Greek Chapter 6- The best yet?

Greek Chapter 6- The best yet?

Well while I wouldn't say it was the best chapter it came pretty damn close, impressive for a show in its third season and 6th batch of episodes.

I had quite a few problems with chapters 4 and 5. They took place over just one semester meaning that 22 episodes worth of events happened in just 4 months. It didn't help that there was a severe decrease in writing quality and some torturous storylines.
Chapter 6 got rectified those problems from the very start. They quickly resolved the more annoying stories from chapter 5 (the fire for instance) so that this chapter could go on virtually unhindered by past mistakes.

House wise, the ZBZ's were mostly embroiled in the frenemy war with the Gamma Psi's. This feud basically took the place of Frannie's faux house and was much more successful. Natalie, the head of the Gamma Psi's was an annoying bitch but she didn't take up too much screen time thankfully. Having a friendly ear in Katherine in the Gamma Psi house meant that the feud could be kept going and simmering all the time but on perhaps on less bitchy terms.
The show thankfully re-ignited the feud between the KT and Omega Chi's. The show always works when these two houses are fighting and after the sad expulsion of Wade, Jeremy and Ferret (budget cuts?), the KT's had a grudge to avenge. Also despite this culling of KT's I liked that we got to see plenty of other brothers as well as more of the brothers in the Omega Chi has as it gives a more genuine feel to the houses.

Character wise, all the characters had something to do here and it was nice to see.
Bringing Dale in as the ZBZ hasher was a terrific idea as it allowed him to interact with more of the cast rather than just Rusty and Calvin. His dalliance with ZBZ Laura was a little weird and started as abruptly as it ended, but as he hoped for in the finale, I too want Dale to have a nice normal girlfriend. I mean if Rusty can get 3 different girls to go out with him I'm sure Dale can!
Speaking of Rusty, the show took time to explore all his sides with his academics, getting more involved in the house as rush/revenge chair and also with two love interests; firstly Katherine with whom he had a hilariously awkward relationship with and then the much more suitable Dana.

It was nice to see a realistic gay relationship in the form of Grant and Calvin, Grant was clearly a bit psycho and not 'the one', but exploring their relationship was fun and it made sense that Grant would want to explore his sexuality a bit more now that he's out.
Rebecca and Evan's relationship had been coming for a long time, since the first episode really. Both from moneyed backgrounds and now estranged from them, this was the perfect time for them to get together. I'm so pleased that Rebecca went back to being her normal self after spending chapter 5 as annoying, screechy Rebecca. Her commitment issues are perfectly understandable, given her dad and made for some great drama when she slept with Beaver. I'm not sure I totally believe in their fairytale make up in the finale but at least we have 10 episodes more to see it play out!

Ashleigh didn't have many of her own storylines apart from finding a job (why she never thought of fashion before is beyond me!) but she was the perfect sidekick to Casey and Rusty- and I mean that in the nicest way! Her and Rusty work incredibly well together and were a delight to watch. Ashleigh and Casey had problems in their friendship but I found these to be incredibly realistic and at least they made up by the end of the chapter.

Finally to Casey and Cappie, the relationship we have been waiting since the beginning to see. The writers kept to couple interesting by focusing on their problems on the road ahead. Personally I never really believed in the Cappie/Casey relationship and found the way they ended it to be thoroughly refreshing. The two do have great chemistry but are very different people and it would be unrealistic for them to sacrifice themselves for the other; both are too headstrong to do that.

Overall then, I'm sure its obvious that I loved this chapter and I am so glad I stuck with it; after chapter 5 I was ready to give up and I can honestly say that especially towards the end of the chapter I was eagerly awaiting each episode. It was a shame that the show wasn't renewed earlier as many of the shows threads were tied up in the final episodes, which could've been left till the next chapter. Either way I'm really excited that we get to see the show run its course and see the older cast graduate!

Greek will return with its (most likely) last Chapter, 7, later in the year

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 43

A3.06 Billy
This is an interesting episode looking at girl power in the face of male misogyny. I really liked that Cordy was the one to play the hero of sorts in this episode, she's a major member of the team, but rarely fights so it was good to see her saving the day, even if she isn't the one to directly do it. She does do it through Lilah with their brilliant scene together and its good to see Lilah come through, even if she, as she puts it, isn't a Lindsey.
The more chilling part of the episode is Wesley chasing Fred, who shows what she's made off here. But poor Wesley, bad things always happen to him. Just when he is considering acting on his feelings for Fred this happens. Ironically him so deeply questioning his 'manhood' is what makes him such a good man, but obviously he's far too tortured to see it.
As a villain, Billy is interesting, more so that he's partly human. He wasn't that creepy though, Alexis Denisof pulled off the creepy far better, which meant that Billy wasn't as scary as he perhaps should've been. (7.5/10)

