Category: Featured
-
Smallville, “Isis”
After a glorious 200th episode, there was no way Smallville could really top that episode’s events, so the best thing to do is continue the plotlines of “Homecoming” in a natural, but less epic way. “Isis”…kind of does that. In one sense, “Isis” has a number of the season’s best emotional and quiet moments. In…
-
Community, “Messianic Myths and Ancient Peoples”
Though most people judge comedies on their ability to execute and deliver jokes, it’s sometimes nice to give a series credit for at least trying new things, even when the failures come. I find myself putting Community in that second category, maybe because I just adore the series and need any excuse I can to…
-
The Vampire Diaries, “Plan B”
Though I think this season is off to a slightly rocky start, I have to admit, I totally missed not having The Vampire Diaries in my life last week, and that’s probably a bigger sign of its quality than anything else, especially on a jam-packed Thursday night. Thankfully, tonight’s episode, “Plan B,” is probably the…
-
Terriers, “Missing Persons”
For the second straight week, Terriers dips into the standalone pool with a story that intensely mirrors the lives of the lead characters. While last week’s case mirrored Britt and Katie’s relationship, “Missing Persons” focuses on Hank and Steph, to almost the same amount of effectiveness. There is some risk in continuing to go down…
-
25,000 people are good enough: The hegemonic impacts of the nielsen television ratings system
The [Nielsen] overnight numbers widely reported by the media—and Hollywood’s general barometer of a show’s health—can account for as little as 25 percent of the eventual audience for, say, an FX comedy. – Josef Adalian, New York Magazine[1] Imagine you watch every new episode of your favorite television series (for this example, NBC’s comedy Community)…
-
Sons of Anarchy, “Widening Gyre”
If you’ve been following along with my thoughts on season three of Sons of Anarchy, you probably recognize that I”m a little cold on this season — and I think, for good reason. Things have been really slow-moving and honestly, at some times, boring. I’ve said previously that I totally understand where Kurt Sutter and…
-
Series Premiere — Luther, “Episode 1”
I had heard nothing but good things about BBC’s Luther, but I always hear good things about BBC productions and never get around to watching them. However, due to my undying respect for The Wire and particularly Idris Elba’s performance as Stringer Bell, I randomly decided to DVR the first episode of the gritty police…
-
Season Finale — Mad Men, “Tomorrowland”
As someone who is coming to the Mad Men finale “Tomorrowland” criticism late, I feel as if there might not be a whole lot of value in me spewing thousands and thousands of words with my interpretations when there are so many great writers who have done an exceptional job since 11 p.m. last night. So…
-
Season Finale — Rubicon, “You Can Never Win”
When Rubicon debuted, it clearly wanted to be a 24-style conspiracy thriller with ’70s leanings, but the pilot didn’t seem too interested in focusing on the characters as much as the multi-layered plotline. Once Henry Bromell came on and figured out what the series should be by episode four, Rubicon became a totally different and…
-
Smallville, “Homecoming”
Though it certainly has had its high points, Smallville has never been the same since its 100th episode. Travel back to 2006 with me if you will. At that point, the series was right in the middle of its fifth season and arguably was hitting an unmatched creative stride. The opening 11 episodes of season five…
-
Smallville reaches 200: An ode to the undervalued fans
Tonight, Smallville airs its 200th episode, becoming only the 79th scripted series to reach that milestone in the history of television. This is a massive deal, but for the most part, the industry’s biggest and critics are ignoring it. There’s no Entertainment Weekly or TV Guide cover. Alan Sepinwall isn’t writing about his favorite moments…
-
Community, “Basic Rocket Science”
When Community really picked up steam with critics and internet commentors (because let’s be honest, it still hasn’t caught on with the general audience), most people pointed to episodes like “Contemporary American Poultry” and “Modern Warfare,” and for good reason. Those two episodes are probably the best the series has to offer (I personally prefer…
-
Terriers, “Ring A-Ding-Ding”
With the Lindus case wrapped up and the Montague aftermath still to come, Terriers takes a detour into more procedural fare this week, but by pushing the character arcs further and tying the case to the personal lives of Hank and Britt, the resulting episode is one of the best thus far. The opening sequence…
-
Test Pilot: File #4, The Simpsons
Test Pilot #4: The Simpsons Debut date: December 17, 1989 Series legacy: Not just the most influential animated comedy or most influential comedy, but the most influential television series of the 20th century, set a brand-new bar for animation, comedy and television as a whole, and continues to be important today, in its 22nd(!) season…
-
Glee, “Duets”
Character consistency is an important concept to any television series, particularly dramas. We want the people on-screen to be themselves each week, even if that includes slight variations and ultimately development, along the way. But for most of its run, Glee hasn’t been concerned with such concepts. The series has traded in character consistency and…
CB, PhD 