Category Archives: Television

TV Time: Once Upon a Time 5.21

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OUAT last rites

Source: ew.com

Title Last Rites

Two-Sentence Summary As Emma and the other heroes try to defeat Hades in Storybrooke, Killian and Arthur team up to help them from the Underworld. When Hades activates the all-powerful Olympian Crystal, it proves to be a weapon of terrible consequence for the heroes as well as the Lord of the Underworld’s own undoing.

Favorite Lines
Arthur: No! No! No!
Killian: Denial, anger, grief…Can we just get to acceptance?

My Thoughts “Last Rites” was an emotional roller coaster. At times, the vast emotional swings from painful grief to soaring love highlighted the beautiful duality of life. Where there is life, there is also death. Where there is grief, there is also joy. Hope and heartbreak both exist in the world. And just as there is pain in knowing that moments of hope will eventually give way to heartbreak, there is also comfort in knowing that moments of heartbreak will one day give way to moments of hope.

At other times, though, the emotional twists and turns of this episode felt like they were giving me whiplash. The objective of this episode was clear: to juxtapose Emma getting the man she loves back from the dead with the death of the man Regina loves. It once again made me think of Emma and Regina as two sides of a coin, which has been a part of this show since the beginning. But I am growing tired of the fact that it feels like only one of these women can be happy or at peace at a given time. I know that they are the two central pieces of this story, and, as such, their stories must have conflict to create good drama. But just once, I’d love to see both women have a chance to be happy and feel like they’re in a good place at the same time—though I fear that probably won’t happen until the end of the series. As someone who loves both characters fiercely, it’s frustrating to see one of them set up for a period of stability and happiness only to realize that means the other will almost surely face a period of misery. But I’m the kind of person who would love for every character to be happy, and that’s why I don’t write TV dramas.

It was difficult to analyze this episode using my traditional format (and within the time constraints my life has put on my writing this week), so I chose to try something new here. “Last Rites” was filled with intense highs and lows, so here are my high and low points of this episode.

High: Zelena
Zelena has been the high point of this entire arc. I am so happy for the writers and for Rebecca Mader that a story they clearly put a lot of care and time into has paid off so well. Mader was once again fantastic in “Last Rites.” Her performance in the scene in which Zelena kills Hades was absolutely riveting. I was so proud of Zelena for coming to the realization that has always separated heroes from villains on this show: Love should be enough. Zelena didn’t want power or revenge anymore; she just wanted a normal life full of love. And that was so true to her character—a woman who just wanted a family, who just wanted to be enough for someone. And when she discovered that she still wasn’t enough for Hades, the pain Mader poured into that moment was tangible, but so was the sense of self-respect. I can only hope this character continues to grow and continues to be there for her sister, because I am so excited for the prospect of more Zelena, which is something I never thought I’d write.

Low: Maurice
I’m sure we all figured that Maurice wouldn’t be able to wake Belle from her sleeping curse, but I was shocked that he willingly chose to keep his daughter under that spell because of his hatred for Rumplestiltskin. I understand him wanting to keep Belle away from Rumplestiltskin, but a sleeping curse has been called a fate worse that death. We’ve seen the nightmarish red room and the flames, and that’s not something I’d want someone I loved to be subjected to for any amount of time. There were extenuating circumstances involved in keeping Belle under the curse (Emilie de Ravin’s maternity leave), but it still served to remind us that Belle needs to get away from the men in her life as soon as she wakes up.

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TV Time: The Americans 4.08

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the americans 408

Source: spoilertv.com

Title: The Magic of David Copperfield V: The Statue of Liberty Disappears

Episode M.V.P.: Keri Russell
In a just world, this would be the episode that earns Keri Russell an overdue Emmy for playing one of the most complex, compelling female characters on television. (But since this is not a just world, I’m already preparing the post I’ll write when she and the show are once again so rudely snubbed.) In one hour, Russell was given the opportunity to unleash her entire arsenal of acting skills in a way most actresses are unable to do in the course of their entire career. Masterfully shifting from understanding to frustration to rage to numb shock, Russell was able to take the reins off this characters whose emotions are so often compartmentalized and shown only in the tiniest reactions. And what happened when she showed the full extent of Elizabeth’s power was a thing of terrifying beauty.

