Revolution Finale

So I was on a plane heading to Hawaii when the season finale of Revolution aired, so I only just got to watch it Saturday night when I got back.

Firstly...I have to say I am not sure I like the direction this show has taken in the 2nd half of the season. I loved the original concept with flashbacks and stories about how people survived and what happened after the blackout. I liked the old timey feel, with swords and crossbows. Then they got some power and found a whole heap of guns and ammo, and the swords were gone. They used a lot less flashbacks, and jumped a lot of things that could have played out on screen. It was all about turning the power on and less about answering the relationship questions and the whole concept of Monroe got where he is.
Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE the show. Rachel is an awesome character. But sometimes the others can be annoying. Charlie grew on me, but now she doesn't DO anything. I think the writing needs to be better for the second season. They need to flesh out the stories better, and not skip over things or rewrite history so much. Moving the story faster leads to less emotion and suspense...they need to work on this.

Now onto the final episode...

The montage of the 1st seasons moments...was odd, and made me miss Ben and the old stories and unresolved questions.
Monroe and Miles confuse the heck out of me. What is their drama?! Does Monroe just have a big old crush on Miles...or is he crazy?! The working together thing didn't work for me.

Rachel Rachel Rachel...if she's not trying to kill somebody, she's trying to get revenge for Danny and doing anything to get it done. To be fair...its not like Nora had a chance anyways. But I did like Charlie's speech to her mother about how Danny is not coming back and that she's still here.
I felt bad for Nora dying...and all, but once they decided to make a history for Rachel and Miles, she was kinda doomed. Oh and where did Nora get all the tools to build her bomb?! This is the kind of thing I'm talking about, we need to see these things so that the result make sense. Showing this could also build the drama....learn from Alias people.

Again I am bored with Neville. But I wonder if his taking control of the Republic will be a good thing or a bad thing. Especially with this mysterious President getting back into the loop.

Poor Aaron...they steal his code and use it to control the tower. Oh and like Rachel didn't know?! Puhlease.

Oh yeah...and they turned the power on. Yay?! I am not sure how things are going to work out now that its back on...and if it wasn't too early. I guess its not necessarily permanent. Time will only tell.

Not sure where we are headed next season. But I hope they take things slower. I hope they work on the relationships and go back to explaining the history through flashbacks. Especially as I would like to see more with Ben.

Sidenotes -
Can someone explain why Kim Raver's character is always dressed so fancy?! What do these Militia wives do?! Surely
Rachel is the only character that seems consistant....mostly because she can pretty much do anything to get what she wants!
Charlie's naievitay about the virtual back door to Aaron's code was hilarious. The show needs more moments like these from Charlie and Jason...who have grown up in a world without power and pop culture. The best line is still "What's a Boy Band?"
The people on this show need to watch Lost...and learn how people tend to look after living in the wild for years and years...can someone remind Charlie and Rachel that they don't have hairdryers!

Looking forward to season 2. Hope they get things right, because otherwise I doubt the show will make it to season 3.


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Carlie

Revolution...Revolving

I started off really being interested in the whole concept of NBC's Revolution. I loved the idea of a world without power and technology. I liked the idea of bows and arrows, swords and knives. I bought into the Monroe Militia ruling everything. I also liked the journey of our characters venturing out in this world.

Then the 2nd half of season 1 happened...and it was all going great with flashbacks and Rachel on the loose. But the last few episodes have taken away a lot of the things that were great about the show in the first place. They found power way too easy...and then found the Georgia Federation. Which was a crazy cilvilized world with fancy clothes....and now they have all the guns they need. - What happened to the ammo shortage?!
I'm loving the Rachel and her quest to get to the tower with Aaron. Aaron being in this 'journal' is a little weird, but not completely crazy.

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the show. I love Miles, Rachel, Aaron, Monroe, and even Charlie has grown on me now that she's not pouting so much.
But they seem to have lost the history. They have stopped including flashbacks, of how our characters got to where we found them at the start of the season. One of the biggest questions I have is why Miles left the Militia. Because that seemed to be important once upon a time. But we seem to have skipped over a lot of stuff. I was interested in how people settled and lived after the power outage. The action packed stuff is nice, but I miss the swords and arrows.

This week's episode did not thrill me. We seemed to have moved too fast, and we are skipping over stuff that should be dragged out.
Firstly, Nora was being held hostage for 20 something days...and Miles was sitting on his ass?! We don't know because they never showed it. I was disappointed in him for not rescuing her sooner. I mean...they found Danny!!! I bet if it was Rachel or Charlie he would have fought harder.
Anyways...also that could have filled a whole episode. But nope it was over in 13 minutes!
Then they ventured off to Colorado in a helicopter to save Rachel (and Aaron... : ( but nobody cares about him sadly) from Monroe who flew there with Randall and an army. - Good plan...also pity nobody gave Rachel a helicopter!

