The Walking Dead, Mr. Robot, The Blacklist, Scandal, Blind Spot, Criminal Minds and other TV topics
Occasional (or weekly) thoughts on my favorite programs
5/21/17 - Blindspot and Blacklist finales
Once again I haven't written for a long, long time about TV. I haven't quit watching, I've just been too busy to write much here. I've enjoyed the finales of all of the shows, but I was especially interested in the Blindspot and Blacklist finales because the storylines in both made it seem like they might be series finales. Blindspot moved to Wednesday nights and there were several weeks where it wasn't on, much like Revolution before it was cancelled. That made me wonder if it was about to get axed, so I googled it to see if it was renewed, and thankfully it was. But I could tell by the story in the finale that the writers weren't sure which way it was going until the very end. They did a great job writing the ending, the jump ahead 2 years made me really curious to find out what transpired during those 2 years, so I hope they're planning on doing flashbacks or something to show us. I assume that Kurt and Jane get married, which is GREAT!! Can't wait to see it next year.
okay
Then there was The Blacklist. I do hope that it's true that Liz is Red's daughter. I love that she was okay with it. As for the skeleton in the suitcase, obviously we're meant to think it's Katerina, and that Red killed her and that when Liz finds out about it she'll hate Reddington. Those things aren't necessarily true, though. It probably is Katerina's skeleton, but I don't think Red killed her. He seemed to love her too much to have killed her. Plus why would there have been that whole episode where he was in the beach house and met the woman who reminded him of Katerina who drowned in the ocean? But I'll have to wait to see if I'm right.
8/24/16 - Mr. Robot and Halt and Catch Fire
It doesn't come across much in the content of this blog, but I've worked in the tech industry for many, many years. I started with Windows for Workgroups 3.11. I found everything fascinating. I took classes (not college but the kind the everyone in your office goes to) and eventually I learned enough to start teaching the classes. After awhile I went into tech support for law firms. Most of what I know I learned on my own by reading big, thick tech books. Yeah, I'm a nerd at heart. So of course I love the show Mr. Robot on USA. Last season was fascinating, and the twist at the end where you discovered that Elliot was actually also Mr. Robot was a real surprise. This season, I've found the show a little hard to follow. If I'm tired when I watch it I miss things easily. I wondered if it was just me. Then I watched last weeks episode. Aaaahhhh, the twist in what Elliot's reality truly is has made everything a little more clear. Hopefully from now on it will be a little easier for me to follow.
Then there's my other geek show, Halt and Catch Fire on AMC. I love the trip back in time to the 80's tech scene. I also love that Cameron and Donna have become the owners and forces propelling Mutiny. (Sadly I'm pretty sure that women-owned tech companies were almost non-existent in the 80's. ) This season of Halt and Catch Fire just started last night, so if you haven't watched it, it's a great time to start.
8/14/16 - Thomas Gibson and the demise of Criminal Minds
If you're a fan of the show you might have heard on Friday that Criminal Minds fired Thomas Gibson due to an argument where he allegedly kicked one of the show's writers. The stories that I've read said that this was the 2nd time that he got in an argument with someone on the show. The first argument was in 2010 (so 6 years ago), and sounded like a mutual argument with both men yelling at each other and Thomas pushing the other man. The producers required him to take 8 hours of anger management. Don't things like that happen all of the time? Okay, I realize that I'm biased because I like Thomas. I've followed him on social media for many years, and he just doesn't seem like an ass. It sounds like he has some high standards for how things are done, and has a temper when he thinks that they're not done right. Okay, that's a problem. He may even have a drinking problem, since he was arrested in 2013 and given a DUI. But honestly, how many of us have gone to a party and had a few drinks and then drove home? I'm betting more than just me.
I'm just not sure that these 3 incidents are enough to warrant firing him. Has anyone ever noticed how much P.R. he has done for Criminal Minds and CBS? A lot. That's time spent outside of filming.
Anyhow, what's done is done. I do think it will have a HUGE effect on the show, though. When Paget Brewster left the show went downward a bit, it just wasn't as good anymore. J.J. Cook is great as a strong female character, but it was better when there were 2 of them. CBS has only themselves to blame for that. I still watched, though. But the storylines about the killers started getting more and more "out there", and the focus on the profiling got to be less and less. The storylines showing the team's personal lives were cut to maybe 5-10 minutes per episode, and they became formulaic, predictable. In my opinion the show lost what made it special a few seasons ago. The psychology, the realness of the crimes, and the agents ability to analyze it made the show interesting, albeit rather dark. The storylines that focused on the personal lives of the agents somewhat balanced the darkness of the crimes. All of those things seemed to go by the wayside while they wrote more and more bizarre stories about murderers. Then Shemar Moore left - a big hit to the show, but I could keep watching because I like the rest of the cast so much. But Thomas leaving?? He is the team leader, he sets the tone, he makes it believable. What other Unit Chief can fit into that team and seem believable? My guess is no one. Rossi won't want it, Reid certainly won't, and I doubt J.J. would. I think it's time for Criminal Minds to profile their own show and give it the good end that it should have.
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6/27/16 - Finales that I should have reviewed long ago, and UnReal
So it's summer, the barren wasteland of good TV. I sometimes watch episodes of The Walking Dead that I recorded just to see something that I like. I still can't believe I have to wait until October to see that again. Although honestly, I'm not sure I want to see what Negan does.
At least I was rewarded with Lizzy being alive on The Blacklist. I love strong female characters so I would have been very upset if she hadn't come back onto the show. I suspect that Lizzie's childhood is going to be replayed in a way by Tom having to run with their daughter, so again there will be a girl growing up without her mother.
Fear The Walking Dead's mid-season finale was good but I wasn't thrilled with all of the storyline endings. Nick staying at the burning "compound" with the walkers wasn't my favorite idea, but we'll see where they go. I also didn't like Travis staying there with crazy Chris. I like him and Maddie together.
Okay, so the only thing that I'm watching so far is Lifetime's UnReal. I watched it last year and loved it! I suspect that it's pretty close to being the real story of reality shows like The Bachelor. I love Rachel's character. The struggle between being a decent, emotionally stable person and going over to the "Quinn darkside" is fascinating to watch.
Zoo was good last year, so I'll be checking it out this year, too. If nothing else, I'll enjoy watching Billy Burke. And I'm really looking forward to the second season of Mr. Robot. LOVED it last year, and I was glad to see that it won a lot of Emmys. Pretty much any show that has a lot of tech scenes and language gets me hooked, especially if it involves security and hacking. Speaking of tech, I wonder when Halt and Catch Fire is coming back? I'll have to Google that.
5/8/16 - Fear the Walking Dead
I really enjoyed this week's episode! I knew that Alicia had it in her to manipulate Jack and do what she needed to do to survive and get back to her family. I also enjoyed Daniel's quick-thinking after Chris shot Reed. Overall I like the character of Daniel. Honestly there isn't anyone in the regular cast that I dislike. Nick is my absolute favorite, with Travis or Maddie coming in 2nd. I'm starting to wonder if Maddie is going to emerge as the leader of the group. I think she has what it takes to make the hard choices and do what she has to do to survive and keep her family safe.
I think the show is coming along well with character development and interesting storylines. Honestly if you compare it to season 2 of The Walking Dead it's as good if not slightly better. I didn't like Shane or Andrea very much, Daryl and Carol weren't much of characters yet, and I had mixed feelings about Rick's wife. Bringing in the farm, Hershel, Maggie, etc. was the best thing they did.
Anyhow, I'm looking forward to more episodes of Fear TWD!
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5/2/16 The Blacklist - Is Lizzie really dead?
I really hope not. As much as I love James Spader, Lizzie's character is such a huge part of the Blacklist that I don't think it will be as good without her. My hope is that she felt she and her baby would always be in danger if she were known to be alive, so she faked her death. In order for the Kabal to believe she's dead, she believed that Red and her colleagues at the "Post Office"would have to think she was dead. I haven't decided yet if I think Tom believes that she's dead or if he knows she's alive. I hope that I'm right, and that I don't have to wait until next fall to find out. I know that Megan Boone was pregnant in real life, so I hope she just needed some time off and that is the reason for the current storyline.
