This week in television started with a very emotional episode of Once Upon a Time, another instant-classic Halloween episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and my favorite episode of The Good Wife so far this season. On Monday, Supergirl debuted with plenty of “girl power,” Dancing with the Stars aired its annual Halloween episode, and Jane the Virgin tugged at all our heartstrings as we saw Mateo’s baptism and Jane’s struggle with whether or not to go to grad school and leave him behind. Tuesday’s episode of The Mindy Project reminded us that things are always better with Annette, and The Flash introduced us to Jefferson Jackson while also bringing Barry and Patty one step closer to romance. Wednesday gave us the Halloween episode of Black-ish, which had enough humor to balance out the very heavy hour of Nashville that followed it (including its genuinely shocking cliffhanger). And my Thursdays have become infinitely brighter now that Billy on the Street is how I end my night.
This was another week that reminded me how happy and thankful I am to have added Jane the Virgin to my TV viewing lineup. “Chapter Twenty-Five” made me laugh (Jane’s happy dance upon getting her grad school acceptance letter was amazing), made me cheer (I’ve never been so happy to see a baby blink!), and made me cry. In fact, Mateo’s baptism made me cry harder than anything that’s aired so far on television this year, but what I loved about it was that they weren’t tears caused by angst; they were tears caused by the most beautiful display of parental love I’ve seen on TV in ages. Watching all three generations of Villanueva women deliver Alba’s original message to Xiomara was a powerful testament to the love mothers have for their children. It got to the heart of what this show is about and what makes it special: the real, sincere love between those three generations of Villanueva women (and the love they all now have for baby Mateo).
I started crying the moment Gina Rodriguez began reading, and her work in that scene was masterful. (Give the woman another Golden Globe right now!) But where the crying became sobbing was at this line: “May you always let your faith be greater than your fear.” Sometimes a TV show knows exactly what advice you need to hear, and I needed those words this week. I know that those are words I will carry in my heart forever, and I love when TV moments become moments that have an impact on my life well after I’m done watching them.
What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?
Nerdy Girl Notes 
The best thing I’ve seen on TV this week would have to be the Halloween episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Seeing Jake and Holt try to outmaneuver each other was hilarious entertainment and it was satisfying to see Santiago get one over both of them. And I have to say I like how they’ve been handling Jake and Santiago’s romantic relationship this season. One of many examples on television that prove the Moonlighting Curse doesn’t exist.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine gave me more enjoyment this week more than Scandal which refuse to let go of Eli Pope and come up with another way to keep him around. I’m just stunned that Olivia would even consider releasing her father who would give Lionel Luthor a run for his money as a ruthless, manipulative bastard so she won’t have to marry Fitz. The whole thing frustrates the hell out of me.
BTW, Katie, when you made your post on slow-burn romantic relationships between characters, you mentioned I think in the comment section about wanting to do a post on TV relationships like Sydney/Vaughn and Luke/Lorelai which the writers took a wrong direction with. Is that still the plan? Because I would love to read it.
I loved Brooklyn Nine-Nine so much, and I completely agree with you about the way they’re handling Jake and Amy’s relationship. It’s sweet and funny and romantic without becoming the entire show or their entire character arcs, which is exactly how you defy the Moonlighting Curse. If you have good characters independent of their romances, then getting them together will make the show even better—not worse.
I’m so excited to hear that you’d be interested in a post about relationships that writers messed up along the way. I’m still hoping to write that at some point, but I actually want to see how some things play out on Castle first because (sadly) I might need to add that show and the Castle/Beckett relationship to that list. But thank you for letting me know that you’d be looking forward to it—that gives me a nice dose of motivation to get it written!
Jane the Virgin is the perfect palate cleanse after the angst of Once Upon a Time these days. I”m so grateful for that show.
I’m so grateful for it, too! It’s the dose of happiness I need in my week. 🙂
In a statement that will surprise no one — this and re-reading the speech has me in tears because that is what this show invokes for me tears of joy, reflection and gratitude. Gratitude for a corner of television that each week I get to see my very real experiences as a daughter and mother pay out with humor, with honesty and more than anything else with dignity. Last week was no different and it was the best thing I saw on television.
Once again, I am so happy that you shared your enthusiasm and love for this show with me because now I can’t imagine my TV viewing life without the Villanueva women.
Yup, it was quite a week for TV. I don’t even know what to say about Nashville…
But B99 was wonderful, and I also agree with you and Justin that the handling of Amy and Jake’s new relationship has been stellar and long may it last.
I caught a re-run of the Supergirl premiere and it looks like a fun show. I’m not sure that I’ll watch it regularly, but I liked it. And I was so glad she called out the “girl” part of her name. At least acknowledging that a lot of women don’t care to be characterized as girls these days, although there are also some who don’t care at all.
As always there I enjoyed a lot of episodes of a LOT of shows last week – Quantico, Blindspot, Heroes Reborn, Scandal, Mindy – it’s a wonder I get anything done! But yeah, I think Jane really was the best thing I saw last week too. Gina R does such an amazing job with her character and the show is just such a perfect balance of the emotional and the ridiculous. I liked Rogelio’s cliffhanger a whole lot better than Nashville’s!
Rogelio’s cliffhanger is my kind of cliffhanger! Nashville’s was just way too depressing (which is pretty much how I’d describe the whole show now).
Interesting point on Supergirl bringing up the use of the word “girl.” I suppose anyone can guess from this website’s name that I don’t really have an issue being called a “girl” as long as people aren’t using it to belittle me and my contributions (I loved Callista Flockhart’s speech in that scene, actually.), but I know some people probably hate being called a “girl” and opposed to a “woman,” so it was nice to see both sides acknowledged.