B6.09 Smashed
This is a bit of an aimless episode in a way, though its probably best viewed as a two parter. It was nice to see Amy back and have her rat story finally solved. You can't blame her for wanting a little fun after 3 years as a rat but when did she get so powerful? Was she that powerful in high school?
As for Buffy and Spike, their storyline got a lot more interesting at the end with their awesome fight and *ahem* climactic end. It seems like a bit of a plot convenience that Spike can now hurt Buffy, but the pair had their best chemistry whilst fighting so it fits in with the overall story.
There wasn't much for Anya and Xander to do apart from comment on magic and I did like seeing Tara and Dawn spend some time together; it makes sense and is a great way to keep Tara in the show. (7.5/10)

B6.10 Wrecked
A lot of people don't like the magic as drug addiction metaphor, but personally I think it works, honestly I've found the past analogies for sex and drink the show has used much harder to buy. The addiction did come over very quickly though I guess its been coming since the season opener. Rack is a creepy guy and the scenes at his place were weird, but added to the dark nature of this episode. Willow high on magic towards the end of the episode was also weird to watch as its such a different Willow than we're used to knowing. Alyson Hannigan plays it brilliantly though as does Michelle Tratchenberg as the terrified teen.
Buffy and Spike were good to watch in this episode though they talked a little bit too much and it often went round in circles, making it a little repetitive. (8/10)

B6.11 Gone
This was a bit of a silly yet very fun episode. Buffy enjoyed herself being invisible and that came through in the episode. Buffy's hijinks when she was invisible were fun and brought some light hearted humour after the last two darker episodes. The trio are little annoying and ineffectual, but their first meeting with Buffy was funny to watch as she slowly realised who they all were and also this tied up the diamond stealing from two episodes ago.
I'm not sure if I entirely get why Dawn was so angry with Willow, it was really her fault, but it fit in with the story I guess. Xander and Anya again didn't have much at all to do, which is a bit of a shame. (8/10)


Also I just want to add RIP Andy Hallet whose one year anniversary was on the 29th March.

Mini Reviews- March 29th

Desperate Housewives- 6x09 Would I Think of Suicide
Not a bad episode and perhaps better than the last. Gabby/Carlos go to war with Lynette over her hiding her pregnancy. Since I like Carlos, I'm almost glad to see that it was Gabby holding his strings for most of the episode. Carlos had a right to be pissed but he was childish and I was on Lynette's side by the time he fired her.
Katherine's descent into crazy is a little tiresome now, especially since her Mike obsession is a little hard to understand (I mean he's no Nathan Fillion!). Her stabbing herself was very effective though.
Poor Danny Bolen or should I say Tyler? Its a hard on him that his dad got to Julie first, especially when it was obvious that Danny liked her. His suicide did mean we got some more details into the Bolens past, though I have to say I hope we don't get too many too soon as it that has spoiled many a mystery in DH.
Oh and I didn't buy Susan forgiving Bree so easily, Susan is very vindictive and likely to hold a grudge.
Note also was the dead waitress still of school age, Ana said she was friends with her, but the waitress seemed much older.

Brothers and Sisters- 4x11 A Bone to Pick
An endearing yet rushed episode. Ryan's treachery was revealed and no surprises but he was the only match for Kitty and he came through, despite the not very tactful way Nora asked/told him. Kitty's scenes were very sad especially with Evan; her recovery felt rushed though, its probably something that could've waited till the next episode. The side story of Kitty's affair with a famous Democrat was amusing and a bit silly but I liked the way in which in tied the story together and also gave us some sibling time. No comments on her adultery with a married man though, which is odd.

Greek- 3x19 The First Last
Its a shame that the show was only recently renewed as its obvious the show was fearing cancellation so tied up many loose ends in this episode before the characters go on Spring Break next week. The Blue Ribbon competition was nicely rounded off with ZBZ winning back their number one status, though I would've preferred to see another Green Week in the next chapter. Calvin and Grant inevitably broke up- there were hints of a possible Calvin and Heath reunion, which I would absolutely love! I was most excited by the KT's plans for revenge, can't wait for the finale now!