Russell’s performance in this episode will be remembered (and, mark my words, it will be remembered) because of two volcanic eruptions of emotion. But what shouldn’t be lost when talking about her brilliance is the way she—much like Matthew Rhys in his similarly astounding performance in Season Two’s “Martial Eagle”—showed the mounting stress that pushed Elizabeth to her breaking point.

What amazed me about Elizabeth in this episode was how much I felt for her at the beginning of it—especially considering how terrified I was of her by the end of it. Russell did such a great job of showing how hard Elizabeth was trying to be there for Philip, and her reactions to Philip shutting her out felt so uncomfortably realistic. I felt her frustration, her desire to understand her husband, and her jealousy on a level that surprised me. I never expected to be angry with Philip for being sad about Martha leaving, but something about Russell’s understatedly vulnerable performance in those early scenes resonated so strongly with me that I found myself wanting Philip to stop moping around and talk to his wife.

As the episode went on, Russell’s performance kept building like a symphony. For so much of this season, we’ve seen the cracks in Philip, but Elizabeth is cracking, too. Her flippant tone when responding to Philip’s statement that Martha wasn’t simple was so human and relatable. But then her flippant attitude about Martha turned into deep-rooted anger, and it was like the wrath of a vengeful god raining down on Philip. Watching Russell in that fight scene with Rhys was like watching a prize fighter in her glory, fearless and fierce. And the way Russell showed Elizabeth still holding on to that anger even in Gabriel’s presence was perfect. She was petty and snarky and decidedly un-Elizabeth, and it worked so well to show us her deteriorating control over her emotions.

Elizabeth’s lack of control culminated in that downright frightening takedown of Paige in the kitchen. If I was being even more specific with my M.V.P. award, I’d give it to the veins in Russell’s face, which were on full display as she made Elizabeth’s fury something real and physical, which made it all the more frightening. This is how Elizabeth falls apart—not crumbling from the inside like Philip but exploding with a force that destroys everyone around her, and Russell made sure we all felt the force of that explosion.

It felt right that this acting tour de force by Russell happened under Rhys’s direction. The two are partners, and you could feel his respect for her talent and her trust in his direction in every scene. They always create magic together onscreen, so it’s nice to know that they can continue to create something special together from opposite sides of the camera, too.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 5.20

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COLIN O'DONOGHUE, JENNIFER MORRISON

Source: ABC/Jack Rowand

Title Firebird

Two-Sentence Summary After the heroes help Hades rescue Zelena, they’re free to return home—except for Killian, who ventures with Emma into the depths of the Underworld to retrieve the ambrosia needed to come back to life. During this quest, Emma is reminded of the reasons she first donned her armor as she works to save the man who helped her shed it.

Favorite Line “If I helped take off that armor, don’t put it back on just because you’re gonna lose me.” (Killian, to Emma)

My Thoughts Love is strength. Those three words represent the very foundation upon which Once Upon a Time was built. And there is no love stronger in this show’s universe than True Love. “Firebird” was an episode that put the spotlight directly on the concept of True Love and the wonders it can work. However, even though this episode was about True Love, that doesn’t mean it was a happy hour of television. Because love is strength, but sometimes it’s the strength we need to let go.

“Firebird” was primarily focused on True Love as it exists between Emma and Killian. The way their story played out in this episode was the stuff of tragic, epic romance, worthy of its status as a truly original fairytale. However, the care taken to bring Emma and Killian’s love to the level it reached in this episode shed some real light on the flaws in the Zelena/Hades romance, which reached a new pinnacle as well.