4-3-16 Who does Negan kill? I've got it narrowed down to 2 people
Based on the lighting on Negan's face, and what was behind him (nothing), I think it will be either Eugene or Aaron. I did some pausing and rewinding to look at how the light hit Negan's face as he looked at various people. When he hit whoever it was, it was fairly dark, but there was some light on the right side of his face. Glenn was kneeling in front of a car's headlights, and Daryl was close to him, so if Negan killed either of them (or Rosita) he should have had light hitting his face from the front. If he had hit any of the people to their right (looking at them from his position), the light should have hit the left side of his face. Those people would be Michonne, Abraham, Maggie, or Rick. Sasha was directly to the right of Rick, so I don't think it was her. Beside her was Aaron, then Carl, then Eugene. Negan made a comment about cutting out Carl's other eye if anyone shouted or caused trouble, plus having Carl would be leverage with Rick, so he's not going to kill him. That leaves just Aaron or Eugene. I like both of them, but Aaron isn't a major character. Losing Eugene would hurt, but not as much as losing Glenn, Daryl, Maggie, Rick, Michonne, or Carl. So, now I only have to wait until Fall to see if I'm right.
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12-14-15 I'm such a slacker
I realize that I haven't updated anything in this blog much lately. I'm always at the gym or taking care of cats, it seems. But now that there is NOTHING interesting on TV I have more time. So I just had to say... the little kid on TWD? He's got some major trauma disorder happening, and he's going to screw up the escape. I hope they have some duct tape under their blood and guts ponchos.
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11-23-15 This Thanksgiving I'm thankful that Glenn is alive...
Wasn't that the best episode?? Yes!!!! He did squeeze under that dumpster! Now I just want to know if that was him that Daryl heard saying "help" on the walkie talkie the week before. (And wasn't it great to have an ep mostly about Daryl? I hated that his bike was stolen by those ingrates, though.)
Anyhow, what an ending on that episode, too. The green balloons, the happiness at the realization that Glenn is alive, and then the tower crashes to the ground. Happy moments don't last too long on The Walking Dead.
And... Scandal was great last week! I have never thought about what it's like to be First Lady, but it doesn't look like fun. Especially not for a woman who had a successful business before and who is used to being independent. What a great storyline to have Olivia help Mellie with her filibuster. It was a fascinating flip in the characters. And Huck's "torture" of Papa Pope by not killing him? Genius! Huck is free of his influence! Jake, however, not so much.
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11-11-15 Maggie's baby needs it's father!
Don't you agree? I have a feeling that we're going to be waiting awhile for anything definitive about Glenn, though. At least we got to see Rick, safe and sound and making out with.... I can't remember her name. I'm looking forward to next week to see what's going on with Daryl.
What else? Scandal... I'm not sure I like the idea of Olivia being manipulative in a power-hungry way. Hopefully she didn't plan it like Jake suggested she did. By "it" I mean running the White House.
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11-5-15 So what did you think of the 90 minute Walking Dead episode?
You know, the one that didn't tell us a thing about whether Glenn was alive or what happened with Rick in the RV? To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. Yes, it was good to see why Morgan uses a stick to fight and why he doesn't kill anyone, but I think that story could have been told in 30 or 40 minutes. Obviously we're not going to get any quick answers about Glenn, either, looking at the previews for next week. I'm surprised that Atlanta had their Walking, Stalking Con last weekend, but then again, they probably didn't know there would be an episode where Glenn possibly died the week before when they first put it on their calendar. I can only imagine how many questions were asked about Glenn! I might have to go if they have it again next year. I lived in Atlanta for 10 years so I know my way around and still have family and friends there.
Aside from TWD, I'm enjoying The Blacklist this year. It's a nice twist to have Lizzie on the other side of the law, and I'm curious what Tom is getting into. I do hope that ultimately Lizzie goes back to the FBI, but if the stories are good enough I could change my mind.
And of course there's Scandal. Interesting twist having Mellie realize that by authorizing Papa Pope's release she'll have something to hold over Olivia's head. Actually the whole scenario with Olivia realizing what her life will be like if she becomes the official First Lady is very interesting. It makes me think about how sometimes getting what we think we want doesn't always turn out as good as we think it will be.
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10-26-15 TWD, Oh. My. God.
Glenn can't be dead. Please. There are theories that since Richard fell on top of him when they fell off of the dumpster, that the walkers were actually eating Richard, not Glen. I can totally see that happening, but how would Glen get away from them? I'm not holding my breath, but it would be great if that were what happens. And how is Rick going to get out of his situation? They'd better not kill him!! That's all that I can write about now.
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10-19-15
So is everyone enjoying the new fall shows? I have been spending a lot of nights at the gym , but thank God there's On Demand and a DVR. I'm enjoying Scandal as much as ever, and I'm liking the new twist of Lizzie being a fugitive on The Blacklist. I'm also liking Blind Spot and Limitless. If you can't tell I like dramas more than anything. I also watch Project Runway, so Thursdays are crowded. I'm trying to decide who I want to win on Project Runway since we're down to the final four.
This year I started watching "Fear the Walking Dead" and I really enjoyed that, so I had to binge-watch The Walking Dead before the 6th season started. LOVING that show. Carol was so bad-ass last night! Her, Daryl, and of course Rick are my favorite people right now. Of course characters get killed off so often that it's hard to have favorites.
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6-2-15 Who will be filling in while A.J. Cook is on maternity leave?
So the finale of Criminal Minds revealed that "J.J." is pregnant, because A.J. is pregnant. So she'll be off the show for AT LEAST 4 episodes at the beginning of next season. And followers of the show know that Jennifer Love Hewitt is also pregnant and won't be on at all next season. That will leave the show with no female profilers working for awhile, and I've read that they'll fill in the spots with some guest stars and FORMER CAST MEMBERS, who aren't being mentioned yet. Please, please please bring back Paget Brewster!!!! It's time for me to start stalking her social media accounts.
And yes, I realize that I totally flaked on writing about the finales of Criminal Minds, The Blacklist, and Scandal. I really thought The Blacklist was the best of all of them, and I'm looking forward to seeing where that story goes. But overall I'm just bummed that all of the shows are over and for the moment there is nothing much to take my mind off of the death of my beloved cat. So I haven't felt much like writing.
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4-16-15 Jake is dead??
All that I can say is that NO ONE except probably Kerry Washington is safe on this show. Wow. I'm going to miss him. Did anyone else see that coming before this episode?
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4-11-15 Criminal Minds spin-off
Awhile ago I read that there would be another spin-off from Criminal Minds. The first spin-off, Criminal Minds Suspect Behavior didn't go so well and only lasted for 1 season. The most probable reason for it's failure was CBS's axing of A.J. Cook (J.J.) and reducing the episodes for Paget Brewster (Prentiss). Many of us thought that they did this to cut costs so that they could make the spin-off. This soured many to Suspect Behavior. I might have watched one episode and it just didn't pull me in. This next one will probably feature Anna Gunn (from Breaking Bad) and Gary Sinise (CSI - NY). I do like Anna Gunn but I'm not sure if that will be enough to make me watch the new show. But I'll give it a try. It may succeed this time since Criminal Minds is more popular now than the last time, and there isn't the negative association that existed before. CBS seems to have learned it's lesson about messing with the cast of the original Criminal Minds, although sadly, it was too late to keep Paget/Prentiss on the show (I still miss her!). Will you watch the new show?
Here's a few pictures with Paget, Matthew, and Kirsten for all of you. It looks like they have a lot of fun on this show.
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4-5-15 Did Tom shoot Red? The interesting gladiator team
So it was very interesting to see the interplay between Lizzie and Tom on The Blacklist, but I'm glad that they didn't develop it into a renewed intimate relationship. Lizzie's character has grown too strong to give in to Tom again. I assume that it was Tom who shot Red, but I'll have to wait to see if I'm right. Possibly Tom lied about Red in some way just to get Lizzie away from him, or maybe even just to have Lizzie call Red to come for a meeting.
I also really enjoyed Scandal this week. I was confused for a bit about why Jake suddenly turned against people he had been close with. I thought maybe I'd missed something, but all was revealed in the end when the assistant turned out to be B613. And then the wide shot that showed Olivia was with Jake listening to everything. There were those twists that the show is so good at!
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3-22-15 Things have been so good in TVLand
I haven't been writing much because I'm so tired all of the time! I don't know for certain why but I'm just not sleeping much. BUT, at least I have something to watch when I'm feeling brain dead. The Blacklist was excellent last week. Who exactly Red is and what he's done has me intrigued. It seems like he did something that caused the loss of Lizzie's family when she was little, and that's why he's been watching out for her, but who knows because things always change. I also loved the reveal about Tom, who he worked for (Red!) and how he got started. For me it begs the question, that if "The Major" recruited young children who had no one, why didn't he recruit Lizzie? Did Red step in? Also the look between Liz and Tom when they talked. I still can't make myself like him, and I hope she doesn't fall for him again, but it is interesting that they still seem to care for each other.
