HOW WE MET ‘THE MOTHER’

The season eight finale of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER was supposed to show us the wedding that we’d been waiting to see for almost three years, but it didn’t. What it did show us was ‘the mother’—a face that we’ve been waiting to see for eight years. Here’s how that went down, along with all the questions that I have about the forthcoming ninth and final season of the show…

  

In the episodes leading up to the HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER season eight finale, almost everything was understandably about Robin and Barney’s big wedding—the wedding planner, the bachelor party, the bonding with in-laws, the ‘something old’ and finally the ‘something new’. I had fun watching these episodes, not because they were excellently written or anything, but because they gave longtime fans of the show, like me, a lot to enjoy. And while that maybe one of the few things that are still awesome about the show, it works perfectly fine for me. The show has reached a point where it doesn’t have to be great; it just has to give me elements of these amazingly developed characters that I have grown to love and enjoy over the last eight years. And while an episode like the ‘bro-mitzvah’ wasn’t ‘ha-ha’ funny throughout, it was funny to see Barney at the receiving end of a scheme put together by the others. Of course, seeing former guest stars like Frances Conroy (as Barney’s mom) and Becki Newton (as Quinn) return to the show was the icing on the cake.

After that, right before the finale, we learnt about Robin’s secret ‘something old’ and that episode ended with Ted looking into Robin’s eyes in the rain, and I was mad! As someone who’s always been a big Ted-and-Robin fan, it was very frustrating to see them teasing me like this, after I’d finally accepted Robin and Barney together and even learnt to like them as a couple. The writers were probably just dropping that cliffhanger to ensure good ratings in the finale, as almost all broadcast network shows do these days. But they followed through with that, when Ted tells Lily he’s moving to Chicago, and Lily figures out that it’s because of Robin. For a second there, I was rolling my eyes, but then I was glad that Ted wasn’t actually leaving New York because he hasn’t found a partner. Still, I was mad at the writers for teasing me again. I guess there’s some truth there, as far as thethe development of the character is concerned. Ted does need to resolve his feelings for Robin before he can move on, and I hope they do explore that in the final season, especially when they get into Ted’s future relationship with ‘the mother’ of his kids.

Moving on with the finale, I was disappointed to not see a wedding! Wedding episodes are always so much fun, and especially when we’ve waited for this one for almost three years! In the season six premiere, they first teased us with the line that would soon become so annoying: ‘a little ways down the road…’ That was when they showed us that there was going to be a wedding, but whose, we didn’t know. In the season six finale, they revealed that it would be Barney’s wedding, but to whom (Nora or Robin), we didn’t know. In the season seven premiere, they further teased us over who the bride was, and in the season seven finale, again ‘a little ways down the road…’, they revealed that it would be Robin. In the midst of all of that, they explored the Ted-Robin-Barney love triangle and they revealed that ‘the mother’ would be at the Robin-Barney wedding, as a part of the band. In the season eight premiere, they showed us Ted at the Farhampton station after the wedding, and ‘the mother’ was there with her (now iconic) yellow umbrella, but there was no interaction between them. So finally, I was expecting something of the wedding in the season eight finale, even if that didn’t include the actual first meeting between Ted and ‘the mother’, but I guess now they’re making us wait for three years to end before we see the big wedding! However, with all these hints and teasers of the wedding, over the years, I’m sure the writers will have a field day over finally filling all the blanks and give us the whole picture of the wedding. I know that I will enjoy seeing that whole picture. And that’s what’ll make the season nine premiere very interesting to watch.

But now that Ted will finally meet the mother at the wedding, I hope the writers not only fill in the blanks they left around the wedding storyline, but even the blanks that they left in the teasers they’ve given us over the last eight seasons—like ‘the mother’ being at that St Patrick’s Day party, when we first saw the yellow umbrella, or ‘the mother’ being in the classroom on Ted’s first day as a professor, and so many others that I can’t remember right now. I also wonder if Rachel Bilson will return to reprise her role as Cindy in the season nine premiere, in which they’ll hopefully show us the wedding. She’s in the band that’s going to perform at the wedding along with ‘the mother’. And we first learnt that Cindy was ‘the mother’s’ roommate back when Ted was with Cindy.

