While there’s still quite a bit to catch up on, with
new episodes of all the shows pouring in one after the other, I’m just putting
down my thoughts on how some of the new seasons have begun…
REVENGE S2
I was horrified to her Charlotte speak of Victoria’s
funeral, and I watched the credits in total dismay when I didn’t see Madeleine
Stowe’s name there. I couldn’t believe they had actually killed her off. I
could see the show going in a completely different direction, where the
Graysons would not feature except as minor complications now and then. With Emily
having found out that her mother was still alive and Conrad revealing that
there was a bigger power involved in the framing of David Clark, I thought they’d
done away with the original premise of Emily vs Victoria and the Graysons, and
I was losing hope of the alternative. But all that changed thirty minutes into
the episode. Victoria was alive! And by the end of the premiere, I knew that
while the show was indeed going to go in a slightly different direction, the essence would
still be the same. I’m glad I stayed off spoilers. The premiere came as a
pleasant surprise to me.
GREY’S ANATOMY S9
I don’t think Seattle Grace-Mercy West has ever been
so depressing, not even after the shootout. No key characters had died back
then, and while there was PTSD then as well, this was different. Sloan was on
his deathbed, Arizona’s fate wasn’t known, the new attendings were all over the
place, Derek and Callie were down in the dumps, and Bailey was acting like an
idiot. I know they probably threw in the Bailey comedy to try and make things
lighter, but it just annoyed me. Christina’s big fancy fellowship turned out to
be in some (seemingly) small-town hospital in Minnesota, where she’s working with a bunch of
backward people, which I did not buy. Despite that, I thought that her and
Meredith’s PTSD was shown really well. I thought Hunt going out of his way to
offer Kepner her job back was a bit much, and totally inconsistent with how he’d
fired her without giving it a second thought. The changes in Meredith are fine,
but I hope they delve into how she became Medusa, because it feel like something is missing. However, there were positives as well;
how Sloan died for instance. It was very sweet to have Callie and Derek by his
bedside, with Avery having updated him on their cases before that. Alex Karev
was completely endearing, reminding me of why I love his character and the
twisted ways in which he shows how much he really cares. I was horrified beyond belief
to see Arizona’s state in the end. But I’m sure that things will come a full
circle, with Callie going into some high-tech prosthetics research to get her a
leg, especially since she blames Callie. Even though things look really messed
up, I didn’t hate the premiere. There’s a lot of healing to happen, and it’s a
work in progress. We just have to be patient.
PRIVATE PRACTICE S6
The narrative of the episode was very interesting,
especially because of how they kept the suspense, of who Addison chose, alive through
it. I was thrilled to see that it was Jake. I just hope she doesn’t mess it up
and gets married to Sam by the end of the season. Pete’s death was no surprise
(Shonda Rhimes loves killing characters), but the undignified way in which they
ended his story was a major disappointment, and I’m sure it was a major
let-down for Tim Daly. I was shocked when Charlotte finds out she’s pregnant
with triplets. That’s quite insane and I don’t like it. Amelia’s story was nice
and positive, and Sam’s new romance with the maternity nurse was also quite
refreshing. I like how the episode was written, with all their stories
coinciding but truly coming together for us only towards the end, revealing
details that had kept the suspense going. The season’s going to be a shorter
one. I just hope they do some good writing to redeem themselves for how they
killed off Pete.
SCANDAL S2
If ‘Gladiators in suits’ was the punchline for season
one, I think this season’s punchline was ‘Who is Quinn Perkins?’ It annoyed me
that that had become the focal point of the previous season’s cliffhanger, because
Quinn was a supporting character, whom I didn’t really feel attached to after
just seven episodes, so the punchline didn’t’ work for me. However, they made
that better by making Quinn’s past so much more interesting, and (yet unknown
how) relevant to Olivia. I thought they did a good job of carrying forward the
story of the torn lovers, Fitz and Olivia, with The First Lady’s interference
in presidential politics adding a good dose of subplot conflict to the episode.
And I even liked how they played out the congressman’s sex tape controversy.
However, I thought the end of Quinn’s case and her acquittal was very abrupt,
leaving me completely unsatisfied. I really wish they follow through well with the
secret that Olivia is keeping, because as of now, I’m still not excited about
it enough to be waiting at the edge of my seat to know what happens. The premiere
did leave me wanting more, not necessarily in a good way and I hope the season
picks up pace soon.
