TV Round Up: 2014

In both 2011 and 2012, I wrote a post on almost every single new show that debuted in the Fall. It was A LOT of posts, which is why I grew tired of it by 2013.

However, this year, every single show will be reviewed in one big post.

If you get bored and go back and look at those old posts (you could start here), you'll see that my ratings were surprisingly accurate. Anything I gave a B- or higher survived the full season. I'd like to say that my ratings also correlated to which shows also got a second season, but TV executives are stupid (I miss you, 'Go On').

NBC:
A to Z - Let me put this up front: I do not like 'schtick'. Off of the top of my head, I can't name one 'schtick' show that has succeeded in my eyes. The closest, before the end of last season, would have been 'How I Met Your Mother' and the fact that they went back to the schtick at the end ruined the show for me. That being said, I don't like the 'schtick' of this show. I like Zelda, she has depth. Andrew, however, is an annoying wimp. I'm not calling 'romantics' wimps, just this guy. Maybe this says a lot about my view on people and relationships, but I really want Zelda to force Andrew to grow up a bit before dating him. He's naive and selfish. The two leads weren't even my favorite characters. I found the bearded best friend to be the most endearing character. And the British female best friend. B
Bad Judge - I like Kate Walsh. I like feisty mess Kate Walsh even better. It's got a well-rounded cast. It may not have much of a direction right now, but I much rather start watching a show without a direction than one with one that's poorly executed. For this show to last, though, it's going to need more of a larger story, like the development on 'the Mindy Project'. B
The Mysteries of Laura - Couldn't make it more than five minutes. Left to take a shower and came back. Basing a hole show on one barely likeable character was not a smart decision. It would have been much better if they had just eliminated the family aspect of the show and only focused on the police department. C-

ABC:
Blackish - The cast has great chemistry. It seems to rely a little too much on popular sitcom tropes rather than being its own show. The voice over was a bit over the top and the screen labels and the visual hyperbole. It's probably just over the top since it was the pilot, but if they reign it back a bit, it could be interesting. B+
Forever - First series to get a hulu favorite of the new bunch. Good fit for ABC, it felt very much like Castle. I like the idea of a big villian, but shows become so disappointing after the big villian is resolved (aka Red John on the Mentalist). I like the backstory on Abe, it's a nice twist. I wish, though, shows wouldn't pair opposite sex partners just for sexual tension. Why couldn't they just be platonic? I really wished the secret would have been revealed to the lady cop by the end of the episode, too. And why does his former wife look like she's 17? Probably to prevent her from looking older if the series run for several years. The showrunners better hope the main guy doesn't age poorly. A-
How to Get Away with Murder - This pilot sucked me in more than I thought it would. The final twist was pretty great. However, I don't think I'll be watching this show. I have a hard time trusting Shonda Rhymes. Her shows start out enticing and quickly escalate to absurdity. Also, I really wanted the guy from Harry Potter to play his character British. Why couldn't he have an accent? If you're going to burn and bury a body, wouldn't you dig the hole first and then burn it in the hole? That way it reduces the risk of someone seeing the fire and you don't have to move burned guy into the hole? It'll probably be great for people that like these types of shows, like Scandal and Revenge, but it's not for me. A-
Manhattan Love Story - Ok, another sitcom based around a schtick: internal dialogue narration. The only reason I want to like this show is for Analeigh Tipton. She's adorable. However, the show tries to turn her into a blonde version of Jess from 'New Girl', but shyer and less quirky. It's endearing, but not believable. And the male lead could be interesting if they focus on him growing into a better person from being around the female lead (not a good sign when you don't know the character names). This could be a better show if they round out the cast and make it more of an ensemble. Purely focusing on two characters who have loud thoughts won't be enough to save it. C-
Selfie - This show got so much bad press before it even debuted that I decided I needed to like it without having seen it. I love Karen Gillan (redheads got to stick together) and any show John Cho has been on has been great (I MISS YOU, GO ON and Sleepy Hollow is just insane, yet genius). However, it's another show based on a 'concept' of John Cho mentoring Karen Gillan until she's a better person. When will writers learn that you can't sustain a show on these concepts? You're just setting yourself up for failure. Hopefully, it will evolve, but for now, I'm skeptical. C+