Apart from everything else, it would be nice to see a sixth person in the group, who’ll actually stay this time. After seeing temporary guest starts that I thought would be perfect additions to the group, like Jennifer Morrison (as Zoe, who I’d once hoped would be ‘the mother’) and Becki Newton, it will be nice to have a permanent addition. Having said that, I don’t have any opinion on the casting of Cristin Milioti as ‘the mother’ just yet; and I won’t until I see her chemistry with Josh Radnor, and with the rest of the cast in that booth at McLaren’s! As co-creator of the show Carter Bays said in this (click here) TV Line article, “It [going to be] a pretty big umbrella to fill!” Bays also teases us with a little something about how season nine will tell “the epic story of the longest wedding weekend ever.” I’m guessing he’s talking about Ted’s wedding, because hopefully, after three years, they’ll finally end the Robin-Barney wedding in the season nine premiere. There are so many possibilities of what can happen at the ‘three-year long’ wedding, and there could be so many interesting ways in which Ted and ‘the mother’ first make each other’s acquaintance. I wonder what her name will be, and what she’ll be like as a person. Will she remind us of any of the women that Ted has been with over the last eight years? How will the writers explore her character as they weave her into the group? Will she first become a part of the group, or will she and Ted get involved first? Will we now see (or hear) her in the flash forwards? Will we hear her perspective on the things that Ted tells his kids? This is probably the most I’ve looked forward to being properly introduced to a character before knowing almost nothing about her. And then there's the Marshall-Lily cliffhanger also. Marshall's going to be a judge, and Lily might not end up going to Rome? I'm sure there's some big stuff ahead of us in their story too, and I look forward to that! Given how well the showrunners and writers have planned the longer story arc over the last three years, and all these other recent developments, I think that they’re going to give us a legen-(wait for it)-dary final season.

What are your thoughts on ‘the mother’ of revelations? Do you have any thoughts on the casting of ‘the mother’ or any expectations of how ‘the mother’ will become a part of the group in the ninth season? Share your views here!

‘AMERICAN IDOL’ SEASON 12 PRE-FINALE ROUND-UP

The AMERICAN IDOL two-part season finale starts tomorrow, and as we’re just two days away from finding out who the 12th IDOL winner will be, here’s a look back at how season 12 has progressed, the talent, the judges, the competition, and so on…

AMERICAN IDOL season 12 started with an interesting mix of judges in the new panel, including IDOL veteran Randy Jackson. Mariah Carey slowly established herself as the encouraging judge, who would try and spin every critique into something positive, in an almost maternal way. Keith Urban became the guy that gave a professionally sound critique, but always making a positive comment. Nicki Minaj became known for her weird and sometimes outrageous analogies and comments, and one of the contestants’ harshest critics. By the time we were down to the top 10 girls and guys, it was already clear that the level of talent among the ladies was way higher than among the men. During Hollywood week itself, I had made note of who my favorite would be, and the one I was rooting was Angie Miller. After her performance of an original song, at the piano, which the judges (especially Mariah) kept referring to thereafter, she was the strongest contestant for me, and someone who, apart from being insanely talented, had the looks and very current sound to be a successful contemporary recording artist.

Even though the judges eventually did right by the most talented contestants in the top 20, like Candice, Kree, Angie and Amber, by giving them spots in the top 10, I felt like they really got swayed by the theatrics of some of the other performers. People like Zoanette and Charlie, who had stage presence, and were memorable for their eccentricities, really weren’t delivering well vocally. But all’s well that ended well with the top ten, and we had the five most talented contestants, namely the girls, in that group. The results over the following five weeks were predictable, as the top five guys went home one by one, and rightfully so, opening up the real competition when the remaining contestants were an all-girls group of the top five. That’s when things became really tense, and even though someone had to go home (almost) each week, it was truly sad to see Janelle Arthur, Amber Holcomb and, unfortunately, Angie Miller leave.

