Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Horseman's Got No Head

I know, it's a little lame but it gives you a very vital clue as to one of the five shows that I am watching at the moment.


Arrow: Now, Agents Of SHIELD, take some notes here because the dynamic with Oliver, Felicity, Diggle and even Roy is how you do a great team dynamic, even if most of the first episode during the second season was trying to actually get Oliver back in the game. Watching the first two episodes alongside each other on Sky1, the writing has certainly improved, the losses of Malcolm and Tommy have created a great divide with the Hood and Laurel and the fallout of Moira's actions have had some great consequences for Oliver's family business as well while the island flashbacks are remaining interesting. That along with some foreshadowing for Roy's future and a few new/old enemies surfacing, this is certainly a great start for the new season.


Devious Maids: I had no intention of watching this series but then again, I mostly enjoyed Desperate Housewives for eight seasons and this is pretty much covering similar ground with a murder mystery and a band of ladies brought together by it and being maids for the rich folk of course. The fact that it's also run by Marc Cherry also brings it's own comparisons to this show and the former antics of Wisteria Lane. It's a fun, frothy show and it's nice to see a strong Latina cast as well, even if there's a little stereotyping here and there though. In terms of characters, I think Marisol and the Powells stand out the most so far but there isn't really a weak character so far.


Homeland: Much as I do like this show, even I am forced to admit that I am struggling with it this series. I'm beginning to wonder if this show really would've been better off as a miniseries rather than something will now go into a fourth season. The last few episodes just haven't really gripped me and even Brody's return hasn't been as compelling as I hoped it would be. On the plus side, the fact that it now is revealed that both Carrie and Saul are actually working together should hopefully mean that the remaining episodes are a marked improvement on an underwhelming season so far.


Misfits: The show is back and it's penchant for the deeply crass is back too. In terms of an opening episode for the fifth and final season, this one was a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, I enjoyed Finn being possessed and the therapy group for superpowers is actually a great idea. On the other hand, I couldn't care less about Jess and Alex and the fact that the latter had to use his powers on Finn as well left a bad taste in my mouth. Still though, it's a promising enough start for the last series and this episode was mostly better than anything in the first half of the previous series.


Sleepy Hollow: Bloody hell, I remember a time when I didn't watch Universal (aside from the occasional Law & Order: SVU episode) but with Bates Motel and now this show, I've been drawn to that channel a little more. The first three episodes of this show have been a mixed bag. It's reasonably a lighter show with some darkish elements, history lessons, legends and magic thrown into the mix. In some ways, I could almost compare it to Merlin or Atlantis. However, it's also a lot of fun and the leads in Ichabod Crane and Abbie are an absolute joy to watch as well and it's nice that while the Horsemen are the main antagonist for the series, we can still get enemies like the Sandman as well thrown into the mix. This definitely makes for a diverting hour of fun.


- A reboot for Charmed is in the works. CBS are currently working on one. Um, why? I ask as someone who enjoyed that show.
- Atlantis has been picked up for a second series by BBC1.
- US viewers will be able to see the third series of Sherlock on PBS from January 19th 2014. A UK broadcaster hasn't been announced yet.
- Richard Schiff and McKayla Maroney will both be guest starring in upcoming episodes of Bones.
- Sleepy Hollow has been picked up for a second season of thirteen episodes.
- Emmett Scanlon will be playing Simon in the second series of In The Flesh. I will do something in relation to the first series of that show in a future blog.

No comments: