Small Screen Review (11/29/15-12/5/15)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

This Week's Best Episode: 

The Muppets

Agent Carter: Season 2 coming January 19.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Despite being all about revenge, it wasn't a bad episode, especially considering next week's winter finale will take place at least partially in the alien world!!

Blindspot: Will return February 29.

Bones: No new episode this week.

Castle: Will return February 1.

Elementary: No new episode this week.

Fresh Off the Boat: Eddie stole the show from his parents this week! Unfortunately it wasn't too hard.

Galavant: Season 2 coming January 3.

The Great Holiday Baking Show: The British Baking Show comes to America for the holidays! Definitely not as good without the hosts or Paul (or the hosts), but at least they got Mary Berry, I guess? And otherwise it's basically the same show. Well, enough anyway.

iZombie: Pending...

Last Man Standing: Just okay - wasn't big on either storyline. I'm all for pushing kids to practice and do better, but yelling at them not so much. And while Eve's my favorite, when boys are involved she loses everything that makes her cool.

Limitless: No new episode this week. We watched the Episode 2 rerun though, and quite enjoyed it.

Master Chef Jr.: So happy the team that deserved to win actually won! (It almost never happens.) I wish I could say the same for the kids who were cut this week, though - no surprise there was a lot of yelling at the screen at the end.

The Muppets: The Great Gonzo (brought to you by Piggy Water) returns for one final stunt! Too bad no one was watching. P.S. Gordon-Levitt was AWESOME.

Once Upon a Time: No new episode this week.

Person of Interest: Season premiere unknown.

The Player: No new episode this week.

Scorpion: No new episode this week.

Superstore: Watched the "Special Preview" hour and it wasn't bad. Will it last? Probably not. I laugh at pretty much everything and personally don't mind bad unpolitical correctness, but the second episode was not cool in one major way that I don't think it'll survive in the wild long. I'll be surprised if it actually officially premieres January 4. But who knows, I have been wrong before (at least twice).

DVD

Melissa & Joey (Season 1): Discovered at the library. Nothing spectacular, but it's funny enough and I'm a Melissa fan.

Iron-Man: Re-watch (3rd? 4th?). Even better than the last time. Looking forward to re-watching the 2nd and 3rd soon as well!

Thor: The Dark World: After Avengers 2 I wanted to catch back up on the last Marvel movie round (and get a long overdue Loki fix). Discovered I'd completely forgotten nearly everything that happened in this one so I got to enjoy it all over again, although Thor movies just aren't quite as good as the others. Captain America 2 next.

What a Way to Go! (1964): We caught part of this on TV a few weeks ago and were interested enough to grab it from the library. We're normally not much for Shirley MacLaine, but it was an engaging and amusing movie with an original plot and a good ending.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (11/22/15-11/28/15)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

This Week's Best Episode: 

Elementary

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: No new episode this week.

Blindspot: We finally get a few interesting (albeit mostly foreseen) answers and some really interesting developments...and the show won't return until February. *SHAKES FIST*

Bones: No new episode this week.

Castle: I honestly don't know how Castle and Beckett can get mad at each other for keeping huge secrets to protect the other when they take turns doing it every season. Still, I think it'll be nice finally having them back together. Maybe. We'll see.

Elementary: Another strong episode that takes this week's Best. I'd never actually heard of thruples and the like before, so that was interesting.

Fresh Off the Boat: No new episode this week.

iZombie: No new episode this week.

Last Man Standing: No new episode this week.

Limitless: Another stellar episode, but we're NOT happy with the father thread - it doesn't fit his initial personality, and the impending threat is not one we're looking forward to. Would've taken best episode otherwise.

Master Chef Jr.: I feel bad for whoever handles the judges' wardrobes, having to stock two of everything. And their hair and makeup people, poor things. Several kids are already standing out as true contenders, which is unusual but exciting. At the moment I'm expecting Addison, Tae-Ho, Kya and Kaitlyn to go far.

The Muppets: No new episode this week.

Once Upon a Time: No new episode this week.

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

The Player: No new episode this week.

Scorpion: Exciting but sad. Was really worried Walter would end up brooding the rest of the season, but I think we're safe. Hopefully. *crosses fingers*

DVD

Haven (Season 1): Finished. My enjoyment tapered off a little at the end, and seeing as next season prominently features the Rev (my least favorite character) I'm not sure if I'll be continuing my re-watch into Season 2.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: Another thrilling installment with great action and some interesting character development. Absolutely loved the Hulk-Natasha thread. Now eager to re-watch the first movie. And the second Thor movie. And the second Captain America movie. In other news: what do we have to do to get a Ruffalo Hulk movie already? And a pre-Avengers Black Widow movie goes without saying.

The Incredibles: Re-watch. A seriously amazing superhero movie about family - great story, great acting, great comedy. I really need to get a copy for my collection!

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (11/15/15-11/21/15)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

This Week's Best Episode: 

Limitless

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: We're growing rather tired of the Inhumans/ATCU thread, and Mom was so put off by Ward torturing people that she up and dropped the show in the middle of the episode. Can't we just focus on the Gemma/alien planet thread from now on and forget the rest?

Blindspot: The whole strong physically but insecure and weak as a limp rag emotionally is starting to really get on my nerves. But the premise is just a little too interesting to drop the show. Argh.

Bones: A solid episode.

Castle: As usual, Alexis proves how awesome she is. Oh, and the rest of the cast were okay too. At least the boys finally made up.

Elementary: Why is it that after a few seasons writers always insist on softening Sherlock's character? *SIGH* I am enjoying Watson stepping up to fill his former badarse role, though.