Throughout the final rounds, I enjoyed the performances on results nights, especially because of the number of former IDOL contestants who hadn’t won, from Colton Dixon to Jessica Sanchez to Lauren Alaina… That was bound to be encouraging for current contestants who were getting eliminated. What I also enjoyed were the judges. I think that the current judges’ panel has the most interesting mix of people we’ve seen on that panel so far. From Nicki and Mariah coming this close to having a catfight, to Randy always bowing in praise of Mariah to Nicki telling Keith not to steal her words before she says them, to Randy quipping in to second Keith’s remarks every now and then…they make a good team that can actually have a conversation around that table which is interesting, not just because it’s entertaining, but because it’s mostly productive (except for the catfighting), thought-provoking and good for anyone interested in music. What I also liked was Jimmy Iovine and his harsh critiques each week, wherein he called a spade a spade, without Mariah’s compassion, Keith’s sugar-coating, Nicki’s outrageous comments or Randy’s catchphrases. And the friction between Jimmy and the judges made it all the more entertaining. Of course, one of my favorite things about AMERICAN IDOL is Ryan Seacrest. He always does an outstanding job as host, making the show worth watching almost regardless of who the judges or contestants are!

Coming back to the remaining contestants, as Randy Jackson pointed out, we had (probably) the best top three that the show had ever seen. For me, despite whatever would go on from there, and despite the fact that my personal favorite was Angie, all three deserved to win, and the eliminations and the remaining contestants thereof wouldn’t come as any surprise. Unfortunately, the first to leave that group was my favorite, Angie Miller, and I was really sad. In my head, she was already the winner, and if anything, I would simply miss her performing in the season finale performance episode. For the first time ever during an AMERCIAN IDOL elimination, I made a mental note to myself that I would definitely look out for what she does next with her music career, because Angie Miller is one performer that I don’t want to lose track of. And with Angie’s departure, we’re now left with the two who will compete for the winning title. Both Candice and Kree are insanely talented, and I’d have a hard time choosing, or predicting the final result. (I’m personally rooting for Kree though.) But if there’s one thing we can be sure of is that this season will have one amazing finale, with two excellent performers vying for the big prize. And while we know that Jennifer Lopez and Adam Lambert will be among those performing on results night of the finale, I can’t wait to see the combinations of performers from the remaining top 10 of the season. So while Fox and the producers decide what they’re going to do with the show and the judges’ panel, with Randy having announced his exit (I personally think that at least Keith Urban should definitely stay on), at least for now, we can just sit back and enjoy the two-part finale starting tomorrow night!

What have you thought of season 12 of AMERICAN IDOL? Has your favorite made it to the top two? Who are you rooting for? And do you think that Keith, Mariah and Nicki should come for season 13? Do share your thoughts…

‘CASTLE’ LOOKS BACK AS ‘TVD’ LOOKS AHEAD

I recently watched CASTLE’s flashback episode and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES’ backdoor ‘pilot’ of its spinoff, THE ORIGINALS. Here’s what I thought of them…

REMINISCING ON ‘CASTLE’

This has been quite a big season for CASTLE. First of all, a fifth season means that the show has gone beyond the big four-season mark. Second of all, they celebrated their 100th episode this season. And of course, this was the season when Castle and Beckett finally ended the whole will-they-won’t-they question, which kept most fans of the show looking forward to this part of their relationship. While the 100th episode was a fun, off-beat way of commemorating the milestone, complete with Kate and Castle talking about having worked on 100 cases together, I thought that the episode that would have been better as the 100th episode was the episode where Kate is standing on a bomb, while Castle, Ryan and Esposito try and figure out a way to diffuse it or get her out of there. During that episode, emotions were high for all of them, but for Castle and Beckett, who were, once again, trapped in a situation like the kinds they ever so frequently have found themselves in. One might have thought that at a tense time like that, especially since Beckett was preparing herself for the worst-case scenario, joking about who liked whom first might have been inappropriate. However, by establishing that argument much earlier in the episode, and then the very good writing in the latter parts, the mirthful argument seemed to fit right into place. Not only did it offer us a chance to revisit glimpses of their early interaction, and the various stages of their personal and working relationship, it also gave us a chance to look back at some of the stories that we’ve enjoyed over the last five-or-so years. From Castle’s belief in everything supernatural during such cases and Castle and Beckett getting caught in a room with a tiger or in a freezer, to Beckett getting shot and so on. It was like a beautiful gift to the loyal viewers of the show, with perfectly compiled montages of key moments in the series thus far. I thoroughly enjoyed the episode for sure.

