What I’m Watching This Fall

Man, I don’t know what it is about things lately, but Fall TV really snuck up on me again this year. At any rate, I hope you all had a lovely summer and are ready to dive back in to things! Here’s what I’m watching this fall:

RETURNING SHOWS

Supergirl (Sundays at 9 on the CW)

Supergirl had what I think was its strongest season last year. So many things worked about it, and I’m worried this season will be a letdown by comparison. However, I’m excited/nervous for the fallout of Lena discovering Kara’s secret, and it’ll be fun to see Alex and Kelly pursue a relationship.

Madam Secretary (Sundays at 10 on CBS)

This is the rare show where I’m happy it’s the final season AND that they’re only doing 10 episodes. It’s interesting that they pivoted from an election storyline to one where (*spoiler alert if you haven’t seen the promo*) Elizabeth is already president. I’m surprised by how many cast members won’t be returning as series regulars, but realistically very few of her staff would have made the jump to the White House, so it makes sense.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Sundays at 11 on HBO)

This isn’t really returning, as it was on a decent chunk of the summer, but John Oliver continues to keep me sane and informed, and I continue to appreciate it.

The Flash (Tuesdays at 8 on the CW)

Like Supergirl, I enjoyed the last season of this show but am looking forward to the coming one. I have a feeling that The Flash and Arrow will be the two most affected by the crossover, and I’m curious to see how that plays out. I will miss Nora, though.

Arrow (Tuesdays at 9 on the CW)

It definitely sounds like this year will be more of a season-long farewell, which I’m happy about. If any show deserves a proper sendoff, it’s this one. Again, 10 episodes feels like the right number, and I’m glad my previous concern that the crossover would also serve as Arrow‘s series finale didn’t amount to anything.

This Is Us (Tuesdays at 9 on NBC)

TIU can be a little frustrating but also one of the most affecting things on TV in the right week. I feel like they’re really selling this season’s premiere as a departure for the show, which I’m intrigued by. I’m also looking forward to having Jennifer Morrison back on my TV.

Survivor (Wednesdays at 8 on CBS)

I think the Boston Rob/Sandra twist is hokey and dumb, but there have been plenty of great seasons of Survivor with bad premises, so I won’t count it out yet. Honestly, I’m more excited about the whispers of an upcoming “all-winners” season than I am about this one.

Modern Family (Wednesdays at 9 on ABC)

10 seasons in, by now this is far from my favorite comedy. However, I’m confident they’ll stick the landing in their final season and probably make me cry along the way. I got in on MF early (after season 1), so it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to something I’ve been watching every week for almost a decade, regardless of what my feelings are toward it now.

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (Wednesdays at 10 on TBS)

This is the same deal as with John Oliver: I watched it throughout the summer and will keep doing so. Sam Bee’s been particularly sharp on female candidates and their media coverage this year, something I’m confident will continue this fall.

Grey’s Anatomy (Thursdays at 8 on ABC)

I’m leery of the weird “weekly crossover with Station 19” thing that’s been teased and walked back and then sort of teased again throughout the summer, but it would take a heck of a lot to make me quit Grey’s at this point. Like with Modern Family, I’m nearly a decade in.

Superstore (Thursdays at 8 on NBC)

I won’t actually be watching Superstore when it premieres, as I’m currently binging season 2. However, I’m already enjoying it enough to make catching up a priority, even when regular TV comes back.

The Good Place (Thursdays at 9 on NBC)

Unlike with Arrow and Madam Secretary, I’m bummed this is The Good Place‘s final season, but I respect it from a storytelling perspective. I can’t wait to see what Mike Schur and Co. have cooked up for us, and this is another “comedy” season that will definitely make me cry.

Legacies (Thursdays at 9 on the CW)

Legacies is pretty low on my list of show priorities, but I thought the first season was pleasantly surprising in spots. This cast has grown on me a lot since the pilot, too. At this point, I’d be a bit lost without a Julie Plec show in my life.