Fresh Off the Boat: Thanksgiving episode. Surprisingly not that funny - I think it could've been a lot better. And they cut things to fit in more commercials! NOT COOL, YO.

The Great British Baking Show: Final episode. Argh Ruby had it in the bag until the showstopper! So disappointing. Surprisingly poor performance all around though, and although the winner did deserve it based on that day's bakes, as Paul said about the pretzel challenge: You may have won, but don't clap. Still it was an enjoyable season of a highly enjoyable show and we can't wait for the next round!

iZombie: Not their best episode.

Last Man Standing: Thanksgiving episode with lots of feels. Could've been better, I think, but not bad.

Limitless: When they allow Brian's fun to take precedence, the show becomes one of the best I've ever watched - ergo it's no surprise that this week's episode takes Best of the Week! So much fun.

Master Chef Jr.: Pending...

The Muppets: Amusing.

Once Upon a Time: With zero foreshadowing it's no surprise that I did not see the big twist coming (I swear, the writers are making the story up as they go along). Without going into spoilers there really should've been some type of foreshadowing though, and since there wasn't any, and considering what it did to Emma's character, it only made the twist worse for me. I'm now 90% put off the show. Possibly 95%. If the next episode isn't All the Hero Rumple and Belle All the Time, then I'm out. It was doing so well - what a letdown.

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

The Player: The kidnapping was a little much, but otherwise some interesting developments and good action.

Scorpion: Exciting, I guess. Did not see the twist coming, so kudos there. 

DVD

Haven (Season 1): Continues to entertain.

Avengers: Age of Ultron: Coming Soon

The Incredibles: Re-watch Coming Soon

Iron-Man Trilogy: Re-watch Coming Soon

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (11/8/15-11/14/15)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

This Week's Best Episode: 

Elementary

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Saw everything coming and have already called everything coming up so no surprises for a while.

Blindspot: More and more we're growing weary of the main guy - we just don't like him for some reason. Enjoy the girl though, and the story continues to be intriguing enough for us to continue.

Bones: Entertaining-ish but again nothing spectacular.

Castle: Better than the last Slaughter episode, but my biggest enjoyment comes from imagining how much fun the two actors must have being together again on a different show.

Elementary: Although I'm disappointed the other avenues for cases thread was cut after only one episode, and Sherlock is getting a little soft, Watson is becoming a serious badarse. The case was entertaining and the long-term developments interesting, so in the midst of a pretty blah TV week this takes Best Episode.

Fresh Off the Boat: Eddie's pieces continue to entertain. The little brothers stole the show as usual, though.

The Great British Baking Show: By the skin of her teeth Ruby continues into the final! At this point I'm calling Kim to win though, while Dad says Frances. But we both agree Ruby is the dark horse, and I would love to see her win.

iZombie: Just an okay case but some very interesting long-term developments. Definitely not on board with the romance, but I'm sure I'm the only one.

Last Man Standing: Called the main plot from the beginning but it was still funny.

Limitless: Interesting but surprisingly forgettable. I can barely remember what it was about now, typing this up a few days later. It was the one where his boss got arrested and her daughter's cousin was kidnapped by pirates, right? I think I enjoyed it well enough, although I did not approve of the completely unforeshadowed romance implications at the end.

Master Chef Jr.: Pending... (Movies = less TV time.)

The Muppets: Oh the things that can go wrong when the boss is away. Definitely one of the better episodes.

Once Upon a Time: The twist came as no surprise but I'm definitely looking forward to next week's 2-hour episode when we finally (hopefully) get all (or at least most) of the answers.

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

The Player: Pending...

Scorpion: Another exciting but intelligently inconsistent episode.

Supergirl: Dropped.

DVD

Haven (Season 1): Continues to entertain me even more the second time. I have to struggle not to watch it instead of the week's new TV shows.

Inside Out: Began rough for me but once Joy and Sadness left Headquarters things were interesting enough to pull me through. Definitely made me tear up at several points. Favorite character: Sadness. Best part of the movie: whenever we were in anyone else's head (we laughed so hard and so loud we couldn't hear the movie - definite ROTFL).

Tomorrowland: I've been dying to see this, and for the most part it was even better than I'd expected - well, at least the beginning was. I really liked the "go out and make a better world today" message, but was disappointed with the whole climate change angle. Best character: Athena, no contest. Best part of the movie: Athena kicking butt in the beginning. Biggest confusion: Why was Tomorrowland so desolate when it wouldn't be affected by Earth being destroyed? I would've thought the opposite would happen...?

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (11/1/15-11/7/15)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

Special Note: Sorry this disappeared a few weeks! It should be back to its regularly scheduled slot now.

This Week's Best Episode: 

Once Upon a Time

NEW SHOWS

Supergirl: Although Episode 1 wasn't quite as bad as I'd thought it would be, after putting off watching Episode 2 for a week it looks like we'll be passing on the show.

CONTINUING SHOWS

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Oh yeah there were other threads besides Gemma's alien planet one. A tense and interesting episode, and I did NOT see the twist coming. Next week should be good!

Blindspot: Finally a pretty solid episode with some interesting twists to come. I really enjoyed Patterson's boyfriend so I'm hoping he returns somehow.

Bones: How they continue to come up with new ways for bodies to be found astounds me. An entertaining episode.

Castle: On hiatus. Sadly, I'm not crushed.

Elementary: It's back!! This is one of the rare shows where I care more about the characters than the cases, and so far I'm intrigued by where Sherlock and Watson's story is heading. Definitely looking forward to next week.