‘THE ORIGINALS’ RISE

Currently, my favorite characters in THE VAMPIRE DIARIES are Rebekah and Elijah. Rebekah can be a bitch, but she has a very human side to her, a side that we saw when she told Stefan that she wanted the same things that anyone would want and when she told Matt that she’d like to be a good person. At the same time, she’s witty, sophisticated, looks good, and she’s an original! Then there’s Elijah. We haven’t seen that much of him in the last season or so, except for in the last few episodes. He’s sophisticated, commands respect, he has more integrity than most of the other vampires, and he’s also an original. On the other hand, Damon and Stefan have really bored me with their whole fight to find the cure for Elena. It’s like, over the years, it’s like their whole purpose of existence is Elena, and since she became a vampire, it’s become more apparent. I wasn’t too sure about a VAMPIRE DIARIES spinoff initially, but over the last few months, I’ve realized that the original vampires are actually the only interesting characters left on the show. Considering that, it’s no surprise that an episode, which focuses entirely on the originals, would grab my attention. I like how they’ve set a simple, yet effective premise for THE ORIGINALS, with Klaus deciding to bring down Marcel and his influence in New Orleans. Of course, knowing (creator) Julie Plec, this simple premise will eventually evolve into a complex and exciting plot. All of it will be welcome, especially if Elijah and Rebekah are among the main characters. That leaves me wondering what will become of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES! If all the interesting characters will move to THE ORIGINALS, TVD will be quite bland in season five. Even though Silas has been established as the next force that our main group will have to tackle, he’s a very one-dimensional character so far, with nothing compelling. I certainly hope the writers of up their game before going into season five, because otherwise, TVD will pale in comparison with THE ORIGINALS.

What did you think of CASTLE’s 100th and the flashback episodes? And are you also more excited about THE ORIGINALS than about THE VAMPIRE DIARIES?

‘THE AMERICANS’ AND ‘BLUE BLOODS’ SET UP IMPRESSIVE SEASON FINALES

Last night, I watched the season finales of two very different shows. One of freshman spy drama, THE AMERICANS, which is one of my favorite new shows; and the other, BLUE BLOODS, a crime procedural that definitely stands out from among the many shows of that genre…

‘THE AMERICANS’ WINDS UP WELL

When THE AMERICANS started, what impressed me the most were the performances by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, and over the course of the first season, while the spy drama was exciting and kept me at the edge of my seat, what really hooked me was the beautiful relationship that Elizabeth and Philip share. The mutual understanding between them about everything from assassinations to raising their kids, and the subtleties in the restraint between them, despite pure emotions and feelings they have for each other—all of it is written so well, and performed exceptionally by the two actors. Towards the end, when Philip moves out of the house, it was a direction that I didn’t expect the show to take, but I liked how that brought out so many of the characters’ emotions to the surface, while simultaneously making them even less expressive of those emotions. On the other hand, what the show managed to do really well was handle the secondary relationships equally well, whether it was Stan’s relationship with his wife, or Nina; Elizabeth’s relationship with the amazing Claudia; or even Philip (as Clark) and Martha’s relationship for that matter. Nina is a character I grew to love, and while Martha is gullible and a lovesick romantic, I still find her endearing, even if it’s just because I feel bad for her. And Claudia—well, she’s one the most fascinating old-lady characters I’ve seen on screen!

