Monthly Archives: November 2014

TV Time: The Mindy Project 3.07

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TMP 307

Title We Need to Talk About Annette

Two-Sentence Summary Mindy discovers that Danny’s mother is a shoplifter, but Annette tries to deny those allegations when Mindy confronts her. Meanwhile, Peter discovers that Abby may be his perfect woman, but his definition of the perfect woman may need some changing.

Favorite Lines
Peter: Why are you looking at me like that?
Danny: You look a lot like Mindy in that outfit.
Peter: Keep your eyes up here, man!
Danny: You look good.
Peter: Shut up!

My Thoughts This season, The Mindy Project has finally seemed to achieve a good balance between highlighting their guest stars while not making their appearances feel like blatant stunt casting moves. “We Need to Talk About Annette” was as entertaining as it was because of the two very funny women making recurring guest appearances (Rhea Perlman and Allison Tolman), and they were used just enough to be memorable once again while still letting the actors and character arcs around them shine, too.

I said it last week, and I’ll say it again: I didn’t watch Fargo, so I had no idea who Allison Tolman was before this little arc. And now I am more than a little bit in love with her, and I don’t want to see her arc end. For only being in two episodes, there was a lot of nice nuances to her character; I liked that we were introduced to her as a woman who was confident and successful, but that doesn’t have to always mean a person is responsible. Maybe I’ve just been thinking about Gone Girl too much lately, but Abby’s characterization was a really nice depiction of the problems inherent in the “cool girl.” Peter may have thought for a long time that he liked women who didn’t challenge him, and it’s clear that Lauren choosing Jeremy still hurts and is making him wonder if challenging women will ever want him. However, it was nice to see him start to realize that—even if Lauren hurt him—he needs to find someone like her, someone who makes him want to be a better person.

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TV Time: Castle 7.06

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Title The Time of Our Lives

Two-Sentence Summary While investigating a case involving an ancient Incan artifact, Castle is knocked unconscious and imagines a life where he and Beckett never met. That experience prompts him to not want to waste any more time, leading to a long-awaited sunset wedding in the Hamptons.

Favorite Lines
Beckett: The moment that I met you, my life became extraordinary. You taught me to be my best self, to look forward to tomorrow’s adventures. And when I was vulnerable, you were strong. I love you, Richard Castle, and I want to live my life in the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace. I promise you I will love you. I will be your friend and your partner in crime and in life. Always.

Castle: The moment we met, my life became extraordinary. You taught me more about myself than I knew there was to learn. You are the joy in my heart. You are the last person I want to see every night before I close my eyes. I love you, Katherine Beckett, and the mystery of you is the one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring. I promise to love you, to be your friend and your partner in crime and life—’til death do us part and for the time of our lives.

My Thoughts It’s hard for an event that’s been as highly-anticipated as Castle and Beckett’s wedding to live up to the hype, but somehow “The Time of Our Lives” succeeded. And I think it was because it was—like the best weddings—about the marriage and not about the ceremony, about the couple and not about all the other shiny things that can wind up taking center stage at a wedding. This was an episode about the fundamentals of a good marriage, wrapped up in a fun, alternate-universe story. And it was told in the way only Terri Miller can tell a love story.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 4.07

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OUAT 407

Title The Snow Queen

Two-Sentence Summary Emma’s interrogation of Ingrid turns personal when her former foster mother taps into her deepest fears and oldest scars in order to isolate her from her family, which happens when her magic begins to spiral out of control. In flashbacks to Ingrid’s past, we see where she developed her belief that even loved ones can grow afraid of people with magic they don’t understand.

Favorite Line “When you see the good in someone, you don’t give up on them—especially if they don’t see it themselves.” (Will)

My Thoughts For being a person who tries to focus on the positives and who loves TV shows that allow people to be happy more often than not, I really do love angst when it’s done well. Nothing gets my heart pumping and my brain working like a heavy, emotionally-draining hour of television. The key is the purpose behind the angst; I hate it when it’s done purely for shock or to throw a wrench into a character’s happiness. However, when it’s done properly, a heartbreaking storyline can actually make me feel hopeful as a viewer, because where there is angst, there is often emotional payoff to follow. And where there is angst, there is also great acting. “The Snow Queen” was an example of angst done properly. It may have broken my heart to watch it all unfold, but I know it has a purpose, and it’s going to lead to great things for these characters and has already led to great things for all the actors involved.

So much of this season has focused on the theme of perception and self-definition: How do we see ourselves? How do others see us? Can we really change people’s perception of us, and, more importantly can we really change how we see ourselves? Is love strong enough to help us see the best we can be and to fight to be that best self? Every single one of those questions was touched on in “The Snow Queen.” Snow may have been wrong about a lot of things in this episode, but she was right when she said that—at this point—Ingrid doesn’t need her magic mirror to wreak havoc. So many of these characters are facing their own worst fears and inner demons without even looking into it, and it’s all because of the two master manipulators at the heart of my favorite villainous dynamic since the days of Mayor Mills and Mr. Gold in Season One: Ingrid and Rumplestiltskin.

