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.
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 Castlein 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.
This week in television started off with a very emotional hour of Once Upon a Time, a fantastic Halloween episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and another strong episode of The Good Wife. Monday’s Castle basically gave all of us everything we never knew we always wanted: Nathan Fillion interacting with a room full of cute kids. On Wednesday, Black-ish addressed a controversial issue in a way that was both sensitive and genuinely funny, and Nashville introduced another “dad who didn’t know he was a dad” storyline. Finally, Thursday’s episode of Scandal was the most tense and dramatic of the season (and that’s saying something), and it was followed by another master class in acting from Viola Davis on How to Get Away with Murder.
It was impossible for me to pick just one thing I saw on TV as the best of the week, so I’m going to cheat and pick one night. Sunday nights are a TV lover’s dream this season, and this Sunday was an exceptionally great night. Once Upon a Time‘s much-hyped date between Hook and Emma exceeded even my high expectations with just how genuinely sweet and romantic it was (especially that “goodnight” scene outside the loft’s door). Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Halloween episode had me laughing from start to finish, and Holt’s description of how he pulled one over on Jake was another highlight reel moment for Andre Braugher and made me love that character more than ever before. And the showdown between Alicia and Peter on The Good Wife had me thinking Emmys already in the middle of October. There’s nothing better than ending a weekend with some excellent television shows, and Sunday TV is exactly what I need to put me in a good mood to start the workweek.
This week kicked off with another strong Sunday night of television. On Once Upon a Time, we spent some more time with a mysterious new villain; on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, we were introduced to the “Jimmy Jab Games;” and on The Good Wife, we were reminded what brilliant blending of comedy and drama looks like. Monday’s Castle put some spice back into Castle and Beckett’s relationship. Tuesday’s New Girl featured a new phone for the loft and a new man for Jess, and The Mindy Project featured a fun cameo from Shonda Rhimes. On Wednesday, Black-ish tackled the differences between moms and dads, and Nashville made my heart ache for Juliette more than ever. And Thursday was a night of big twists—from the president’s daughter’s sex tape on Scandal to the last nine words of How to Get Away with Murder.
It was impossible for me to pick just one standout moment for this week, so I’m going to talk about two moments that shared the same theme: vulnerability. The final sceneof this week’s How to Get Away with Murder was absolutely astounding in the complete vulnerability showed not just by the character of Annalise Keating but also by Viola Davis as an actress. As I watched her take off her makeup, peel off her eyelashes, and show her real hair, I was floored by the honesty Davis brought to that moment when Annalise stopped hiding and let her guard come down completely before confronting her husband. It was a moment that showed total honesty for this character, and Davis brought total honesty to this moment as an actress. While watching the restrained emotion in that scene, I was ready to give Davis her Emmy immediately.
The second moment of vulnerability that floored me this week came from Once Upon a Time. Emma opening up to Hook about why she was pulling away from him was such a huge moment for a character who has been given every reason to fear vulnerability. To say she trusts Hook was a monumental moment of growth, but even that was topped by her telling him she can’t lose him. It was the most open and vulnerable we’ve ever seen this character, and I loved that her vulnerability was met with love and reassurance from the man she was opening her heart to. In opening her heart completely, Emma finally let hope in. In a way, it was the opposite of what happened with Annalise. Annalise admitted to her husband that she didn’t trust him at all, while Emma finally let herself trust. Both moments were outstanding portraits of character growth, and both left me incredibly excited for what’s next for these two great characters.
This week in television started with another stellar Sunday night, featuring a second episode of Once Upon a Timethat was even better than the season premiere, a fantastically funny look at Jake and Terry’s friendship on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and another wonderful episode of The Good Wife. (Who knew Christian arbitration could be such a comedy gold mine?) Monday’s Castle gave us some more clues to Castle’s disappearance. On Tuesday, Selfie‘s second episode improved on its pilot, and New Girl and The Mindy Project both took on some racy material, with divisive results. On Wednesday, Black-ish continued its strong first run of episodes, and Nashville continued to break my heart with Juliette’s story and Deacon and Maddie’s father/daughter perfection. And Thursday gave us another hour-long master class from Viola Davis on How to Get Away with Murder.
