Stacie watches Pretty Little liars "Charlottes Web" And "The Gloves are On"

"Charlotte's Web"

This episode was not my favorite ( I know they are getting into a new groove) and I think it was because when I watch PLL there is always drama surrounding "A", and this is lacking it.  Yes, we have a mystery, but there is none of the suspense of the texts, emails, etc.  I need to get use to this new setting, but here are my thoughts...

Oh girls...don't you know what lying gets you?! Ugh it makes me so frustrated! Hanna erasing the recording at the end makes me want to shake her!

I'm thinking Em might not be sick, but doing stuff for money.

Of course Aria and Ezra were out and about at the time of the murder...nothing new there.

The thing that freaked me out was Allison praying...can we say creepy?!!!!

Most people do not like Spaleb, but I think I kinda dig it... I like them together.

Jordan is ok, but Hanna seems fake happy.

All in all, wasn't my fave episode.

"The Gloves are On"

Yay the old show is back! It is finally feeling like it use to!

I missed the first few minutes, but I loved pretty much everything....here are my likes and dislikes...

Likes

-Yay for Lucas being back!  I missed his oddness, and like that he is super successful.  I also love that he came through for Hanna.

-Melissa is back...although she has always kinda annoyed me, I was glad she was back.

-Emily finally is forced to come clean!!! Dropping out of school and donating her eggs...
Theories that proved true.  I loved how Hanna was about it and that in the end Pam was there for her.

-love that Hanna gave Spencer her blessing and that Spence and Caleb got together.

Dislikes

-Ezra being so different. I know he has gone through a lot, but he is so different!

-where was Allison? Weird she wasn't there.

-I can't stand Sara Harvey...she creeps me out and I honestly don't see the point of her.

Stacie watches Pretty Little Liars winter premier

As many of you know, I developed a love for all things PLL this past summer.  I waited in anticipation for it to come back with the second half of season 6, and although it was a good episode, it kind of felt like a different show.  The head of PLL (Marlene) had said it would be a lot different, especially since they had created a 5 year time jump, but I guess I wasn't expecting SO much change. I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of change, and so like usual, I will have to adapt.  Here are my thoughts on the episode....

Likes...
- the jobs they have really speak to their characters personalities with the exception in my opinion of Alison
-Veronica running for senate actually made me happy
-I like the more sophisticated look the girls have
-love that Radley is now a hotel (a little creeped out by it too)
-the fact that Ashley is successful and running "The Radley" is almost better to me than the girls being successful
-that Toby is still his sweet self

Dislikes...
-I get why they had Ali be a teacher, but I think it was the wrong move.
-Spencer and Caleb? Really?
-alcoholic Ezra is not my fave (even though his acting is on point)
-the girls lying about how Charlotte deserves to be let out (with Aria being the exception)
-Emily's dad dying (although I knew that from previews)
-them killing off Charlotte
- I still don't like Sara Harvey

Theories...

I actually have read some interesting theories and feel some may have some merit...
A few people have said they think Hanna and Caleb split up because she was pregnant and lost the baby which I find plausible.

Many think Mona killed Charlotte, which I don't think they would do since Mona has already been the bad guy.

I don't think Em is doing drugs, but that she has an illness.

There have been more twin theories... Not sure how about that.

That's about all I have because I'm tired.  I do love the theories though...they are slightly addicting.

Stacie watches "Code Black: The Son Rises"

Stacie watches "Supergirl" "Castle" and "Grey's Anatomy"

SUPERGIRL

Up Up and away! It's Supergirl!  The new drama on CBS is actually a hit in my book.  At first, I thought it was pretty cheesy, and although it does have that quality, I kind of like it even more.  There are few shows out there nowadays that have a little bit more innocence, and I like that this show is not all about promiscuity.  I also love the story of Superman and watched "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" growing up.  I love that supergirl (aka Kara) wants to save the world, but has quite a bit to learn.  I also love how they throw in Jimmy Olsen, Lucy Lane (Lois' sister) and other characters from Superman into the mix.  Not only do I love the story line, but I think the cast is awesome and is a very big mix of actors/actresses.  Supergirl/Kara is played by Melissa Benoist, who was in the last few seasons of "Glee".  The adoptive sister who works with an agency to monitor and protect against alien attacks is none other than Chyler Leigh, most widely recognized as Lexi Grey from Grey's anatomy.  Calista Flockhart is at the center of it all as Cat Grant, and Mehcad Brooks who plays Jimmy Olsen had a starring role on the series "Necessary Roughness"  Altogether, making a perfectly unique cast.

