Before tonight’s primetime fare, I’m taking a look
back on some of the Sunday night shows that premiered last week…
DEXTER S7E1
Most DEXTER fans I meet say that the season they liked
least was season three, but for me, it was season six, not just because of the
central storyline of the season, but also because Deb went all psychologically
incestuous and all. However, the best thing about the last season was the last
few seconds, when Deb walks in on Dex stabbing Travis. What really impressed me
about the season seven premiere was the fact that they followed through with
that and didn’t just find a way to let is pass or save it for the end of the
season or show. Of course anyone who’s seen the trailers, or read interviews of
the cast or showrunners, would know that they would be following through with
Deb’s discovery. The conflict of the Deb the lieutenant and Deb, the killer’s
sister was played out extremely well, with her freaking out about what she’d
seen, but doing what she could to help Dexter, albeit reluctantly. And while
Dexter was planning an impromptu escape, what blew my mind was Deb’s
recollection of being on a table like she’d seen Travis on, wrapped up in
plastic, just like Dexter had done to Travis. Flashes of her memory from the
‘ice-truck killer’ season finale just made me think that it was just what she
needed to stop trusting her brother blindly. Her finding out the whole truth
may not necessarily be something that I want, but at this point, us waiting for
that is the most interesting part of the show. An evolution of the show was
long overdue and this is the right thing to happen.
Apart from that, I’m intrigued to
find out more about the main case of the season, the Ukrainian hot-shot whose
man was killed by Dexter in the airport, and the involvement of the strip-club
owner. It was an excellent way to begin the story. Also, Louis being skeptical
of Dexter, and canceling his credit cards and accounts is probably going to go
somewhere big. But while we wait for that, I have to say that the way the
premiere was oddly poetic. The previous season ended with Dexter saying ‘oh
god!’ when Deb walks in on him, and this season premiere ended with him saying
‘yes’ when she asked him if he’d killed all those people whose blood was on the
glass slides that she found. Strangely, it feels like the beginning of the end
of the show; yet, there’s another season after this one. We’ll just have to
wait and watch how they play the end out till then. For now, let’s just look
forward to episode two tonight.
HOMELAND S2E1
It’s the show of the hour, and the show of the year!
Showtime’s first ever Outstanding Series win at the Emmys, as well as Emmys for
both the lead stars makes HOMELAND quite a critically-acclaimed as well as
popular favorite. And the season two premiere did not disappoint either. I was
sad to see Carrie leading a life away from the CIA in the beginning of the
episode, but the way she gets thrown back into the action on being sent to
Lebanon was thoroughly exciting. I was most impressed with the evolution of the
purpose of Brody’s character, from being a terrorist with a suicide-attack
mission to being a politician having the opportunity to influence international
and military policy. It was a great transition, with even bigger things in
store for us, as he might be headed for the Vice President’s office, by
probably the end of this season.
Yet, Abu Nazir sent him a mission
to obtain something from the CIA Deputy Director’s office. At first, I thought
he might not agree, sticking by his position on the new nature of his work for
Nazir, but as soon as the journalist mentioned the kid that died when Brody was
looking after him, I knew that he would carry out the mission. And while that
was executed well, what really moved me in the premiere was the father-daughter
connection between Brody and Dana. Their strong bond was shown to us last
season when he told her about how he’d adopted Islam, kind of breaking the ice
between them, after he was away for eight years. Then, he aborted his
suicide-attack mission, which was then his only purpose, because his daughter
made him promise that he’d return that night. In the premiere, he stood up for
her when she was in trouble in school and with her mom, and I thought that the
scene where she helps him bury the Quran was really beautiful. Moments like
these really make the show so much more effective. And now, as the season
continues, with the show evolving, I look forward to seeing how Carrie will
find her way back to working with or for the CIA full-time.
THE GOOD WIFE S4E1
“Looks like we’re headed for an even odder [year],”
said Diane Lockhart to Will when they were toasting to his suspension from the
law ending. It was probably an indication of how the season would be. We know
that Peter’s campaign as he runs for Governor of Illinois will probably form
the backdrop of the season, with new media obstacles headed their way, in the form
of Peggy Bryne. Two important guest stars of the season made their appearance
in the premiere, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of their characters. THE
GOOD WIFE has always been so thorough with the development of even guest actors’
characters, and that’s what makes big stars heading to the show very exciting.
The highlight of the premiere was the Alicia representing her son in court. It was
ideal for the opening of the season that will mark the Will’s return to court, the
progression of Peter’s campaign, Lockhart-Gardener trying to get out of
trouble, and Kalinda dealing with her husband, with all these matters being
delved into right in the beginning. It was personal and effective, and it
brought out some good mother-son moments. I could almost imagine Zach as a
lawyer some day, working with his mother.
Of
course, it began with Kalinda in that chair, the way the last season ended, and
I thought she kicked some serious ass in the opening scene. I really liked the
scenes featuring Will and Diane. I’m always happy to see their friendship and
how good they are together as partners, looking out for each other, and keeping
things transparent for each other. Alicia being interviewed, Peter confronting
the Madison County State’s Attorney and David Lee being shown his place by
Clarke Hayden were some of the other scenes that made it a good premiere. I
always have high expectations from this show, and with all that’s in store for
us, the expectations are even higher.
What are you looking forward to most in the current seasons of DEXTER, HOMELAND and THE GOOD WIFE? Do share your thoughts below...