and laugh and care more about the characters than shows have with multiple seasons. Unlike Blood and Sand, the prequel got straight into the plot and by the time the first hour was up, I realised I hadn't missed Spartacus, like I thought I would, and when it was all over I just wanted more and more! I feel a little guilty but Gannicus is now officially my favourite character, he's a badass fucker and will be coming back in January to join the revolution.
The sequel wasn't just another set of characters - it intertiwned with current (as in season one) events and helped explain some stuff in detail, like how Oeamus because Doctore, the fall out between batiatus and Solo, who Titus died and even the reason behind Lucretia and Cruxis's affair, and set up some reference points for the upcoming season.
Revenge
“In the end, the only person we can truly trust, is ourselves.”
I was watching the pilot episode and I knew I'd seen Emily VanCamp before (in something other than Brothers & Sisters) then during Christmas TV I caught the Ben Hur miniseries last year which had Klaus and Lana Lang Joseph Morgan and Kristin Kreuk in it! REVENGEEEE! Biggest surprise of this fall, Revenge is such soapy addictive goodness, it's like the grown up version of PLL but the writers know what they're doing.
Homeland
“I missed something once before. I won’t, I can’t let it happen again.”
I know alot of people have mixed feelings about Claire Danes, but if you've watched this show, I'm sure everyone agrees that her portrayal of Carrie is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. At the beginning, from announcement to pilot, I always felt that Homeland was going to be a one season thing. Not necessarily because it would get cancelled but because the plot wouldn't allow multiple seasons and Claire would most likely go back to films. Seeing as we now have season two next year, I was wondering if anything from the finale was changed/edited. Considering it was quite a late pick up, I'm guessing there wasn't much they could do. But does that mean the directors might have changed anything knowing there was going to be more episodes? I'm happy with the way it ended, I love that Damien Lewis is back next year, but if it really only was one season, I think I would have preferred that Brody's vest didn't malfunction.
Teen Wolf
“Blood spurted out of his mouth, okay? That doesn’t exactly qualify as a minor injury.”
At first I thought I was going crazy because I was actually enjoying an MTV original drama?! This is actually well thought out, the actors are solid - the weakest actually being main guy, Tyler Posey - and the twists are kinda clever.
Being Human US
“We’re all hiding something, aren’t we? From the moment we wake, look in that mirror, all we do is spin our little lies, suck in that gut, colour that hair, twist off that wedding ring. And why not? What’s the penalty? What are the consequences, really? “I’m only human,” you say, and all is forgiven. But what if some cruel twist of fate makes you something else, something other? Who forgives you then?”
I'm British, obviously I'm attached to the original but I'm open minded to accept that the remake is actually good. The main plot is the same but with double the episodes there some great original stuff in there too. One of my favourites was Aidan visiting Josh at home with his family. The two Sam's give a great performance week in,, week out.
Alphas
“Red Flag and the government’s own Alpha program are two sides of the same coin.”
If you’re looking for something like “X-Men” and “Heroes”, as advertised, then this is not it. Its not good versus evil. Its not trying to save the world. Yes, there’s a big bad enemy but more importantly its just simple trying to be, the primary goal of our alphas is to understand their abilities, and hopefully help others alike - maybe a little more equality for their species/race would be nice too. Unlike X-Men and Heroes, our characters aren’t the “classic” heroes, revered and loved, there no animal bites, no risking their lives for the greater good, no I-am-the-all-important-key-to-the-world. They aren’t even vigilantes as the government has Rosen and the team on a tight leash. Our "Alphas" aren't actually in a position of power at all. The series started slow (as with all Syfy shows) but slowly built up pace. The moment that got me hooked was episode six, “The Adventures of Bill and Gary”. It's interesting to see them grow into a proper team.
Game of Thrones
“Winter is coming.”
It’s cinematographic-ly pretty, and in general does the book justice. Yet maybe it's the same reason I don’t think A Song of Fire and Ice is actually all that great of a book. I love the world building, the politics, the twists and the brave decision to kill off characters (although this plot device is getting rather overused). With so many characters I found it hard to connect to them and it always feel as though the story isn’t actually getting anywhere. I only just finished book three, but from what I read off Wikipedia, Daenarys is still stuck in her own little world across the sea and I’d be surprised if she actually meets any of the other main characters before the end of the century. I’m assuming following seasons will follow the one-season-per-book timeline and I’m curious to see what happens when they run out of material - this is based on the presumption that it might take another five years for the next book to be published.