Saturday Night Live (Saturdays at 11:30 on NBC)

SNL didn’t start their season off on a good note, but I’m glad they rectified their mistake, even if it took longer than it should have. I’m excited about the other new cast members, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge + Taylor Swift is a hell of a combo for the second episode (I owe a decent chunk of my summer to Fleabag and Lover).

NEW SHOWS (NETWORK)

Batwoman (Sundays at 8 on the CW)

I’ll be very surprised if I don’t end up loving this one. I thought Ruby Rose was great in her few scenes during Elseworlds, and it’s awesome that she’ll be the first lesbian title superhero. Also, come next season (provided everything gets renewed), Grant Gustin will be only straight white guy leading a DC show on the CW, which is pretty cool.

Stumptown (Wednesdays at 10 on ABC)

I’ll admit that I’m still a little bitter at Stumptown for taking Whiskey Cavalier‘s spot, but I love Cobie Smulders (Robin was my favorite on How I Met Your Mother), and Jake Johnson was great on New Girl, too.

Perfect Harmony (Thursdays at 8:30 on NBC)

I’m less certain about Perfect Harmony; it may be one where I wait a couple of weeks to see what viewer/critical reception is like. It’s a cute premise, and I like Bradley Whitford and Anna Camp a lot, but I could also see it sitting in my virtual “to watch” pile for a while.

The Unicorn (Thursday at 8:30 on CBS)

I have similar feelings about this one, though I don’t think the premise is quite as novel as Perfect Harmony‘s is. The promos have made it look very “generic CBS comedy,” but several of the folks at TVLine said it was worth checking out, and they almost never lead me astray.

NEW SHOWS (STREAMING)

The Politician (Friday, September 27 on Netflix)

I probably won’t stress about checking out any streaming shows the first weekend they premiere, but The Politician is one I plan on getting around to at some point this fall. The trailer was pretty effective, juicy and fun, and I sound like a broken record, but another great cast.

Looking for Alaska (Friday, October 18 on Hulu)

I’m a longtime John Green fan, but LFA isn’t my favorite of his books. That being said, I know getting this one to the screen was a frustrating and lengthy process for him, so I’m happy about it for that reason. I’m also excited about it being the first TV adaptation of one of his books. Of all of them, LFA is probably the one best suited to TV over film.

Modern Love (Friday, October 18 on Prime Video)

Like with The Politician, this cast is borderline ridiculous (Anne Hathaway! Tina Fey!) and has the potential to be really great, I think. I only occasionally read “Modern Love” but am kind of surprised that it hasn’t been adapted before.

Your turn! What shows are you watching this fall and which ones are you particularly excited about? Hit the comments and let me know!

Supergirl Just Finished Its Best Season Yet

Supergirl isn’t a show I’ve written about much in the past, other than to give the odd shout out to a character or storyline I’m enjoying. That doesn’t mean I don’t love it; most seasons it’s my favorite Arrow-verse show (though Legends of Tomorrow sometimes gives it a run for its money), and at least three of its characters (Kara, Lena, and Alex) fall in my current top 10. It’s more that because I pretty much always enjoy the show, I rarely have anything interesting to say about it. But that was before this season, their strongest yet by a mile. Here’s why it was so good:

