Tag Archives: recaps and reactions

TV Time: Castle 5.13

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Title Recoil

Two-Sentence Summary When the death of a young woman points to Senator Bracken, the man behind the murder of Beckett’s mother, Beckett sees her chance to finally put him behind bars. However, circumstances change dramatically when the murder investigation leads to a planned attempt on Bracken’s life, forcing Beckett to act as his protector.

Favorite Line “I wouldn’t have done it. You know…what she did. I would have stood and watched.” (Castle)

My Thoughts This was the best Castle episode in quite some time. I have loved every episode in the “Johanna Beckett Arc” since we first learned about Beckett’s mother back in Season 1, and this was no exception. There’s something about the raised stakes that come with these episodes that seem to bring out the best in the actors, magnifying what’s good about the show while leaving you so captivated by the plot that you forget about the show’s flaws.

I know some might vehemently disagree with this statement, but I like dramatic Castle episodes on the whole more than the comedic ones. That’s one thing this season has shown me over and over again. Don’t get me wrong; I love when Castle is fun—especially when it’s nerdy fun. But I can’t help but feel that the filler episodes we’re sometimes stuck with seem even worse when viewed alongside any of the fantastic dramatic episodes this show has given viewers over the years. When so much character development can happen within the course of one hour, it’s hard to watch a few weeks’ worth of episodes where relatively little momentum happens.

Let’s get back to “Recoil,” shall we? I loved the moral dilemma presented in this episode and the way it asked not only the characters but everyone watching what they would do in Beckett’s situation. What’s more important: Vengeance for yourself and your loved ones or justice for strangers? It’s not an easy question, and there is no easy answer. And the fact that Kate Beckett realized there was no easy answer for her showed just how far she’s come.

When it came to her mother’s case, Beckett used to be blind to anything except her own need to find closure through revenge. In this episode, we finally see her with clear eyes—but human eyes. I loved the fact that Beckett hid the letter but then came clean to Castle about it. I also loved the fact that she didn’t shoot the suspect but ultimately saved Bracken’s life. I often joke that Kate Beckett is my favorite superhero, but that’s not because she’s superhuman. In fact, I admire her all the more for being human—for having moments of weakness that she must fight through, for facing temptation and struggling with it. The reality of Beckett’s internal, moral struggle makes her strength all the more inspiring.

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.11

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Title Women in Garbage

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie and April attempt to tackle the rampant sexism in the Pawnee government, beginning with the sanitation department. Meanwhile, Tom attempts to learn how to play basketball in order to appeal to his Rent-A-Swag demographic, and Ron attempts to watch Diane’s daughters.

Favorite Line “I LOVE NOTHING!” (Ron)

My Thoughts Although this wasn’t a groundbreaking or standout episode of Parks and Rec, it was still plenty of fun. Leslie’s impassioned feminist side is always something I’m happy to see explored, and it created some great moments of satire in this episode. I’m also always happy to see Ron grow and develop as a character, which he did in a big way. However, these two great storylines made the Tom/Andy/Ben basketball plot feel a little thin. There just wasn’t enough time for it to develop into something as hilarious as it could have been. But, to quote the great Meat Loaf, “Two outta three ain’t bad.”

The way this episode directly tackled sexism in politics was a real treat for a feminist like myself. I loved the parallels between Leslie’s struggles and those of Hillary Clinton as well as the infamous all-male panel debating reproductive rights and Mitt Romney’s “binders full of women.” The writers dealt with these very real issues in a funny but pointed manner. I laughed, but at the same time, I hoped that people were paying attention. It may have been satire, but it’s not too far from the truth.

There were some fantastic details in this storyline: The male councilmen keeping track of Leslie’s menstrual cycle, the man who mistook Chris for a woman because of his beautiful face, April’s very in-character love for garbage, Leslie attempting to sneak up on the refrigerator, and Leslie posing for Google Earth pictures were some of my personal favorites.

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Something Like That (aka The One with All My New Girl Feelings)

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So this happened last night.

And it was amazing.

I don’t talk about New Girl enough around these parts. It’s charming, relatable, and more laugh-out-loud hilarious than almost any other show on TV right now.

And it just had its finest hour last night.