Within the first few minutes of “Firebird,” Zelena and Hades shared True Love’s Kiss, which felt somewhat anticlimactic. In fact, I giggled a little bit when Killian spoke about True Love being something rare, because Emma had just witnessed a display of True Love that same day. And by the end of the episode, I was frustrated that their kiss worked to restart Hades’ heart. Can True Love really exist for someone like Hades? One could argue that Hades did every evil thing he did in this episode for Zelena, which means that he does truly love her. However, he wasn’t honest with her about his plans, which seems to go against everything we know about True Love. While I think it was interesting to show that True Love didn’t automatically make Hades a better man, it felt inconsistent with the rest of the show’s relationships.

Maybe I’m just bitter because I wanted to believe that Hades could grow into a better version of himself, and maybe I’m worried that Zelena’s character growth will disappear in the face of having to choose between him and her sister. (Although I actually think she’ll pick Regina if it comes down to that choice.) It felt good to know that my wariness about everything involving Hades except his feelings for Zelena was correct, but that didn’t mean I liked watching it all play out. I’m happy that Hades’ change of heart in this episode felt shallow for a reason and not just because it was rushed storytelling, but now all I want to do is get Zelena as far away from him as possible and tell Killian and Robin they were right to be skeptical.

The one thing I liked about Hades’ story in “Firebird” was the symbolism of True Love restarting a heart. So many characters on this show have had their hearts brought back to life by finding True Love. Regina learned to love again by loving Henry. Killian opened his heart to love instead of anger because of Emma. Charming brought love back into Snow’s heart after she took the potion to forget him. And in an episode that showed us who Emma was before Henry found her, it’s important to remember that this whole story started because a little boy’s love for his mother restarted the heart she willingly shut down after years of pain. True Love wakes people up; it starts hearts that have stopped. And that’s such a gorgeous metaphor for the way love can bring life back to hearts that have remained dormant for far too long.

Hearts were a central motif in this episode, with Emma’s taking center stage for most of “Firebird.” We saw it on display both literally and figuratively, and her desire to protect her heart played a prominent role in both the episode’s present-day story and its flashbacks.

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TV Time: The Americans 4.07

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The americans 407

Source: tv.com

Title: Travel Agents

Episode M.V.P.: Alison Wright
This is the third week in a row that Alison Wright has been the episode’s standout performer, and it’s because just when I think she can’t get better, she does. And just when I think she can’t break my heart any more than it’s already been broken by Martha’s tragic story, she delivers another line with so much naked vulnerability that it feels like a KGB agent just punched me in the gut.

This week, the line that emotionally destroyed me was Martha’s question after Philip said he wasn’t going to Russia with her: “Not even to visit?”

I was floored by how much vulnerability Wright put into those four lines. I’m not sure I’ll ever forget how deeply, profoundly sad that moment made me feel. In an episode that left most of us shocked that Martha kept managing to stay alive, this was the moment when her spirit died, when the last bit of hope left her body. And the way Wright conveyed that was masterful.

Over the last few episodes, Wright has done such a great job of making us feel Martha’s emotions, putting us in her mental and emotional shoes and making us walk a mile in them. And never has that made me more uncomfortable than in the scene in which Martha was walking down the street, her anxiety causing her to (understandably) suspect every man and every car of being sent to retrieve her. Wright is brilliant at making Martha’s panic feel believable and not overdramatic, and that makes her a character we’ve come to empathize with and not just pity.

And even though we don’t just pity Martha, that doesn’t mean there aren’t moments when our hearts break for her. And one of those moments in this episode was her phone call to her parents. Once again, Wright’s ability to make Martha feel so achingly human in a world where people seem to have a superhuman hold on their emotions made her stand out. I barely held it together myself watching her smile through her tears when her father came on the line.