CBS:
NCIS: New Orleans - I like spin-offs. None of this clunky character introduction. Strong cast. Soft spot in my heart for the guy from 'Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift'. Nothing remarkable about this show. It's just like watching an episode of 'NCIS: Los Angeles' set in new Orleans. B
Scorpion - I'm really not a big fan of the 'I'm so smart that I can't function in normal society' schtick. Why do people believe that geniuses can't take care of themselves? I know they try to explain it away, but I don't buy it. Also, "I have a high IQ" "I have a high IQ" "I HAVE A HIGH IQ". Ugh. I could become a fan of this show if they flush out the supporting characters. You know I'm all for a well-rounded female mechanical engineer on TV, as long as they make an effort to round her out, not just immediately make her a romantic interest for someone. And I love Robert Patrick, I don't know why though... C+
Stalker - I wanted to like this show. I have such admiration for the way Maggie Q plays strong characters. This show is terrible, though. It starts off thinking its viewers will buy whatever they sell. A car wouldn't explode like that. Period. It's not how cars and gasoline work. I don't like when shows use 'the news' to talk about the case, but says things that the real news would never say, like 'burned alive'. Also, Dylan McDermot's character has absolutely no redeeming qualities. He's a misogynistic, obnoxious asshole and any attempts by the writers to get me to feel sympathy for him will go over like a lead balloon. I read a review which talked about how much this show hates women and I have to agree. Maggie Q strength unfortunately is not enough to balance out the harm this show does to women. D

Fox:
Gotham - I want to like this show, but I'm fearful that they're trying to do too much to live up to the mythology of the characters. It felt like they were trying to tie too many characters into the premiere. I would have been fine with them waiting a few episodes or even until the second season to introduce characters like Catwoman, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler. I do like that they made Alfred rough around the edges. B
Gracepoint - Well shot, the opening tracking main street shop is quite impressive. However, that's not enough to draw me in for a ten week mini-series. I can't say anything other than the filming struck me as good during the episode. If I didn't see episodes 2 through 9 and only saw who did it in episode 10, I would be okay with that. C
Red Band Society - This show has potential, but I have a hard time seeing right now how you stretch the premise into a whole season, let alone several seasons. And I found myself poking apart the show. If Leo is going through chemo, which is why he is bald, shouldn't he not have eyebrows either? Also, couldn't they hire an actor who is actually missing his leg? Bright spot: childhood crush Thomas Ian Nicholas, aka the 'Rookie of the Year'. Ugly spot: Astro, the punk from X-Factor who should just go away. This could be a good show, but I don't know if it's for me. B

I can't get the CW at my house. I may start watching some of their new shows once they're up on Hulu.

That's every show released by the time I post this! Well, minus 'Cristela', 'Mulaney', and 'Madam Secretary'. Perhaps the lack of review speaks more than a review itself. 

Fan of Friday: Week of 8/30/2013

Last weekend, Dan had all sorts of things going on. I, on the other hand, had absolutely nothing going on. Cut to me, sitting at home on a Saturday night with nothing to do and no one to answer to. What is a girl to do?

Cozy up on the couch and start a marathon of all the horrible, girly movies that I would never make Dan suffer through.

After combing through the archives of Amazon Prime and only coming up with the terrible movie, "Abduction", starring Taylor Lautner, I took it in completely the opposite direction.

X Files marathon, starting all the way back in good old 1993.

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I can't say I ever really got into the X Files when it was airing. After it had ended, I watched many episodes on reruns, but the arching stories never really took root because they were never in order.

So, last Saturday, I started at Season 1, Episode 0. It's utterly amazing how dated it looks now. Not the sci-fi elements, but the clothes and the technology. In one episode, there was a fire and all their evidence burned and I kept thinking to myself, "Why didn't you email it to yourself?!" Ahh, early nineties. And the power suits Scully wears. Talk about the actual monster of the week.

I'm making slow progress, only about half of season 1 down. However, with over 175 more to go, I should be able to fill some TV time until the new fall seasons of shows still on the air start back up.

Fan of Friday: Week of 5/17/2013

Have you ever been watching a show and desperately wanted the clothes one of the character is wearing? What am I saying? Of course, you have.

But if you're like me, you have a really hard time trying to find out the names of the pieces.

A couple of weeks ago, while watching 'Happy Endings' and googling "Happy Endings Jane jacket', I found the site to solve all my problems.

It's called Worn on TV and it itemizes it all.

See? I found the jacket I was drooling over! Isn't it gorgeous?

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I now know that the jacket is way out of my price range and can just let it go.

This site has so many shows, including 'New Girl', 'How I Met Your Mother', 'Vampire Diaries', etc. You can search by episode or by character. It's just great.

And if they've found an exact match, it'll link you to the site to buy it. Or, if you're cheap like me, a comparable substitute.