I love when shows develop layers, and I feel that this show adds a little each time.  The fact that Cat had a son was surprising and adds a new layer of emotion to the seemingly cold Cat.  The thing I find funny on this show as well as other super hero shows/movies/comics is that they are never discreet with what they wear to make themselves seem "normal".  Take for instance both Superman and Supergirl's use of glasses to hide themselves from the world.  They are close to people that seem to know them, but those people can't figure out that they are just wearing glasses? At least Batman is so covered you don't know he is Bruce Wayne! 

Anyway, I think this show has promise and I hope that it lasts!

CASTLE

Ah Castle...a show that has been my favorite for quite sometime has actually went down on my list of favorites this season until today!  I was getting very sick of Beckett and Castle not being together and it was almost making it so I didn't want to watch anymore, but today they came back to each other.  I love how it happened in such "Castle" fashion.  Castle finds out that Beckett has been keeping a huge secret from him and he is undoubtedly hurt.  He tells Beckett how she should've trusted him regardless of whether or not she wanted to protect him.  I loved the whole cruise ship thing, especially Castle dancing, but the best part to me was them getting back together and working together to take down the bad guys!

GREYS ANATOMY

Last weeks episode of Grey's literally left me in tears (which is not too hard to do of course).  The fact that the guy who had been a firefighter for years finally succumbs to his burns and dies right after talking to his wife was more than enough to do me in, but then there was the Alex scene and of course the Amelia stuff.  The Meredith/Amelia stuff made me so angry, probably because Amelia has always been my favorite character from the Private Practice days, and for Meredith to tell her they were not sisters anymore now that Derek died made me furious.  I understand Meredith is still grieving, but it just makes me so mad for Amelia who honestly has nobody left.  At the end of the episode when Amelia decides to drink a vodka tonic, I wanted to scream at the TV...why oh why would Shonda do that??  If you don't know, Amelia was addicted to drugs/alcohol while on private practice.  Her story line was that she was addicted, fell in love with another addict and he died of an overdose.   She goes to rehab and goes through detox, which was honestly one of the most raw episodes of a show I have ever seen as Caterina Scorcone who plays Amelia did a magnificent job. She then finds out that she is pregnant , only to discover that the baby has no brain and only lives a few minutes.  So....having her become an addict again will just make me more mad.

*For the record, I'm kinda annoyed at ABC shows for having their winter finales in November and not being back until the middle of February, I guess I can feel a litttle better since Pretty Little Liars will be back in January, but I feel like ABC is taking it a little too far by having such a big hiatus...can't they just be repeats during December? Why can't we ring in the new year with new episodes?  I understand that the actors/actresses need a hiatus, so I guess I can't complain too much.*

Stacie watches "Scorpion"...and cries like a baby

I would say I don't know what it is about the show Scorpion that is so good, but I of course would be lying.  It is the brilliant acting and equally brilliant story lines that make this show a star in my book.  I know what you are all thinking...Stacie likes pretty much every show, but that is not the case.  I am enthralled with shows that tell magnificent stories, and for at least an hour can allow you a break from reality.  I think that the reason I love this show, is that the social awkwardness of most of the major characters is extremely realistic.  I love how each character has grown since the beginning and how they are learning about a world outside of their norm and learning to move out of their comfort zones.  I love that Paige is the conduit to this group of "brainiacs" learning how to not only to explore their own emotions, but relay those emotions to others.  With all that being said, here are my thoughts on this amazing episode.

Honestly...could the Megan thing have been any more sad?!! I started crying almost from the beginning as I knew that the outcome would probably be her dying before Walter could save her.  There are a few different things I liked from this episode, but one thing that stands out is that at the beginning, Walter and Megan's dad doesn't really mesh with Walter.  He hasn't seem them in forever, and while he has been trying to research life saving techniques for his sister, his dad doesn't really understand.  Although I felt for Walter, I also realized that his father was losing his daughter who in all actuality was the only person who understood his son and how he thought.  It was all about loss, and how everyone experiences things differently.  In the end, we see that they come together to talk about good memories, it just made me sad that they did not develop a relationship.

I loved the Sylvester parts of this episode (he is pretty much my favorite character) because although everything was going wrong around him, he showed that he would not back down....yes he plays with toys and may not be what the O'Brien's were expecting, but he loved Megan and would do anything for her.  Towards the end, when he showed her the lights, I may or may not have been bawling (ok we all know I was).