Later, my ability to hold it together was completely destroyed when Philip told Martha what was going to happen to her. The transformation that took place in her during that scene was an awful but impressive thing to behold. Wright took Martha from a place of incredible sadness to total emptiness by the time she told Philip that she’d be alone again—just like she was before she met him. Her cold acceptance of loneliness spoke to a life in which that was far too common for her. Martha might still be alive, but everything inside of her died the moment Philip told her she’d be going to Russia alone because he shattered the one last truth she was clinging to: that he loved her the way she loved him. And the way Wright made that so palpable will continue to haunt me long after this season ends.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 5.19

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OUAT sisters

Source: abc.com

Title Sisters

Two-Sentence Summary When Regina enlists Cora to help stop Zelena and Hades’ blossoming romance, a major secret is revealed about a lost moment in the sisters’ shared past. Meanwhile, Charming finally comes face-to-face with James, and Rumplestiltskin reunites with a member of his family as he attempts to protect his child.

Favorite Line “You’re stronger than I ever was, and that’s a strength you got from the people you love—not from me.” (Cora, to Regina)

My Thoughts “Sisters” was a very focused hour of Once Upon a Time. It only had an A-story and a B-story, and both of them dealt with the same theme: the relationship between siblings. This was an episode that knew what it wanted to do (add important depth to the relationships between all three Mills women) and what it wanted to say (Love is strength, and only in accepting that can a person truly grow.), and that storytelling confidence from writers David H. Goodman and Brigitte Hales came through in every scene.

This episode’s main storyline (featuring Regina, Zelena, and Cora) was so strong that it could have stood on its own, and the depth and care it was given made the James/Charming showdown feel a little rushed in comparison. However, what that storyline lacked in depth, it made up for in intensity, and that’s all because of Josh Dallas’s performance. What could have been a silly gimmick actually felt tense. When Charming and James faced off, it felt like I was watching two distinct people who just happened to look alike, and that made the stakes feel higher than they would have felt in the hands of a lesser actor.

Dallas always seems to have fun playing James, but what struck me about his performance this time was how genuinely threatening James felt. When he pointed the gun at Robin, I was actually scared. James suddenly became a character to take very seriously rather than just a character playing out what could have been a stereotypical soap opera plot. So when his fight with his brother ended with him in the River of Lost Souls, it actually felt like it mattered because of the threat he posed. Emma was right—some people just can’t move on, and James was one of them. He was so consumed with jealousy that he never stopped to think about the fact that both he and Charming were hurt by what happened to them as babies. Instead of being able to move toward a place of understanding like Regina and Zelena are reaching, he sank deeper into his own darkness, stuck in his ways. So he now remains eternally stuck in that river, and Charming is left trying to process what he had to do.

However, unlike Belle and Rumplestiltskin (who also sent people into that river), Charming has a group of people who can help him as he deals with the repercussions of that fight. I loved seeing Emma lean on her father’s shoulder at the end, offering him comfort with that small gesture of support. And it seemed fitting that the person Charming ran into battle with was Killian, the man who’s become more like family to him than his own brother. This episode reminded us that families can help each other when no one else can, and Charming has a strong support system in his family, which surely factored into the monumental difference between him and his brother.

While the sibling rivalry between Charming and James played a part in this episode, it was a small part compared to the episode’s main event, which was a tale of two other siblings who were separated for most of their lives: Regina and Zelena. Once Upon a Time is at its strongest when it focuses on the complex female characters who have driven the story since the pilot, and “Sisters” was another amazing showcase for the variety of women and relationships between women that populate this world.

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Scandal 5.18: “Till Death Do Us Part”

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It’s time to welcome back Laura, who’s returned with her thoughts on the latest episode of Scandal!

I think that was one of the most painful episodes of Scandal that has ever aired, and there have definitely been some tragic storylines before. As a member of Team Jake, though, that episode truly broke my heart.

Here’s my main question: Jake knows Rowan, and he knows Rowan would do absolutely anything to see his plan succeed. Yet the things Olivia said to him at the church were so brutal, and they played on his every fear about the two of them together and all his insecurities that she could never truly love him and choose him. So would he be able to see past her act and figure out that Rowan was behind this? I wish he would, but I don’t know if any of us could see clearly after an assault like that. Still, I found myself hoping, even though he said “I do” to Vanessa, that deep down a part of him knew Olivia would never treat him like that. I desperately hope he knows she does love him and that she only said what she did to save his life. He has to know Rowan got to her somehow, right? What do you think? Is he too blinded by his broken heart to realize the truth?