Fresh Off the Boat: Eddie's stories finally begin to entertain! Loved last week's Halloween solution and this week's affairs of the heart. There's hope for the boy after all.

The Great British Baking Show: So proud of Ruby as she continues to excel despite her best efforts. Rooting for her to take the crown now, and at the moment it appears she's at the top with Kim.

iZombie: Another excellent episode, although I'm not crazy about the [re]budding romance.

Last Man Standing: We were a little lost about what was going on since we haven't seen last season, but funny as always.

Limitless: An interesting episode. I like that the voices in his head are multiplying - it shows the madness that's still growing teeth under the shot's effects, and I'm hoping it continues.

Master Chef Jr.: It's back, and wackier than ever. Quite the young lineup this time, and not as impressive. But reality show contestants are rarely impressive in the first episode, so I'll suspend judgment for now.

The Muppets: Highly amusing but we're losing interest with the show.

Once Upon a Time: A focus on Dark Swan, Belle and Hero Rumple equaled an epic episode I absolutely enjoyed and easily earned best episode of the week! Not impressed with the Arthur thread but at least we've hit a turning point so stupidity won't be quite as rampant.

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

The Player: Always an exciting watch but there were a lot of inconsistencies this week, and both overarching threads are confusing.

Scorpion: A really good episode since Ralph played a big part (Ralph is our favorite). But while the show is getting better, the inconsistencies of intelligence between the characters and the show's writers lead to a lot of frustration and screaming at the screen.

DVD

Haven (Season 1): As I eagerly await the new season, I got a serious craving for the show and picked up Season 1 again. So far I'm enjoying it even more than I did the first time!

Cinderella: Although I'd heard more bad than good about this movie, I of course had to see it. While my mother enjoyed it, I found it unexceptional and rather dull except for the bites of humor and Helana.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (10/11/15-10/17/15)

Back for the 2015 fall lineup, it's Small Screen Review!!

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

This Week's Best Episode: 

iZombie

NEW SHOWS

Blindspot: Continues to be intriguing enough to continue. We're not really looking forward to the CIA story next week, but we'll continue for now.

Heroes Reborn: Dropped. :'(

Last Man Standing: The funny is strong with this one. Loved that they were (eventually) pro-homeschool, and it should prove an amusing thread for the show.

Limitless: Another exciting episode! There was a lot going on, but it worked well.

The Muppets: Manipulation and after-hours Miss Piggy made for a highly amusing episode.

The Player: Another thrill ride, but this is seriously becoming original Person of Interest. Not that that's a bad thing.

Supergirl: Series Premiere 10/26

CONTINUING SHOWS

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Not big on the government hunters but *loving* the Simmons thread!!

Bones: It has mostly returned to the regular setup, which I'm happy for, although it is getting a bit old for me. But Betty White next week? My mother has already made me promise to watch it with her. Also, while I'm not a Sleepy Hollow fan, I'll be interested in the crossover the week following.

Castle: Enjoy having Castle (sort of) back working with the precinct, but already we're pulling away from the awesomeness that is his PI practice and Alexis. *sigh* Also, I hope the exam won't see us losing Esposito and/or Ryan - the show would not be the same without them.

Elementary: Season Premiere 11/5

Fresh Off the Boat: This episode was okay, but last week's was leagues better. The father's "living the American dream" episodes just aren't as funny, and since the two youngest had almost no camera time this was a lesser episode for me.

Gotham: Watched one more episode. I'm really interested in Bruce's thread, but I actually find Jim and the crazy rather dull. Dropped.

The Great British Baking Show: Just when I think I've seen all the American/British differences, they do a "tray bake." How had I not heard of this before? Sad to lose the contestant we did, but it was their time.

iZombie: iZombie rules, bro! And definitely takes this week's best episode. Although the local channel was frozen, it was immediately available online so it was all good!

Master Chef Jr.: Season Premiere 11/6

Once Upon a Time: Was able to watch last week's missed episode online so I'm all caught up! So far this has been a surprisingly excellent season - I'm not big on the whole Arthur conspiracy, but Dark Emma is an awesome twist, and now Rumple? Unless this takes a seriously disappointing turn soon, I'm pretty much locked in for the season.

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

Scorpion: A pretty strong episode, finally. We'll be continuing the show for now.

DVD

Log Horizon (Collection 1): I've kind of lost interest in anime, but I enjoyed the first volume of the manga and so when I saw this at the library I couldn't help grabbing it. I've only watched one episode so far and it's pretty fun (I'm a sucker for video game stories, even though I don't play), but I don't know if it's entertaining enough to put real time into. We'll see how the next week goes.

Poirot (Series 4): I really enjoy the short episodes, but this series turned out to be all movies. Still, despite the fact that we remembered most of the twists and murders from previous viewings, Poirot never ceases to entertain.

No movies this week.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (10/5/15-10/10/15)

Back for the 2015 fall lineup, it's Small Screen Review!!

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

This Week's Best Episode: 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

NEW SHOWS

Blindspot: Wasn't as impressed with this episode. And the mystery is already starting to tangle, which I never like. Starting to lose interest.

Heroes Reborn: Although I like the turn Chuck's character has taken, most of the story and characters have been done before and the basic plot has been overdone to death. Got bored halfway through this episode and now I'm seriously pondering dropping it next week. So sad.

Last Man Standing: Despite character confusion, this continues to be very funny. And the feminism thread this week was interesting.

Limitless: Not quite as good as last week's episode, but still entertaining. The new twist should prove interesting, although I personally don't feel the show needed it at this juncture. Hopefully the new "jobs" will only come up occasionally and not every week.