1. They let Kara embrace her duality. This has happened before in small doses—it’s basically the premise of the show after all—but we’ve never seen it quite to the extent we did this season. Back in episode 2, Kara was trapped in a situation where she had to save Lena without letting her know that she was saving her. It was hilarious (Kara knocking down goons with a pretend sneeze) and sweet (Lena doing everything in her power to protect Kara) and the first hint of how much the show would embrace those separate sides of Kara and the power that both of them have. In the finale, this came full circle in a lovely way: after spending all season switching between fighting crime as Supergirl and disinformation as Kara, she defeated Lex with her words as much as her fists. And speaking of…
2. They cast Jon Cryer. The writers made a whole bunch of smart Lex-related choices, but a lot of them hinged on Cryer’s performance. What was remarkable about Lex, definitively the season’s big bad (sorry, Ben Lockwood), was just how little he was actually in it. He came in with a huge episode that sold how dangerous he was to the point that his presence loomed large even in episodes he wasn’t in. That’s thanks to an unsettling, incredibly specific take on a character that’s been played a thousand times before. It’s also worth noting that I had a similar reaction to Cryer’s casting as I did to Tyler Hoechlin’s: that he was such a good choice that I worried his character might overshadow Lena’s. Like with Superman, though, my concerns were unfounded. Lex remained a player in Lena’s story, exactly as he should have been.
3. They pulled Lena into the action. Much as I love Lena (and trust me, I do), during her first couple of seasons I sometimes felt like her character was a bit unnecessary to the plot, though her friendship with Kara was obviously an important aspect of the show. Even though she would sometimes interact with other characters, she also spent a lot of time holed up in her office with Kara, or being rescued by Supergirl. This season, though, her deeply personal connection to the villain really brought her into the fold. It made the show more cohesive as a result but more importantly made Lena a much more active participant. She teamed up with Alex and Kara, got herself out of sticky situations sans Supergirl (that gun grab in the finale!), and obvious spoiler alert, but killed(?) her own brother to save the world.
4. They introduced new characters that popped. I was a little worried when both Mon-El and especially Winn departed in last season’s finale, but man did they take advantage of those empty slots. Nia was instantly endearing and fit in so well that it will be weird to watch earlier seasons without her. And that’s without even mentioning that she came out as transgender in only her second episode, in a choice that was monumental yet never played for drama. Brainy, while not a new character this season is still relatively new, and Winn’s absence, as well as his budding humanity, really allowed him to shine this season. He built a sweet relationship with Nia and provided one of the season’s most heartbreaking moments when Lockwood’s men rebooted him. Kelly also managed to make an impression despite showing up in a busy part of the season and played an important role in Alex’s adoption ordeal, a painful standout of the year.
5. They created real stakes. Superhero shows have such flashy powers and fancy gadgets that it often seems like anything can be prevented or undone. They also rely heavily on the status quo, so even when things change, viewers know that they won’t change that much. Not this year. They used Supergirl taking place on a different earth more than they ever have before, letting the tension with Lockwood and the Children of Liberty build to dangerous heights. The anti-alien sentiment also wasn’t too far off from what we’re experiencing in the real world, and the stakes felt that much higher because of it. In one of the most surprising and devastating moments of the season, Alex had her memory wiped to protect Supergirl’s identity, and for a substantial period no less, proving there was a real threat that Kara could be exposed, while also significantly changing the dynamic between the two sisters. And, after teasing all season that Lena could finally discover Kara’s secret, they delivered in the most brutal way possible, dismantling the show’s central friendship in the process.
6. They took risks. This goes along with the above, because offering real stakes and threatening the status quo are always risks, but they went beyond that this season. They made bold, surprising storytelling choices, like James getting shot and then getting powers, or Eve betraying Lena. They weren’t afraid to go dark, particularly with backstories, like the reveal that James’ childhood bullies caused him to miss his father’s funeral or that Lena’s biological mother drowned right in front of her. The episodes were also much less paint by the numbers than they have been in the past; Kara embracing her duality let them do full episodes with just Kara or just Supergirl, and they became much less beholden to CatCo and the DEO as central locations. It was also more action-packed, with no filler episodes (especially in the latter half of the season) and more serialized storytelling than they’ve ever done before.