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TV Time: The Americans 4.06

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the americans 406

Source: vox.com

Title: The Rat

Episode M.V.P.: Alison Wright
This is the second week in a row that Alison Wright shone the brightest among the many acting superstars in this talented cast. And what I loved most about her performance in “The Rat” was the way it grew naturally and realistically out of her performance in last week’s “Clark’s Place.” That episode showed Martha’s spirit beginning to die and resignation beginning to set in, and this episode showed that downward spiral continuing. Some of the most heartbreaking and chilling moments in “The Rat” were moments where the camera focused on Wright’s face when she was alone in a room and we were able to see the emptiness in her eyes. Martha may not be dead yet, but Wright’s performance continues to show us that she is a dead woman walking in more ways than one. It’s not easy to convey the death of someone’s entire reality without making it melodramatic, but Wright has made every step on this sad journey—including those horribly tense steps away from Gabriel and toward her own doom—feel grounded in a brutal kind of reality. Martha isn’t just a character we pity; she’s a character we empathize with, and that’s an important difference. Because most of us have—at some point—opened our hearts to someone and trusted them, only to find out they’re not exactly as advertised. It just so happens that Martha’s version of this story is a lot worse than most of ours.

Wright—like most of her fellow actors on this show—has a true talent for reacting. One of the most painful single shots of this episode was her reaction to Philip’s admission that he works for the KGB. Without any words, Wright made me feel sick to my stomach for her character. Through the slight sinking of her posture, Wright showed the brutal force of Philip’s confession while still leaving enough ambiguity in her performance to hint that Martha probably knew in her gut that this was a possibility. But Philip confirming it destroyed any last ability she had left to remain in denial about who she’d been helping, and the weight of that makes her physically shrink, as if she’d lost another part of herself.

Following that stunning moment, Wright showed Martha’s desperation to remain in denial about one final thing: her husband’s love for her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sadder sex scene on television. It was hard to watch, and the reason I felt so uncomfortable during it was because of how completely broken Martha was and how vulnerable Wright’s performance was in showing Martha’s desperate desire to cling to this final lie. And once that final lie seemed to be over—once Martha woke up and Philip was gone—it was easy to believe this woman would snap. The way Wright’s performance over episodes and whole seasons  built to that confrontation with Gabriel was nothing short of brilliant. For the first time, Martha chose herself, but in choosing to walk away, she most likely signed her own death certificate. It feels now like we’re living on borrowed time when it comes to appreciating Wright’s talent, and I plan to use all the time we have left to scream from the rooftops (or at least whisper-shout in the middle of the street) about how good she is.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 5.18

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Title Ruby Slippers

Two-Sentence Summary After Ruby lands in the Underworld, she begins searching for a way to return to Oz and wake Dorothy from a sleeping curse, which ultimately leads Snow and Charming to discover a way for one of them to return to Storybrooke to be with their son. As Ruby worries about who will give Dorothy True Love’s Kiss, Snow helps her see that the answer is clear: It’s Ruby herself, who we see fall in love with Dorothy during flashbacks to her time in Oz with Mulan.

Favorite Line “What you get back when you love someone far outweighs the risk.” (Snow)

My Thoughts Love, hope, and courage are deeply connected on Once Upon a Time. It takes courage to open your heart to the hope that someone could see all of you and still choose to love you. And it takes courage to allow yourself to hope that your love for someone—and theirs for you—is strong enough to create magic.

In the words of Snow White, “Love is freaking scary.” (How perfect was Ginnifer Goodwin’s delivery of that line, by the way?) But as Snow also said last week, “Love is worth it.” Love of all kinds is worth fighting for. Love may be scary, but love also makes us brave.