As we approached the finale, I like how the stakes went up for everyone, whether it was because of how Claudia tricked Elizabeth and Philip, or because Elizabeth’s friend Derek had to take the fall for something they’d done, or because Stan’s partner was killed, or even because of Philip’s indiscretion with an old flame. The finale itself was well conceived, with two simultaneous missions, in which the stakes were high for everyone involved, along with the developments in the Clark-Martha relationship. The discovery of the set-up and the involvement of the Russian Embassy gave way to a thrilling chase and climax. And the season ended with Elizabeth making a heartfelt but simple appeal to Philip, while there was even a subtle cliffhanger involving their daughter. The writers could pretty much do anything they want with the show from here, but it’s clear that the kids are going to feature more prominently in season two. They’ll have questions of all kinds. Philip and Elizabeth’s complex relationship is bound to get even more complicated, given the Martha situation, and Stan and the FBI are going to have to try a whole new approach. The first season captured so many intriguing plots and layers in storytelling, and I’m definitely hoping to see many more!

BEST ‘BLUE BLOODS’ SEASON FINALE YET

The two-part season three finale of BLUE BLOODS started with a suicide, which was disturbing as it was, and then they throw Santana at us with his lame hand gestures, yet coming off as pretty scary, being as daring as he was, presenting himself like that in front of the NYPD. The episode went on to thrill with other such moments, like when Danny and his partner Maria are set up to confront Santana and his people. While the Reagans have faced many situations where they’re up against misfits, something like this has not been seen on the show so far, and I was hooked. This was some really good material for the finale.

When Jamie Reagan and his partner Vinny are set up to face fire at The Bitter End, I had a feeling that it wouldn’t end well. And it didn’t. Vinny’s death, especially because of the way he struggled after beings shot (performed excellently by Sebastian Sozzi), really disturbed me, because he died at a place where he’d grown up, because he was a genuinely nice guy with an interesting bad-boy streak, because he and Jamie made good partners, and because he was an interesting character. His death upped the stakes for everyone, and rightfully so. Danny and the NYPD pulling up in front of Santana to return an earlier threat was more than called for. And what intrigued me about this story is that it was a tricky one to write, and wasn’t really predictable. Of course, the writers could’ve screwed up part two by making things conveniently fall into place, but I think that the season three finale of BLUE BLOODS was probably the best season finale of the show yet. While Danny doesn’t back down and follows through with his pursuit of Santana, the mayor gets hit, making things worse. I liked that they explored the story further with the kid from The Bitter End who had recognized Vinny, making Jamie an integral part of the finale; or even Nona, who Danny needed to get on his good side. The end offered a great sense of gratification, when Santana and his people were taken away, amidst cheers from the residents of The Bitter End. And the season ended beautifully with a classic Sunday-dinner scene. This is how a season finale should be. There need not be a big cliffhanger, as long as there’s a compelling story wherein the intensity and stakes for everyone are high, making it engaging for us.

What did you think of the season finales of THE AMERICANS? Are you glad it’s returning for a second season? Which part of the BLUE BLOODS season finale did you like the most? Share your views here…

‘BONES’ DELIVERS LESS THAN IMPRESSIVE SEASON FINALE, ‘SCANDAL’ MOVES THINGS ALONG, ‘DALLAS’ DROPS GIMMICKY CLIFFHANGER AND ‘NASHVILLE’ UNCOVERS CHARACTER TRUTHS