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Original sweater from 'New Girl': $75. Cheaper, similar version from Forever 21: $19.80

Next time you're bored and looking to get inspired, check it out!

TV 2012: Partners

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It's time for another live review! Let's see what happens!

• Little kids don't dress like that. Sweaters over button-ups and polos? Nope, not believable. We don't need them to be wearing the EXACT same clothes to figure out it was them aging. 
• The laughtrack is soooo loud! Just because other "people" are laughing, it doesn't make me think it's any funnier.
• I love the cast, but I don't think I'm going to like any of the characters. On the same note, the title sequence is pretty cute, though.
• There's been about a five minute period where I haven't thought anything about this show. My brain has literally shut down. 
• If this show were about Sophia Bush and Brandon Routh's characters, I would definitely be enjoying this more. Is it too late to switch this around?
• Can the secretary be anymore stereotypical? It's really racist actually...
• This show would be so much better if they stopped going for the easy jokes. Or the dirty jokes. If it were just the sweet moments, it might actually be good and it might actually be funny.
• TV show pet peeve: don't sit all on the same side of the table! 

I give it a D+! I'm really sad this is on after "How I Met Your Mother", such a good time slot wasted. I'd hope that it could get better, but let's be real, that's not going to happen. Fingers crossed they let it die after one season, but I do think they'll make the mistake of giving it a full season.

TV 2012: Revolution

Sorry I'm a little behind on reviewing pilots due to traveling last week, but I'll hopefully be catching up over the next couple of days. 

Quick summary to start things off: this show takes place 15 years after the entire world loses power. Somehow physics stops working properly. No electricity, batteries, nothing. The country is now ruled by militias and one of them has come for the Dad (I never know anyone's name in pilots!) because they believe he knows how to bring back the power. He's killed, his Son is taken, and his daughter, Charlie, goes looking for her Uncle with her Step-mom and Google guy to save the Son.

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I actually really enjoyed this show. After "Lost" debuted, so many shows tried to duplicate its success and they all failed for one reason: they didn't know how to walk the line between questions and answers. I call it "The X-Files Dilemma". For a show like this to work, there needs to be a framework, a big over-arcing storyline, in which everything takes place, but most episodes need to focus on things within this structure. And then, every once and a while, answer some of the major questions of the show. In "X-Files", it was the presence of aliens and how the government was covering it up. One or two episodes each season really focused on it, but the rest of the episodes were one-off stories that developed the characters. In "Lost" (at least the first couple of seasons), the framework was the mysterious island and what it actually was, but individual episodes focused on just trying to survive after a plane crash.

From the pilot, a lot was established for this framework. We know that some people still have power, but keep it very hidden. We know that there is a dystopian militia ruled by the former friend of the Uncle, who I refer to as ER guy because I only recognized him as the playboy Australian doctor on "ER". However, given the wasteland that the country has become, there is a lot of play for singular stories of things and people they encounter, allowing the framework to stretch and grow before they ruin it by creating more mysteries.

The key to a show like this is all about the timing. You need to give enough answers to keep people hooked, but at the same time, you need to develop the mystery, or the plot, to keep people hooked. The reason I mention developing the plot is because I don't see how they can keep the mystery unsolved for more than three seasons without really creating a mess. That was the problem with "Lost". They refused to answer questions and it just became so confusing and convoluted that no answer made any sort of sense anymore. It was also the problem with "Heroes" where they answers too many things too soon and then had to come up with secondary plots that sucked. My ideal vision for this show would be for the world to somehow have power restored in three to four seasons and the rest of the series would be about the fall-out form having power back. That would work for me.

Anyway, I'm starting to babble. I would give this show an A-. I doubt it'll stay an A- for long, but I am quite looking forward to it, for now.

TV 2012: Guys with Kids

In a change of pace, I'm going to live review this one. I'm pretty sure it'll be crap, but follow along and see what I think as it happens. [Note: this isn't really live, but you get what I mean.]

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• Wow, they sure are pushing the Jimmy Fallon angle, aren't they? "Hey! It's from Jimmy Fallon so it must be at least mildly amusing! We even got him to say the part about the studio audience at the beginning so it must be good!"
• No sane woman would be charmed by a man with a baby in a bar. Bad parenting isn't sexy.
• Wait, did Jimmy Fallon do the theme song, too? Poor Jimmy Fallon...
• Uh oh! He needs a babysitter for his date and his ex-wife won't let him? I bet hijinx ensue...
• Jokes about children ruining your life. If you didn't want so many kids to take away everything you loved, wear a condom. Personal choice, suck it up.
• Overly intrusive laugh track? Check!
• Vanessa from "The Cosby Show" may be the only thing saving this show. I'd say the guy from "Bring It On" is a plus, but he's just a tool.
• Why is the ex-wife so much of a bitch? Can't they at least make her a realistic bitch? Does she need to be over the top? Is it really the worst thing that the baby is in the sink? She can still be the villain, but have some sort of motivation.
• I actually kind of like the other white guy, whatever his name is. He's kind of charming, in a goofy way. I'd still be pissed at him for ruining the evening, but the make-up gesture was pretty cute. 