I’m going to be honest with you: I knew what my pick for my favorite thing on TV this week was going to be as soon as I saw it almost a full week ago. Sometimes you see an episode and just know nothing else is going to be able to top it because it gives you everything you could ever ask for as a fan of a certain character. And I think everyone who is a fan of Emma Swan found a million little (and big) things to love about the latest episode of Once Upon a Time.
As many of you know, I’ve spent a lot of timewriting about Emma Swan. To say this character makes me feel very strongly is probably the understatement of the year. We all have those characters we want happiness for so badly because we’ve watched them struggle with believing they were meant to be unhappy, and Emma is one of those characters for me. From the pilot of Once Upon a Time, we’ve watched Emma grow from a woman who believed she was better off alone to a woman slowly learning to accept and tentatively reach out for love in her life. And in “White Out,” we got to see just how many people Emma has in her life who love her and genuinely want to take care of this woman who spent so long with no other option than taking care of herself.
In this episode, we got to see Emma surrounded by her father, her son, the man who’s in love with her, and a new friend. It was beautiful to watch Emma and Elsa instantly begin a friendship based on learning that they things that made them feel isolated from everyone else are things that can connect them—not just as people with magic but as women struggling with a life they didn’t choose. And it was also beautiful to see Emma—this woman who spent so long feeling like she was unable to trust anyone in an intimate way—embrace Hook’s love to the fullest extent we’ve seen yet, letting herself be completely vulnerable with him and leaning into him instead of pulling away from his obvious devotion.
As someone who has spent a lot of time thinking and writing about Emma Swan’s journey towards accepting love after so many years without love in her life, I was so happy with her story in “White Out” that I still smile just thinking about it. From being a lost girl who didn’t think she would ever matter to being a woman literally surrounded by love, Emma Swan has come so far, and I am enjoying every moment spent watching her embrace so many different kinds of love in her life.
This week in television featured another group of strong season premieres, which began with a great first episode of Once Upon a Time‘s fourth season on Sunday. That night also saw Brooklyn Nine-Nine return with just as much humor and character development as ever, and it gave us an episode of The Good Wife with almost an embarrassment of riches in terms of great moments. Monday’s “movie night” on Dancing with the Stars was just the kind of light entertainment I needed before the season premiere of Castle broke my heart as it kicked off the season with a great mystery. Tuesday’s series premiere of Selfie was cute enough to keep me tuned in for another week, and both New Girl and The Mindy Project had their fair share of funny moments (and, in the latter’s case, one very sweet one involving a nightstand). Wednesday’s Black-ish was a strong follow-up to its hilarious pilot, and Nashville tugged at my heartstrings with some wonderful moments between Deacon and Maddie. Finally, Thursday’s night of Shonda Rhimes was once again impressive, with a standout, fearless performance by Bellamy Young on Scandal and another fascinating episode of How to Get Away with Murder.
In a week of television filled with great moments, the most satisfying came from The Good Wife. Watching Diane leave Lockhart/Gardner the way she did reminded me that no one does elevator scenes better than this show. It was also such a great parallel to last season’s exit by Cary, Alicia, and those they took with them. Christine Baranski’s ability to captivate with her subtlety was used perfectly in that scene. Her whispered “Goodbye” as she left for a fresh start was incredibly powerful in the myriad of emotions that crossed her face in that one short moment. My campaign for “Baranski for an Emmy” has begun once again.
This episode of The Good Wife also can’t be discussed without bringing up Cary and Alicia’s hug. After seeing so much tension between them and so much tension in Cary’s story in general, it was such a beautiful moment for both the characters and the audience. Sometimes you just need to see something warm and happy on television where you’d least expect it, and that hug was the most pleasant surprise imaginable.
This week marked the return of even more network shows and the premieres of a number of highly-anticipated pilots. The string of strong season premieres kicked off on Sunday with an episode of The Good Wife that took a turn no one expected, as Cary ended up in jail with no easy release on the horizon. Monday featured another fun episode of Dancing with the Stars and the first part of a two-night premiere for the engaging new series Forever (starring the almost criminally charming Ioan Gruffudd). New Girl and The Mindy Project both aired their second episodes on Tuesday, with the former introducing Jess to the stress of online dating and the latter introducing Mindy and us to Danny’s ma. Wednesday’s series premiere of Black-ish was very strong, and the season premiere of Nashville was filled with more drama than ever. And Thursday’s night of Shonda Rhimes shows included a fast-paced episode of Scandal and the incredibly compelling series premiere of How to Get Away with Murder.