The Muppets: Not quite as funny as the previous episodes, but this continues to entertain. I was chatting TV with a co-worker this week and when this show came up my boss actually entered the conversation to see if it was worth watching (she rarely watches television). Needless to say I highly recommended it.

The Player: Another thrilling ride! The wife mystery is a little weak, but I'm intrigued enough to follow it.

Supergirl: Series Premiere 10/26

CONTINUING SHOWS

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Although there was almost too much going on to keep up with, this was an awesome episode and has cemented this season for me - an easy winner for this week's best episode! LOVE the FitzSimmons thread, and cannot wait to find out more about where Simmons was!

Bones: Premiere Part 2 was even more disappointing than Part 1 - apparently 2-part premieres are the kiss of death for me. Looks like the show will be returning to the favored norm next week though, so I'll give it at least another episode.

Castle: Called it. Not enjoying the Beckett thread, but absolutely loving that Alexis is now Castle's sidekick (and killing it)! My only disappointment: she changed her hair back.

Elementary: Season Premiere 11/5

Fresh Off the Boat: Beanie Babies. Shaq. Customers beating the car dealership. So far the best episode ever, methinks.

Gotham: Finally watched the first two episodes, and they weren't bad. Not quite as twisted as I'd been dreading, although they're certainly dipping their toes in. Ah well. Not crazy about Jim's character growth, but loving Bruce's.

The Great British Baking Show: The youngest is really starting to shine, although so sad about the creative one losing a lot of ground. Always satisfying to see the right person leave, though - it really was time.

iZombie: The zombies are back and just as good as last season! The zombie hunter should prove an interesting twist.

Master Chef Jr.: Season Premiere 11/6

Once Upon a Time: My recording was too broken to watch so I now have to wait until ABC deigns me worthy to watch it online. As one who doesn't have cable, that means waiting until after next week's episode at least, if it'll let me on even then. Why must non-cable watchers who accidentally miss an episode on TV be punished instead of encouraged to catch up online? Makes me want to drop the show.

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

Scorpion: Although the plot was seriously weak (as they have been so far this season), the story was pretty awesome. Will give it another episode.

DVD

Heroes (Season 4): FINISHED. And now some of the Reborn Episode 1 inside jokes are funny. I have to hand it to the writers concerning Sylar: no matter how disturbing he was, he was still a highly sympathetic character and I couldn't have been happier with his ending. And Peter's, actually. Really hoping for cameos.

Charlie Chan - The Golden Eye: Mom's on a Charlie Chan kick right now and is scouring the libraries for books and movies like this one. From past watches we definitely prefer Sidney Toler as Chan, but since the Son and Birmingham were played by the usual actors it was an entertaining watch.

Charlie Chan in the Secret Service: Sidney Toler, aka the proper Charlie Chan. But the story was actually rather boring, or just really poorly directed. Thankfully it was only an hour long or I wouldn't have made it all the way through.

Charlie's Aunt: A pretty amusing Jack Benny movie where he dresses up like an old aunt and all the hijinks ensue. You can definitely tell it was originally a play though, and I think it would be much funnier on the stage.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (9/28/15-10/3/15)

Back for the 2015 fall lineup, it's Small Screen Review!!

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

NEW SHOWS

Blindspot: This show is really growing on me, although I could've done with a different actor for the main guy. Love the main girl, though. Definitely continuing.

Heroes Reborn: Now three episodes in and it's proving just too old hat. The technology is a little interesting (although it's totally been done before) as well as the twist for Chuck (apologies, he will always be "Chuck" to me), but otherwise it all boils down to non-powered hunting powered and Bennet obsessing about Claire, and I don't know if I can take the latter for yet another season. Will give it one more episode.

Last Man Standing: We are discovering that quite a lot changed with the family last season (aka the season we still haven't seen), but thankfully a little confusion doesn't seem to ruin the jokes for us. I think it's going to be a keeper.

Limitless: If The Player isn't careful this may elbow it out as this season's favorite show for me - absolutely loved this episode and hope the rest of the season will be just as awesome!

Minority Report: I guess this just isn't original enough for me, because I couldn't even make it through the episode. Sadly eliminated.

The Muppets: Okay this is seriously funny. We're really enjoying it. Definitely a keeper.

The Player: An awesome thrill ride that reminds me a lot of original Person of Interest, and there is no show better to be reminded of. Maybe not quite as amazing as I'd been imagining, though? This week Limitless definitely won in the individual episode department.

Supergirl: Series Premiere 10/26

CONTINUING SHOWS

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Not a bad opening episode. The new twists are interesting. We had the hardest time remembering what went down last year though so we're a little disoriented. Surprise bonus: Skye is now Daisy, which means no more flinching every time someone calls her name!

Bones: Another missing spouse doing questionable things in a two-week opener (aka Castle). No better proof for me that this show really should've ended several seasons ago while it was still ahead. Will I still watch it, though? Probably. But for the first time, due to several points, it's seriously under consideration.

Castle: While I can foresee it essentially giving me what I want (Castle acting out to get Beckett's attention, just like the old days), I do not approve. What is it with shows and their season/series-long conspiracy arcs nowadays? And this one has been overdone to death.

Elementary: Season Premiere 11/5

Fresh Off the Boat: What's to say except no surprise another amazing episode and the two younger boys are the highlights. Can we refocus the show to be about them, please?

Gotham: Still pending. I have a "three unwatched episodes means I don't watch it" policy, so we'll see what happens next week.