PELANT’S THREAT

After season seven’s finale, the season eight finale of BONES left me desiring more than what I saw. Season seven ended with Pelant sabotaging the credibility of the Jeffersonian ‘squints’ and even Booth, framing Brennan for his then most recent crime. That was one tense and action-packed season finale that had me at the edge of my seat. The cliffhanger—Brennan taking off with baby Christine, becoming a fugitive—was what made my jaw drop, making it one of the best season finales that the show had delivered in its seven years. This season, they followed through with Pelant’s game, when he returned, sometime midway through the season, and narrowly escaped with a gun-shot wound on his face, which Booth gave him. In my opinion, that would’ve been a more fitting season finale than the one I watched last night, even if they had to hold off on the Pelant story for the entire season. What I watched last night was action-packed and tense alright, but it was only as good as any case on the show could be. That Pelant was behind it all, playing mind games and wreaking havoc was a bonus for sure, but by the end of the episode, it’s like the writers were trying desperately to throw in a cliffhanger, and decided to make Pelant threaten Booth, forcing him to break off his engagement with Brennan. Now if that had been a complete break-up, with higher stakes for Booth, then it would’ve been understandable. As of now, Booth has simply told Brennan that getting married isn’t a good idea. Yes, that will probably affect their relationship in season nine, but they’re still together, and Booth can easily tell her the truth without Pelant finding out. I even think that maybe they should’ve ended the Pelant story altogether. At this point, we need a really mind-blowing end to the Pelant story, and I hope the writers deliver that next season.

OLIVIA’S DISCOVERY

Ever since SCANDAL put the whole election-rigging storyline to rest—albeit temporarily, I’m guessing—I’ve been happy to see that they’ve gone back to the procedural drama, with a central story running in the background, instead of being the complete focus of the show. Although I do feel that the cases that Olivia and her team are getting are more suitable for private investigators than for crisis management people, especially the one in which Hollis Doyle’s daughter is ‘kidnapped’. Anyhow, the entry of Jake has kept me intrigued, with the whole mystery surrounding who the mole is, how he’s involved, and why he’s spying on Olivia. In episode 18, my jaw dropped when Olivia discovered what Jake had been doing. It was refreshing to see vulnerability in her character that wasn’t caused by her very infuriating romance with the president. While that mystery left me guessing, the Cyrus-James storyline was quite annoying. I was all for James to uncover the election rigging, but then he just perjured himself, which made him no better than Cyrus. And as much as I hated Cyrus being arrogant and smug about James choosing the (dishonest) man the Cyrus was, I have to admit that Cyrus was right. I guess the only person with a shred of integrity left on the show is David Rosen, but unfortunately, he has no one on his side to prove the things that he knows. But sooner or later, I do hope that the election rigging is uncovered. It would be even better if it is found out that the president killed Verna Thorne.

THE EWINGS’ VICTORY

The DALLAS season two finale offered the audience a great deal of gratification, as the Ewings bring down Cliff Barnes and Harris Ryland, both of whom are arrested for different things. While Pamela has defected to the Ewing camp, the writers have given Elena a motive to go against the Ewings. It seems like between season one and two, they’ve conveniently put both these younger women on a seesaw, wherein both can never truly be on the same side. What Elena will do is something we’ll have to wait and watch, but if her fight against the Ewings has to be strong enough, Barnes will have to back her, and that can probably happen only if he’s proven innocent. On the other hand, I didn’t quite get what Emma’s game was, when she was going back and forth between her mother and her father, and then brought all the evidence to implicate her father back to Ann. She seemed like this weak character who couldn’t make up her mind, and then we see that she’s in bed with John Ross. Obviously, John Ross has no scruples, and even though he does have feelings for Pamela, he’s clearly not above betraying her to get absolute power, even over the Ewings themselves. However, with Barnes and Ryland being brought down, I did suspect that the writers would have to go back to the Christopher-John Ross feud, because obviously the Ewing cousins can’t be in together in one big, happy family after they’ve both achieved what they wanted to by being allies. Where Emma fits in to John Ross’ scheme is something I look forward to seeing, and I’d also like to know what Pamela will do when she finds out about his betrayal, and realizes that she and Christopher are on the same side again. With the convoluted tale that DALLAS is, one can never know for sure who’ll be fighting whom in the next season.