When Walter and Paige are trapped, I thought it was interesting that the writers didn't have Paige be able to completely get through to Walter.  He was hurting, and the person who usually makes that better couldn't do much. He tells her that his sister was the only person who understood him, and was the filter between him and his parents.  I wanted to shout "YOU HAVE PAIGE! YOU HAVE THE WHOLE SCORPION CREW!  But of course, I realized that sometimes we miss what is right in front of us when we are in pain or experiencing loss. It reminds me of real life, although we can be there when someone is in the midst of tragedy, most of the time we have no way of fixing it.

There is the part with Happy and Toby where he has to choose to save the baby, or be with her.  Of course, he chose to save the baby, but I like that he had to think about it for a second.

Now to the part that I'm sure made everyone cry, when Megan finally passes away.  She talks to Walter and doesn't finish what she says.  They go back to the warehouse, where he unplugs all of his things pertaining to his research, but pulls up a video Megan had taped awhile back telling him not to be afraid to be himself and to love. The fact that the whole group of friends/family were downstairs listening made me even more sad.  As they all go to leave, Walter comes down and starts sharing funny memories, and everyone stays and listens (which we know Megan would've wanted),

Altogether, I think that this show needs to receive an Emmy...or Peoples Choice...or both.  They probably never will, because it is rare that one of my favorite show wins, but I think they deserve it.

So, that's about it on the Scorpion front.  I love this show (as if you couldn't tell) and can't wait until it comes back on.

Brigette Watches The Grinder and Limitless

We're now a month and a half into the new television season, and I've ACTUALLY been watching something new-- two somethings! What's happening?! The Grinder and Limitless both have my heart, but it's not a total slam dunk with either. I'm confused about my feelings for these shows, and I'm wondering if it's only me.

The Grinder

First, the obvious: the cast is amazing. I feel like the show is funny not so much because of the actual lines, but because of how the actors choose to deliver them. And it's really no surprise. Mary Elizabeth Ellis stems from It's Always Sunny, which Fred Savage also directed for years. Fred of course stems from The Wonder Years and is phenomenal and can do anything and I've been in love with him for 25 years (important to note). Then Rob Lowe and Natalie Moralas stem from Parks and Rec, so you've got alumni from three of the best shows of the past thirty years right there. The premise of The Grinder is hilarious as well-- an actor who played a lawyer decides to join his family firm and be a lawyer for real. Too good.

The problem with The Grinder is that so far, it's sort of felt like a one-trick pony. Every episode follows this pattern where Dean takes over one of Stuart's cases, Stuart thinks Dean is going to ruin everything,  but then Dean doesn't, which adds to his own narcism and Stuart's frustration. Cute. But okay, what else can happen? How can that be sustained for seven or eight seasons?

It also irks me that so far, Ellis's Deb is just who Stuart talks to, like she doesn't exist without her family. But again, it's Ellis's line delivery that saves what could easily be a flat, nothing character.

A respite from Grinder's formula came this week, actually, when Dean dated an old girlfriend, played by Christina Applegate. This was the funniest episode so far, and I feel like we finally got to see how this show might develop into something bigger than just playing the same joke over and over. I just hope that they pick this up a little quicker, that they continue expanding so that they don't lose viewers. This cast is too good for just a one season union.


Limitless

I'm not one for action-y stuff, so I was surprised by how much I instantly liked Limitless. Usually, pilots are not so great, but I feel like the pilot was actually the strongest episode so far.  (Not so sure if that's a good thing?) Of course, it helps that this show was originally a movie, so the basic developmental kinks were already worked out.

The good things about Limitless are obvious: the premise is great. It's speculative enough to be escapist but not so much that it's unbelievable. It's complicated enough to be interesting and to create conflict, but not so complicated that you don't understand what's going on. Brian Finch is lovable, and the actor who plays him-- Jake McDorman-- is basically a carbon copy of Chris Pratt, so much so that I wonder if they actually wrote this part for him.

One issue I have with Limitless is that aside from a few continuing plot threads, each episode revolves around a different crazy case, which is always resolved. I totally get that it's following the CBS formula that many viewers expect, but I was much more engaged in the beginning when there was the feeling of a plot carrying over between episodes. I guess when you know there's going to be resolution at the end of every episode, you're less invested in those secondary characters and the stakes don't feel quite so high; everything we be reset nicely for next week.