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The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (4/10 – 4/17)

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This week in television started off with a closer look at Belle’s character on Sunday’s episode of Once Upon a Time. Monday gave us Disney night on Dancing with the Stars, Jane’s bachelorette party on Jane the Virgin, and one of the most uplifting Castle moments of this season when Ryan and Jenny’s new baby boy was born (and given the perfect middle name of Esposito). On Tuesday, Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s penultimate episode made me laugh harder than any episode of television so far this season, while The Mindy Project‘s big return made me cry (while also making me feel so proud of Mindy). Wednesday’s episode of Nashville took the drama—especially surrounding Maddie—up another notch, and on The Americans, certain characters found a way to release some of their own tension while others found their anxiety reaching a fever pitch with no release in sight. On Thursday, Orphan Black premiered with a look at Beth’s story, and on Friday, the impossibly charming Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt returned to Netflix.

When many TV shows seem to be going to very dark places, it’s nice to take a moment to celebrate shows that still make us laugh. And Brooklyn Nine-Nine was at its comedic best on Tuesday night. “Bureau” had so many highlights that I can’t pick just one for the best moment on television this week. But I will single out Andre Braugher as the week’s best performer. Whether he was talking about his lint (which was oblong and blue, in case you were wondering) or describing the plot of Sex and the City, he proved once again why it’s a crime that he hasn’t won an Emmy for this role yet. I hope this is his submission episode for this season, because I can’t think of a better example of his talent.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week? And would anyone else like to sign a petition for FOX to create a web series in which Captain Holt reviews TV shows?

TV Time: The Americans 4.05

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Title: Clark’s Place

Episode M.V.P.: Alison Wright
A common refrain in Storytelling 101 is “Show, don’t tell.” But sometimes a moment of telling can be even more moving and engaging than a moment of showing. You just have to find the right storyteller. And The Americans has found that with Alison Wright. So many of Wright’s scenes—especially since about midway through last season—have involved Martha telling “Clark” about how she feels. But what’s important to remember is that these scenes exist because Martha often can’t show her husband how she feels, because he’s not there. So she has to make him—or at least try to make him—understand her anxiety, her loneliness, and her frustration in those moments when he’s gone in whatever way she can. And in making him understand, she makes us understand, too.

That’s the surprising beauty of Wright’s performance: She manages to show and tell at the same time. For example, in the first scene of “Clark’s Place,” she doesn’t just tell “Clark” (and the audience) about her panic attack, she brings it to life in a way that’s more gripping than a flashback to her having that panic attack in the last episode. Because not only do we feel her panic at the mere memory of thinking she was having a heart attack and was going to die alone, we feel the myriad of other emotions she feels in the present, too. We feel her shame at being prescribed Valium to deal with her anxiety. We feel her frustration with herself for letting her life get so out of control and with her husband for turning her life upside-down. And we feel her increasing sense of loss—the loss of the fantasy that was her marriage, the loss of any kind of a normal life, and the loss of her sense of self. Because when Wright delivers those lines about her dinner with Aderholt and the panic attack afterward, it’s not really about the lines she’s saying; it’s about the weight of the suffocating emotions she puts into every word.

The thing that impressed me the most about Wright in this episode was the way she’s changed Martha’s reactions over time. Yes, her tears while telling her husband about her panic attack broke my heart, but what really stood out to me was her growing understanding and heartbreaking acceptance of the fact that she might be married, but she’s really alone. She’s not desperate anymore; she’s resigned. Even when things started to fall apart last season, I felt as if she still believed she and “Clark” were a team. Now, however, it’s killing me to watch her sink deeper and deeper into a sense of resigned loneliness with no one to help pull her out of it.

Martha knows she’s trapped, and watching that sense of resignation make its way into Wright’s line readings (“Why would I expect to keep anything?”) made me want to cry. This episode was like watching a character’s spirit and soul die before they actually die, which might be even more tragic than watching Nina get shot in the back of the head last week. And so much of that pathos comes from Wright’s performance.

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