PARENTHOOD S4
I’m three episodes into this one already, and I like
what I see. It’s heartbreaking to see Kristina go through cancer, but I’m
loving her and Adam’s relationship even more with this development, after
Haddie’s departure put a strain on them. I like Sarah’s new job storyline and I
enjoyed seeing a glimpse of Colonial Street, Universal Studios (Wisteria Lane,
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), during Sarah’s first assignment with Hank. I like their
chemistry and their awkward, but genuine relationship. I love Mark and Mark and
Sarah together, but a part of me really wants to see how Sarah and Hank would
be as a couple. I think they’re doing a good job of Julia and Joel’s addition
to the family. Moments like when she says that she’s waiting to fall in love
with her son, and when she waits for him in the school parking lot, were so
real and beautifully done. I like seeing Crosby and Jasmine married as well… The thing is: I’ve
rarely had any complaints against this show, and I’m glad that this season is
not changing that for me.
BONES S8 and CASTLE S5
I’ve put these two shows together because I have
pretty much the same thing to say about them, after they both had pretty
intense finales last season. All that I have to say is that I’m very glad that
they followed through with the intensity of how they left things last season, keeping that excitement going. Booth and Brennan grabbed the Pelant case by the
horns, but it only ended in a whole new mystery, which they may not have
followed through with in the second episode, but that’s alright. As long as the
suspense element is strong enough, even if they play it out through the season,
it’s good.
Castle and Beckett found out who was responsible for her mother’s
death, and encountered another huge obstacle. Beckett’s journey and life-long
purpose carries on, as the premiere did not divert from that. Both the shows have
exciting central storylines going for them, and that’s what makes their
respective current seasons look so promising.
BLUE BLOODS S3
The Reagans were back with a bang! The cases were
compelling because of how personal it became. I loved how they ran both stories
in a parallel way, both very intense. I was moved by Frank Reagan’s approach
towards the accidental shooting; how he dealt with the victim’s mother, as well
as the shooter’s guilt. Danny’s predicament made me think of how apt this case
was for a season opener. Although, I do think that if they had prolonged the case, added complexities, and kept the final confrontation for a later episode, it could have been a good idea for a longer story arc, lasting for about half a season. However, at the end, I was happy to see the family back around the dinner table, all together again.
What are the premieres that you've been catching up on? Do share your views on the new TV season 2012-13 below...
Ellen, of course, had a lot of baggage to take care
of. Her desire for revenge against Patty consumed her in a way that did wonders
for her. Patty may have been responsible for her becoming McClaren’s lawyer,
but Ellen took it from there, showing us just how shrewd and ruthless she could
be, just as Patty had always been. Her character’s emotional strength, which
had been building up and was evident for quite some time, may have reached a
point where the thirst for revenge might have become a major weakness for her,
but it also showed us how a woman who was fiercely protective of her her mother, from her abusive father--a very powerful sub-plot of the season. It was good to see that a relationship with Chris was also developing, just as it was nice to see Chris Messina becoming a fixture on the
show, instead of his character fading away after the drama of the previous season.
The epilogue reminded me a little of how The Devil Wears Prada ended, but of
course, this was way more twisted and darker than that. It saddened me to see
Patty and Ellen finally going their separate ways, but I was also glad to see
Ellen finally at peace with herself after having left her past behind her. Despite
all her ruthless and conniving ways, I was happy to see Patty get a (somewhat)
happy ending, with Katherine in her life. The two lead actresses did a
phenomenal job. Rose Byrne outdid herself as she portrayed the wronged, but
stronger-than-ever Ellen, and Glenn Close can obviously do no wrong. Close was
exceptionally outstanding when Patty has a final confrontation with her father
on his death bed. She made the lifelong pain and anger towards him for his
unforgivable betrayal ever so real. The series truly ended in the best way
possible. References to the past, drawing out the strong relevance of
some of the most insignificant moments from seasons ago, and pulling out all the skeletons
out of the season-one closet made it an apt farewell to one of the best dramas I’ve
seen in the last decade. DAMAGES will be missed.