The Great British Baking Show: It never ceases to surprise me that, although we speak the same language (for the most part), American and British baking can be so vastly different. Also, how we like our contest shows (aka theirs are so much nicer).

iZombie: Season Premiere 10/6

Master Chef Jr.: Season Premiere 11/6

Once Upon a Time: I was all ready to stop watching with this season, but Dark Emma was just too interesting a concept to pass up. And I really liked it! Until the "Six Weeks Later." Why are we skipping over the best part in favor of flashbacks so that we can return to the overused memory loss and Savior plot devices? *SIGH*

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

Scorpion: The action continues to pull the show through by the skin of its teeth. Still on the fence about whether it's a keeper or not.

DVD

Heroes (Season 4): Finally passed the point where I stopped before! Not surprised where I stopped, given the whole Nathan situation - I never liked him, and the way everyone treated him this season, as if last season never happened...argh. Only two episodes left! Although this week's Reborn episode already ruined the ending (thanks for that, Chuck).

No movies this week.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (9/20/15-9/26/15)

Back for the 2015 fall lineup, it's Small Screen Review!!

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home, long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment with your thoughts on the shows!

NEW SHOWS

Blindspot: Nothing particularly new, but I like the actress and the mystery intrigues me so I'll give it another episode or two.

Grandfathered: Series Premiere 9/29

The Grinder: Series Premiere 9/29

Heroes Reborn: I thought this would be a whole new show with completely different characters (except Bennet and a few cameos), but apparently it's a sequel to the original Heroes. Since I never finished the original show (although I've been bingeing it this summer, see below) I didn't quite understand some things, but on its own Reborn was a little better than I'd expected. Nothing even close to the groundbreaking first season of the original show though, especially since a lot of the powers are repeats. I'll give it a few more episodes.

Last Man Standing: This is a new show for us because this will be the first season we'll be watching live. It wasn't until this summer that we actually watched the first two seasons on DVD, and although we haven't yet seen Season 3 (the library doesn't have it, alas), we decided to add it to the lineup. After this season's first episode we can see we've missed quite a bit, but since it's a comedy it thankfully doesn't matter too much.

Limitless: Sequel to a movie I haven't seen. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but the male actor plus engaging plot rather blew me away. I'll definitely be continuing.

Minority Report: Sequel to a movie I have seen. Surprisingly much better than anticipated, and I like the two lead actors. Will continue.

The Muppets: Much funnier than I'd expected, and now that story about Kermit and Miss Piggy splitting up makes sense. Will continue.

The Player: My most anticipated show, and it did not disappoint! An amazing concept with stellar actors and intense action - already calling it as my favorite show this season. Definitely recommend for Person of Interest fans.

Rosewood: Nothing even remotely new and just not interesting. Barely finished the first episode and won't be continuing.

Supergirl: Series Premiere 10/26

CONTINUING SHOWS

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season Premiere 9/29

Bones: Season Premiere 10/1

Castle: The return of Richard Castle, P.I., plus Alexis as his Girl Friday, saw unending flails from me when Season 8.1 began! And then they brought the whole Beckett conspiracy dead horse back for yet another beating and completely ruined it. Hopefully after the two-part premiere we'll return to the fun I've been praying for.

Elementary: Season Premiere 11/5

Fresh Off the Boat: One of our favorite comedies actually returned! And it's just as good, if not better. Looking forward to the season to come.

Gotham: Pending. Honestly I'm a little wary of all the crazy, but I'm too interested in Bruce's thread to not at least find out what's behind the fireplace.

The Great British Baking Show: PBS actually brought it back! While for some reason this season isn't quite as good as the last one, I'm still enjoying it and only two episodes in already have a few favorites to win.

iZombie: Season Premiere 10/6

Master Chef Jr.: Season Premiere 11/6

Once Upon a Time: Season Premiere 9/27

Person of Interest: Season Premiere Unknown

Scorpion: Still the high-octane thrill-ride I came to know and relatively enjoy last season, but the new character development has already gotten old. Don't know if I'll actually stick with it the entire season, or even another two episodes.

DVD

Heroes (Season 4): Tried to re-watch the entire series this summer before the new Reborn series started, but no dice. I never made it through the fourth and last season when it ran, and pushing through it now I can understand why (they really should've stopped after two seasons). However, since it looks like Reborn is a Heroes sequel I'm more determined than ever to see it through the end.

Perry Mason (Season 7.1): A family favorite. When the sets are cheap we purchase one and watch at our leisure when we need more mellow television.

Poirot (Series 3): One of our favorite British mystery shows, Mother and I are re-watching the entire Poirot series in order. Discovering I enjoy early Poirot much more than late Poirot, and I just adore Miss Lemon - I wish she had been his traveling assistant and not bumbling Hastings.

I, Robot: Felt like a re-watch. It was actually better than I remembered, although I'd forgotten about all the language. Discovered a scene I'd thought was in Minority Report (but surprisingly wasn't when I looked some time ago) was actually in this movie instead! Mystery accidentally solved.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (1/4/15-1/17/15)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

NEW SHOWS

Galavant: Absolutely ridiculous but it's only 4 episodes so why not. At least Episode 2 was better than Episode 1, for the most part.

The Great British Baking Show: We adored the American version last year, so when I noticed the original British version on PBS we were excited to watch it! The hosts are really funny, and we're learning quite a bit about British sweets and basic recipes.

Master Chef Junior: Last season saw a winner we were all happy with, and while the new season's contestants aren't as impressive as last season's, we have a few favorites.

The Taste: We gave this all of the 2-hour season start before we gave up. The competition between the group heads got even worse, and the way the show is set up just doesn't feel quite fair.