I give it a D! And that's probably being generous.

TV 2012: Go On

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One thing I am guaranteed to love? Matthew Perry being zany. I miss Chandler Bing and I want him to channel Chandler all the time. As much as I love him, I will admit that the previews for "Go On" did not look good and had me worried.

Fortunately, the show was much better than the previews. The previews were setting it up to be like "Community", a bunch of people thrown together who become a misfit family. However, after watching the pilot, it felt more like "Scrubs", some crazy characters with an occasional moment of tragedy. It is about a loss support group, after all.

Now to the details!

Pros:

• Matthew Perry being zany. I'm glad he finally got back to his zany roots after disappointing in "Studio 60" and "Mr. Sunshine".
•  Characters I like:
• Owen - sometimes being the straight man in a room full of crazies is the most appreciated role.
• George, the old, blind guy - every show needs an old guy. It just does. Someone to be overly honest and kind of outlandish.
• Fausta, the Hispanic lady - every show needs a foreigner. There are just too many good language/cultural jokes to make to not have a non-native. And she's just so excited when she wins the grief game.
• Anne, the angry lady - is it any wonder that I like an angry female character? Nope, didn't think so. Also, she's played by the mom from "Transformers", probably the only redeemable character from that franchise.
• I appreciated the montage of the people dealing with their grief. To me, it felt more real that way, like the opening montage in "Up". The greatest asset of this show will be its heart.

Cons:

• Under utilizing John Cho. While I'm glad the whole cast is strong, I want John Cho to be a more central character. He's Harold from "Harold and Kumar" for Pete's sake! My fear is that, down the line, the show will either have to focus more on the therapy group or the radio show to thrive. They'll cut the radio show, like "Up All Night" is cutting the talk show, and we'll lose those characters, which I like better than most of the support group people at this point. Maybe those actors will go on (ha! go on) to other projects that they'd rather work on, but I'll still be attached and sad.
• Characters I don't like:
• Sweater guy - he's too over the top right now. My prediction is that they're going to give him a terrible and twisted back story tragedy to explain his behavior, especially with him being creepy in a Lamaze class. But for now, I just don't get it.
• Lauren, the therapist/leader - why anyone takes her seriously is beyond me.

I'd give it a A-. It's a very fine line it's walking right now. If it stays on the current path it's on, it'll get better. If it becomes more sitcom-y, it'll be worse. Focus on the heart of the characters rather than making them comedic and zany (even though I love zany), and it'll shine.

TV 2012: The New Normal

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If ever I have been torn over a show, it's this one. Since I knew it was getting so much hype, I should at least review it, but I was not looking forward to it. I'd almost talked myself out of it when I stumbled into watching it one bored night.

After my first watching, I was even more torn. I like elements of this show so much, but other parts of it make me want to throw up all over myself just so I have the excuse to leave the room. Let's break this divide down.

Cons:

• The writing was terrible. Aside from some Sue Sylvester-esque quips every once and a while, the dialog was just plain bad. And I think that's what concerns me most about this show is that it's a Ryan Murphy show, creator of "Glee". I used to love Glee. The first couple of episodes were perfection, but everything after that makes "Degrassi" look like Shakespeare. I appreciate consistancy in my characters. I don't need to be able to predict everything they do, but their actions should at least make sense. I can't become invested in another show to have it go all haywire again.
• Some details confused me. Was her boyfriend the father of the little girl? [Side note: this review would be so much easier if I knew any of their names! Why aren't they wearing name tags or something?!] Wait, she's wearing a ring on her ring finger, are they married? Were they living with him or with the grandmother? Why wasn't the little girl more upset with everything she knew changing around her? No eight year old is that stoic and logical.
• List of the characters I don't like:
• Bryan - the over-the-top gay man. I liked him for the first minute, but then he went batty. Wanting a baby just so you can dress him? Requesting a skinny blond child? Yeah, I'm out.
• Nene Leakes. She didn't add anything. Period. Her sass didn't make things any more enjoyable and didn't even make me laugh. It's not her, it's the writing, but I still don't care.
• Nana. I get it, you're hateful, but oddly enough, that's not why I don't like her. Why try to make her redeemable in the pilot? Can't she just be a terrible person and we find out down the line that she's got history for her hate? And quips don't sound funny coming out of her mouth, just mean and poorly delivered.
• Goldie - the star of the show. I don't want to watch another pretty, doe-eyed girl/woman protagonist. We have Zooey Deschanel for that and she's at least quirky and awkward on top of it. Maybe she'll develop a back bone or some other honorable quality, but for now, she's just a pretty, soft-spoken doormat.