Despite all the things that worked, it wasn’t a perfect season. The second half was much stronger than the first, with the introduction of Lex giving the show a focus the first half was missing. Lena and James still don’t quite work as a couple, or honestly, even seem to like or respect each other all that much, and it’s not a coincidence that the season gained traction after their breakup. Kelly and Alex were great together—and I’m excited to see their relationship continue to blossom—but sometimes felt like they were on a different show entirely. And J’onn, while still a wonderful character and important mentor/father figure to Kara and Alex, certainly contributed to the aimlessness of the first half of the season with his quest for peace.

But none of those things take away from the fact that this was a nervy season of TV, especially so late in the show’s run. It was surprising, consistently entertaining, and often excellent. When you take as many chances as they did this year, some things will inevitably fail or not work quite as perfectly as hoped. But I’d so much rather a show do what Supergirl did this season than play it safe.

What did you think of Supergirl season 4? Have any hopes for next season? Hit the comments and let me know!

The Arrow-verse Gets Off to a Promising Start

Now that we’re a couple weeks into the new season of the CW’s Arrow-verse, I thought I’d take a second to weigh in on the returns of Supergirl, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and The Flash.

Supergirl: This premiere was pretty good, though it suffered for being the first one after so many changes (Mon-El and Winn leaving, Alex replacing J’onn at the DEO, Sam and Ruby moving, etc.). It had to do some awkward exposition while also introducing new characters like Nia.

The second episode was much stronger and gave me hope for how great this season could be. It set up what’s probably going to become a contentious relationship between Supergirl and the new President, which will make it feel more relevant to the current times. It also had some of my favorite—and most hilarious—Kara/Lena scenes ever, with sweet Lena doing everything possible to protect her best friend, while Kara repeatedly tries to sneak away to become Supergirl. Plus, we got to know the already wonderful Nia with her protecting Brainy and coming out as transgender to James (and the importance of that happening with so little fanfare on network television shouldn’t be forgotten). Tack on Alex telling Brainy to send anyone who gives him trouble her way, and yeah…I’m very excited about the potential of this season.

Arrow: Very few aspects of Arrow‘s last season worked for me, but I was excited about new showrunner Beth Schwartz, plus the promise of Oliver’s decision in the finale to have long-term consequences. This one did the opposite of Supergirl: the premiere was excellent, but it was the second episode that left me slightly concerned about the season as a whole.

The first episode was my favorite of theirs in a long time, from the brutal Oliver/Felicity fight sequence to that crazy William reveal. For a show that goes back in the time so often, I don’t know why it never occurred to me that they could also go forward in time, but it opens up pretty endless storytelling opportunities for them.

The second hour had more Not!Laurel, who I’ve finally admitted is a character that will never work for me, and I still have a hard time buying even a professional relationship between her and Dinah. The Felicity/Diggle fight also felt out of character to me, just because I think John would know better than to leave Felicity out and would also be a better friend to her than he was in this episode, especially after she just spent five months alone with William. Also, one of the biggest issues with last season was that it upset the status quo too much, so with Oliver already in jail, it makes for a stronger story to have the rest of the team intact. This was also the episode where I started to get a little concerned about the flash-forward scenes going forward; they have a leg up over the flashback scenes in that they can dole out fun tidbits from the future (like how wonderfully casually William mentioned his ex-boyfriend), but that in and of itself won’t sustain them.

Legends of Tomorrow: This season’s a little more of a wild card since they’re only one episode in, but this premiere was classic Legends: nutty, fun, and surprisingly sweet. Truly, only this show could have a unicorn alternatively murdering people and spewing a rainbow-colored hallucinogen, a virgin nipple sacrifice, and a guy hugging someone he believes to be his beloved pet rat. But this premiere was enjoyable because, despite all of its antics, it also had Sara, a character with one of the Arrow-verse’s more tragic backstories, in a healthy, happy place with lady love Ava, Zara taking Ray on a most bittersweet trip down memory lane, Nate reconnecting with his parents, etc. It would be easy to let the show’s inherent zaniness take precedence over character, but that miraculously never happens. Hopefully, it will continue this season as well.

