Another fantastic week in television has come and gone, and with it came some excellent season premieres and episodes that continue to have me hopeful for this entire TV season as a whole.
Last Sunday’s Once Upon a Time premiere had me on the edge of my seat and completely buying into the idea that this season will give me the emotional content and character development that last season often lacked. That hopeful feeling extended into my viewing of the season premiere of The Good Wife, which also reminded me of all of the things I first fell in love with about the show.
Monday’s Dancing with the Stars episode made my love for Bill Engvall only grow stronger, and Castle was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. Tuesday’s TV lineup included an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. featuring the cameo I’d been waiting for since I’d heard about the show, as well as episodes of New Girl and The Mindy Project that packed quite the emotional punch.
Wednesday’s Nashville episode was a great followup to a fantastic season premiere, even though the scene between Rayna and Deacon broke my heart. Thursday reminded me of all the ways TV can make me laugh (Ron Swanson’s accidental Vine on Parks and Recreation) and all the ways it can make me feel (the entirety of Scandal‘s breathtaking season premiere).
I only started watching Scandal with this week’s recap show and season premiere (besides YouTube clips of the most talked-about scenes and about 3/4 of last season’s finale), but I’m so happy I decided to tune in when I did—because it was the best thing I saw in a great week of television. Everything about that premiere was smart—the twists, the dialogue, and even the wardrobe choices (that white trench coat!). And it all culminated in one phenomenal scene between Fitz, Olivia, and Mellie in a secret bunker. My favorite thing about that scene was the way there were so many things being said without words between all of the characters, especially between Fitz and Olivia. It’s a brave thing for a network drama to have a scene so long featuring nothing but three people talking, but when the acting is this good, it’s hard to believe anyone would be able to turn away.
What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?
Nerdy Girl Notes 
Scandal’s awesome and this premiere was great! Fair warning, it’s crazy addictive! Once you start you can’t stop 🙂
I’ve already been warned by so many people, but I’m excited to get addicted to another show! 😀
That’s not true – some of us have stopped. 😉 I remained baffled by some of the crazy love of the show. There was an episode last season that set me adrift. But I remain in the distinct minority on that opinion.
I will give you the scene in the bunker. But overall the episode vividly reminded me why I stopped watching. The yelling and often unlikeable characters are too much for a week to week show and are a lot of the reasons I stopped watching last year. It’s a show that just takes itself too seriously for me given some of its outlandish plot points. I tried because I wanted to get back in for Lisa Kudrow’s arc that’s coming, but I think I am going to remain out.
As for the best thing I saw this week. The Good Wife’s season opener was probably my favorite of the returning series, back to fine form, interesting plot movement, superb direction and setting up a great set of conflicts for the season. That said, I was pleasantly surprised and think the best thing I watched was episode 2 of Blacklist. As someone who isn’t a big James Spader fan and thought the pilot cut a little close in structure to Silence of the Lambs, I was wonderfully drawn in this week to the plot, the pivots and reveals. All of which set up a number of interesting questions for the season that lies ahead. Besides, anyone who makes good use of Isabella Rossellini gets A++ marks from me.
I can definitely see how Scandal could get to be too much week after week, but lately I’ve been in the mood for something a little overly dramatic. And I feel like the cast seems good enough to keep me intrigued even when the plots get too crazy. I’m not going into it with any false illusions about these characters being 100% likable, so I’m just going along for the ride right now.
Side Note: How I did I now know Isabella Rossellini was on The Blacklist? She is pure perfection, and I have missed her on my TV since her arc on Alias ended so long ago.
It was only a guest spot and not a recurring introduction unfortunately, but I agree she is pure perfection and was during the episode. I think she needs to find her way over to Castle.
I found the Scandal recap episode on my OnDemand so I may have to watch that and see what I think! (Not that I need another show to add to my schedule lol)
My favorite episode of last week was probably the OUAT premiere or Sleepy Hollow’s third episode. I totally agree with you in that I feel that this season’s OUAT is back on track after last season lacking character and relationship development due to the too-heavy plot focus, and I’m so glad they’re seeming so far to be balancing those two aspects well.
With Sleepy Hollow, it’s a show that I enjoy watching a lot because it’s quite fun and I love that it’s a show that has a female lead & quite a few main characters who are not white dudes 😉 – out of who I would probably call the top 4 central characters of the show so far, only one is white and two are female: there’s Abbie, the main character; Icabod, the other co-lead (who is the white dude); Abbie’s sister Katrina; and Frank Irving, the police chief. (Also, Sleepy Hollow was picked up for a second season already! So hopefully the writers know what they’re doing :p)
And, of course I can’t type tonight lol. *Ichabod is the actual spelling. (He’s delightful as he’s British and from the 1780s and thus we get the “Ichabod vs. modern technology” scenes which are very entertaining/hilarious)
Annnd I really, really can’t type as Abbie’s sister’s name is Jenny, not Katrina (that is someone else on the show lol, I am horrible at names of people who aren’t the main leads until I’ve got half the season into my brain lol)
I really don’t need any more shows to watch but between you, Nikki, and Heather, I am feeling an intense need to watch Sleepy Hollow! Maybe I can catch up when my regular shows are on their winter hiatuses. 😉