Scandal has been great, as well. The episode about race aka the father whose son was killed by the police, was very moving. An excellent story that showed numerous viewpoints. I hope that it stirred many conversations about race, stereotypes, assumptions, harassment and prejudice. It's happening whether we talk about it or not. I still think that the best way to break down prejudice and stereotyping of ALL kinds is to get to know different types of people. If you've never known a black person/white person, how can you know what their life is like? How can you know what they're like? If you've never been gay or known a gay person, how can you know what they're like? You see where I'm going here. I could go on but that's best left to my "Deep Thoughts" section that I never get around to posting in.
I missed Criminal Minds last week (I don't watch Survivor). I am enjoying CSI Cyber so far. I've never watched any of the CSI shows, but I love computers, and I like Patricia Arquette, so I'm giving this one a try. As long as the story lines are credible, and especially if I can learn something new about computers, I'll enjoy it.
I've added a few new shows to my watch list, too. Secrets and Lies had a great pilot, and is still keeping me interested, and there was no way that I could pass up "Battle Creek". David Shore AND Vince Gilligan? And Josh Duhamel and the "Mayhem" guy (sorry, I'm too tired to think of his name)? I'm enjoying it so far. It seems to have more of the feel of House than Breaking Bad, but that's okay. I'm fine with it as it is.
I'm also pleasantly surprised with "Better Call Saul". I was skeptical about it for a few reasons, mainly because I wasn't that interested in Saul's character on Breaking Bad. But it's turning into an interesting look at how he got to where he was in Breaking Bad. I can certainly relate to his desire to join his brothers big, fancy law firm and the continuous rejection. I'm curious to see where the story goes from here.
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2-9-15 the Thursday dilemma
They just had to move The Blacklist to Thursday night. Well, of course they did, because it's NBC's strongest drama and it can actually can compete with Scandal. Thank God for DVR and On Demand.
I'm intrigued by Lizzie's repressed memories, but I have a feeling they're not going to tell us more right away. They'll draw it out over the rest of this season.
Scandal is, as usual, fascinating. They just missed her! But Olivia is a smart woman, and she's leaving a trail for them to follow. I have to say I liked seeing her with big, frizzy hair, no make-up and no polished white wardrobe. We all look that way sometimes, even the powerful Olivia Pope. And it was also a visual representation of what happens when we don't have control over our lives.
Criminal Minds has been quite good the past few episodes. I really like team-centric episodes like the one where Gideon died. Kirsten Vangsness (Garcia) and Erica Messer did a great job writing that episode. With all of the bizarre, creepy killers on that show it needs the personal story lines about the team. Speaking of creepy, I'm enjoying the show Stalker. I thought it might be too creepy, but it's just the right amount of suspense for me.
And while I'm thinking of Wednesday night's, I'm happy that The Americans is back on FX. It seems like it's finally getting some much deserved attention and publicity. And NBC has copied it for their new show that comes on after The a Blacklist. Such a blatant copy! The added twist of the son who works for the CIA is good, but not enough to make me watch it. I'll stick with The Americans.
9-28-14 So glad they're back!
I'm happy to have new episodes of my favorite shows! The Blacklist didn't disappoint me once I finally saw the whole episode. I got home halfway through it on the original night and it was a bit confusing. I watched it on the On Demand channel and it was much better that time. So intrigued about the former Mrs. Reddington. I also like the way that they've made Lizzie's character evolve. She and her partner, whose name escapes me at the moment, started out as such idealistic newbies and have become tougher, more cynical, and more focused, it seems to me. Normally I wouldn't like the change, since I know it comes from heartbreak for both of them, but for some reason it works well.
The other show I really enjoyed last week was Scandal. I know some people have stopped watching it because they feel that it has gotten too ridiculous, but I still enjoy it. Yes, many of the story lines aren't believable - that's what makes it ENTERTAINMENT. Hello!
So... of all of the transformations of the people, my favorites were Mellie, Huck/Randy, and Quinn. Mellie was sad and hilarious at the same time. I still can't believe that they had her son killed off. The scene where she tells Fitz to let her know in advance if he's going to see Olivia in case he wants to have sex with her when he comes home? Oh my God... My favorite line was "it's 1978 down there." (or was it 1974? I can't remember.) I laughed and laughed at that.
Huck/Randy was also a sad character, but funny as the average Joe computer repairman. Quinn didn't change that much, she's still a bad bitch, but I'm happy to see her back at OPA. Now I just want her and Huck to get back together, as long as there's no teeth-pulling or face licking.
I miss Harrison's character. I understand that the actor was/is having some personal issues, and I assume that was the reason for writing the character out. I also miss James! He was so interesting with Cyrus.
All in all, there's a lot that I can't wait to see on Scandal. I also watched the new "How to Get Away with Murder". I'm not sure that I'll like it as much as Scandal, but I'm giving it a chance, at least.
Here's to another week of interesting shows!
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7-14 Will Jack be back for more 24?
I hope so! I really enjoyed having it back this year, but I wasn't happy with the ending. They sent Jack off to Russia to be tortured?? I read a few interviews with the producers, and their take on that was that Jack felt like he was in some way due to pay for some of the things that he had done. I felt like he paid more than enough when the Chinese kidnapped and tortured him. No one is saying if the show will be back again at this point. It seems they filmed up to the last minute before the show wrapped, and they just want some R & R. I would guess they also want to see the shows ratings numbers and have a few meetings to see who is interested in continuing. I would love to have it come back as long as Keifer Sutherland is in it, along with Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe O'Brien). I know my storyline wouldn't appeal to everyone, but in mine, Jack would finally find peace and happiness at the end. Perhaps after he threw one more terrorist out a window (best scene of the season imo).
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7-3-14. Jennifer Love Hewitt joins Criminal Minds
Yep starting in the fall there will be a replacement for Blake (Jean Tripplehorn). Jennifer Love Hewitt joins the show as a new profiler. I liked her in The Ghost Whisperer, so I'll give her a chance. I was actually getting used to Blake and I did like the relationship that she had with Reid. When she left I was REALLY hoping that Paget would come back. Guess that's not going to happen!
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5-10-14. NBC did not renew Revolution
They officially announced that they won't be renewing it in the fall. I was so hoping that this wouldn't happen. There are so few intelligent shows on the air these days. I'm wondering if they would have had better ratings if they had followed the story about the nanos and the electric instead of the fight for Willoughby, TX. Regardless, it won't be back UNLESS another network picks it up. There is a petition here http://www.thepetitionsite.com/553/454/200/revolution-season-3/ if you want to sign. Viewer pressure has worked for a few shows, so I'm hopeful.
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5-7-14. Is Revolution coming back in the fall?
I really enjoyed Revolution this week, but the previews have me a little worried. It said there was only one episode before "the finale". There have been a lot of comments about the fact that it's ratings are down this year. I know that many renewals don't happen/aren't decided until after the "up fronts", which is when advertising spots are bought for the next season. If no one wants to advertise when it's on, the network isn't likely to renew it. No one is going to buy advertising if a show's viewership is too low. They want the most bank for their bucks, of course. Sadly, this tells you something about what shows stay on the air. I think Revolution is well-written and has great acting. It's witty, thought-provoking, and engaging. I love shows that I have to think about a little bit. If it fails, I think it will be NBC's fault. They moved it to Wednesday at 8 pm, which is probably not the best time-slot for a show like this. It's an adult-oriented show, and 8 pm is a time-slot normally reserved for sitcoms and reality/competition shows. Also, NBC has gone weeks in a row without showing Revolution several times this year. People find other things to watch when that happens.
On a more positive note, I really enjoyed 24 Monday night. I felt like it had never went off of the air. More on that later. Too tired to write more now.
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5-3-14
I've been remiss in my posts about TV shows lately. I did enjoy the Blacklist episode where Lizzie finally confronted Tom. I was disappointed that he got away, although I suspected that would happen (see the previous post). I didn't like him saying he was the good guy at the end, and I don't believe he is. If he was, wouldn't if have told her when he was tied up? He probably believes he's a good guy because he thinks Red is a bad guy. I'm still hoping that Red is good, but of course well have to wait to find out for certain.
Then there's one of my old favorite shows making a comeback - 24! Jack Bauer is the ultimate good and bad guy. If you haven't watched 24 before, you'll probably be able to figure out this special season, but you really should rent the other ones. It was a great show. Jack was a federal intelligence agent who stopped at nothing to save the world from various terrorists. As the show progressed, he got fired, kidnapped, went into hiding, and quit several times, but he always came back when his country needed him. In the last season there were a few over-the-top (and too gross for me) scenes, but I'm hoping that won't happen on this one. This special also brings back fan favorite Chloe the computer genius, although the character will be a bit different this time. She's gone to the dark side since we last saw her, when she had a child and was running the Counter Terrorist Unit. I'm hoping it's going to be great! Now if they could only make something as good as LOST again.