The Flash: They’re already three episodes in, so I have the most sense of what this season will look like. Unlike with Arrow and Supergirl, all of these episodes worked equally well for me. One of the best signs of the season to come is that they’ve moved past the kind of secrets that majorly bogged down the show in the past, like the real reason Nora went back in time, with everyone on the show finding out, not just the audience. Speaking of, Nora is just perfectly cast, with Jessica Parker Kennedy nailing down a mix of Barry and Iris’s mannerisms and making it look easy. There’s been a decent swell of actors playing parent to people their age (see Once Upon a Time and This Is Us) and it totally falls apart without commitment, which Candice Patton and Grant Gustin thankfully have.

Cicada is one of their creepier villains already, and the stakes were effectively raised by him “killing” Cisco, as well as Nora’s ominous warning that “you never catch him.” I’m also excited about the prospect of Caitlin finding her father, as well as the genuinely nice friend role Ralph is playing there. Between that and Ralph helping Cisco get over his heartbreak, these first few episodes continued the character rehab of last season after Ralph was introduced as the kind of sleazy womanizer that the writers quickly realized wasn’t a great character for these times. Also, gotta give a shout out to Tom Cavanagh creating what might be his most ridiculous version of Wells yet in Sherloque.

What did you guys think of the start of the Arrow-verse’s season? Overall, I’m most excited about Supergirl and The Flash, though I may be more excited about Arrow and Legends in a couple weeks. Let me know your thoughts in comments!

2017 in Review: TV That Made Me Happy

I don’t think anyone will call 2017 the greatest year on record. Because of that, I found myself drawn to good, escapist TV even more than usual this year, seeking shows and stories that would make me happy above all else. With the generally horrific state of our country, TV was both a refuge and frankly, a reason to get up in the morning, making me especially grateful for its existence. Here are are some TV things that made me happy this year:

The idealism of Madam Secretary

There’s a lot I love about Madam Secretary: it’s feminist, it lets its characters be happy, and it features what’s currently my favorite marriage on television. And, impressively, it’s politically relevant while still feeling escapist. M Sec takes place a few years in the future, which allows it to comment on current happenings—fake news, for instance—but with a happier outcome. The promise of what could be gave me some much, much-needed fuel this year.

Supergirl‘s Lena Luthor

I think everyone has a handful of fictional characters they just flat-out love, even if they can’t quite explain why. This year, Lena became one of mine. It’s not that I relate to her necessarily; she’s got a tragic backstory, her best friend is Supergirl, and someone tries to kill her at least once a week. It’s more that she’s such a fully realized character—thanks in no small part to Katie McGrath’s performance—that I can’t help but both root for and admire her. Plus, she’s just a fun character to watch: fierce, funny, self-deprecating, and insanely good at her job.

Heartfelt comedy

The same way I like my TV escapist, I like my comedy heartfelt, and that was especially true this year. I certainly enjoy the occasional piece of cynical comedy, but Parks and Rec isn’t my favorite show of all time for nothing. Luckily, 2017 offered a whole host of shows that would make Leslie and Co. proud: the wonderfully specific Speechless, the consistently warm  Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and the already sweetly hopeful The Mayor.

The fierce females of Legends of Tomorrow

I love the term “badass lady,” but its meaning is often reduced to “literally kicks a lot of ass.” The ladies of Legends, Sara, Amaya, and Zari, do that—and man is it fun to watch—but they’re also leaders and strategists, as well as empathetic and caring people. There are various types of badass-ness, and I took just as much pleasure in watching Sara captain the Waverider as I did her honest conversation with Alex Danvers about lost loves.

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

I maintain that AOS is one of the best shows no one’s watching—not even one of the best superhero shows, just one of the best shows. Last season’s third “pod” of episodes, which found Team S.H.I.E.L.D. trapped in a computer simulation, was one of the tensest, most heart-wrenching series of episodes from any of my shows last year. What’s more, this season’s first few episodes have somehow kicked it up a notch, with a truly great premiere episode reveal that left the gang in a terrifying dystopia on…well, I won’t spoil it.

