Tag Archives: abc

TV Review: Agent Carter S2E4 Smoke & Mirrors

Posted on by

Agent_CarterAgent Carter and the SSR learn there’s more than just a pretty face behind Hollywood star Whitney Frost, Peggy’s most dangerous foe yet.

I’ve been pretty down on the first three episodes of Marvel’s Agent Carter, but this fourth episode gets us closer to last season’s solid performance. The episode slows things down slightly, and instead of just focusing on the present, it also takes us back to the past revealing a lot of Peggy and Whitney’s pasts.

The episode does a good job getting back to the show’s feminist roots, especially comparing Whitney and Peggy’s experiences growing up and getting to where they are. Both have issues with their relatives telling them what they can and can’t do. In one case it’s their fiance, and in the other it’s their mother. Setting the two characters up like this is fantastic, and I wish this was done earlier this season and carried through the entirety.

I’m still not a fan of Whitney’s powers, and where that’s going I’m a bit weary, but this is much more to form and what I’d expect of the season. Here’s hoping they keep this up instead of going back to what we’ve seen.

Overall Score: 7.4

TV Review: The Muppets S1E11 Swine Song

Posted on by

muppets-tv-show-posterThe whole crew just returned from hiatus, and everyone is rested, recharged and ready to get back to work. But when a new branding guru (Utkarsh Ambudkar) comes in to revamp “Up Late,” the gang rallies together and realizes that they don’t need gimmicks and hijinks; they just need each other and a couple of familiar tunes to get them back on track.

The Muppets returns after a holiday break and a much talked about reworking of the show. This first episode has some good and bad, with a lot good, and most of that around the fact the show faces down this change, and outright mocks it.

By handling the pivot the way the show has, it feels like a natural progression to get the show back  to what individuals might expect from the classic The Muppet Show. There’s some musical numbers, some cheesy bits, and the show purposely does all of that working in the changes decreed by the network.

There’s some awesome to that take and the show doesn’t throw away everything that came before. There’s still some really messed up comments from the Muppets. There’s jokes only adults will get. There’s twisted humor. There’s also Kermit singing, guest appearances, and a bit lighter tone, veering from the previous one that some thought was too mean.

The episode reminds me of one of the previous ones that had a lot of elements from the classic Muppet show.

I’d imagine this will be a slow progression, which is the smart way to go, and it looks like they’ve got a decent balance so far with what they’re doing. We’ll see where it goes from here, but so far so good.

If you gave up on the show, it’s worth checking out this “revamped” direction, it might be closer to what you were hoping for.

Overall Rating: 8.2

TV Review: Agent Carter S2E3 Better Angels

Posted on by

Agent_CarterPeggy’s quest to learn the truth about Zero Matter steers her into a confrontation with her superiors, as barnstorming Howard Stark shows up.

I’m not quite sure what it is about this second season of Marvel’s Agent Carter, but it’s not capturing me as the first season did. The three episodes so far are much more in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. quality, and that’s a show I only watch because I don’t want to miss something when it comes to continuity.

This third episode has Peggy teaming up with Howard and Jarvis to infiltrate a club they are sure are is connected to what’s going on and they have clues as to what’s going on. It’s dumb luck and a bit too easy they figured that aspect out.

Then there’s this whole thing about gravity around Peggy. That aspect is beyond silly, and the reveal is so bad it’s almost comical.

The series so far has been taking some bad aspects and mixing them in. The Arena Club feels like a bad Hellfire Club knock off. The girl power from the first season is missing. The story’s progression is much too easy.

And when has Madame Masque had those powers?

Overall Score: 6.6

TV Review: Agent Carter S2E1 The Lady in the Lake, S2E2 A View in the Dark

Posted on by

Agent_CarterIn the first episode, dedicated to the fight against new Atomic Age threats in the wake of World War II, Agent Carter journeys from New York City to Los Angeles for her most dangerous and bizarre assignment yet.

In the second episode, Peggy discovers her murder investigation has huge ramifications that can destroy her career, as well as everyone near and dear to her.

Agent Carter is back in a two hour episode that sees her heading across the country to Los Angeles to deal with a strange death that of course turns in to so much more. Making the debut might actually have been a mistake as I found myself spacing out as the show moved along.