What I love most about New Girl is that it’s about imperfect young people messing up, making mistakes, and having fun despite—and sometimes even because of—it. It’s a show that feels honest, genuine, and real. It’s a show about people whose hearts are in the right place even if things get messy along the way. And it’s a show that succeeds because of two very important and rare things in the world of TV: chemistry and perfect timing.

“Cooler” was a shining example of all of those things. From beginning to end, it was brimming with the quirky comedy and unexpected soul that makes New Girl a must-see for me every Tuesday night.

If I were grading this episode, it would be an A+, and not just because of the kiss. “Cooler” was New Girl‘s best episode for many other reasons, too:

  • Nick wearing a woman’s trench coat and loving every second of it
  • Winston finally getting a good side plot (featuring London Tipton!)
  • Schmidt using the word “discotheque”
  • A subtle but heartfelt hint that Schmidt and Cece are far from over
  • THE RETURN OF TRUE AMERICAN (“Clinton Rules: Pick your intern!”)
  • The fantastic editing that cut from Sam entering the loft to him cheering “Kiss! Kiss!” to Nick and Jess
  • Nick being perfectly awkward when trying to kiss Jess behind the “Iron Curtain” (his counting down and “Joker” smile were my particular favorites)
  • Have I mentioned the return of True American? (Now with Abu Nazir references!)
  • “Not like this.” (Aka the three little words that actually took my breath away)
  • Schmidt fainting when Nick climbed out the window
  • I’m not sure I said this yet…TRUE AMERICAN WAS BACK. (Cue your best Howard Dean scream!)
  • Jake Johnson’s heartbreaking face as he watched Jess and Sam go off to bed
  • Jake Johnson’s face in general (especially when looking at Zooey Deschanel)

And of course there was the kiss. As with any big moment in real life, timing is everything, and this kiss had perfect timing. It fit perfectly into the plot while still coming as a total shock. It was the right moment for these characters and their story, but it wasn’t overly telegraphed. Nick was right, their first kiss shouldn’t have been part of a game, forced under the thumb of drunken peer pressure. No, it needed to be something like that…a genuine moment of passion, of Nick summoning up the last of his “Trenchcoat Nick Guts” to show Jess everything he feels for her—the heat, the desperation, the tenderness, and the sadness, too. It needed to be real—and that’s exactly how it felt to anyone watching it.

I’m not sure if this post has a point or a purpose, if only to say that I just saw one of the best TV kisses I’ve ever witnessed last night, and I needed a place to talk about it. This is one of those rare TV-induced feelings that I want to live in for as long as possible, so indulge me.

TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.12 and Castle 5.12

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After a much-needed “Treat Yo Self” day yesterday (featuring shopping, Starbucks, and a TON of inauguration coverage), I apologize for being a bit behind in my recapping duties. In order to catch up, I’m going to combine my thoughts about this week’s Once Upon a Time and Castle episodes. And remember, you can always catch my thoughts as they’re formulating on our shiny new NGN Twitter.

ONCE UPON A TIME 2.12

Title In the Name of the Brother

Two-Sentence Summary Dr. Frankenstein’s past comes back to haunt him as the residents of Storybrooke struggle with whether or not to kill the stranger whose car crash brought him into their world. Rumplestiltskin and Regina each face struggles of their own as they deal with fallout from Cora and Hook’s appearance in Storybrooke.

Favorite Line “Keep smiling buddy. You’re chained down. He’s on his feet, immortal, has magic, and you hurt his girl. If I were to pick dead guy of the year, I’d pick you.” (Emma, to Hook)

Five Fast Observations
1.) The cinematography in the flashback portions of this episode was incredible. I loved the choice to film Victor’s world in black and white because it works on multiple levels: It’s a nice homage to the original Frankenstein films, and it also reflects the fact that this seems to be a colder world, a world without the vibrancy that magic gives to Fairytale Land. That was reflected in the brilliant decision to keep Rumplestiltskin in color even in Victor’s world.

2.) I love the idea of Red and Victor forging a close friendship, if not a romance somewhere down the line. Before this episode, I had never really thought of how similar they are, but now I really like that these two “monsters” have each other to lean on. For as much as Snow loves Red, she could never fully understand her guilt and her dark side. Victor can understand that, and he also gives her an outlet for the side of her that wants to take care of someone, to be someone’s support system. Red is such a beautifully complex character, and this episode showed me that Victor is also incredibly complex. They both want to make a fresh start, and I’m definitely behind the idea of them making a fresh start together (and not just because their chemistry was already so rich in this episode).