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4-21-14 Scandal season finale, and Epic Blacklist coming
So what did you think of the season finale of Scandal? I'm tired today so I'm not sure I can express my thoughts that well. I did enjoy the finale, although I was confused by Huck telling Quinn that he never wanted to talk to her again. I thought it was nice that she wanted him to know that his family was alive. And how funny was their sex scene at the office? I was totally caught off guard by Fitz's son being killed. It was a nice twist that Olivia's father had it done. She continues to have the WORST parents ever! Will Olivia come back? Of course, unless Kerry Washington decides to stop working and be a full-time Mom. But what will bring her back? Will Jake come back? And what will David find in all if the documents that Jake gave him?
I am really excited for tonight's ep of The Blacklist. Lizzie and Tom fighting? PLEASE let her kick his ass! I have a bad feeling that he'll get away. Can't wait to find out exactly why he he married her.
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3-24-14 The Blacklist and Scandal
So I just got caught up on my recordings. Both of these shoes were great! LOVED that Lizzie figured out Tom is evil so quickly! I thought for sure that a long time would elapse where he was deceiving her. It was a nice twist to have her figure him out so quickly. I can't wait to see what her plan is for him now. And the scene with Red at the end? That was perfect. I'm thinking that there is no doubt that he is her father. Right?
As for Scandal, I was pretty sure that James was going to be dead, so that wasn't a big surprise. I was surprised by Jake burying the two women himself, and that he killed James in a messy way so that it would seem like an amateur did it. Yuck!
Then there was the HuckleberryQuinn kiss. Ewwww. After she spit in his face he kissed her? Gross. Not sure how I feel about their relationship now. I'm getting used to her being a badass B613 bitch.
And last, Cyrus' story with James. The scene where he went and got him and brought him into the ball to dance with him was so, so sweet. And I loved that Fitz looked so happy about it. And Cyrus' breakdown at the very end was so good in a totally believable way. That is how grief looks. It breaks you open and makes you wail. Cyrus wasn't pretty about it, which is what made it so believable.
All in all, a great episode.
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3-19-14. The Blacklist is back! And Tom is evil! (I knew it!)
Finally! After waiting 2 weeks we got to see more of the story about Lizzie's husband Tom. He is indeed an agent for someone. I believe that he's after Red, since he talked about him a lot and not in a positive way. The woman that he kissed and discussed his real identity with on the last episode came to his house, of course pretending to be a fellow teacher (I can't remember her name.) Later Red told "The Cowboy" to pick her up and bring her in. When he tried, Tom grabbed him from behind and knocked him out. Then we see Tom and her in a building, and The Cowboy is tied up. Tom wants to know who sent him. The woman keeps telling Tom that it was a bad idea to bring the Cowboy there. Tom tells her he had to do it to save her. Then he tells her to call Lizzie and tell her that her boyfriend has accepted a job in Dayton, OH and that she is going with him, so she no longer needs a realtor. The Cowboy tells her that if she does that, Tom is going to kill her and then kill him. And he's right, that's exactly what Tom does. So we finally see that not only is Tom not who he has pretended to be, he's not a nice person, either. At the end, as he is in the shower cleaning the blood off of himself, Lizzie comes and gets in with him. We see his hand on her back, and blood is rinsing off of it. So creepy!!
There was also a whole other good storyline about Agent Ressler, whose rekindled relationship with his girlfriend is abruptly ended by someone who he sent to jail in the past. Red helps him to find the people, and gives him advice on dealing with his grief and anger at the killer. It's obvious that this has happened to Red in his life. It turns out that Agent Ressler's best friend indirectly caused the girlfriend to be killed. At the very end he is in his home and receives a package from Red. Inside is a sympathetic note from Red, and the head of the man who shot the girlfriend. I suspect that this will be a turning point not only in the relationship between Red and Ressler, but in the character of "company man" Ressler. Unfortunately I was interrupted a lot during this episode, but I still think it was one of the best yet. I can't wait to see how Tom's story plays out.
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3-14-14. Scandal and Revolution
I haven't written for a few weeks, so I'm first going back to last week's Revolution episode. The one where the nanos were trying to get Aaron to save them. I LOVED that episode!! So like a LOST plot combined with Inception. I loved waiting to see when the end really was. Also seeing Aaron back in the regular world enjoying all of the little things that we all take for granted made me appreciate them, too. Plus it gave us an idea of what he was like before the blackout. This week's ep was really enjoyable too. I loved the bantering between Miles and Monroe. I totally didn't expect that young Patriot girl to blow away her father, either. I was kind of surprised that Miles caved about letting the young kid go at the end. Is Rachel making him soft? Is that going to cause major problems between Miles and Monroe?
Scandal has calmed down a bit. Even the last 30 seconds surprise didn't grab me quite as much as others. Initially I thought that no one gets killed, because I've seen that trick on other shows (just because someone shoots doesn't mean someone dies). But I've done a little online reading, and I now think that it's possible that James has been killed. And maybe even Charlie. As someone mentioned, the sound of the gun that shot the women sounded like it had a silencer, but Jake's didn't sound that way. So maybe Charlie shot James and Jake shot Charlie. I'm looking forward to next week to find out!
Criminal Minds this week was a little too gross for me. I'm wondering if Matthew Gray Gublwr directed this one. He likes coming up with unusually creepy ones.
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3-3-14. The Blacklist
Was SO good tonight! I'm so glad they finally revealed the truth about Tom. I've been waiting for this since the first episode! I had a strong feeling that he wasn't an innocent, sweet guy. But now we have to wait 2 weeks to find out more! Ugh.
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2-27-14 They're all back!
The new shows, that is. And I'm grateful, because the weather where I live is really crappy so I need a mental diversion. Revolution's new episode flew by. Charley was great, as usual. She got rid of a guy who was planning to rape her, and got Monroe and Connor out of the death fight that they were forced into. She also saved Monroe's old gf ("I just saved your life, bitch"), so the woman "gave" 5 men to Charley to help in their fight against the Patriots. Miles was (thankfully) wise to Tom's backstabbing ways and didn't fall into the trap that he had set. And Aaron tried to kill the nano's by changing their computer code, and was somehow transported into a different life where the electric hadn't gone off yet. My guess is that it's his life before he created the nano's.
The Americans came back, too, which makes me happy. If you haven't heard of it, it's about 2 Russian spies in the 1980's who pretend to be an average American couple with 2 children.
Criminal Minds was directed by Thomas Gibson this week, and I thought he did a great job. It was an interesting episode about child abduction, with several twists thrown in.
And then there was Scandal. Some people think it's gotten too extreme, but I'm still enjoying it. This week's episode was back to being more low-key, just setting up the rest of the season. Fitz brings in a new running mate (Jon Tenney from The Closer). It turns out that he (Jon Tenney aka Fritz) was in love with Mellie long ago, but apparently Fitz doesn't know that. Quinn is now working with Charlie, who is technically still with B613. But they/Jake don't want Quinn to work for them, so it seems that Charlie is going to do side jobs with Quinn. The first one involves abducting a child to do something for Cyrus. (Noooo, Quinn!! You can't abduct kids!) I believe that Cyrus is inadvertently putting a hit on his own husband. But that's okay, because his husband is planning to destroy him anyhow.
So, now I just have to watch my recording of The Blacklist. And Sunday is the Oscar's! Yay!
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2-11-14 The 200th episode of Criminal Minds
Did you watch it? I only wish that it would have lasted longer. J.J. was kicking ass again, which I love. And Prentiss was back!! What better treat than that? I liked how they filled in scenes with J.J. and Prentiss when Prentiss supposedly died and J.J. helped her get out of the country. And the scene towards the end, when J.J. and Prentiss were hunting down and catching the traitor was killer! I love watching women be bad-ass when it's for a good reason. Love, love, love. I only wish Paget/Prentiss could come back permanently. Alas, Paget isn't interested in that.
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| Behind the scenes goofing off |
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1-30-14. Revolution and The Blacklist
Oh, Revolution is getting so good. I love that Miles and Monroe are friends again. And Charley and Monroe's son? This is going to be good. And then there's Gus (oops, I mean Tom) and his son making Miles think they're on his side. That story line I'm not so crazy about. I know I'm not supposed to like Tom, and I don't. I do like Monroe, however, and it don't want anyone to kill him. Then there's the nanos and Aaron. I'm trying to decide if Aaron's old friend really likes curing people or if he just likes making money as a healer. And what really sucks is that there's no new eps of a Revolution or The Blacklist until the end of February! Aargh!