The episode kicks off with a dead body and some weird ice like substance and spins out in to weird goo that looks like a certain black mass from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The episode is a decent follow up to last season, but the pacing, and action all fall a bit flat with both too much attempting to be fit in, and not enough at the same. Finishing watching the episode, I feel like I’m unsure exactly what I watched and it was all forgettable in a way.

The good of it is the characters themselves.

Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter is fantastic as usual. Her back and forth with James D’Arcy‘s Edwin Jarvis is excellent. I will say that an increased role for Enver Gjokaj‘s Daniel Sousa was a nice addition. He’s an excellent actor and using him more is great.

The acting and interactions are solid, the plot though is almost forgettable, like we’ve seen it before elsewhere. It doesn’t feel unique or intrinsic to her, unlike the first season. Also missing is that solid feminist message. Some guys give her a look and check her out, but that’s about all there is. When the second hour came to a close, I had mostly forgotten what I watched during the last two hours.

While it’s nice to see Agent Carter back, I had hoped it’d have been better than this.

Overall Score: 6.3

Agent Carter Gets Episode Synopsis and Cast Photos

Posted on by

ABC has released a whole bunch of info and new cast photos for Marvel’s Agent Carter which has it second season starting this month. Along with the new images, there’s also synopsis for the first two episodes.

The season premiere in January 19 9|8c.

Episode 201 Lady in the Lake

Peggy moves to the City of Angels to help Chief Daniel Sousa at the West Coast Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) investigate a bizarre homicide involving an alleged killer and Isodyne Energy, and reunites

Episode 202 A View in the Dark

Peggy discovers her murder investigation has huge ramifications that can destroy her career, as well as everyone near and dear to her.

The Best Show You’re Not Watching, American Crime

Posted on by
AMERICAN CRIME - "American Crime," ABC's Emmy-nominated series, will make its second-season premiere WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET). The second season is set in the U.S. Midwest, representative of the canvas that is America, at two high schools, one public and one private. (ABC/Ryan Green) JOHN RIDLEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR)

JOHN RIDLEY (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR)

Some of the best television of 2015 went pretty much unseen. American Crime saw it’s first season on ABC average a 1.16 rating in the 18-49 demographic with 4.98 million total viewers. The series created by producer John Ridley (of 12 Years a Slave fame) is an anthology series that addresses real world issues and some of the best acting on television.

The first season addressed the murder of a young man and assault of his wife. Four individuals are brought in for the crime, two Hispanic, one African-American, and one a white woman. What followed was a complicated story that left you wondering who actually was behind the crime as every story became more complicated and character provided more depth in a season than many on tv get in an entire series run. At time uncomfortable, the first season was thought provoking and challenged the viewer to address their own biases and prejudices. It’s not surprising so many looked the other way.

ABC saw past the low ratings, bringing back the series for a second season with many of the same actors in new roles, this time addressing high school drinking, drugging, sexual assault, sexual orientation, socioeconomic disparity, social media, and more. It again continues the nuanced, gripping television the first season began. It’s also difficult to watch, much like the first.

I expected the first season to drive a conversation, a television show that was timely, smart, honest, and brutal. That didn’t happen. I hope the second season does the same, but I expect there to be more of the same, which is a shame since it’s some of the best television I’ve seen since the first season.

CONNOR JESSUP

CONNOR JESSUP

I’ve seen the first two episode and can say the performances by Connor Jessup as Taylor Blaine and Lili Taylor as his mother Anne are some of the best on tv right now, and deserve award attention when that time comes. Like last year, Felicity Huffman, Timothy Hutton, and Regina King continue to deliver performances of their careers. They’re joined by new and old faces alike for a cast that’s a tour de force.

Television is supposed to entertain, but entertainment can also challenge and make us think. That is embodied by this series’ first season, and so far its second. This is a series that should get us talking about our society, warts and all, and question our thoughts and opinions. By doing so, American Crime transcends entertainment.

The Emmy-nominated American Crime, will make its second-season premiere Wednesday, January 6, 2016 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET).

TV Review: The Muppets S1E10 Single All the Way

Posted on by

muppets-tv-show-posterThe gang is preparing for the annual “Up Late” live Christmas special with, special guest Mindy Kaling. Animal is in charge of tinsel, Sweetums hangs the lights, Sam Eagle strategically places the mistletoe – everything is in order. Or so it seems.

The Muppets has some really funny moments in this holiday themed episode. It’s an episode that is all over the place in what it dives in to for humor.