It was wonderful to have an abundance of shows to watch and an abundance of moments to choose from for the best of the week. However, my pick for the best of the best isn’t just one moment but an hour’s worth of new moments from my favorite pilot of the season so far: How to Get Away with Murder. Everything about this pilot clicked: It had a very defined style (which I expected from one of Rhimes’s shows), it featured so many twists and turns that it left me breathless, and its characters all have much more meat to them than most pilot characters. Add to all of those things the magnetic performance of Viola Davis and one heck of an episode-ending cliffhanger, and there’s no way I’m missing this show for the foreseeable future.
Although many network TV shows have yet to return or debut, this week did give us the premieres of some NGN favorites. Dancing with the Stars returned on Monday with some disappointing performances but also a few standouts (especially Alfonso Ribeiro). Tuesday was a night of season premieres for FOX comedies, with New Girl finding a new energy that was refreshing after a subpar third season, and The Mindy Project living up to the hype with a premiere that continued the streak of confident writing and acting that made last season’s finale a success. Wednesday featured a battle between Nyesha and Jennifer on Top Chef Duels, and plenty of shows (from Scandal to Saturday Night Live) aired reruns of some of their most recent or most popular episodes to get ready for another wave of premieres this coming week.
In a move that will surprise absolutely no one who knows anything about me or my taste in TV shows, my pick for the best of the best in the world of television this week comes from The Mindy Project. The final five minutes of “We’re a Couple Now, Haters!” solidified exactly why this season has the potential to be something truly special. The emotional revelations Mindy and Danny shared on the fire escape were a beautiful testament to the idea that a stable relationship between a show’s main characters can allow both characters to grow and deepen in ways they simply couldn’t if the “Will they?/Won’t they?” continued. And that beautiful moment of emotional intimacy was followed by a different kind of revealing scene, as Diamond Dan showed his moves to Mindy, and Chris Messina made us all feel some very special feelings.
This week was the last before shows begin returning for their season (and series) premieres, so it was a bit of a slow week in terms of original programming. Monday’s Bachelor in Paradise finale featured Marcus and Lacy’s engagement and Cody and Michelle surprising everyone (including themselves—or at least Michelle) with how deeply they’d come to care for each other. Wednesday’s episode of Top Chef Masters was a showdown between Dale and Tiffani. And there were plenty of NFL games on Sunday (and Thursday) to keep fans busy, including a huge overtime win by my beloved Buffalo Bills.
Like last week, my favorite thing I watched was probably an episode of Masters of Sex(“Brave New World,” if you were wondering). However, if I had to pick a moment that aired on television for the first time this week, I’d say my favorite moment came from Jimmy Kimmel Live. I’m always a fan of Kimmel’s “Lie Witness News” segment, and I think this week’s edition from New York Fashion Week may have been the best of those segments yet. It had me in tears from laughing so hard, and it was a clip I had to share with everyone in my office because I loved it so much—so I want to share it with all of you, too.
This week in television began with the penultimate episode of Bachelor in Paradise, which mercifully featured Jesse Kovacs’s exit from the show while basically everyone else found a romantic partner. On Wednesday, Ricky was crowned the winner of Season 11 of So You Think You Can Dance. And Thursday brought the NFL back to our TV screens, as the Seattle Seahawks dominated the Green Bay Packers in the league’s opening game.
If I’m being honest, the best thing I saw on my TV this week was probably the first three episodes of Masters of Sex, which I started watching on DVD Saturday afternoon. However, I know that’s cheating, so I’ll go with my second choice, which happened on Wednesday’s SYTYCD finale.
While I was disappointed with the fact that my favorite and pick to win (Zack) came in fourth, I have to admit that the most technically talented dancer won. And I couldn’t stay mad for long when there was so much good dancing to watch. In an episode full of reminders of some of the show’s best moments of the season, my favorite routine was a new one: the group routined that combined this season’s Top 10 and All Stars. It was incredibly cinematic; this routine was like something out of a movie musical. Sonya Tayeh and Christopher Scott created something so contagiously joyful. It was a true celebration of these dancers, and it was incredibly fun to watch.
Nerdy Girl Notes 