Then they are running out of fuel, and have to land...and then one of them is killing them off one by one...again this could have been a whole episode in itself. It turns out to be Miles' old buddy Jim who really isn't that important or interesting...and he's dead.
So then Miles is back on his way to Colorado....where Rachel walks into Monroe's tent in uniform with a grenade with the intent on blowing up Monroe so that Aaron can get into The Tower.

It was a lot for 1 episode. And I know they wanted to move things along...but I worry its going too fast. Bring back the flashbacks and the human interest that it started with.

Anyways..there were some good things in the ep. "MILF-y sister in-law" might be one of the best lines in a while.
I also loved 'The Others' inside the Tower. Who the heck are these people?!
Elizabeth Mitchell steals every scene she's in. Rachel's stuff is the best thing by far in every episode. 

Here's hoping next week's episode is better.

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Carlie

TV Returning and Those Bidding Adeiu

So its that time of year again....the tv networks have made their decisions on which shows they are bringing back next year and which are cancelled.

The worst news was that SMASH has not been picked up for a 3rd season. I'm crushed...but not at all surpised, seeing as it didn't rate well this year and was moved to Saturday nights in the US.
I love Megan Hilty, Debra Messing, and the whole cast...but this year was missing something that it had in the first season. I would have loved to have 1 more season for them to find that again.
RIP SMASH. - Looking forward to Megan working more though, will have to make an effort to get to NYC to see her on Broadway sometime if thats where she goes.

Go On was also cancelled, but I never really loved it. It was getting good though by the end of the season. Oh Matthew Perry...so many 1 season series...and I will watch whatever you do next.

I was really surprised that Community got another season, but I'm glad they have!
All my other important shows have been picked up so yay!!! Revolution has a 2nd season, I'm really excited about that. Its been really good lately, but I hope they continue with the flashbacks. I'm intrigued by how Miles became this General, and then how he changed and left Monroe in charge.

Parenthood is coming back for a full 22 episode season, which is fantastic! After all those short seasons it will be great to have a longer one. It might be the last one we get potentially, so at least there will be plenty of time to wrap it up.

Nashville is also coming back. But I don't have a lot of luck with shows going longer than 2 seasons, so I won't get my hopes up. But its been getting really good lately. But I still don't care about the politics part, so less of that would be good.

There are also lots of new shows that have been announced. I've been watching the trailers for them, some look good, but not tons. I'll write about them later.

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Carlie

LOST Finale Relived & Other TV

So Ness and I finished rewatching LOST on Saturday night. The ending was bad...probably worse than I remembered. But for me it was still worth all of it for the scene with Sawyer and Juliet! They got points for bringing back Boon and Shannon and Charlie. But the whole ending was crazy. They should have just left it on the island and let them go home. Oh well...it was still a great show on a whole.

In other more recent tv news...

Revolution has not been as good the last two weeks on a whole. They have split up the group into Aaron and Rachel, and Miles, Charlie and Nora...and occasionally we see the Nevilles and Monroe.
Last week Rachel went to find yet another old friend that is involved in this power outage mess. -Wish they'd stop doing the...oh Rachel happens to know another random person that knows how to turn the lights back on...thing. Its getting old.
I agree with people complaining about these 2 bit characters they keep bringing in...we don't care. If its not about the main group/s, or involving them a lot it doesn't matter to me.
I don't care about Aaron's wife....sorry, but I don't. But maybe now that Aaron has run into her again, he can get over it and stop being such a whinger.
Speaking of Aaron...Elizabeth Mitchell was pretty much a glorified extra this week. Seriously...more flashbacks please...explaining what the heck was going on with Rachel back in the day, and Ben and Miles...Its a mess! Plus I want to know more about why Bass kept her hostage.
Didn't care about the Miles/Bass/Emma storyline much....maybe the fact that Monroe has a son will have some impact on the rest of the season...but the rest was kinda boring. Miles went alone as ordered...the others turned up of course and saved his hide...
Notes for this week - where did Rachel and Charlie find the hairbrushes and shampoo...and hairdryers?! -why the heck do the people in Georgia dress like they are going to the office/church after all this time with no power and how do they keep them clean and pressed?! - Hurry up with the backstories!