RELATIONSHIPS IN NASHVILLE

Moving to Tennessee, NASHVILLE doesn’t seem to have a central story arc, so one can’t know what the finale will have in store for us, but the latest few episodes have offered us interesting developments. There’s nothing really to write home about Rayna’s story, except that it’s a relief to see her and Deacon finally giving in to their feelings and attraction, after being annoying about it for so long, even though I thought that Stacey was good for him, despite the fact that we all knew it wouldn’t last. One character who I really enjoy in NASHVILLE is Juliette. She’s this bitch and a high-maintenance diva, but at her core, she’s just someone who’s desperate to make a human connection with someone. While her troubled relationship with her mother doesn’t allow her to depend on family, she’s been with two guys this season who she didn’t manage to form that connection with. With Sean, she got into it too strong, too soon, and screwed up. But then, Dante, who seemed like this stand-up guy who could be great for her, ended up betraying her. It was sad to see her go back to her cynicism of not being able to trust anyone. I was hoping that they’d show us a good mother-daughter moment when Juliette would apologize to Jolene and thank her for looking out for her. But right now it seems like the only good relationship that Juliette has is probably with her assistant. The relationship that is going right at this point is the one between Scarlett and Gunnar, but realistically, not without initial obstacles. I did appreciate the moments that Scarlett has with Avery, when he’s working as a roadie. It was kind of nice to see them make peace after his rough patch. I like that Avery didn’t spiral out of control after things didn’t go his way with the contract he had signed. Even Gunnar dealing with his brother’s death was handled quite well, followed by his endearing friendship with Will. It’s always sad to see a gay person develop feelings and an attraction towards someone who can’t reciprocate them, so I do hope that Will can salvage his friendship with Gunnar even after jeopardizing it by making a move on him. All in all, as a show that tells simple human stories, against the backdrop of the country music industry, I like how NASHVILLE is going.

What did you think of the BONES season finale? What, according to you, going to be the big feud in S3 of DALLAS? Where does Jake fit into the whole ‘mole’ story in SCANDAL? And whose story on NASHVILLE are you enjoying the most? Share your views below…

WHAT I WATCHED LAST NIGHT

I’ve been seeing this column in Metro UK, written by entertainment and television writer Keith Watson, who talks about, well, what he watched the previous night. And so, I decided to take a cue from him and talk about what I watched last night, whenever I feel the need to share my thoughts on interesting developments in the shows that I watch. I know I do that anyway, but here, there won’t be a theme, and I won’t be talking about just one show in one context. It’ll just be random observations and views on what I watched last night!

A NEW FIRM?

I watched the last four episodes of THE GOOD WIFE season 4. Before I talk about the shocking cliffhanger [SPOILER ALERT], let me just say that this season has really evolved on different levels. From the beginning, there was some growth in Alicia’s relationship with Peter, as his gubernatorial campaign picked up, which offered us some very entertaining Eli Gold moments also. There was Alicia’s growth at Lockhart/Gardener, her friendship with Laura, the resurrection of her feelings for Will, and the exploration of her relationship with her mother, and her kids. The only angle that seemed pointless was the whole Nick storyline, and I’m glad that even the creators, Robert and Michelle King realized that that storyline was a mistake. However, after that, Kalinda got some interesting material, including the new investigator, Robyn (have I mentioned that I love her and find her so charming!). Anyway, coming back to Alicia, it was only natural that her unresolved feelings for Will would resurface (and how!), becoming one side of a love triangle that we wouldn’t have expected to see before this season. At the same time, as her relationship with Peter was getting better, one wondered what it would all lead up to, and the writers had us eating from their palms, right till the end.

Not to say that, what eventually became, the season-ending cliffhanger came out of the blue. Since the fourth years at Lockhart/Gardener were antagonized, when their partnership offers were taken from them, talk of them starting a new firm had begun, with Alicia and Cary, obviously, being at the helm of that. Alicia went on to become partner, while things weren’t going great for Cary, so it was understandable that he would follow through with plans for a new firm. When Cary asked Alicia again to come on board, it was so endearing the way he says that they are the new Will and Diane (I’ve loved how their relationship as friends and co-workers has evolved over the years). Alicia was obviously tempted, and when she saw the ugly side of what ‘being upper management’ at Lockhart/Gardener was like, it should’ve been clear that she would seriously consider Cary’s offer to form Florrick, Agos & Associates. However, we were blinded by the Will-Alicia-Peter triangle, and I’m glad I was, because the surprise of seeing Cary at Alicia’s door was priceless!