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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (11/2 – 11/9)

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This week in television started off with a deeper look into Belle’s past (and a deeper look at the Snow Queen’s plan) on Once Upon a Time; the uncovering of Boyle and Gina’s secret on Brooklyn Nine-Nine; and more drama in Cary’s case on The Good Wife. Tuesday saw very strong returns of New Girl and The Mindy Project, and Thursday featured some big developments on both Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder.

There were some great acting moments this week—from Elizabeth Mitchell’s captivating work on Once Upon a Time to Jake Johnson’s hilarious work in the latest episode of New Girl. However, no performance this week could top what Darby Stanchfield did on Scandal. She made me feel every single emotion raging through Abby as her abusive ex-husband found his way back into her life. Stanchfield made Abby’s fear, shock, anger, and desperation feel so visceral and so heartbreakingly honest. When she told Olivia that she threw up on her dress upon discovering her ex-husband in the Oval Office, I marveled at the honesty of that moment. It was such a human, relatable moment on a show where so many characters react to situations in ways no one ever would in reality. And I also marveled at the beauty of Olivia genuinely being there for Abby through such a difficult time. It was a stunning scene of real depth and support between two women. And that made me feel good, even as the scene itself made me cry.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

Fangirl Thursday: The Best of Castle and Beckett

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always

Can you hear the wedding bells starting to chime, fellow Castle fans?

On Monday night, after waiting what’s felt like forever, Castle and Beckett are finally tying the knot, so this seemed like as good a reason as any to reflect back on my favorite moments in their relationship over the last seven seasons. (I did the same for Leslie and Ben right before their perfect Parks and Recreation wedding a couple of years ago.)

Castle and Beckett’s love story is a story of two adults who have learned that nothing worth having comes easily. Happy endings aren’t given away; they’re things we have to fight for, things we have to choose even when we fear we’re not deserving of happiness because we’re too broken, too scared, or too used to being alone. Watching these two characters choose happiness with each other and choose to fight for that happiness whenever it’s been threatened has been nothing short of inspiring. We’ve already seen them choose to be with each other for better or worse; they’ve been promising each other “Always” since Season Three. This wedding is just icing on a lovely cake we’ve watched come together over the years.

Castle has always been, at its heart, a love story. And what an extraordinary love story it is. Without further ado, here are my 10 favorite moments in the relationship between Castle and Beckett (so far). Join the fun and share your favorites with us in the comments!

1. “I’ve gotten used to you pulling my pigtails…” (2.13: Sucker Punch)
This was the moment I went from liking Castle to loving it with the passion I still have today. This was the moment it became my favorite show on television. And it was all because this was the moment I went from enjoying the dynamic between Castle and Beckett to being moved to tears by that dynamic. I could write entire posts about this scene (In fact, I have.), but I’ll keep it short this time around. Castle showing up with every kind of food known to man just to make Beckett feel better is still one of the most realistically romantic gestures I’ve ever seen on television. It took my breath away then, and it continues to do so even now. And for all of the grand speeches and revelations these two have shared, I still think Beckett telling Castle that she’s gotten used to him pulling her pigtails is one of the most important. It was the first time she told him what he meant to her, and I will never forget how blindsided I was by the simple beauty of that moment.

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TV Time: The Mindy Project 3.06

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Source: tvfanatic.com

Source: tvfanatic.com

Title Caramel Princess Time

Two-Sentence Summary Mindy and Danny’s long-simmering argument about her chronic lateness comes to a head and leads to some moments of revelation for both of them. Meanwhile, Peter is set up on a surprising blind date.

Favorite Line “I’m giving you the silent treatment, by the way. That’s why I walked right by you and didn’t respond.” (Mindy)

My Thoughts Absence makes the heart grow fonder, or at least that’s how I felt after watching “Caramel Princess Time.” The last couple of episodes of The Mindy Project before the show’s little hiatus weren’t my favorites, but I thought “Caramel Princess Time” was the show’s way of coming back strong. This episode was firing on all cylinders: Its B-plot was solid, its humor wasn’t just one-note, and its handling of another Mindy/Danny conflict felt very true to these characters while still managing to surprise me in a very good way.