Pros:

• I'm a big fan of gay characters that are characters, not caricatures. While Bryan is waaaaay over the top, the other guy isn't (I watched it twice and I still don't know his name). Not every gay guy is all about the show tunes, pop stars, and being effeminate. 
• Some moments are so incredibly sweet. When the characters are being real and human, it's very difficult not to get caught up in all of the emotions, like when deciding who will be the biological dad. More heart, less quips.
• Nana pulling a gun on the cheating boyfriend. I'm not pro-gun, but even was a nice little show of support for the granddaughter she really doesn't support.
• The little girl and her mother actually look related. It really bugs me when there isn't some sort of resemblance when casting families. No, I don't ignore the fact that they don't look related because they act like such a family. Suck it up cast directors and hire people that look like!
• I would watch this show just for the reaction shots of the little girl. Maybe not, but still, they are pretty classic.

Based on the pilot alone, I give this show a C+. There's no doubt in my mind that it'll get a full season pick up, but whether or not I watch more than the next episode has yet to be determined. I'll probably add it to my hulu queue, but it's just so easy to delete episodes that don't hook me for a whole season, so that doesn't mean much.

Fan of Fridays: Week of 9/7/2012

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Top Gear (The British version, not the knock-off American version)

Although I seem to be constantly bemoaning our lack of cable, we get on pretty well without it. Between the free channels, hulu, and Amazon Prime, there always seems to be something worth watching.

Do you know about Amazon Prime? Perhaps the greatest thing Amazon has ever come up with? It's three-fold. First, free two day shipping, which basically makes online shopping as easy as going to the grocery store. Secondly, you can check out an e-book once a month, which really doesn't affect me since I don't have an e-reader, but is still awesome none the less. And lastly is the free TV and movies. While their library is quite limited, it does contain almost a dozen seasons of the greatest show to ever air: Top Gear.

Top Gear is pure perfection. Put three crazy British guys together with a bunch of the world best cars, some outlandish challenges, and a different celebrity every week and you have lightning in a bottle.

And here's the great thing about this show: you don't have to be a gear head to enjoy it. Yes, my husband the car guy loves the specs on horse power and torque and the zero to sixty times, but my little sister will happily watch hours of it with us. This is the reason why millions of people watch it world wide every week and why the revamped version has been on for 18 seasons.

The three hosts have wildly different personalities. First is Jeremy Clarkson. He's loud, stubborn, and opinionated. He's brash, a prankster, and pretty impractical. He interviews the celebrities who compete to race in their "reasonably priced car". 

Second is Richard Hammond. He likes flashy cars and being the most stylish. He's fairly gullable, can actually fix cars, and tends to be made fun of constantly for his height.

Third is James May. He's the most practical, but also the most boring. His nickname is "Captain Slow" and is usually the victim of the pranks of the other two. He tends to lose challenges, usually because his car catastrophically failed, but every once and a while, he pulls off a great win.

It's really hard to accurately describe it, so just watch the clips, track down full episodes, and become an addict like me.

TV 2012: Ben and Kate

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Quick summary: this show is about a woman, Kate, who works as a waitress, her young daughter, and her crazy older brother, Ben, that comes back into town.

Pros:

• Montages of little things, like entering the house with a bloody shirt and asking, "Do you know Portuguese?" 
• I really like Kate. She seems like a real person to me, not just a model pretending to be a waitress. Her hair isn't perfect, she wears an ugly fancy pack (and not in an ironic way), and she just has these mannerisms with the other character that makes it feel like she actually has history with them. 
• Maddie, the daughter, is just as cute as a button.

Cons:

• A waitress would never be able to afford the house she lives in. Some realism with finances TV people, that'd be awesome.
• I don't really like Ben. He's supposed to be quirky and outlandish, but I just find him unrealistic and kind of annoying. Maybe he'll become less cartoonish as the series progresses, but right now I would watch this show in spite of him rather than because of him.
• A couple of supporting characters were introduced, but it's hard to tell which way they will swing. They could be great or they could be filler, time will tell.