Hart of Dixie
“See the New Yorker in the Chanel jacket, that doesn’t quite fit in? That’s me, Dr Zoe Hart. Yesterday I took a cab to my job at one of Manhattan’s best hospitals; today, I’m on a bus in the middle of nowhere.”
Grimm
“How long have you been at this? You seem kinda new.”
What would I do without the Internet because it'd have take me hourrrrssss to figure out how to spell Blutbad (and realise that Blutbaden is I think, the plural), or things like Bauerschwein (the piggys), Ziegevolk (the toad eating goat), or Gefrierengeber (Santa's friend who could be a reindeer?). The easiest to spell would be the Jägerbär - obviously without the accents and I would have replace "bär" with "bear". But yes, fairytale wise I prefer Grimm over Once Upon A Time. I can feel the hate already.
The Hour
“I run a news programme. It’s my job to cover the news. That is what I intend to do tonight. Anything else is reckless. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a show about to go on air that I must attend to. It must be those maternal instincts again.”
Favourite Female Lead Characters
Daenerys Targaren played by Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
"I have never been nothing. I am the blood of the dragon."
Olivia Dunham played by Anna Torv (Fringe)
"You know, being you and living your life, only me more homesick for my universe.It must be hard to develop trust in people when all you've got is yourself. It must be terribly lonely."
Nikita played by Maggie Q (Nikita)
"Don’t get me wrong. I want to stop running. I’ve been running my whole life. I want a home. I just want to be able to live with myself when I get there."
Hanna Marin played by Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars)
"Fool me once? Shame on you. Fool my best friend? You're dead meat."
Carrie played Claire Danes (Homeland)
"I am crazy!!"
Favourite Male Lead Characters
Josh Radcliff played by Sam Huntington (Being Human US)
"OK, look, if he sees you, if he senses you, do you have any idea what that would do to him? What it would do to us? He could sell the place! He could sell tickets like that guy who saw Jesus on the taco shell! Listen, if he comes, I think that Sally should stay upstairs."
August "Auggie" Anderson played by Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs)
"Well you went from thrilled for me to sad for you in two seconds."
Coach Eric Taylor played by Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)
"You may never know how proud I am of you."
The Eleventh Doctor played by Matt Smith (Doctor)
"Are you mad? You know the stories about the Doctor? The things that man has done? God help us if you've made him angry!"
Raylan Givens played by Timothy (Justified)
"Well I gotta talk to some people... alone, so, ither you let me go, or I'm gonna have to give you the slip."
Favourite Female Supporting Characters
Caroline Forbes played by Candice Accola (The Vampire Diaries)
"I'm not girly little Caroline anymore."
Kensi Blye played by Daniela Ruah (NCIS: LA)
"Excuse me? A computer program can’t duplicate a skilled human lip reader."
Kenzi played by Knesia Solo (Lost Girl)
"Oh, my favourite literary quote about regret, wow. Fun! Um, well, I think it was the great poet, uh.. Ludacris, who said: Regret is fo suckas, fo suckas, fo suckas. Regret is fo suckas. Bitch."
Favourite Male Supporting Characters
Marty Deeks (NCIS: Los Angeles)
"You should always know your partner at least 10 years prior to marrying them. You date me for a decade, you deserve my hand in marriage."
Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf)
"Personally, I'm a fan of ignoring the problem until eventually it goes away."
13 Favourite Episodes
Friday Night Lights 5.13 - “Always” (Series Finale)
"You changed me life, Coach".
I'm pretty sure I started bawling before the opening credits came about. There's Matt and Julie, Coach and Tim, Matt and Landry, Coach and Mrs Coach - just like the old times, I even liked the Tim/Becky scene (I hated them in S4) plus it mixes in pefectly with all the new cast and storylines.
Our last look at Dillon, Texas and the cast is a basic music montage with minimum words. I loved that after Vince's last throw we don't see the ending and instead the day morphs into one eight months later, keeping us guessing, looking for clues. It points out that winning or not, was not the main focus, instead it's the journey of how they got there.