CONTINUING SHOWS

Agent Carter: I really wasn't expecting much from this, so I've been somewhat pleasantly surprised. The best character is the butler, though.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1/2 season ended, new to come in a month or two. After the explosive 1/2-season end, I'm excited to see what happens with Skye!

Bones: No new episodes yet. *sigh*

Castle: Richard Castle, Private Investigator!! This opens a whole new angle that should prove a lot of fun if the first episode was any indication.

Elementary: Although I do like Kitty, having Sherlock and Watson separate hasn't been quite as good. Apparently the network felt the same way because they've been spending more time together and sending Kitty on errands, which I'm okay with.

Forever: While this show has grown on me, I'm eagerly awaiting the time when he tells the cop about his condition. Probably won't come until the end of the season or next season, though. *sigh*

Gotham: While Arkham was interesting, and I loved seeing Morena Baccarin, less Penguin (or in this case, a kicked Penguin) always equals less fun for me.

The Mentalist: Quite enjoying the final season! We keep expecting the worst at the end of each episode and are happy when it doesn't come - I'm hoping the entire season will just be one happy ending, and so far so good.

Once Upon a Time: 1/2 season ended the Frozen arc, which didn't turn out to be too bad, I guess. The "preview" for the next 1/2 season arc looks absolutely ridiculous, though - I thought they scraped the bottom of the barrel with Frozen, but I've been proven wrong. I will only be watching for the Rumple/Belle story, which I'm now excited to follow again!

The Paradise: Ended last year. We were sad for it to go, and while the end was abrupt, it was acceptable.

Person of Interest: Part 2 of 3 = BEST. EPISODE. EVER. When The Machine "simplified the simulation" we had to watch the scene several times to catch all the "dialogue" - and could Not. Stop. Laughing. Part 3 of 3 = Meh. While John and Root were off having all the fun we were stuck tailing Control. Rather boring.

</Scorpion>: The son is the best part of the show for me, so I'm glad he's been playing a slightly bigger role as of late - and I was happy to have an episode that revolved around him! These have gotten pretty intense, which has been pretty cool.

Selfie: Cancelled. I was a little disappointed, but not much.

DVD

Haven: Finished everything on DVD, and of course it ended on a serious cliffhanger. (Well, I guess all the seasons did.) Nathan really got on our nerves after a while, and I'm still rooting for Audrey to end up with Duke, who is one of my favorite characters of all time.

Continuum: Season 1 = After Haven we went right into a new show (my new library rocks), and we're quite enjoying it! I love Kiera + Alec - the banter and team effort make the show for me (and it's a completely non-romantic relationship!). Kiera without him just wouldn't be very good, and I'm not impressed with her cop partner. Season 2 = Just started, only 1 episode in, and apparently the writers changed because it was awful. Kiera was like an info-dumping robot, the episode story was badly done, and the changes to the main story were horrible. I really hope it gets better.

Riders of Berk: I am on a serious How to Train Your Dragon kick right now after watching HTTYD1 and then the new HTTYD2, and then re-watching both again several times. When I remembered there was a TV show as well I immediately checked out all the DVDs from the library. While the animation isn't quite as good, I'm enjoying the stories from the copious books I found out have been published (at least I'm assuming that's where they come from).

How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2: Had to re-watch 1 before seeing 2, and enjoyed both for several re-watches afterwards. The friendship between Hiccup and Toothless is just perfection. And then of course I cannot get enough of Toothless in general. TOOTHLESS. *hugs screen*

The 100 Foot Journey: Wasn't quite as good as we'd been hoping, but it was a sweet movie that we did enjoy.

The Maze Runner: This turned out to be much better than I was anticipating! I honestly didn't know much about the story going in, so not knowing exactly what to expect made it better, I think. I hope they make the rest of the books into movies as well!

Maleficent: Although I wish it had been anyone other than Jolie, it was a pretty good (if surprisingly short) fairy-tale story with no true bad or good guys, which gave it a bit of a Miyazaki flair.

The Wind Rises: Speaking of Miyazaki, I saw his "final" movie - and sadly didn't like it. If it had been by anyone else I would've stopped within the first few minutes of the odd and slightly confusing hallucination/dream sequence, but I persevered and was rewarded by the earthquake scene. My biggest (and really only) takeaway was learning a bit of Japanese history, although I can't be too sure it's all true without consulting a history book. Overall it was odd and sad and I will definitely be referring people to his earlier works to marvel at his greatness.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (10/19-10/25)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

NEW SHOWS

Selfie: Since I didn't have enough to watch this week I recorded another episode and was pleasantly surprised how good it was! Probably my favorite episode so far. Perhaps there's hope for this show after all.

Gotham: Penguin made a serious misstep, in my opinion, which felt really out of character. But considering how well it worked for him in the end I guess it was part of his plan? Loving how Bruce's story is building, as well as Fish's "weapon" which I totally called but it'll still be awesome.

</Scorpion>: Wasn't as impressed with this episode for some reason, but Happy's cool cred went up even more, at least. Looking forward to next week's episode with Hetty from NCIS:LA!!

Forever: Our recording cut off halfway through the show (stupid box), so we're currently cliffhanging it until it becomes available online next week. And of course it was a really good episode about a serial serial killer with the promise of a death for the doctor! *SIGH*

CONTINUING SHOWS

The Paradise: Denise takes her new position and does a splendid job of it, even with a hiccup. And Jonas is doing what he does best. I actually think I didn't like him last season, but he's my favorite character in this one!

Once Upon a Time: FINALLY an episode about Mr. Gold! Why Belle thought that just because she married him she can now leave him alone and he'll be good I don't know, but he's off being even darker than before and I'm loving it. This season is all about tigers and their unchanging stripes, apparently.