I know this is a short review, but there's really not much to this show yet. I'd give this show a B. It will get picked up for a full season, mainly because of it's air time after "New Girl", and I'll continue to give it a shot, but it won't be able to knock it out of the park until Ben wins me over. He doesn't necessarily need to be likable, but he needs to at least be interesting and not annoying.

Why the Home Shopping Network is Both the Greatest and the Worst Thing Ever

When you don't have cable, you end up settling for a lot of bad TV. Now that the Olympics are over, it is nearly impossible to find anything worth my attention between 5PM Friday to about 6PM Sunday. If it's a slow weekend, it means I end up watching A LOT of HSN.

Sometimes it's the good stuff, like celebrity clothing lines and old lady jewelry (wow, how does her wrist support that much turquoise?). Sometimes it's the crap like vitamins or hair care. No matter, if I am bored enough, I will soak it up like a sponge.

Last weekend, it was a whole weekend of "trunk sale", whatever that is, but it was ALL designer clothes and jewelry. Let me tell you, at about 11:30 on a Friday when you are loopy tired from a long work week but are determined to not go to bed early like the old lady you secretly are, it becomes very hard to resist their sales pitch. While most of the year, I swear it's 90+ degrees in Tucson, I was convinced this was the greatest thing ever and would complete my life:

Isn't it gorgeous? I'm a sucker for jackets, and granted it costs more than all the jackets and coats in my closet combined, but wouldn't it look great on me? You know, for those four days it's actually cold here?

Also, they had these jeans:

Aren't they genius? They're colored on the front, but black on the back, but the black wraps around half in on each side to slim you. They're jeggings that visually slim you! So smart! Can't say I'm the biggest fan of the color selection, but I would totally wear them.

Now, I've never purchased anything from HSN and I never intend to, but these ladies are just so convincing! I want to buy everything they're selling. It's like they are half news anchor, half used cars salesman. There's a reason why everyone who calls in talks about the dozens and dozens of pants they've purchased before and loved. They are brainwashed by these hosts!

Someday, hopefully long in the future, when I've finally had my mental breakdown, it will be evident by the sudden insane credit card bill as I've caved to the TV succubuses.

TV 2012: The Mindy Project

If you are unaware of my love for Mindy Kaling, you can read about my girl crush here. Since then, I've also read her book, Is Everybody Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), which if you haven't read, what is wrong with you? I'm cheap so I reserved it at the library and, no exaggeration, it took months until I was at the top of the list and I got to read it.

Anyway, you would think that I would be over the moon for the premiere of "The Mindy Project", but I think it made me nervous more than anything. I want it so badly to be good, what if it wasn't?

Fortunately, it premiered online waaaay early and I scooped it up. (Side note: Can I just say how much I love that pilots are being released early? I find it much easier to latch onto a show if it isn't battling four others shows when all the networks premiere at the same time.)

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Things I liked:

• She's a little bit of a bitch and I love it. The problem with women on TV is that there aren't really any shades of gray when it comes to being a bitch. If you are the sweet, wholesome girl, you are the hero and if you are a bitch, you are the villain. However, no one is ever that cut and dry. We can be both things at all times. The show "Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23" tries very hard to show you that you can be a bitch and a good person, but it just ends up creating a caricature rather than someone realistic. In the Mindy pilot, there's a moment where she and her coworker are trading insults and she takes it too far (bitch move) and he takes it even farther and she gets offended. We've all done that. You just get caught up in winning the fight that you let the bitch flag fly and end up regretting it. If it were "New Girl", she would have awkwardly called him a poopy-head and stormed off. Not something over the age of 11 would probably do.
• Cameo by Bill Hader! Woot woot! Love that guy!
• The sheer amount of glitter and sequins in her wardrobe.
• She talks how I wish I could talk. Sometimes having a filter is just a hindrance.
• Lying to yourself is my main strategy in life. I get it. Having others intentionally lie to you is even better.
• "One time I left a flea market with a samurai sword."
• I'm pretty sure they utilized an M.I.A. song. More shows should, really.
• After watching it twice now, I could probably guess what the direction of the show is, but it wasn't rammed down my throat. If I had to sum up, it's probably that Mindy knows she's made/making some bad decisions, but she should start to get her life together. Whether or not that will actually happen is yet to be seen, but I'm all for personal growth. And I'm all for not ramming the concept of a show down my throat in the pilot.