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1-22-14. American Hustle
I saw this Monday night, and loved it! Of course I'd heard about the awards it has won and been nominated for, which made me curious. My sister-in-law Heather had said she really enjoyed it, which was a good reference for me, since she has great taste. Still, you always wonder if you will like it as much as everyone else. The storyline, if you don't know, is about two cons (Christian Bale and Amy Adams) being forced into a big con by an ambitious FBI agent (Bradley Cooper). They all played their parts so so well. I totally fell into the story. It was so believable. That's not easy to do with me, as I took film history in college and my brother works in the industry. I'm used to critiquing cinematography, sound effects, etc. I totally forgot all of that while I watched. Jennifer Lawrence was also excellent as Christian Bale's neurotic, lonely wife. The soundtrack and the costumes were great, also. Made me miss the 70's a little bit. (I was too young to go to discos and all that, but I remember the music and fashion.)
Bottom line, if you like dramas with interesting, real characters, go see it.
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1-20-2014 - New Blacklist tonight!
Monday night is one of my favorite TV nights. There's not much that I like on until 10:00, but I do look forward to The Blacklist each week. So now that Red has gotten revenge on all of the people who sold him out, I'm curious to see how they'll proceed. It seems like it will be sort of back to the usual, except that he only wants to talk to Lizzie alone. And there's the back story about Alan Alda's character and how he's linked to both the "post office" where Lizzie works and Red. It seems obvious that he's somehow controlling Red (the "we can get to you anywhere, any time" comment.) I'm curious to know how and why.
I was also happy with Revolution last week, but I'll write about that later. Going to see American Hustle tonight!
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1-8-14 - Finally a new episode of Revolution tonight!
I'm happy the holidays are over. Life gets back to normal, and since this year was my first Christmas since my Dad died, it wasn't 100% happy. Plus there's been nothing good on TV!! When the temperatures are below zero, most people (including me) don't feel like going out. So I'm glad that some shows are returning this week. Revolution is new at 8 tonight. Yay! (Unfortunately Criminal Minds isn't back yet, we have the People's Choice Awards on instead.) And next Monday The Blacklist will be back, too! I have always loved James Spader, and he doesn't disappoint in this series. I'm also curious about the new show with Josh Holloway (aka Sawyer from LOST). I watched it tonight, but that wasn't enough to be sure if it's a "keeper". Unfortunately it's regular time slot is Monday at 10 pm, the same time as The Blacklist and Castle. It's going to have to be pretty damn good to compete with those 2 shows.
And we have to wait until next month for Scandal. Sigh...
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12-12-13 The Scandal Winter finale
I don't know why, but I thought last week's episode of Scandal was the last one. What a nice surprise to turn it on tonight and find out it was a new episode! Although I missed the first 15 minutes, so I'll have to watch it online. Once again, mind blowing. I was tired when I watched last week's ep, so I forgot about Sally killing her husband. So interesting that Cyrus seems to be falling apart, to an extent, and Mellie is totally focused on how this will help their campaign. And the ending where James tells Cyrus what job he wants and Cyrus agrees, with a mix of relief and sadness, was brilliant, imo. It shows how a marriage can be torn apart, and also how it can be carefully glued back together based only on desperation (Cyrus) and resignation to the practicality of it (James). Then there were the scenes between Fritz and Olivia's father - wow. I wondered what Fritz was thinking when he said "you don't know anything about me." And I found out at the end when her father went to work and discovered that Jake had taken over his position as Commander of B613! That was the greatest scene! I loved how Jake told him he could take a skills test and apply for a job there if he wanted to!!
And what is up with the Quinn-hating? I looked at tweets afterwards and saw all of these people who think she should die. I feel bad for her. She looked up to Huck, and he tortured her without even giving her a chance to tell him why she killed the guard. The scene where she told Charlie that last week all she had to think about was weather to get highlights in her hair, and now her life is like a bad dream. I totally related to that! Not that I've ever been tortured or have been an assassin, but I've had times when my life turned upside down, and became so bizarre that I longed for one day of banal normalcy. Then tonight she tried to go back to work, to show Huck that she still had loyalty to him and Olivia, and he basically said "you're not good enough." So she returns to Charlie, only because she has nowhere else to go. Charlie is becoming a little more likable, at least, since he is so nice to her.
And then we come to the most bizzaro person, Olivia's mother! She was a person with no allegiance to any country, selling her services to the highest bidder, and she decides to have a child??? I can see why she married the head of B613, but why have a child? I have a lot of questions about her. She was creepy at the end when she told Olivia that she'd see her soon. Ewww. That gives bad mother-daughter relationships a whole new level!
So... now the long wait until February. (And only 8 more episodes when it does come back! You know those 8 episodes are going to fly by.) I am looking forward to seeing Jon Tenney's new character come on the show. I loved him as Fritz on The Closer, so hopefully he'll be equally good on Scandal. Then again, if he's going to be Mellie's love interest, who knows what he'll be like?
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12-9-13 The last Scandal, and The Blacklist
Wow, last week's episode was surprising. I never would have guessed Olivia's mom was a traitor, terrorist, etc. And I was disappointed that Huck tortured Quinn and enjoyed it so much. It's one thing to like torturing some stranger who you're assigned to torture. Still a little scary, but I've always liked the bad boys and I thought that Huck was really a good guy with that one problem in the past. But to enjoy torturing a colleague who is pleading with you not to do it? A colleague that you were friends with? That crossed the line into "okay, he is not quite right". Plus it dashed my hopes that he and Quinn would get together. **sigh**
On another note, what did you think of the last Blacklist episode? Yes, I love that show, too. James Spader is amaze balls (always has been), and Megan Boone is quite good, too. I'm curious to know who Alan Alda was representing, since they're blackmailing Redd. And I still think something is not right about Lizzie's husband. He's simply too nice to be "true". Plus there was that bit that Redd told her about not trusting him. And do I believe that she's not his daughter? No. In a way it would be nice if the story was more complicated than that, but at the same time I want him to be her Dad. Must wait and see. TV is going to be very boring for the next month and a half. Although Criminal Minds is new this week, yay!!
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11-25-13 Criminal Minds is getting better
I haven't been writing much about Criminal Minds lately. That doesn't mean it hasn't been good, though. I've enjoyed it, and apparently so have others. It's ratings have been up the past 2 weeks. Personally I'm glad that they gave Morgan a girlfriend, as long as she stays just a girlfriend. As long as he and Garcia are single, there is still hope for them, and that's good enough for me. The unsubs have been not as gross, which makes me happy. I like the psychology of it, not the goriness.
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11-22-13 apparently the answer is yes
Mama Pope chewing chunks out of her wrist was beyond gross! Couldn't keep watching that. And the ending.... mama Pope killed the Doc and escaped, Cyrus saw photos of his husband with Sally's husband (didn't he think that MIGHT happen? Guess not.), Quinn discovered Huck DID see her in the video footage, and he was waiting for her with her torture tools? Really? And then the part where Olivia's Mom said "hello" to her. All if that in the last few minutes! And then the previews... Did you see Huck hanging from a noose? And licking Quinn's face? (Ewwww). I'm pretty sure it was Huck, anyhow, since there was stubble on the face and Huck has stubble. I really like him so I hope he doesn't die. I like Quinn, too, so hope he doesn't torture her, either. And I have to wait 2 weeks to see it! And then it will be off air for who knows how long for Christmas. I can see Scandal withdrawal in my future.
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11-15-13 Could Scandal possibly blow my mind any more?
Tonight's episode of Scandal left me speechless. One surprise after another, which is why the show is so popular. So tonight, we find out that in the distant past, Fitz's father raped Mellie/Millie, which was oh so gross. And Fitz's oldest child may not be his. It could be his sibling!! Oh, and yes, he shot down the plane that Olivia's mother was on. But wait, she wasn't on it. She's still alive! Apparently she's been kept captive by Olivia's father for all of these years. And B613 has a new employee, thanks to their blackmailing of one of Olivia's gladiators. (Whose name is escaping me right now because I'm so tired.) Oh, and the Vice President's husband turned out not to be a womanizer, he's a manizer. Could they have packed any more revelations into one episode?