Castle: Castle in the classroom. LOVED.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: We're finally getting some answers! Even if they only create more questions. And Simmons is back! And we added a new kick-arse lady! AND next week: WARD.

Person of Interest: I'm liking the new and improved Root - and the new twist on The Machine! Yet another great season.

Bones: A repeat. Already. Boo.

DVD

Haven: Thanks to the newest library on my library rounds (I now have 4 ;), I have discovered Haven! While nothing spectacular, it's practically clean (so far, 3 episodes in) and witty, and I always appreciate a supernatural element. In my scope of shows, it's Eureka meets Warehouse 13, but instead of things with powers it's people.

NEW

After Earth (library): I'd heard this wasn't all that good, but it was a slow watch week so I grabbed it to satisfy my curiosity. While the characters were pretty bad (the boy was such a whiner baby), the story was okay (I'm a sucker for dystopians) so it was watchable. I was shocked to discover it was by M. Night Shyamalan, though - I loved The Sixth Sense, but sadly his movies have gone downhill from there for me.

Heartbreaker (library): My first French film! It's about a guy who "rescues" unhappy women from bad relationships by seducing them so they break up with their boyfriends. On principal he only takes jobs with unhappy women, but desperately in need of money he takes a job to break up a seemingly happy couple, and of course falls in love with the woman. While most definitely French and a little kooky, it was a cute and funny story. And I loved the sister! She was amazing. Will there be any more French films in my future? Probably not. Generally I'm not much for foreign films, mainly because of the subtitles and difference in culture (I even struggle with Japanese ones, and I adore their language and culture!). But I'm glad I finally saw a French film, and this was a great pick - thanks for the recommendation, Christianna! <3

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (10/12-10/18)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

THIS WEEK

Television: Lots of predictable but good episodes.

Movies: New, old, and questionable superheroes.

TELEVISION

NEW SHOWS

Selfie: While I adore Karen Gillan and the endings are sweet, this show is just a little too dumb for me. Think I'm going to drop it.

Gotham: Penguin seriously makes this show. Who cares about everyone else - they should've just named the show "Cobblepot" and been done with it.

</Scorpion>: Continues to be awesome, although I was sad the son didn't make an appearance this time, he adds a little something. Happy is officially my favorite character, she rocked this episode.

Forever: Henry dying and coming back makes this show unique, but he hasn't died in several episodes now. The stories are interesting enough I guess, but I'm getting bored. Sadly, the morgue assistant is the best character on the show. The doctor? Meh. The cop? Double meh. Their personalities just aren't original enough for me.

CONTINUING SHOWS

The Paradise: Loved! Jonas ramps up the intrigue to 12 - so glad he's back!

Once Upon a Time: Finally, Mr. Gold is attending the intrigue! Although not enough for my liking. I am a little interested in the Snow Queen/Emma twist though, so on I watch.

Castle: The Invisible Person! It never ceases to amaze me that they can continue to come up with originalish ideas for these types of shows year after year. Bravo, writers.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: While Agent May acted completely out of character (aka weak - they seriously believe we would swallow that?), and I called the Major twist, another entertaining episode as usual. Loving the alien language arc.

Person of Interest: Doing what they do best. Totally called the Dominic twist from the beginning, though.

Bones: I'm enjoying how much the characters have grown - as in, grown up. Loved Bones and Angela chatting married life at the park. The mellow vibe this season wears well on the show.

MOVIES

NEW

The Green Hornet (library): While it completely degraded a pretty cool superhero duo into nothing more than adrenaline-junkie fools, the over-the-top violence and destruction were entertaining enough. And Kato was way too cool in action (not to be confused with his personality when he wasn't in action, which was not very cool, just like everyone else's in the movie).

Heaven Is For Real (library): Made me think. And cry. Quite a bit. (I'm an easy crier.) Overall a good, clean movie.

RE-WATCH

Desk Set (library): Wanted a good oldie and one can't go wrong with the firm of Tracy & Hepburn.

Daredevil (library): Saw this when it first released over a decade ago, and with all the Marvel movies as of late I remembered it and was curious to see it again. It was both better and worse than I remembered, but overall entertaining.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (10/5-10/11)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

THIS WEEK

Television: Starting to settle into the schedule and lose interest in a few new shows.

Movies: An oldie but a goodie, an older but an odder, and a new Marvel!

TELEVISION

NEW SHOWS

Selfie: Meh. The Facebook bit was a little funny, but it's losing all its initial shine.

Gotham: Better. Penguin is seriously disturbing but SO GOOD.

</Scorpion>: I hate when they run episodes out of order! This was clearly supposed to be shown right after the pilot, but they shuffled them, as they do. Still, it was really good - I hope this show lasts!

Forever: It was okay, but nothing special. The cop was way too eager for them to become partners - the push and pull make a show like this, so just accepting it, even wanting it, takes away a lot of the fun.

CONTINUING SHOWS

The Paradise: Lost two characters but gained one we'd previously lost - Jonas is back! Finally, Moray will regain some upper hand.

Once Upon a Time: Meh. I'm in this purely for Mr. Gold's thread and there was none of it in this episode. They gave him a new toy, let him play with it already!

Castle: Still think they could've come up with something a lot stronger, but it's interesting enough, I guess.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: More action, more mystery, more Ward. Loving this season!

Person of Interest: Best Harold episode ever. And now we're officially back in business!

Bones: Last week - Finished the season return 2-parter, although I couldn't remember who the bad guy was (darn my horrific memory) so the impact wasn't as good as it could've been. This week - While a rather disgusting one, it was good. And although he's definitely no Sweets, I like the new guy. Waiting patiently for him to turn out to be evil, though.