3.) Speaking of chemistry, it doesn’t get any more fun than what’s going on between Hook and Emma right now. I love that Hook is so blatantly attracted to her, because we know that a huge reason for the attraction is the fact that Emma bested him and got under his skin with her cunning and strength. Colin O’Donoghue is so fantastic in this role; he’s so charming but so broken, and I love that he plays both facets of this character in such a real way. And I love that he brings out so many facets to Jennifer Morrison’s Emma, too. The scene between them in the hospital was flirtatious, contentious, and surprisingly warm. I love that Emma feels compelled to protect Hook even while fighting against his advances, and I’m excited to see what becomes of their relationship as the season progresses.

4.) I’m really happy that finding Bae is how Rumplestiltskin wants his debt repaid by Emma. I was fearing it would be something much worse. I’m looking forward to seeing these two characters interact through this storyline because Morrison and Robert Carlyle have always had a fantastically antagonistic kind of chemistry. Also, how amazing was it to see Charming spring to his daughter’s side as soon as Rumplestiltskin showed up asking for his favor? I loved seeing him go into “protective dad mode” because Josh Dallas plays that paternal side to the character so well, and we haven’t gotten to see much of it yet. The image of Emma being surrounded by her father and her son as she faced Rumplestiltskin made me emotional because she finally has the protective, loving family she’s been living without for her entire life.

5.) Once Upon a Time is a show filled with heartbreaking moments, but I think Belle throwing the chipped cup against the wall may have been the most heartbreaking moment yet. To know everything Rumplestiltskin went through in “Skin Deep” to get that cup back—to know everything that it means to him—made that scene almost unbearable to watch. I’m a sucker for symbols, so to see such a beautiful symbol of him and their relationship (imperfect but still worth saving, damaged but not lost) destroyed right before his eyes was so painful. And Carlyle was once again devastating in that moment, especially as he walked away from the cup without using his magic to put it back together (because why fix something that isn’t worth anything anymore?).

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.10

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Title Two Parties

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie spends the first half of her bachelorette party attempting to use the strained relationship between the Wamapokes and the people of Pawnee to halt construction of a new Paunch Burger where Pawnee Commons is supposed to be, and then she spends the second half trying to undo what she did. Ben’s bachelor party is far more successful, with each of the men (Tom, Andy, Jerry, Ron, and, of course Ben) being treated by Chris to the bachelor party of his dreams.

Favorite Line “Maybe it’s April. Maybe I die—skydiving explosion—and then you go marry April. And it makes me sad, but if she’s gonna be with somebody, I’d like it to be you…Only I didn’t really die. I was faking it. And I come back. I spy on you from my red Corvette, and I’m planning to kick your ass. But I see how happy you make her. And I have to walk away, I have to. And I do…slowly, in a rainstorm…But as time goes by, it eats away at me—you’re out living it up with my wife and I’m alone in a cave training…I thought you were my friend! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!” (Andy, telling Chris that someday he’ll find the girl of his dreams)

My Thoughts I am in love with this episode. More specifically, I am in love with half of this episode and in a state of pleasant “like” with the other half. Seriously, if the half of the episode dealing with the bachelor party was a man, I would ask it to be my Catan-playing, vodka-flash-consuming, Colts-loving, ice-cream-dropping, steak-eating husband right now. I want more than an extended episode, more than deleted scenes. I want to petition whoever I need to petition in order for there to be a full-length movie of nothing but these fantastically rich supporting characters having fun together, toasting each other, and singing in Chris’s car.

The half of the episode dealing with Leslie was fine, but it paled in comparison to Ben’s half of the storyline. I loved that a sexy Abe Lincoln is one of Leslie’s fantasies, and I loved everything about both Donna and April in this episode, but there was something too predictable about Leslie’s arc.

I would have much rather had an episode that featured the girls having just as much fun as the guys, but I know that’s not possible. Stories don’t exist without conflict, and this episode needed Leslie’s conflicts. I guess it all just felt a little rushed to me. And because of that, the emotional connection to this half of the story felt relatively nonexistent (but maybe that’s because I was so busy tweeting and flailing like an excited kid over the other half of the episode).