I think what bugs me the most though is the underutilization of Jennifer Carpenter. Anyone who watched Dexter knows how amazing of an actress she is. Some of her performances were so raw that they actually made me nauseous. But you wouldn't know what Carpenter is capable of just from watching Limitless. Rebecca doesn't really have much of her own story, or her own personality, for that matter. She's very no nonsense and unemotional-- the opposite of Debra Morgan-- which it totally fine, but can we at least know more of why? She's protective of Brian, and he feels loyal to her, so she's valuable to the audience by default. Okay. She's haunted by the fact that her dad died mysteriously after using NZT, but that's her Dad's story, not hers. Everything is about a dude.

One little thing that we do know about Rebecca is she's dating someone who she's not supposed to be dating since they work together, which will probably be a deterrent in the inevitable blooming romance between her and Brian. Oh, and Rebecca's boyfriend is played by Desmond Harrington-- QUINN. So weird.

So, I decided this is what happened. When Deb died on Dexter, this parallel dimension opened up, and she was reborn as Rebecca. She's still with law enforcement like when she was a Morgan, but now she's with the FBI-- movin' on up. In this life, she's just as calm and in control as she always wished she was but never could be. Deb/Rebecca still gets to be with Quinn. Dexter is no where to give her shit, but she's still taking care of a man with a secret: Brian. Basically, she's in the sideways world on LOST.

Anyway, I digress. I enjoy both of these shows, and I'm very glad they got picked up for full seasons. Usually, new shows don't make it, which is frustrating, so that's a good sign. Neither is exactly "must see" yet, but I feel like they have potential to be. Once they find their legs, they could truly run.

What do the rest of y'all think? What's your take on The Grinder or Limitless? What new show have you started watching? What's with women not having their own story lines on these damn TV shows? I'm totally right about Deb in the sideways LOST world, right? You totally see it now, don't you?

Stacie watches Greys "Guess who's coming to dinner?"

This season on Grey's Anatomy shows why I initially fell in love with the show.  I can't believe that it premiered 12 years ago!  It has more of a fun tone mixed with some poignantly intense emotional moments.  As I have said in the past, I love the relationship between Amelia, Meredith, and Maggie because it seems so authentic.  I also have to admit that while I was hesitant to like Maggie when she appeared last season, she has become one of my favorite characters.  All of this being said, here are my thoughts on tonight's episode...

This episode, although it has it's funny moment it wrought with emotion.  The surgeons are having a dinner party thrown by Meredith, Maggie, and Amelia and everything is disorganized and chaotic. Within the first 20 minutes, Amelia is ready to order a pizza, Arizona is drunk, Meredith is off kilter due to the shock of seeing the doctor who was partially responsible for Derek dying, and Maggie heads to the hospital for a UTI.  With Maggie gone, there is nobody to cook dinner, so April finally decides to do the work and appoints Wilson to do the grunt work.  Needless to say, the party is off to a rocky start, which in true Grey's fashion, can only get worse.

Callie invited her new girlfriend Penny who just happens to be "the girl who killed Derek" and it all comes out halfway through the show, when Bailey says that she (Penny) is going to be a new resident at the hospital.  Meredith breaks down and tells the story when all goes to pieces.  

I honestly almost fast forwarded through this part because it was sad and awkward (I know, I'm a loser).  The whole dinner table is silent as poor Penny tries to explain her mistake to not only the whole table, but specifically Amelia who is extremely upset.  Although this part, and the next half of the show left me sad and with tears in my eyes, it was good to see how it affected each person, and the consequences.

First, let's talk about Meredith's reaction, which is closing off and drinking a bit.  She deals with it in her normal way, and talks with Alex (her "person" now) because he is her best friend.

Next we have Amelia (who is probably my favorite character) that feels anger and shock.  She wants to know exactly what happened because she wasn't there when he died.  She cries and gets upset in her Amelia-ish way and goes upstairs to talk to Meredith who tries to explain that while Amelia lost her brother, she (Meredith) lost everything when she lost Derek because she not only lost her husband, but also the father of her children. 

There were a few parts of this whole episode that I thought were best...

#1) Amelia and Owen talking about being perfect/imperfect.: I LOVED this part...especially when Amelia talks about how she vomits her life, while he is always calm and nothing seems to phase him.

#2) I am not usually a huge April/Jackson fan, but I loved when April talks about how she killed a patient in her second year and will never forget about it.  She made a mistake and people make mistakes.

#3) When Maggie is at the hospital because she has a UTI and wants to have all these tests to see if the new intern she was sleeping with gave her an STD, it was funny in a vulnerable/goofy sort of way.  Of course, the resident is the one who is her doctor and in the end she realizes she never gave him a fair chance.

I could go on about this episode, but I'm tired.  I'm glad that Grey's is feeling like it did back in the day because it gives me a little sense of nostalgia.