Let’s start from the outside and work our way to the episode’s caramel center. (I know, I know…Lame pun is lame.) I would like Allison Tolman’s Abby to stick around for as long as possible. I didn’t watch Fargo, so I had no preconceived ideas about her, but I loved her instantly. The self-confidence and sense of self-respect that she brought to Abby are such perfect counterpoints to Peter’s insecurity and immaturity. Tolman and Adam Pally had a very natural chemistry in that final writing group scene, too, and I’d like to see more of that. I’d also like to read more of Peter’s fiction because there was too much perfection in “A Titanic Mistake: A Sunken Romance” for me to outline properly in this post. (Although I will make special mention of Peter’s ridiculous “old pirate captain” voice that he gave to the captain of the Titanic.) There was something really adorable about Peter falling for Abby through her writing and wanting to connect with her in her element. But maybe that’s just the writer in me talking.

Peter’s interactions with Abby highlighted an important theme in the episode’s A-plot: Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone in order to leave bad patterns of behavior behind and grow. Peter, Mindy, and Danny all were put in new situations this week, which forced them to examine how they treat the people around them, leading them towards real moments of character growth.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 4.06

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Title Family Business

Two-Sentence Summary Belle attempts to control Rumplestiltskin with the Dark One dagger in order to get answers about what happened to Anna, after flashbacks reveal that Belle was keeping a secret about her role in Anna’s disappearance. When Belle confronts a dark version of herself in the Snow Queen’s mirror, this new villain’s plan becomes clearer: get the citizens of Storybrooke to turn on one another, except for Emma and Elsa, with whom she wants to start a new family.

Favorite Line “Spend a little more time in this town, love, and you’ll realize just about everyone is related.” (Hook)

My Thoughts Mythology-heavy shows like Once Upon a Time need setup episodes, moments throughout a season where the plot points begin to come together, plans are revealed, and excitement over what’s to come takes precedence over excitement over what actually transpired in the episode. In many ways, “Family Business” was a classic setup episode: It clarified the motivations of the Snow Queen (aka Ingrid), it answered the question of what she’s planning to do with the mirror and with Emma, and it filled the characters in on important information so they could be on the same page as they head towards the season’s climax. It also raised important questions for the second half of this part of Season Four, which the rest of the season will spend answering.

What set “Family Business” apart from many other setup episodes (both on other shows and even on Once Upon a Time over the last four seasons) was its balance between plot development and character beats. While many setup episodes are heavy on plot and light on character insight, “Family Business” added new, believable layers to a character who so many of us have been waiting to see in the spotlight: Belle. It also did an excellent job of using flashbacks not just to give us more information about the Snow Queen but also to allow us to become even more invested in Anna as a character. The questions answered and the questions raised in this episode didn’t just advance the plot; they had real, emotional ramifications for characters that we have come to care about more with each passing episode—from Belle and Emma to Anna and Elsa.

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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (10/26 – 11/2)

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This week in television kicked off with a look into Emma’s past and an exploration of her relationship with Regina in the present on Once Upon a Time, as well as an episode of The Good Wife that made everyone watching cry at its powerful ending. Monday gave us a Halloween episode of Dancing with the Stars and the most chilling killer we’ve seen on Castle in quite some time. On Wednesday’s episode of Nashville, Avery and Juliette started working towards reaching a better place in their relationship, while Rayna and Luke seemed to headed for a rough patch. And on Thursday, the women got (pardon my language) shit done on Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder gave much-needed depth to Asher’s character and gave us a very compelling case-of-the-week.

There were some great moments to choose from this week when picking the best of the best—from Alicia and Diane’s moment of shared grief on The Good Wife to Deacon talking to Maddie after her party got out of control on Nashville. However, when one of my favorite characters on television has another breakthrough in terms of character growth, it’s hard for me to even think about anything else for the rest of the week, and that’s what happened with Emma on this week’s Once Upon a Time.

The final scene of “Breaking Glass” was nothing short of exceptional. It delivered huge amounts of character growth for Emma, but it did so with really beautiful subtlety. Emma opening up to Hook so completely about her past—in all of its joy and its pain—was perhaps the bravest thing we’ve ever seen her do. The symbolism of her putting her past in his hands was incredibly effective, and it was one of those moments where choosing to have the characters say very little increased the emotional impact of the moment. Jennifer Morrison and Colin O’Donoghue played every beat of that complex scene perfectly—from the initial, realistic tension (which made the fact that she still showed him the box all the more powerful) and Hook’s understanding of what a big leap of faith this was for Emma to the sincere support in the gesture of him holding her hand and the lovely little beat where she closed her eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder, finally feeling safe enough to let someone help her deal with the pain in her past. Morrison especially did such a great job of conveying just how exhausted Emma was in this scene, carrying the burden of her past alone for so long. That made her decision to finally let someone stand beside her and comfort her as she faced part of her past again resonate with even more emotional force.

And no discussion of this scene should happen without a mention of the incredible revelation at the end. So many of us had a feeling it was coming, but the way it was revealed was absolutely perfect. It gave that final scene the balance between plot development and character development that the best Once Upon a Time scenes are made of.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?