MOVIES

NEW

That Funny Feeling (library): Maid "borrows" man's apartment while he's out of town to impress a new love interest, but what he doesn't tell her is it's his apartment! Cute and most amusing, but she pulled some pretty stupid moves. Familiar faces left and right, not only in the main cast but even the extras! Two from Hogan's Heroes alone, which was hilarious considering I'd only previously known them with German and Russian accents.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (library): While not as impressive as I'd been imagining, it was still an action-packed thrill-ride. Saw the Winter Soldier twist coming from the beginning (literally, we saw him and I said, "Oh, he's wearing a mask so he must be [spoiler]."), but still loved said twist and am now a big WS fan.

Ghost Dad (library): 90's Bill Cosby movie where he becomes a ghost but sticks around to close one last deal at work to take care of his family. Not as good as I'd been hoping - a little weird, in fact. But it had a few pretty funny moments.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (9/28-10/4)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

THIS WEEK

Television: A few more new shows to try.

Movies: Another sequel recap and a cult classic.

TELEVISION

PREMIERES

Selfie: Amy Pond was my favorite Doctor Who companion, so there were serious flails for this one. And it's a pretty decent show! #allin

A to Z: Was on the fence going in, but I didn't even watch half of it. Meh.

NEW SHOWS

Gotham: Interesting but I'm already starting to lose interest. It's kind of slow. Alas.

</Scorpion>: This is turning out to be quite a good show! Hope it lasts.

Forever: Favorite show this season, no contest.

CONTINUING SHOWS

The Paradise: A favorite British drama back for another season. Not to be confused with Mr. Selfridge, which was just not as good (we didn't even make it through the first season). A few new characters and some interesting new twists - looking forward to the drama.

Miss Marple: I forgot to mention this one last week! Another 3-episode season of one of my favorite mystery ladies.

Once Upon a Time: It's back. Again. And this time they've pulled it the newest of the new and the oldest of the old. But seriously, Frozen? I'm struggling to swallow it.

Castle: It's back! And I'm not impressed. There were so many ways they could've taken this, but they took a pretty boring road for me. If you're going to give him amnesia, go all the way.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I NEEDS MORE WARD. But otherwise, it's starting to settle into another excellent season.

Person of Interest: Loved this episode! The concept of following hidden clues in random street art and lost dog posters is a favorite of mine. I wonder who had the "computer lab in an abandoned subway car" idea first, though - POI or The Amazing Spider-Man 2?

Bones: TBD. (It's just too much to be able to watch in a week. Expect at least one of these each post.)

MOVIES

RE-WATCH

The Princess Bride (library): I recently finished reading The Accidental Highwayman (review to come soon), and as it purported to be "for fans of The Princess Bride" I thought I'd give the movie a re-watch so I could agree with conviction. It was a lot better than I remembered - and a lot shorter!

Fantastic Four (library): We saw the sequel on television last month and couldn't remember how they acquired their powers. The answer was something none of us remembered.


So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

Small Screen Review (9/21/14-9/27/14)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. But television is my preferred eating companion (a bad habit, I know), and there are some amazing stories, especially on the small screen, that just shouldn't be missed.

So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should start "reviewing" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) I hope you enjoy this new feature, and do comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

THIS WEEK

Television: The Fall 2014 Season has begun with the return of some favorites and the premieres of what have promised to be some awesome new shows! And my one summer show ends (FINALLY).

Movies: This week just a sequel recap and a previously inspiring re-watch.

TELEVISION

PREMIERES

Gotham: Not quite as good as I was hoping, but still pretty awesome. I'm all about comic book reinterpretations, so I'll be continuing this no doubt.

</Scorpion>: I'd expected pretty good things, but this exceeded my expectations! A lot more action than I ever imagined. Definitely in for as long as it lasts.

Forever: (2 episodes) SO. GOOD. Love the premise and the characters (well, the guys anyway - on the fence about the woman, she's a little forgettable). Praying the ridiculously plain name doesn't drag it down and this continues for seasons to come!

How To Get Away With Murder: While quite thrilling, it's just not for me. Will be passing.

RETURNING

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: THEY HAD LUCY LAWLESS BUT DIDN'T KEEP HER *SOB* That aside, as above: comic book reinterpretations = I'm all over it so I'm in for another season! Not much for the new guys (they're too forgettable for me), but loving the new Ward/Skye dynamic (and yes, every time they say her name it makes me flinch).

Person of Interest: Just as awesome and kick-arse as ever! Goodness I love this show.

Bones: OMG they did not just do that to us in the first episode. *sobs*

ENDED

Under the Dome: It has finally ended!! *flails* For the season. *sighs* I don't know why I tortured myself with this show for yet another summer - I had to force myself to watch half the episodes. One can only watch reruns of their favorite shows so many times in a year, I guess - I needed something new. Will I be watching Season 3? No. ... Well, okay, maybe the first episode, just to see where "home" is. We'll see how desperate for new television I am next summer, though.

MOVIES

RE-WATCH

The Adventures of Spider-Man (library): We watched the 2nd one (which sadly wasn't very good) and couldn't remember what had happened in the first one. Recognized some of it but not much (I have a horrific memory), and it was a lot better than I thought it would be considering the 2nd one. Still think I prefer the original trilogy, though.

Transformers (own): I've found this movie inspiring as a writer, for some reason. Or I used to. This time around I found it kind of ridiculous. Still, it was entertaining enough.


So that's it for this week! What did you watch?