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10-1-13 What did you think of the first episode of the new season?
of Criminal Minds, of course. I was happy to have the team back. I'm always happy every fall when new shows/episodes come on. And now Revolution is on right before Criminal Minds (albeit on another channel). So, two hours of good TV for me! But... I wasn't thrilled with the storyline of Criminal Minds. It was a little too gross for me, and a little too "out there". I felt like they were going for the gross factor rather than a good story and interesting profiling. A praying mantis, really?? And feeding some one's head to prisoners before you kill them? Oh so gross. There have been story lines with cannibalism before, and I've been okay with them. Most notably the episode with the devil-worshipping psycho who fed fingers to his victims. But we weren't shown them being fed the fingers, or the guy carrying them around. This guy carried the decomposing head around. At least on the other story (can't remember the season off the top of my head), it was balanced by Garcia meeting the guy who shoots her at the end, and the story woven throughout the episode of her and Morgan arguing. There were no personal stories woven in with this episode, other than the very brief mentions of Hotch being offered the Assistant Director's job.
I hope that they're not going to continue relying on horror-movie types of plots just to gross out the audience. I want the psychological profiling that made the show so good from the start. That's why the show is called Criminal MINDS.
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5-22-13 season finale of Criminal Minds
How did you like the 2 hour finale? I was looking forward to seeing Hotch's brother, because he was quite cute the last time. I wasn't crazy about his beard this time, but I enjoyed the finale, nonetheless. It's a nice change to have everything wrap up at the end of the season instead of having the usual cliffhanger. I'm guessing it had something to do with the writers not being certain who would be back next season, or even if the show would be back. I'm so glad that the whole gang will be back, except for Paget. I've accepted that she has moved on, though. So, now we have reruns for a few months. As my sister said, "the barren TV wasteland of summer."
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5-12-13 - Update - all contracts are signed and Criminal Minds was picked up for Season 9!
I'm a little behind in my update, but last Friday the word came out that EVERYONE had signed new contracts, and CBS had renewed Criminal Minds for another year. The ladies still didn't get as much money as Matthew Gray Gubler and Shemar Moore, but the word is that they got a substantial increase. Obviously it was enough to make them sign. I'm so glad that I don't have to decide if I'm going to continue to watch the show!
AND, speaking of criminals and people who catch them, did you hear that FOX is bringing Keifer Sutherland and 24 back for one season? Yes, that's true! I am so psyched about that, even if I have to wait until next May (yes, of 2014) to watch it.
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5-9-13 - No more Criminal Minds?
As of yesterday, CBS hadn't renewed Criminal Minds for a new season. Most of the cast's contracts are up, so everyone is in negotiations except Matthew Gray Gubler and the new addition, Jeanne Tripplehorn. It's rumored that Thomas Gibson and Joe Mantegna are close to accepting new contracts. Shemar is still far from the salary that he wants, and Kirsten Vangsness and A.J. Cook are close to walking away. Apparently CBS didn't learn anything from the viewers outrage when they cut A.J. Cook and Paget Brewster back in 2010. They have only been paying the women half or less than half of what Matthew and Shemar make. A.J. and Kirsten have finally had enough, and have said that if they don't get salaries comparable to what the men make, they will leave. They are negotiating together, so either both get a good deal, or both leave.
I'm amazed that this is happening AGAIN. Are they complete idiots at CBS?? I love Thomas Gibson, Joe Mantegna, and Matthew Gray Gubler, but if the 2 women and Shemar leave, I don't think the show will be good anymore. The plots have gotten either a little too far-fetched or a little too formulaic, so that isn't keeping me watching. What keeps me watching is the team - their interesting personalities and stories. If half of the team gone, I don't think I'd want to watch it.
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4-4-13 Finally a new ep of Criminal Minds!
And it was a Morgan-centric episode. My favorite part was towards the end where Morgan spoke to the press. There are so many people, male and female, who have been sexually abused/molested/attacked. Some have probably never talked to anyone about it. Having a strong male character talk about the ways that it affected him and does effect others was a great idea. I applaud Shemar for doing the scene so realistically, as well. And so glad for a new episode, although I'm wondering why they just dropped the storyline about the team's stalker, who is obviously still out there. I feel like they should at least say something referencing it.
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http://youtu.be/n0TZPaWEe84
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12-22-12 - Holiday movies
4-4-13 Finally a new ep of Criminal Minds!
And it was a Morgan-centric episode. My favorite part was towards the end where Morgan spoke to the press. There are so many people, male and female, who have been sexually abused/molested/attacked. Some have probably never talked to anyone about it. Having a strong male character talk about the ways that it affected him and does effect others was a great idea. I applaud Shemar for doing the scene so realistically, as well. And so glad for a new episode, although I'm wondering why they just dropped the storyline about the team's stalker, who is obviously still out there. I feel like they should at least say something referencing it.
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2-22-13 - Criminal Minds and Scandal
There's a lot of good TV on right now. Criminal Minds came back new after not being on the past 2 weeks, and it looks like next week we'll finally find out something more about the person who has been quietly stalking the team all season. Any guesses?
I've also been watching "The Americans" the past few weeks. If you're not familiar, it's set in the 1980s in Washington, DC. It focuses on a married couple who live in suburbia and who are Russian spies. So far it's pretty good.
Of course, it would be hard to be better than "Scandal". This Thursday night ABC show is fast becoming my favorite. Again, if you haven't watched it... It's also set in DC, and mainly revolves around a team of "problem solvers". The team, led by Olivia Pope, who used to be a strategist for the President, has an interesting collection of people. All of them come from different backgrounds, but what they have in common is that before Olivia took them under her wing, their lives were very bad. Olivia has a torrid on again, off again affair with the President. And most every week there is some new scandal that Olivia's group has to prevent from ruining some one's life. It is a fantastic show. I hate when it ends because I have to wait another week to watch it again.
And my last mention is Touch, Keifer Sutherland's new series. It just started it's 2nd season, and it couldn't be more different than 24. But it's still just as fascinating. It's probably more of a cerebral show than 24, and definitely has much less violence and blood. It's on Friday nights at 9 pm on Fox.
1-22-2013 - Flashpoint fans?
Any of you Criminal Minds fans also Flashpoint fans? I just discovered this show last spring, right before they announced that they were canceling it. It's a Canadian show that was picked up by CBS (I think) for a short time. Now it's being produced by ION and shown on ION. Tonight's episode says it will be the "ultimate sacrifice" for one of the members. I suspect that it will be Greg Parker, the boss of Team One.
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1-16-2013 - Reid alert! Reid-focused episode of Criminal Minds tonight
We finally get the story about Reid's girlfriend, although I suspect it's not going to have a happy ending after seeing the promos. The episode has to do with her stalker, and next week's episode says that Reid is dealing with a personal loss. I can't say I'm surprised. I don't think they'd want Reid to have a regular girlfriend with his huge fan following. Nevertheless, tonight's episode does look good. I'm really looking forward to it since we haven't had a new episode since before Christmas.
**edit** Wow, that was a REALLY depressing ending. As the episode went on, I began hoping that she wouldn't be killed, but would have to go away or something similar. I wasn't expecting to feel so bad for Reid when she got killed (and didn't see that ending coming). Kudos to Matthew for doing such an excellent job. I was totally drawn into the story and the emotion.
**edit** Wow, that was a REALLY depressing ending. As the episode went on, I began hoping that she wouldn't be killed, but would have to go away or something similar. I wasn't expecting to feel so bad for Reid when she got killed (and didn't see that ending coming). Kudos to Matthew for doing such an excellent job. I was totally drawn into the story and the emotion.
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1-14-13 - Shemar at the People's Choice Awards
Did any of you see Shemar Moore (Morgan) introduce Alicia Keys at the People's Choice Awards? He was wearing glasses and looked sooooo good! Here are some photos of him from CBS's behind the scenes Criminal Minds web site, and a link to a video of him at the awards. Yum!
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| Shemar in car on the way to the People's Choice Awards |
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| Shemar working out. Look at those abs! |
Here's the link to the video of Shemar. It's short but good!
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12-22-12 - Holiday movies
So, are you tired of holiday movies yet, or do you love them? Whichever category you fall in, I have a movie recommendation for you. It is a Christmas movie, but nothing like the typical ones. And if I remember correctly, it's true. It's titled "Joyeaux Noel", and you'll have to rent it, because I've never seen it broadcast on TV. For me it represents hope and love, regardless of the bad news that we've had so much of lately. Try it and let me know if you like it!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------12-7-12 - What did you think of Matthew's ep of Criminal Minds?
It certainly was unusual. And soooo creepy! I'm fascinated by the story of Reid's girlfriend, too. I wonder if there is going to be any link between her stalker and whomever is stalking the team. She looked much younger on this episode than the last one, which made me happy. She looks like a perfect match for Reid, and I LOVED that they got each other the same book. Disappointed that they didn't get to meet, though. It's a great storyline, though. I can't wait to see them meet.