A genuinely lighter Grey’s Anatomy 

I’ll admit I was very skeptical when the creatives at Grey’s promised this season would hearken back to the show’s slightly less angsty, significantly more fun glory days, but I’ve never been happier to be proven wrong. This fall, the show wrapped up relationship drama that had long grown stale, hit character beats I’ve been waiting forever for, and delivered a beautifully nostalgic 300th episode that reminded me exactly why this show is still on the air.

Late night comedy

I don’t know that this made me happy, per say, but it did make me feel understood and because of that was even more essential to my sanity this year than last. This was a mind-numbingly sad year in a lot of ways, but watching the likes of Meyers, Colbert, Bee, Oliver, and even Kimmel shake their heads in disbelief reminded me that this isn’t normal, and we can’t let it become so. Gallows humor also played a big role in 2017; sometimes you have to laugh for a second before you can pick yourself up and do something.

A creative resurgence for The Flash

Like with Grey’s, my hopes weren’t high that The Flash would actually be able to rediscover the fun of its excellent first season, but this season has struck the perfect balance of hilarious and high stakes. As their first non-speedster villain, The Thinker has proven to be an original and formidable opponent for Team Flash, and the show’s epic fall finale cliffhanger has me counting down the days ’til its return.

Shows that take risks

My two favorite shows on the air right now are Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and The Good Place, two shows that couldn’t be further from one other in regards to plot, setting, tone, etc. However, they both have one thing in common: they surprise me at every turn. I don’t want to spoil for those who haven’t watched, but The Good Place has redefined itself countless times in its first two seasons, supremely confident that its viewers could make the leaps required. Meanwhile, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend offers smart, funny, genre-defying storytelling week after week while also meditating on mental illness and the female experience. As a student of TV, watching these shows take risks no one else is taking has been an unmitigated delight.

A bloodless May

Every TV fan has a love/hate relationship with the month of May: sweeps are awesome, but May brings with it the possible renewals and dreaded cancellations of your favorite shows. However, this May, for the first time ever, every single one of my shows got renewed. I’m unfortunately drawn to shows consistently on the bubble, so I’m not expecting it to happen again anytime soon, but it certainly made me happy this year.

A truly great Once Upon a Time “requel”

With more than half of its cast leaving last season, I went into this seventh season of OUAT completely expecting to be disappointed. Imagine my surprise when I actually loved the first half of this season. I genuinely like the new characters, the storytelling has been familiar but refreshing, and, most impressively, the writers found a way to keep Emma and Killian happy despite Jennifer Morrison’s departure. Plus, though not part of this season’s “requel,” last season’s wedding/musical extravaganza and truly lovely finale managed to hit all the right notes, giving my favorite past characters the perfect sendoff.

GLOW

The first ten episodes of this show were pure joy: fizzy, feminist, and funny, it offered nuanced portrayals of a whole host of female characters, all badasses in their own way. Each episode flew by, a crackerjack of a story that fed into a smartly plotted and wholly entertaining first season. This was one of the most confident introductions to a show in recent memory, and binging it was one of my favorite TV experiences of all time, not just in 2017.

Your turn! What TV things made you happy this year? Hit the comments, and let me know!

2016 in Review: TV’s Best Duos

http://tvreviewswithrebecca.tumblr.com/post/155147600294/2016-in-review-tvs-best-duos

2016 in Review: My 10 Favorite Shows

http://tvreviewswithrebecca.tumblr.com/post/155075181544/2016-in-review-my-10-favorite-shows

Superhero Roundup: Meet The J.S.A.

http://tvreviewswithrebecca.tumblr.com/post/152227620384/superhero-roundup-meet-the-jsa

10 Wishes For The New Season

http://tvreviewswithrebecca.tumblr.com/post/150732040884/10-wishes-for-the-new-season