Ultimately, I actually liked that we got to see someone else take on Leslie’s role as the emotional center of a group, and I loved that it was Chris. We’ve seen Leslie at the center of so many familial-feeling moments on Parks and Rec, so it was refreshing to see this episode take the time to show that men can have those familial bonds with their friends, too. Group hugs aren’t just for girls.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.11

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As I slaved away (aka enjoyed every single second of) watching and recapping the Golden Globes, Leah took the reigns and offered to share her thoughts on this week’s Once Upon a Time.

Hi everyone! Hope you all survived the craziness of the Golden Globes and Once Upon a Time airing on the same night this week! (For some post-Golden Globes thoughts, check out Katie’s post here.)

This week’s episode was a bit of a rollercoaster, and there’s a lot to talk about. Here we go!

Title The Outsider

What Happened? In Storybrooke, Hook does all he can to thwart Rumplestiltskin’s plans to leave town and find his son Baelfire, while Belle does her own investigating and discovers Hook’s ship. In flashbacks to Fairytale Land, we see Belle and Mulan work together to kill a beast called the Yaoguai, which turns out to be Prince Phillip, cursed by Maleficent into the Yaoguai in order to separate him from his true love Aurora.

Lines to Remember
“So we shouldn’t think of today as goodbye. Just as a way of saying, ‘Archie, we’ll be listening.’” (Snow White, giving the eulogy at Archie’s funeral)

“I’ve always wanted to dissect a cricket.” (Hook, interrogating Archie)

“I think it’s safer to stick to my books. They’re the only adventures I know that have happy endings.” (Belle)

“Enjoy the lake!” (Belle)

“I just imagined a bigger roof. With turrets.” (Snow White)

“Oh, I know this ship like the back of my…well, you know.” (Hook)

What I Thought This episode gave us a good look at more of Belle’s backstory, and set us up for a great episode next week, which will undoubtedly deal with a lot of the events we have been anticipating for most of this season. Before I get to the ramifications of this week’s events on the future episodes, however, let’s discuss Belle.

Belle has been one of my favorite characters since we first met her in Season One ‘s “Skin Deep,” and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see more sides of her in this episode. Over the course of the show so far, we have seen Belle deal with mostly emotional situations and with her relationship with Rumplestiltskin, but we haven’t really seen Belle in action on the battlefield. In this episode, we got to take a look at how she reacts in stressful situations.

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TV Time: Castle 5.11

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Title Under the Influence

Two-Sentence Summary The death of a DJ at a release party for a pop star leads Castle, Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito to a teenager named Joey “Monster” Malone, a kid who’s under the thumb of a powerful criminal and works by stealing for him. Esposito takes the orphaned Joey under his wing and, in the process, reveals some secrets about his own troubled past.

Favorite Line “I know you ain’t a cop with that fancy shirt and poofy hair.” (Suspect MC Thug, to Castle in the interrogation room)

My Thoughts Confession Time: I fell asleep about halfway through the episode. The combination of staying up until 2 a.m. after the Golden Globes (Award show coverage never sleeps!) and a subpar Castle episode made it all too easy for me to drift off. But never fear, Castle fans—not even a 10:30 p.m. nap would keep me from writing about the show. I got up at 1 a.m. and finished the last half-hour, but I did find myself nodding off again at points.

In summary: tired Katie + filler Castle episode = sleep

It wasn’t that I didn’t like this episode. In fact, I really liked some things about it (learning more about Esposito, to be specific). However, the episode as a whole felt like something out of a different show. It was good, but it didn’t really feel like Castle.

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Best and Worst of the 2013 Golden Globes

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I love the Golden Globes. It focuses on both television and film; it features nearly all of my favorite celebrities; and it features nearly all of my favorite celebrities drinking copious amounts of alcohol. If that isn’t a recipe for success, I don’t know what is.

I was generally happy with the way these awards turned out. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn’t give me everything I wanted (cue my angry “Amy Poehler was robbed!” cries), but all in all I was pleased with the winners, especially in the film categories.