I'm also loving the TV show Scandal. Do any of you watch it? It was very interesting to find out who had actually blown up the building/people that Quinn was accused of bombing. I also can't wait to find out if it was really Huck that shot the President. I'm guessing it wasn't. I can't wait to see it next week.
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11-30-12 - Now I think I've got it
That is, why the "photographer unsub" took Morgan's glass while Morgan was speaking (Criminal Minds). Someone is killing people in the same way as some of the unsubs that the team has caught this year. I'm assuming it's the same guy who is stalking them. And now that guy has Morgan's fingerprints. Is he planning to put Morgan's fingerprints on something at a crime scene (or maybe even the glass itself) in order to set Morgan up? I think so.
And on related but not directly related subjects.... Didn't Garcia look great at the dinner?
Also I'm very curious about next week's episode, which is the one that Matthew Gray Gubler directed. He keeps saying that it will be unlike any other episode, and from the preview, that looks to be true.
Here is a pic of Matthew and A.J. Cook that he posted from the Hollywood Christmas parade.
11-12-12 - Revolution, and who is taking the pictures on Criminal Minds?
So here's my TV recap for last week...
First, I wondered if anyone else is watching Revolution on Monday nights? I have been, and I'm enjoying it. I'm fascinated by the story of how they lost electric power and how the pendants can make it come back on, albeit temporarily. I can't believe that there are only 3 episodes left this year. It just started!! I guess they only did 13 eps so they could try it out before they committed to more.
The other story line I'm intrigued with is who is taking and developing pictures of the BAU Team on Criminal Minds. My suspicion is that it's the art teacher who they suspected of kidnapping 2 girls. It turned out that it wasn't him, but at the end they showed an eerie scene of him developing photos of one of the girls who had been kidnapped. I thought that was a set up for another story, and I've been waiting to see if they picked up on it. So, that's my guess. Any others?
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11-5-12 - How cute was "Henry" dressed up as Reid?
On last week's episode of Criminal Minds? I loved it. What better costume than Dr. Reid? I also love that Henry is A.J. Cook's real son. He's a cutie!
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10-30-12 - Episode 10 directed by Matthew Gray Gubler
Can't wait to see what this episode is going to be like. Here's a message from Matthew about it:
that's a wrap on episode 810. brace yourself for something unlike anything you've ever seen. now into the wonderful world of editing.
It ought to be interesting!
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10-28-12 - The Doctor is Insane
What did everyone think of the episode last week? I thought it was very good. Certainly the unsub was unusual. And I was glad that they didn't show too many gory scenes. I was a little disappointed that we only got a glimpse of Reid's love interest, and just a little bit of information about her, too. I had read that we would meet his girlfriend in this episode, so I'd imagined that he'd be WITH the girl. I also assumed that she'd be his age, but the woman that they showed looked older than him. It will be interesting to find out the story behind her, but it seems like a situation where Reid will end up getting hurt, and that's not what I thought the story would be.
Aside from that, though, I enjoyed the episode. I'm also pleased with the way that they're slowly weaving Alex into the storyline. Her character is much more realistic than Agent Seaver. So far so good!
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10-3-12 - Season 8 premiere of Criminal Minds
Well, it's finally back! I have to say, when I first saw Prentiss/Paget's replacement, I thought "I don't like her. This isn't going to work". For a bit I wondered if this was the last straw that would make me quit watching the show. But I continued watching. I loved the storyline about Morgan and Garcia being in London and staying with Emily. And I must say, Kirsten/Garcia is looking more fabulous than ever! The basic storyline was a little predictable - unsub with a gross signature, several scenes that I couldn't watch (I can take a lot without being grossed out but something about mutilating the face, especially the mouth gets to me), Reid does the "brainy" work but doesn't go out in the field, unsub kills himself at the end. I know they only have 42 minutes or so, but I wish they could change things up a bit. I liked the first few seasons where there was more profiling and not many scenes of the unsub, and Reid was in the field with everyone else.
BUT, on the plus side, I liked the way they're developing Alex (the newbie), and I loved that they channeled my feelings about Prentiss being gone through Garcia's character (yes, that was intentional on their part). And the ending totally hooked me. I already have an idea of who I think is stalking them, but I've read that it's a season-long story, so I'll have to wait to find out if I'm right. I've also read that Reid gets involved with a girl in episode 4, and I can't wait to see that!! I'm wondering if it will be the same episode that this photo came from:
I hope it's done similarly to the story with him and Lila, the starlet who he was protecting early in the show. That storyline was what got me watching Criminal Minds regularly. I hear Thomas Gibson (my imaginary husband) will be directing episode 15. I'm excited to see that, too. And in related news, Shemar has finally started a Twitter account! He links a lot of Instagram photos to his tweets, which are oh so yummy! I love the photo below from a tweet saying that he'd run out of gas on the way home from work.
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| Photo credit: Shemar Moore |
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9-13-12 - Two more weeks to Season 8 of Criminal Minds
After watching the re-run last night of last season's finale, I'm excited and sad at the same time. I can't imagine the hole that Paget will leave. I know that she and Joe Mantegna were both replacements, and with that in mind, I'm going to keep an open mind. But I will still miss Paget/Prentiss. She had such a great combination of wit, intelligence, bravery, and caring. Prentiss was quite a fascinating character. I wish the "powers that be" had never messed with the contracts of Paget and A.J. Cook two years ago. If they hadn't I doubt Paget would have left. But that's water under the bridge, so I'm crossing my fingers and looking forward to seeing all of my other favorite cast.
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7-1-12 - Happy Birthday to Thomas Gibson
On July 3rd Thomas Gibson, who plays Aaron Hotchner on Criminal Minds, will celebrate his 50th birthday. If you'd like to leave him a birthday message, click the link below. If you're an H/P shipper scroll down for the last photo.
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| photo from CBS |
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| photo from Thomas Gibson |
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| photo credit - CBS |
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6/16/12 - New character for season 8 Criminal Minds premiere
I read the other day that CBS has hired a "replacement" for Paget Brewster on Criminal Minds. You've probably seen her in other movies or on HBO's "Big Love" - Jeanne Tripplehorn. I saw her first in the movie "Basic Instinct" and also as Tom Cruise's character's wife in The Firm". I'm not sure how I feel about her being part of the BAU team, but I'll certainly give it a chance. After all, Paget wasn't part of the original cast and I grew to love her, as well as Joe Mantegna as Rossi. I'm still sad that Paget has left, though. :-(
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5/30/12 - Now there's nothing
on TV that I really want to watch. No wonder I feel so blah today. I guess this will give me more time to spend on my Pinterest addiction. And theoretically, I should have more time for the gym. If I can ever get my sleep flipped back to a normal schedule where I'm awake during the day and evening hours. For several years now I've been keeping vampire hours. It has it's pros and cons. The cons are that it's hard to have a social life when you can't get to stores or restaurants before they close! And it's hard to find work. If there were no internet and no social media I'd have gone crazy years ago. I wrote to a sleep clinic last night and begged them to help me, so we'll see what happens.
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5/21/12 - Another goodbye
Yet another finale, but this one is especially sad since it's the series finale of House. I've been watching it since the 2nd season, when a friend of mine suggested that I might like it. Although I would never talk to people the way that House did, I loved the show. It made me laugh often and cry sometimes, too. The last few years have been up and down as far as the writing of the eps, but overall I continued to love it and watch it weekly. Now there's one less show to challenge me intellectually and make me laugh. And all because Fox didn't want to pay the salaries anymore. As House would say - "Idiots". I guess I do talk like him sometimes.
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5/16/12 - Criminal Minds season finale tonight
It's finally here (*sniff, sniff*) this season's finale for Criminal Minds. Paget Brewster's last episode as a regular cast member. The producers are hoping that she'll come back for a few episodes here and there, so the reason for her exit has to be something that leaves the door open for that. Since they've also said that there will be a wedding at the end of the 2 hour finale, I'm hoping it will be Hotch and Prentiss. I highly doubt it, but I'd love it. I also know that one of the BAU will be a hostage in the bank robbery tonight, so that might be Prentiss, and if it's Prentiss that could also be the reason that she leaves the BAU.
Anyone else have any ideas? I am really going to miss her. Here's a few of my favorite pics with Paget in them. Don't forget to tweet #goodbyePrentiss and #we'llmissyouPaget on Twitter.
