Recent TV

[norwich36]

I don't have a lot to say about the episode except that I continue to really enjoy this show, especially every single interaction between Abbie and Ichabod. (Is Ichabod going to wear the same clothes for the entire series, though? And where is he living? Is he still in that motel room? Who's paying for it? And how is he eating? These are important questions! He seems to be de facto working for the sheriff's department--how did they manage that and are they actually paying him? Inquiring minds want to know).

I really liked the backstory we got on Abbie and her relationship with Jenny in this episode, and I was also very glad there wasn't any kind of simple, pat resolution to their conflict. I do hope they eventually end up working together, but I want that to be earned.

I don't have much to say about the sandman except that he was effectively creepy. The other thing I loved most about this episode is Irving's apparent new "don't ask, don't tell" policy with regard to the supernatural. That actually makes a lot of sense to me, and it gives Ichabod and Abbie room to work.


Good Wife

I don't often pay attention to the actual criminal trials in this show, but I actually thought the death penalty storyline was really powerful and effectively done, and it was great seeing everyone bring their legal A game, especially Will and Diana, so it ends up being not just Alicia but also the viewer who is conflicted about Alicia's departure from Lockhart Gardener.

I am a little worried that Alicia is correct: not disclosing things to the partners is going to make for a messy legal situation once they fourth years actually do leave the firm. It's the obvious drama for this season--Lockhart Gardner v. Florrick Agos, not simply because it builds naturally from what has come before, but also because it's a way to keep Will and Diane and Kalinda a big part of the plot when they're not part of the new firm--but it makes me tense just thinking about it because I love all these characters and I don't want to pick sides! So even though I love, love, love the idea of Alicia and Carey as the new Diane and Will, I'm not sure if I'm really looking forward to that part of this season.

I am kind of interested in where they're going with Peter's plot, though, because it's going to be very ironic if his first big ethical scandal comes from getting rid of his ethics advisor BECAUSE he was trying to be ethical and not be tempted to cheat on Alicia, which he obviously was. (And this show does like to borrow from real life, so I wonder if they're inspired by that dentist who fired his hygienist because she was too pretty, and disgustingly, won the case).

I'm very glad Eli is going to be Peter's chief of staff, since I approve of any way to keep him central to the plot. I'm a little skeeved by where they seem to be going with Grace's plot, but it does seem like a realistic development. And I thought the running gag with the robot/computer/remote-working device was pretty hilarious.



Agents of SHIELD
Ok, I'm going to keep watching this show because (a) I love Phil Coulson, and so far the show isn't killing that; (b) Melinda May continues to be awesome; and (c) Skye is almost, sort of, growing on me (with caveats below); and (d) cameos of people like Nick Fury are fun, but holy god, if it weren't for those things--if I didn't have a strong pre-existing fondness for this universe--I would be bailing right now, because that episode was unabashedly BAD. It wasn't just formulaic, it was kindergarten-paint-by-numbers. I didn't just start predicting every single plot twist but also every single line of (extremely bad) dialogue. Ugh. Who wrote that episode? Can we fire them now?

Ok, at first I loved that Coulson kind of got to be James Bond, in the "I've slept with beautiful women on every continent, and then they all betray me" kind of way, but it was really too predictable that the Commandante turned out to be betraying him. (I did like her accusations that his whole team was his midlife crisis, though.)And wow, the team bonding stuff was SO very very clunky. And clumsy. And telling not showing. I realize Joss isn't writing every episode and that it's probably really Jed and Maurissa running the show, but in my many complaints about various Joss Whedon series over the years, ABYSMAL WRITING has never been one of them. I'm going to stick to the show for a few more episodes, but it better start being less painful to watch.

Edited to add: Oops, forgot my caveats about Skye: I don't expect her to immediately accept SHIELD's goals and values--in fact, I like the fact that she's questioning the party line and representing minority political views. However, I think making her an infiltrator is WAY cliched, and I will totally lose respect for Coulson, May, etc. if they don't figure it out right away.