There were plenty of memorable moments from the 70th Annual Golden Globes, so, without further ado, let’s discuss the best and the worst of the night.

Best Hosts to Ever Host: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. I knew these two would be amazing, but I had no idea how hard they would make me laugh within the first few minutes of the show. From zingers directed at James Cameron and James Franco to a joke about Meryl Streep that’s still making me laugh today, their opening monologue was everything a fan of these two could have hoped for and then some. And the jokes just kept on coming, from cuddling with Clooney to advice for Taylor Swift and a perfect closing line about going home with Jodie Foster, these two women kept the show moving and did it with a style that is completely their own and completely perfect. Can they take Seth MacFarlane’s place at the Oscars? Pretty please?

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TV Time: Castle 5.10

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Title Significant Others

Two-Sentence Summary The death of a divorce attorney leads the team at the 12th precinct to the unsolved murder of a pro golfer’s wife. Meanwhile, Beckett moves into Castle’s loft for a brief stay while her apartment is being fumigated, but things get a little more crowded when Castle’s ex-wife Meredith comes to visit.

Favorite Lines
Martha: This isn’t a flophouse, darling. You’ve got to stop letting freeloaders just live here.
Castle: Please tell me you see the irony.

My Thoughts I’ll get this out of the way now, so you can decide right away whether or not you want to keep reading: I didn’t love this episode. In fact, I thought it was the weakest link in what has been a very strong fifth season so far. It wasn’t “Heartbreak Hotel” or “The Limey” levels of bad, but it certainly wasn’t one of the show’s stronger efforts. I wanted more: more Meredith, more comedy, more romance, and more certainty at the end about where this show is going for the rest of this season. I know it seems like I’m being greedy, and maybe I am. But I know what this show is capable of, and I get frustrated when it falls short of that.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.10

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Title The Cricket Game

Two-Sentence Summary The joy of Emma and Snow’s return to Storybrooke soon disappears after Archie is found dead after a supposed visit from Regina, who turns out to be Cora in disguise. In flashbacks to Fairytale Land, Snow saves Regina from execution but the final pieces to the curse are set in motion.

Favorite Line “It’s impressive that we can still provide her with a few traumatic childhood memories at this stage of the game.” (Charming, after Emma walks in on him in bed with Snow)

My Thoughts I found myself alternately fascinated and frustrated by this episode. There were some moments that made me incredibly happy as well as some good plot development. However, I found myself angry with the central plot of the episode. Sometimes dramatic irony is a beautiful thing (which Once Upon a Time proved over and over again last season), but sometimes it’s almost painful to watch characters make incorrect assumptions and do the wrong thing because they don’t know what we as an audience know.

Let’s begin with the good stuff, shall we? The scene with Charming and Snow being interrupted by Emma and Henry was played to perfection by all involved. Josh Dallas and Ginnifer Goodwin’s bright, joyful chemistry leapt off the screen. Goodwin’s smile was especially luminous; she made me feel every bit of Snow’s giddiness at being reunited with her husband after 28 long years. The brief moment where Charming stole a kiss at the end of the scene was the perfect touch. If these two in that moment are what “happily ever after” looks like (both on and off-screen), then sign me up for my own fairytale.

I also have to give credit to Jennifer Morrison for her perfect reaction to walking in on her parents in bed together. What could have been cringe-worthy was instead hilarious because Morrison played Emma’s shock with the subtle humor I have come to love from her as an actress. All three characters are in such a strange situation, and this was the best possible way to introduce the complications of their relationships with humor (while the end of the episode, with Charming talking about his insecurities about being a parent, was the perfect way to introduce it with heart).

I loved Emma’s emotional arc throughout the episode—from her open support of Regina to her crisis of faith, culminating in their showdown. It was nice to see someone finally invite Regina to dinner! And I loved that Emma initially saw a lot of herself in Regina’s quest for redemption. They are more similar than it would seem at first glance—both closed off to love until Henry came into their lives.

But the difference between these women is that Emma has a mother who is the epitome of noble while Regina’s mother is as evil as they come. I love how evil Cora is; there’s something deliciously dramatic about the sight of her walking around with her black parasol in the dead of night. It fits well with the flourish Lana Parrilla gives to her performance as the Evil Queen. Evil runs in the family, but so does style.

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