The main story involves Kaling who is on the show and is supposed to sing, but can’t. Which makes you wonder if this actually happens. Kaling is a nice clueless version of herself, and as a comedian I don’t normally enjoy, she’s pretty entertaining here.

The episode also focuses on Fozzy who has been dumped, thank god, since I really dislike his ex Becky. That plot line… don’t care about. I want them broken up.

The final plots have to deal with some regular things that go on. That person who wants to use the holiday to have that special moment with the girl he likes and secret Santa. All of that is decent and are kind of funny. Rowlf has the best moment and he seriously needs to be on more.

But, what the show really displays is that Muppet heart with everyone singing a nice song at the end of the episode which really feels like classic Muppets.

We’ve got a break until they come back, and we’ll see what happens with a slightly retooled show. We’ve seen they can do the right components, not to but it together perfectly.

Overall Rating: 7.8

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S3E10 Maveth

Posted on by

Agents_of_SHIELD_logoS.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra go head-to-head in a battle that will change Coulson’s world forever.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finishes the first half of its third season with those agents on Earth assaulting Hydra’s base and Coulson and Fitz dealing with being on an alien planet.

The team on Earth is doing what they can to capture the Hydra base so they can open the portal, and also free some of the Inhumans within. But it’s that focus of keeping the portal open that’s their main goal, which leads us to those on the other planet.

Coulson is pursing Ward who has Fitz, and it’s an act of revenge along with a rescue. That leads to some solid parts including a Coulson/Ward confrontation as well as a reveal about the character left on the planet.

The episode has a definitive ending in many ways. I expected there to be some big reveal about the Inhuman they’re trying to bring back to Earth, but none of that really happens, unless I missed a cool clue for comic fans.

The episode is one of the better this season with some good action, real tension, and some emotion. It’s focus on that, and moving away from fancy powers is a plus, as I think the series does best when it does so.

The ending reveal is a bit meh, but could be interesting to see where things go from here.

Overall Score: 7.8

TV Review: The Muppets S1E9 Going, Going, Gonzo

Posted on by

muppets-tv-show-posterAfter a show-stopping duet with Miss Piggy on “Up Late with Miss Piggy,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt joins Scooter, Pepe and the gang for poker night; The Great Gonzo gears up to perform his dream stunt; and Dave Grohl challenges Animal to a drum-off.

The Muppets mines a more classic vibe with an episode that mines Gonzo’s history as a stuntman. Gonzo decides he wants to do a stunt that he’s never had a chance to do. The episode also has Scooter wanting to experience life after surviving the same event.

Scooter decides to seek out The Electric Mayhem Band which is entertaining, but The Electric Mayhem Band gets awesome when Dave Grohl shows up to play with them. I seriously could watch the entire show just around him.

Gonzo’s story is funny at times, and goes in a direction that’s not surprising at all. The episode as a whole wasn’t full of too many laughs, but it was still really entertaining with a lot of references to the classic Muppets, guest stars, and some music. We even got Kermit to day is yay!

This episode is really close to where the series should be going with a bit of old, a bit of new, and it being fun and cute. Work in some more laughs and we’d have a winning formula for The Muppets going forward.

But really, drum off between Dave Grohl and Animal, that’s more enough to win me over.

Overall Rating: 7.6

TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S3E9 Closure

Posted on by

Agents_of_SHIELD_logoWard’s vendetta and plan for revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D. brings the team to their knees, and Coulson proves he will be willing to do anything to settle the conflict.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. does its best Stargate impersonation as the battle between Coulson and Ward heats up.

Ward takes revenge against Coulson which has Ward retaliate and then sends Coulson in a revenge focused rampage as he hunts down Ward. While all that’s happening, Hydra is working on opening up the stones…. and the show has become Marvel’s version of Stargate complete with a military unit in desert fatigues going through the portal.

But beyond the Stargate issue, the whole plot of the story contradicts Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In that film Arnim Zola says:

HYDRA was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom.

Well, that’s contradicted here. Continuity people!

The episode isn’t bad, it’s just a lot of action and little on logic. The episode, and the plot as a whole, could be so much more, but unfortunately it just doesn’t quite hold up, especially compared to its Netflix sister series. The series continues to be less than it should, while entertaining at times, it always finds bumps to get in its way.

Overall Score: 7.1

« Older Entries Recent Entries »