Things I didn't like:

• Again, stop trying create a will they/won't they relationship in the first episode! I know they will eventually develop the chemistry between Mindy and Danny, but does it really need to start in the pilot? I would much rather watch Monica and Chandler than Ross and Rachel. Let people just be friends! There doesn't always have to be constant chemistry. Things can progress from friendship. 
• I think there were at least three references to her being chubby. When I was watching this show, her size was never on my mind UNTIL they brought it up. Why does she have to belittle herself by referring to herself as chubby? She's an accomplished doctor and with a great life and yet she still feels the need to focus on her size? I really wish it had just been a non-issue. Once she brings it up, it's all I can focus on!
• It felt like the entire episode took place over a week, but it was actually a day. I don't buy it. TV needs to realize that it's ok for things to take time. Not everything happens immediately. I wouldn't have even thought that it could have possibly all taken place in one day until it was referenced at the end of the episode. 
• I do not like the British guy. I'd say that if they give him a personality and a back story, he might not be that bad, but I kind of just want him gone now.

I give it an A. Most of the problems I had with the episode were hopefully only pilot issues so I will be watching this show religiously. I already am and there's only one episode to worship. 

You can watch it here.

TV Round Up: 2011

Last fall, I reviewed almost every new pilot I could get my hands on (which, looking at the list now, was only six. Sad). Now, a year later, I figured I'd give an update as to what I think now of each of these shows before I start on the new crop of pilots (yay for shows being released on the internet early!).

•  The New Girl. I gave it an A-, contingent on the fact that they don't try to hook her up with one of the boys. I have basically been watching the first season religiously and I'm sticking to my guns: I will continue to be happy as long as they don't hook her up with Nick. I like the chemistry and I have to imagine they will get there eventually, but no time soon, please? But I will gladly be watching this shows second season.
• Up All Night. Here's what I thought a year ago, "There isn't a hook to this show yet. It needs to hook me in. I don't get excited to watch it." It earned a B-. And I still feel the same way. I kept up for the first half of the season, but then they switched around the work dynamic, which was the only reason I was watching because the home dynamic was not relatable and just kind of annoying to me. Now that supposedly they will be focusing even more on the home life rather than the TV show in the second season, I'm out.
• 2 Broke Girls. I gave the pilot an A, but honestly, I only really ever watch it because it came on after HIMYM and there wasn't anything else on. You could pick almost any episode and it would be the same formula: work at diner, try to make extra money on the side, hijinx, hijinx, hijinx, and vagina jokes. I'll probably watch it if it's on, but I won't be going out of my way.
• Whitney. B. Here's the thing: I'm ashamed to admit that I still like this show. I do. Not for Whitney because she is annoying as all hell, but the other characters aren't that bad. They definitely almost killed it in the middle of the season when one of the characters was suddenly like, "Oh hey, I'm gay", but it's come back a bit since then. I was very surprised that it got picked up for another season, and probably it's last season, but I'll continue to watch it. Not that I will openly admit it.
• Charlie's Angels. D-. Hahahahaha, it's dead. There is some justice in the TV world.
• Pan Am. C. This show had promise, but it had a bad timeslot, a plot that jumped around between too many characters, and the whole retro thing is only kitschy-cute rather than kitschy-irritating for so long.

Looking back at the grades I gave, I think I did pretty good. Anything with a B- or higher survived for a second season. Hopefully this next crop of pilots will follow the same trend. And I promise to do better than a measly six this time. I'm already writing up my review of "The Mindy Project", after I rewatch it like four more times.

Apparently I Dress like a Television Star

Once upon a time, I dressed like Sue from "The Middle". Now, apparently, I dress like Nell from "NCIS: Los Angeles".

I have the exact same horse print skirt from H and M. I love the skirt, but it always looks funny on me. Maybe it's because I don't know how to style it or my body shape, but it always feels odd. Perhaps if I took a note from Nell and paired it with a clean white blouse (which I already do), a pair of dark tights, and a cardigan, it'll feel less awkward. The tights should be a definitely because it's kind of like a wrap skirt and likes to fall open when I sit. Adding some tights would increase its modesty at work.

Witness it for yourself here in episode Neighborhood Watch.

Finally, As Promised...

Ok, things have been crazy busy. Well, probably normal busy for most people, but I live a simple life, so it's crazy busy for me. Between a weekend trip up to Phoenix to go to Ikea, painting more of the house, actually hanging out with friends, appointments and meetings after work, and frantically cleaning for my extended family coming into town this weekend, my time has been a wee bit stretched. Hell, it's been almost two weeks since I've posted! I haven't even posted in May yet!