There are endless possibilities here on. I actually think that Alicia might just jump ship. It would give the writers tremendous opportunity to make the show evolve in so many ways. New cases, new clients (and old clients, including Colin Sweeney), a new partnership, and most interestingly, new competition, with big and mighty Lockhart/Gardener. Additionally, with this big change, I think that even Diane might actually take that Supreme Court seat. Maybe David Lee could become a bigger player. Of course, it’ll be sad to see Kalinda not on Alicia and Cary’s team, but then there’s Robyn (it’s now clear that her character was introduced to eventually become a part of the new firm). Also, there’s probably going to be more drama with Jackie and her opportunistic nurse. We’re still to find out how Eli will fit into Peter’s administration, and there is so much potential for family drama now that Peter will be governor. And while all of that is yet to come, one can be sure that we will keep seeing the amazing guest cast that we enjoyed right till the end of season four.

A DISAPPOINTING ‘FINAL CHAPTER’

Then there was the season finale of THE FOLLOWING [SPOILER ALERT for those who haven’t watched it yet]. This show started off with intriguing mysteries of how ‘the following’ came to be, what Joe Carroll’s end game was and how Ryan Hardy was going to stop him. As the first season progressed, what we did get was a fast-paced, thrilling ride, which was entertaining, and almost gripping in parts. However, with no convincing explanation of how Carroll got so many people brainwashed to the extent that they would give their lives up for him, and a very gimmicky treatment of plot, I realized that this show was one to enjoy, but to not take too seriously. Even with lowered expectations, I was disappointed by the season finale. To begin with, I really didn’t want Agent Parker to die. I agree that her being buried proved to be more than a gimmick, but her death did little for the series or the story as a whole, serving only as a means through which Hardy would track Carroll down. And just like that, the writers let go of a character that they had developed rather well over the season. Following that, was simply a cat-and-mouse game, which ended in a struggle, and Joe Carroll being blown up. First of all, that was gimmicky. Second of all, even if the second season is going to take a different direction, the S1 finale didn’t set the tone for it in any way; instead, they gave us a cliffhanger of both Ryan and Claire being stabbed. Obviously they’re going to survive (even if Joe is actually dead), and that’s all that we know about how the show will evolve here on. What I did like about the finale was Agent Weston and his outburst about this fight with Carroll being personal for him too. I loved the parts where Claire and Ryan insulted Joe’s talent as a writer, and his idol, Edgar Allan Poe. It was so entertaining to see Joe getting riled up in those moments. And the only other thing I liked was Molly, not the stabbing of Ryan and Claire, but simply the indication of her having a bigger role in the next season.

ELEMENTARY GROWS

I also happened to catch up on some ELEMENTARY. It was season 1 (episodes 18 and 19, to be precise). While the procedural drama and the mystery are generally good on the show, what’s really got me hooked lately is watching Joan Watson being groomed as a detective by Sherlock Holmes. Their relationship is endearing as it is, and now, since Watson agreed to stay on as a co-consultant with the NYPD, it’s very interesting how the writers have explored the way she gets the ropes of the detective work. From the puzzle of the dry cleaning shop, to the mystery of the missing woman, Watson made her observations, saw the potential, followed her gut, made mistakes, and was even instrumental in cracking a case or two. What I generally like about ELEMENTARY is how they have explored Sherlock Holmes’ addiction, how his working relationship with Watson comes to be, Watson’s history as a doctor (and how her medical expertise helps in cases like a medical examiner’s would), and now Watson being trained to be a detective. I like the direction the show has taken over the first season, and I’m glad that it’s doing well even in ratings.

So that’s what I watched last night! What about you? Also, what did you think of the season finales of THE FOLLOWING and THE GOOD WIFE?