The Good Wife wrapped up for the season this week. In a great twist Alicia made out with Will then agreed to team up with Cary to open a new firm. Its gonna be sooooo good next season! I was also cool that they brought back Martha Plimpton. Her character is great fun. It was also great to have Mamie Gummer in the show the other week. The Good Wife has THE BEST and the most guest stars!

Smash has been really good lately too. Which sucks cause it is probably not getting another season...but I would be sooooo happy if it did!
I love Jeremy Jordan, but Jimmy is really annoying. He doesn't really seem to have any good qualities..and I find myself not caring about him at all.

 The Big C is back. Its good that they are doing double length episodes. But there are only going to be 4 eps to wrap it all up. The first one was sad, but great. Can't wait to see how it all fits together in the last 3.

I finished off Parenthood season 3 this week too. I love the show, but on a whole its not the kind that I watch episodes over and over. However it was fun to rewatch it all, and will fill the void till its back later in the year. - thank goodness its been picked up for another season!

I also borrowed Significant Others from Vanessa and watched all 6 episodes this week....just for a little more Elizabeth Mitchell overdose. Jennifer Garner was sooo little...I forgot that it was that old, 1998 is a million years ago! I thought it was around 2000. Anyways...good cast, and had good moments, but overall was slow and the stories didn't connect that well. I had a few notes that I thought of while I was watching: 1) With Jennifer, Elizabeth, Michael Whetherly, and Eion Bailey - I thought give them all guns, it would be interesting - based other shows they have all been in. 2) Between LOST and Revolution I wish Elizabeth's character wasn't married to another BEN! Sorry Tim Guinee...but Michael Whetherly is way prettier than you! lol. 3) Even though I watched it years ago back in the mid 2000's I remembered a fair bit of it.

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Carlie

Revolution/ER/Brothers & Sisters Connections

Pretty much watching nothing but ER these days...but I have slowed down a little bit. I've just finished season 7. Which has some great Abby stuff with Sally Field guest starring as her crazy mother. 
It also means I've finished with Elizabeth Mitchell's eps, so that will make it easier watching Revolution. Not that she was in ER that much anyways for being in 17 eps....but it was still good. But not her best character, and all the making out with Laura Innes was weird.
Now I'll have to drag out season 8, cause I don't want Mark Green to die!

Speaking of Revolution. It is still awesome after the 1st ep back. Plenty of good Rachel stuff, but also good Miles, Charlie and Aaron stuff. I don't care so much about the Neville family stuff. But the line from this week's ep by Jason was my fave line of the year. "What's a boy band?"
It was good to get an explanation of what made the power go out, but it still didn't exactly say why...and I'm more interested in the why...and the flashbacks that should tell me. I want to know what went on with Miles and Bass, and why Rachel went willingly as a prisoner?!

Raising Hope has wrapped for the season. The finale was okay, but it was the 2nd last ep that I loved. The not really a musical musical ep. "I'm gonna rock the Torah" is still stuck in my head.

Smash finally got better...meaning Ivy is back as Marilyn, but it looks like season 3 is a pipe dream. But this season has not been great. I blame Hit List...2 musicals is fun in theory, but Smash was at its best when it was about building Bombshell, and Ivy vs. Karen.

Here's hoping Nashville gets a 2nd season. The last few eps have been great. If only they could get rid of Avery...he's annoying and there are way too many characters with non-connecting storylines.
Yay for more Lennon and Maisy Stella singing. Those little girls kick ass!

The Good Wife and Once Upon a Time are off for a few more weeks. But my comedies are starting to wrap up too.

Mad Men is back, the first ep was kinda boring. I don't like Megan. Betty bores me.
I liked having Kerris Lilla Dorsey in an ep. Thought it was cool having her and Max Cotton's little brother in a scene together...almost a Brothers and Sisters reunion. 
I also didn't recognize Linda Cardellini  at first, which seeing as I'm watching ER.....I felt bad about.

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-Carlie

Time for a Revolution

Revolution finally came back this week, and the first episode back did not disappoint!

We picked up right where we left off...with the our gang escaping after rescuing Danny (and Rachel) and Monroe has power...and helicopters with guns. -Thanks Rachel! - But yay for having Elizabeth Mitchell doing more stuff.

So Rachel's alive, and is pretty much responsible for everything that has happened....except for the part that belongs to Miles.

 ...Anyways..Rachel comes up with a plan to get our heroes power from an old friend who was in the know. (Did his name have to be John?!...we already have Miles, Aaron, Daniel, Charlie, etc.... -Its a little too LOST)
Oh yeah, and he's played by Leland Orser who was in ER with David Lyons... - oh and the thing with the sonar gun thing...was very LOST sonar fence/time travel flashes....I think I've got LOST on the brain.
-So the friend is working for Randell. Who is one serious bad/mysterious dude. Lucky this guy sucks at tying people up..yay for Miles!