Anyway, since things won't be slowing down anytime soon, I'll keep this short. In the aforementioned trip to Ikea, I finally bought a frame for my Zack Morris poster (once I stole it back from my sister). I've talked about my poster before because I had no idea how to fit it into my house with the overall style I wanted.

Well, I came up with the perfect solution. I found a place to hang it so that I would be able to love him, but he wouldn't freak out visitors.

Yep, Zack Morris now creepily makes eye contact with my husband while he's peeing. And it's just about the perfect size for our small master toilet room (what do you call the separate room in the bathroom for the toilet?)

The frame makes it classy, right?

Fan of Friday: Week of 4/27/2012

"Fringe" was picked up for a final season! YAY! You have no idea how happy this makes me! It's just, so, good!

Image Source

If you aren't watching it, what's wrong with you? Geez. Watch it tonight! Or, if perhaps you have a life and don't play The Sims and watch TV on a Friday night like some people (DON'T JUDGE ME!), DVR it or watch it on hulu. But, if you can, start in season 1. It's so well written, but damn if it isn't hella complex and confusing at times (Not like "Lost" confusing where everything just fell apart the last two seasons, but confusing because it's just so deep and detail-filled that it's easy to miss something important).

Trust me, pure awesomeness. I cannot emphasize this enough: it is the most well-written and the most underappreciated show on TV right now. Get on board people!

The Walking Dead: My Love/Hate Relationship

As I mention here a lot, I'm kind of a TV junkie. I love a good TV show that I can really dig my teeth into. So, a couple of years back when I heard they were developing "The Walking Dead" into a TV show, I was really excited. I loved World War Z and the issues it covers that you wouldn't normally think about in a 2 hour zombie move. A zombie TV show could really develop how the apocalypse came to be, the panic, the crime, the migrations, how relationships change, all the good stuff.

And just normal children scare me

Once the casting list was revealed (the cue card guy from "Love Actually"!) and some early images of the zombies (Holy crap! That's what a zombie would really look like, right?), I was so excited. When it finally debuted, I was riveted for the whole 2 hours.

Probably something important I should mention now. Somewhere in the last five to seven years, I became very squeamish. I don't know what caused it (I kind of think it might have been the year when "Kill Bill" and "Sin City" were both released), but I can't tolerate a lot of on screen violence. I'm the wimp who looks through my fingers to see if it's over. The husband is great because he usually blocks my eyes until it's over.

Anyway, while the premiere was great, it was definitely not for the squeamish. Combine some of the uber-violent scenes with the realism of the zombies and it apparently shook my subconscious pretty hard. I've never had worse nightmares than I did that night. I don't care how much you tell yourself zombies aren't real, once they are in your head in the middle of the night in your little bed in your little apartment all by yourself, they aren't coming out. I think part of it is that there is no way I would survive the zombie apocalypse. I'd be screwed. Odds are a zombie wouldn't get me, but something else would while I'm fleeing from them. Either way, totally screwed.

This would be me. But much less put together. And I don't cook much now, I sure as hell ain't cooking as a zombie.

The problem arose because I still loved the show and so did my whole family now. They were incredibly sweet about it, though. Every Sunday night was family night, but they would record "The Walking Dead" and watch it later in the week without me. And I still did like the show, I just couldn't watch it. So, I read recaps of it every week to keep up with the story and watched clips every once in a while.

After a season and a half of avoiding it, my sister finally talked me into trying again last night.

Good episode.

Worse nightmares.

Ugh!

I will give it one more shot. I'm really hoping at this point that my subconscious will finally adjust, but it's not looking good.

Why can't my brain have a problem with "Two and a Half Men" reruns? I'd gladly give those up!

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers!

Yes, I am secretly the Blue Power Ranger. Triceratops!

Best. Christmas. Present! Thanks Lil C!

Sabrina the Teenage Witch Reunion

Were you like me in fifth grade? Did you try and stay up on Friday nights to watch the awesomeness that was TGIF? And now, do you find yourself inexplicably drawn to the reruns of "Boy Meets World", "Full House", and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" on ABC Family?

Well, have I got a video for you! A hilarious reunion between Sabrina and Salem. It's fantastic! It's even got a Harry Potter reference.

CUP!

I Get Sucked in by the Worst Things

She used to be annoying, but you know you look forward to the commercials now.

It's the Target Christmas Lady! I wish I had ever been half as excited about anything as she is about Black Friday sales.

Admit it! You like her, too!

UPDATE: We found this one last night and I have never seen Dan laugh at something as much as he laughed at this. "Her face is just hilarious." I really thought he was going to start crying.