There are a few things that I can nitpick about, most importantly, there was no final scene between Tim and Jason! No scene between Tyra and Landry.
Game of Thrones 1.09 - “Baelor”
"You think my life is such a precious thing to me, that I would trade my honor for a few more years...of what?"
Spartacus: God of the Arena 0.05 - “Reckoning”
"A day, a year, a man either knows his heart or he does not."
Supernatural 6.15 - "The French Mistake"
"Hola Mishamigos. J-Squared got me good. Really starting to feel like one of the guys."
Teen Wolf 1.04 - “Magic Bullet”
Derek: "You faint at the sight of blood?"
Stiles: "No but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!"
The Vampire Diaries 2.21 - “The Sun Rises”
"Just turn it off, Jenna. Turn it off. You won't be scared anymore."
Justified 2.09 - “Brother’s Keeper”
"You pick the devil you run with."
Sons of Anarchy 4.10 - “Hands”
"He's not goin' down by law. He's gonna die by the hand of a Son."
Homeland 1.07 “Weekend”
"How do you know what tea I drink?"
It was between this episode or 1.05 - "Blind Spot", but Carrie and Brody on screen together, in a cabin, got my vote.
Sherlock Holmes (BBC) 1.01 - “Pilot” (Series Premiere)
" I'm not a psychopath, Anderson, I'm a high-functioning sociopath, do your research."
Alphas 1.11 - “Original Sin” (Season Finale)
"No, I’m not coming home tonight, Mom. I.. I can’t tell you. but my friends need my help… all of my friends. Yeah, I love you too, Mom. Mom, please, don’t cry. Listen, Bill’s gonna protect me. He’s my partner, he-he’s very strong. One time he pushed me over, which was better than taking a bullet. I said don’t cry."
Lost Girl 1.09 “Original Skin”
"OMG babe, check it out. I got the wolf junk!"
This was another fun episode, and can only truly be appreciated in motion
5 Saddest Character Deaths/Departures
Jenna Gilbert (The Vampire Diaries 2.21 - "The Sun Never Rises")
Ned Stark (Game of Thrones 1.09 - "Baelor")
Melitta (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena 0.05)
Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt, Boardwalk Empire 2.12)
Vincent (Bones 6.22 - "The Hole in the Heart")
Things That Disappointed / I Didn’t Like (But Don’t Kill Me)
Things That Disappointed just means it didn't live up to expectations, most commonly over-hyped but not necessarily that I didn't like it. Things I Didn't Like, on the other hand, means I probably didn't like it.
Camelot was definitely biggest disappointment. It also destroyed any good thoughts I previously had about Jamie Campbell Bower. True Blood turned Hoyt into a crazy depressed manic but Jason sleeping with Jessica was just heartless. And even though Eric and Sookie finally got it on, it got boring quickly. Very quickly. And that's a cheated shower scene. A Charlie’s Angels reboot is something the world just doesn't need right. I will admit that it was a pretty show and by the time it was cancelled, it wasn't all that bad. Nothing as horrible as The Playboy Club. Dinosaurs was the only redeeming quality of Terra Nova and I'm just going to pretend that season of Dexter just didn't happen. I have no idea what Person of Interest is about... a machine that predicts events? I don't know how anyone agreed to let Criminal Minds: Suspect Behaviour air. This is what they gave up JJ and Prentiss for? There was absolutely no explanation as to the difference, if there was any, to the two groups. Plus why is their office at the back of a gym? And how arrogant can the writers be? They ended on a cliffhanger thinking the Criminal Minds popularity would pull them through.
And a few unpopular opinions: Suits just didn't work for me. I don't know why but it feels like White Collar and that other USA legal show. Pan Am had a great start, and one of the best pilots, and then it literally died. For a group of girls who travel together, spend more time with each other than family, they don't seem very friendly or close? Dean has limited emotions and Ted is boring! Normally for new shows, the pilot episode is one of the weakest. A strong pilot is normally a positive sign. Not here. Same with Once Upon A Time. The pilot had so much potential but it's turned out to be something different to what I expected. It's a little too Disney-esque, I was expecting something darker, and it's trying too hard with it's mythology but not giving us any answers, even seven episodes in.
• do not hotlink.
• credits : true blood, all other screencaps by me
• images edited by me, please do not repost on tumblr, it's already THERE (or at least getting there).