-Not really caring about the Neville family drama...I find that kid kinda annoying, but at least Charlie didn't let him join them.

Meanwhile the rest of the gang are fighting with the rebels against Monroe's militia and his guns. Rachel and Miles come racing in with serious fire power at the 11th hour and Miles attempts to fire at the helicopter...but gets blown back. Danny seeing an opportunity, gets the rocket launcher and boom, bye bye helicopter.
Sadly the guns were fireing as it went down...right through Danny's chest.

I knew someone was going to die...I had 4 guesses as to who it would be, Nora, Aaron, Danny and Jason. The ones that don't really matter too much to the overall story.
While it does suck that we spent the whole first half of the season attemtping to rescue Danny...what that was really leading to I guess, was a means of finding Rachel. But also the fact that Danny was the reason Rachel did whatever she did -that made the power go out...to save baby Danny in the first place...makes me kinda want to pull my hair out...but oh well.

Speaking of pulling things out...Rachel after grieving for the son she barely knew, cuts him open and pulls something that flashes out of him..WTF?!

Can't wait for the next ep and the rest of the season. PLEASE let them get a 2nd season!
 
So questions answered....Miles did NOT know Rachel was still alive...he thought she was dead.
Oh and also...they have totally had a thing in the past. - which makes all the Nora/Miles stuff complicated! -Ouch.
-I'm still sure that Rachel and Bass had a thing back in the day too...or at least some serious Stockholm syndrome stuff going on. -Rachel you floozy!

But pretty much all the other questions are still unanswered. I've heard why the power went out is coming up in the next few eps.
I'm still waiting for the 'why Rachel left in the first place?' answer...and what her history is with Miles, and Bass and did Ben know what she was doing?
Also why Miles left the Militia and why he tried to kill Bass?

 -Not at all important...but where do all these clothes come from...I kinda imaging after 15 years there wouldn't be much left...especially shoes!


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-Carlie

March TV

A lot of shows have been on and off for the last few weeks. Nashville seems to be only on every 2-3 weeks. I've lost track of Modern Family and Suburgatory's schedules. Luckily there is still plenty to keep me entertained.

Smash is back. Its good, but I gotta admit I'm a little disappointed in this season.
It doesn't leave me thrilled at the end of each episode the way it did in season 1. There is not enough Bombshell, or Ivy, or singing.
I mean I love Jeremy Jordan and Krysta Rodriguez...but their characters are kinda annoying, and Krysta doesn't really get to sing.
I miss Jessica and Bobby and Marilyn. I miss Ivy's Marilyn. I know the ratings are not as good this season...and I think part of it is that they've lost too much of the original concept. These other musicals in progress are taking away from Bombshell, and from the main characters. There is less singing and dancing. I miss the dancing. And no matter how hard they try, I just never accepted Karen as Marilyn. Team Ivy all the way.
It looks very likely that Smash will not be coming back for a 3rd season...and I wonder if they has stuck with just Bombshell and that one musical process, they might be doing better.

I'm halfway through season 5 of ER...George Clooney's last ep made me cry...again. I like him in movies, but Doug Ross was a great character.

Revolution is finally coming back on the 25th, so I have watched the whole series so far this week. I still love it, and am totally stoked for it to come back. I've got a list going to questions I want answered, and also I heard someone is going to die in the first ep back...my theories are -Aaron, Danny, Rachel, Nora, or Neville's kid. I hope they don't kill Rachel - cause Elizabeth Mitchell is awesome and while I like flashbacks, its going to be fun to have the family back together.

Speaking of Elizabeth Mitchell...Ness and I finished season 5 of LOST the other week...and I cried. Those last few eps are so depressing. Although it was the 1st ep of season 6 that really made me cry. Poor Juliet and poor Sawyer. -So glad for their reunion in the series finale.
Sooo excited for the LOST tour when I go to Hawaii in June!!!

Nothing else has been noteworthy really...everything is just puttering along fine.

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Carlie

Back in Action

Okay so I've been MIA for a long time, haven't posted anything since the Emmys back in October...since then the new season has been in full swing and is now on winter break till the new year.

Revolution has become one of my new fave shows. I'm oddly hooked to it. Maybe its cause I've watching LOST again(which I will talk about later). Or maybe because I'm just glad Elizabeth Mitchell being back on tv (without aliens). Anyways...I love it. Its not the best show in the world, but its very intruging and I find myself always wanting to watch it before Bones...sorry Bones, but you're not one of my faves.