4/9/12 - Julie P (Bethenny's former assistant) moves back to Pittsburgh! Yay for Pittsburgh.
As a regular watcher of Bethenny Ever After on Bravo, I knew her assistant Julie was from Pennsylvania, but I didn't know she was from Pittsburgh until tonight. On the show that aired tonight she said she was moving back to Pittsburgh. So many great people are born and raised in this area. It is a unique city, with down to earth, hard-working people. The downside for me (aside from the winter weather) is that since it's not a huge city it doesn't get all of the same stores as other cities I've lived in (Atlanta, GA and Irvine, CA. Irvine is only about an hour south of L.A., and it's closest mall is the Rodeo Drive of Orange County). So when I moved back here (an hour north of Pittsburgh), I had major "big city" withdrawal. I still do, which makes me wonder if Julie did or is.
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2/27/12 - Monday's shows - House, Bethenny Ever After, Castle
I'm trying to add a little variety to my posts about TV shows. So tonight I would normally be excited to watch House, but it wasn't on. :-( I'm not a Daytona 500 fan, so I was disappointed. At least now it's 9 pm and another of my shows is on - Bethenny Ever After. I like this show because it makes me believe that anything can happen in your life. And it often makes me laugh. I like Nick, the guy who writes her food blog. He seems very sweet, and maybe he'll take Bethenny's advice on grooming and he'll have more dates. And after this I watch Castle, because I LOVE procedural dramas (aka police shows). I think the characters Castle and Beckett play very well together, and I enjoy the humor written into the show. What else? I also like the show Unforgettable a lot, Project Runway, of course, and Person of Interest. And I have high hopes for Touch (the new Fox show with Keifer Sutherland) and Awake (NBC on Thursday at 10, I think). They need to come up with some good new shows since they've been taking my favorites away (LOST, 24, and now House). Yes, I'm a TV junkie. I grew up in a family that watched TV all of the time, so I can't imagine not having one. I like the noise, even if I'm not watching it. Do you have any shows that you look forward to each week? Please share!
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2/15/2012 - Paget Brewster (Emily) won't be back to Criminal Minds next year
I just found out tonight that once Paget's contract ends this year, she plans to move on to other things. I have a feeling that it has to do with the way she's been treated the past 2 years by the legal team at CBS. First they said they were letting both her and AJ Cook go (not renewing their contracts). Then after fans petitioned and complained they asked both of them to come back this year. Paget had an option to get out of her contract if she did a pilot for a new show and it was picked up. That didn't happen, however, and since the fans wanted her back, I read that she was forced to come back to the show by the "powers that be". So basically they let her go, then told her that she had to come back. Not a good way to treat someone if you want them to stay.
I love all of the cast of the show, and I will keep watching it, but I will miss Emily's character tremendously. She brings a subtle humor to the show that I enjoy, as well as her compassionate but kick-ass style. Definitely our loss.
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| Paget and Kirsten aka Emily and Garcia |
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| Paget and Shemar during filming |
2/4/12 - Shemar Moore wearing only a towel
Need I say more?? Next week's episode of Criminal Minds - Morgan (Shemar) comes out of Garcia's (Kirsten Vangsness) bathroom wearing only a towel. Oh. My. God. The previews made me drool! I can't wait to see the full episode. Sooooo excited!! In honor of that, here are a few of my fav photos of Shemar.
2/7/12 - Oh I've seen more, and it's good
I just watched the seen with Garcia and Morgan, and it is great. Garcia has the typical "I'm so hungover, I don't remember what I did" problem. Although that's predictable, I think it's going to be a fun storyline. And the few seconds of Shemar standing there all wet with just a towel is worth enough to make my whole day. **sigh** I can't wait.
Photos from Thomas Gibson
1/20/12 - True Genius - this past week's episode of Criminal Minds
Fans of Matthew Gray Gubler (including me) were rewarded this week with an episode that focused on Dr. Reid. It was great to see him fully using his genius to outsmart an evil genius, and his discussion with Prentiss (Paget Brewster) was great. The surprise birthday party for him at the end was so nice. It made me happy and I wasn't even there! I'll have to go look to see who wrote this episode, because they deserve praise for an intriguing and heart-warming episode. And it looks like Matthew's hair is getting a little longer, which makes me happy too.
1/16/2012 - What type of make-up is most often used on Paget Brewster and Kirsten Vangsness?
I see people searching for this when I look at my blog stats, so I just wanted to give a quick answer. It's MAC. Of course the color and item vary depending on the episode, I do know that especially when it comes to their lipstick, their make-up artist uses MAC. Fast Play is a color that I know she's used on Paget a few times. I know because I ask her and often she's kind enough to answer. So there you go! If I wanted to replicate their look, that's the brand I'd use.
Click here to go to MAC's web site
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1/2/12 - Thank goodness there are new shows on TV again!
Okay, I'll admit it, I looked forward to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills coming back with a new episode tonight. I don't watch every show in the "housewife" series, but since I used to live in California I do like watching this one. Tonight's episode was good. Now I want to go stay at the Four Seasons in Hawaii!
I also watched "It's a Brad, Brad World". It's interesting to see someone starting their own freelance styling business. Seeing the way it is in the beginning makes me realize how much work, especially physical work, that they have to do. Yet another job to cross off my list of potential careers, since I couldn't lug around all those clothes and equipment!
How about all of you? Are you happy to have any favorite shows coming up with new episodes?
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Buy of this season's Criminal Minds eps as well as music on iTunes:
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12/16/11 - Hotch jogging - what other Christmas gift do I need?
Last Wednesday's episode of Criminal Minds started with Agent Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) running in shorts and a t-shirt, training for a marathon. Oh.My.God. What a yummy way to start an episode! Some people are upset at the idea that the character might start dating. Two years ago his ex-wife was killed and he hasn't had any romantic interests on the show since then. I have no problem with Hotch dating, because a) he is just a character on a TV show, and b) I like to see nice things happen, especially on a show about FBI profilers. And if they keep showing him training for this marathon, that's enough to make me happy, no matter who he's training with! Thank you, CBS.
Photo by Thomas Gibson
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11/19/11 - I'm sure this past weeks episode of Criminal Minds made a lot of Garcia/Kirsten Vangsness fans happy. As usual she shined in the spotlight of a story that featured her empathy and caring. I'm pretty sure a computer tech wouldn't be allowed to walk into a hostage situation to negotiate, but in the pretend world of television, it was enjoyable to see her put on the Kevlar vest & take control of the situation. And again, she could talk a hostage taker out because she had listened to him talk before and remembered what his hot button issues were.
I read that this season they were going to focus on the character's personal lives more, and I'm so glad that they are. The cast is so great that it feels satisfying to get to see the team as people in addition to FBI agents. Here's some pics of Kirsten off set, which are always fun to see. All pictures are from Thomas Gibson, Kirsten, or AJ Cook, I believe.
11/9/11 - There were some great scenes on Criminal Minds tonight with J. J. (A. J. Cook) and Henry, her child which we last saw when he was an infant. He was sick and she was called out on a case, then while she was in Kansas she got a call from hubby that Henry had had a febrile seizure. She played the scenes very well (my niece had febrile seizures for several years and even though they say they're normal, they're scary). A.J. also did a great scene at the end reading a bed time story to her son long distance. I think these real, touching scenes are a great way to balance the sometimes gruesome subjects of the episodes. Thank you, AJ, for coming back to the show!
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| AJ meditating by the ocean. No wonder she does such a great job! She's got her head on straight. Photo by AJ Cook |
I just had to post this GREAT photo that Thomas Gibson posted on his blog. I'm not sure who took it, but I think it's a great shot.
Below is a truly funny photo that A.J. Cook posted of her and her husband dressed up for Halloween as two members of the 90's group Nirvana. Can you guess who?
I just finished watching an episode of Criminal Minds (since A and E runs a marathon of episodes on Sunday nights). I absolutely loved the end of the episode, where Hotch (Thomas Gibson) sees his son's Halloween costume - a suit with a badly tied tie. He asks his son what he's dressed up as, and Jack, his son, says "I'm you, Daddy". That just made me feel warm and fuzzy! The little boy who plays Jack (Cade Owens) is cute as can be - chubby little cheeks & is at that age where kids just start wanting to be independent. And of course Thomas Gibson is just so hot. I thought that he was cute when he was on Dharma and Greg, but I didn't watch the show regularly. His character on Criminal Minds, Aaron Hotchner, is sexy in so many ways. He's intelligent, a strong person, a leader, yet still gets along well with his team, has a deep, gentle voice, and always cares about the victims in the crimes that they investigate.
Here's some of my favorite pictures of him:
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