Private Practice has gotten AWESOME. So since I last posted, the triplets have been born...well the 2nd two were about to be born in the mid season finale...I can't believe there is only three episodes left. EVER!!!! Its going to be really sad when its gone, because this season has been awesome. Season 5 was really the only time it wasn't great. I'm gonna miss those crazy bunch of people....I wish we could have a Charlotte, Cooper and Amelia spin off...
Grey's is still going for now, I hope that wraps up soon, even though its good, its not great and needs to end soon. ESPECIALLY since PPP is ending. The Arizona stuff has been great this season, and the new interns are actually not annoying! They are okay I mean, lets not get carried away, they are kinda boring and take time away from the good characters.

1 big change so far this season, is that I gave up on The New Girl. I just found that when I was watching it, I wasn't paying attention, so I stopped once I got back from overseas.
I keep saying I'm going to stop watching Revenge, but I keep watching it, might give up if I don't love it when it comes back on.

Once Upon a Time has been really good this season, as has Parenthood (except for that whole Ray Romano thing). The last ep before Christmas killed me. I was bawling like a baby. Mostly cause I wasn't sure if Kristina was going to die or not, and also because it brought back some personal bad memories from my childhood. Her video to the kids was a tearjerker!

Parks and Rec is awesome as usual. Ben and Leslie are getting married, and Ron Swanson is dating Xena....

Can't wait for Smash and Bunheads to come back. As well as the next season of The Newsroom if that ever comes back!

In the meantime, I've rewatched the entire Studio 60 again...and Parks and Rec season 3. Now I'm wrapping up season 5 of 30 Rock - which will also bow out soon. Then I'm moving onto Smash!

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Carlie

OD-ing on TV

More tv came back this week, most notably Private Practice, which I was not really looking forward to based on a crappy season last year. But season 6 started with a bang and found the funny, found the old character traits and found the quality!
So Pete was removed, at first making you think he's run away and is a douche...and then found to have died...(poor Tim Daly, not cool ABC)
The season premire was spent focusing on a day from each character's (or set of characters) point of view. It was well done and the annoyingness of last season seems to have been fixed.

Charlotte is back to her old self, interesting again....and pregnant...with triplets....crazy! Poor poor Charlotte, she wasn't into it with 1 baby, let alone 3...and all I can think is how funny its going to be to see that tiny woman super fat!
Addison chose Jake...which is good -I was SOOOOOOO over the stupidity of them not figuring out that Sam and Addison wasn't working.
Sheldon is hooking up with his ex - there is more going on there, but not sure what yet.
Amelia kept very low key, and wasn't around the group really.
Mason is so far less annoying...but we'll see what happens when Char and Coop go house hunting and bring on babyland!

The New Girl is back, still not my fave show, but I'll stick with it for now.

Also good tv this week -  SNL. I was worried that without Kristen, Andy, and Abby that it wouldn't be any good. But this week's ep with Joseph Gordon Levitt was actually pretty funny. Vanessa Bayer is rocking it.

Ep 2 of Revolution was also excellent. Its my new fave show! Elizabeth Mitchell's character was revealed to be not dead (like I believed all along, very predictable). She seemed to kind of being held hostage...not sure what's going on there...but a family reunion is going to be good, sans poor Ben.


Since I was sick all weekend and had 4 days off, I finished season 2 of In Plain Sight. I listened to 2 commentaries with Mary McCormack and Fred Weller - they were very funny!
Continueing my West Wing people tv theme, I started Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip...for the kazillionth time.


Its only the 3rd week of new tv, and I'm already starting to feel stressed out trying to fit everything in! Its too much! Just wait till I get back from the big trip in November...its going to be crazy trying to catch up!


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Carlie

Bad Blogger

Sooooo I've been AWOL lately...too busy watching all the tv to get a chance to talk about it!

So The Newsroom is finished, can't wait till next season...I'm still hoping a few Sorkin shows alumn will pop up.
But seriously, enough with the West Wing references! That whole "gather ye rosebuds" bit was too much for me to handle!

Weeds bowed out this week, with a flash forward...with no real closure. Its funny, I kinda always expected Nancy to die in the end. But I guess it ended okay. It was nice to see some old faces again.


A new season has begun, with the shows starting up again. 
Parenthood is back after a February season finale - toooooooo long a break in my opinion. Its good to finally have Lauren Graham back on my tv. 

Revolution is a new show. So far I like it. Its part Lost, part Jericho, part....hunger games I guess. But its intriguing.

More shows will come back over the next few weeks. Plus some more new shows starting. Wonder what will survive this year!

Also the emmys are on on Monday. Can't wait!!!!

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Carlie