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 42

B6.05 Life Serial
Not a terrible episode surrounding the Trio. The tests they put upon Buffy were childish and yet quite ingenious, especially Jonathan's and at least they had the sense to know that Buffy would triumph through them all. Its almost nice to have a villain who isn't trying to actually kill Buffy.
The other main story thread was that of Buffy at work and trying to get her life in order. All the Scoobies helped out in this way and it was a nice way to have all of them involved as well as showing how aimless Buffy's life is right now. Buffy's time with Spike, in the crypt at least was probably the most entertaining; the pair relationship at this point in the show is actually very sweet and its easy to root for them here. Sadly this isn't the best episode the show has done and is mostly just filler before we move onto more important things in the next few episodes. (6.5/10)

A3.05 Fredless
Aw this was a sweet episode. I love that Fred's parents turned out to be nice normal people, who truly loved Fred and just wanted the best for her. Its not hugely common in the Buffyverse to have that, so it was a nice change of pace. Having the rest of the gang fall for the parents was really sweet as well.
The bug demons in the episode were a little queasy inducing but it was a good background for Fred to find herself and her place in the team.
I do wish however we'd had a little more from Lorne in this or a subsequent episode though, his anger at having his club trashed never fully gets going and it would've been good to have a little focus on Lorne. (8.5/10)

B6.06 All the Way
This was filler episode intended so the next episode could be shot and it shows. Its good to get a focus on Dawn and the first kiss guy turning out to be a vampire is a pretty standard Sunnydale story, in many ways it was a hark back to the high school days. Most of the hijinks with the teens however are a little tedious, especially with the old man. I did enjoy getting to see Giles get some fighting action and also in the parental role to Dawn; he does it so well. Whilst I do think Giles is being a little harsh on Buffy, trying to get her to stand on her own two feet, in this instance, Buffy would've been the perfect person to talk to Dawn as she's been through it herself.
The opening Halloween scenes and the engagement party are my favourite bits of the episode and one of my favourite parts of season 6. Its a rare moment of happiness before it all goes to hell. (7.5/10)

NOTE: I take a little detour from the episode order I'm following from here, as some of the episodes that should directly follow each other are broken up by episodes from the other show on the guide. I wanted to watch the story arcs without too many gaps or interruptions.

B6.07 Once More With Feeling
This is a hard episode to review, mostly because the songs are just so damn catchy I was singing along through the whole episode, no matter how much I tried not to! There are many reasons why this is regarded as one of the best Buffy episodes. The songs are one obviously, but the fact that its a musical episode doesn't mean the story part is forgotten. The episode is cleverly written so that every character has an issue that they either reveal or need to hear, which is laid bare in this episode. Some of the storylines were set up in the last episode- Xander's wedding fear, Tara's worry over Willow's magic use- but these are legitimate issues which are not resolved and continue to impact well into the rest of the season. Other issues such as Buffy returning from heaven and Spike's feelings for her are brought to a head in the episode though these also continue as storylines, making the episode more than just a ratings gimmick (I have to bit I squeeed a little when Buffy and Spike kiss at the end. The relationship sours later in the season but here its very sweet and very genuine). One of the things I noticed about the episode this time round was the production value of it, a lot of the scenes were obviously shot against a green screen and/or spliced together using computer magic, which makes the episode more impressive when you consider the work that was put into it before/during/after it was shot. (10/10)

B6.08 Tabula Rasa
Its very apt that this episode is called Tabula Rasa as the last episode lay out all the secrets open so this was effectively a new start for the gang. Of course there are even more secrets now, as I said in the last episode Buffy and Spike really work together at this point in the series and of course their chemistry is humming so them kissing again at the end of the episode is very satisfying.
Spike's debt collector's provide the monster story for the week but honestly they aren't that interesting and the shark demon is weird. The main part of the story of course comes from Willow's forgetting spell. I forgot how funny this part of the episode was; its hilarious to hear Spike/Buffy call each other Randy/Joan, Anya and Giles as the engaged, bickering couple is highly amusing, I adore Spike musing over helping the helpless (love that Angel reference) and Giles/Spike as the father/son combo? Laugh out loud funny. Its all ended (and begun for that matter) with heart wrenching leaving scenes which make the episode intensely powerful. (10/10)

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 41

B6.01/6.02 Bargaining Parts 1 and 2 (these two episodes were shown together on the DVD so I watched them as such. I would've preferred to watch the episodes separately so I have scored them separately)
Re-starting the show on a different network was always going to be hard for the show and mostly they pulled it off successfully. The first half of this two parter was a lot more interesting to watch however. The Scoobies cope the best the can both with filling in for Buffy on the vamp fighting department and with raising Dawn. Its easy to see that all the characters are a lot darker than when we last saw them, which makes complete sense and set up nicely for the season ahead. SMG excels as the Buffy- bot and lightens the episode, which is much needed. I especially like the parent day part.
Even though it was an actor decision, in the show it never made sense why Giles would want to leave Sunnydale. Sure he is spurred on by the Buffy-bot leading to a wonderfully emotional scene at the airport, but surely it would make more sense for him to stay and fill the gap left by Buffy, especially in Dawn's life. The Scoobies might be equipped to handle the slaying but raising a teenager as well? It would be hard even for Giles.
The spell the gang perform is suitably creepy and major league magic- it had to be considering the show has toyed with the issue of raising the dead before (Forever in season 5 and The Zeppo in season 3 spring to mind). The snake, creepy under the skin bugs and swirling red energy all add to the impact of the spell they are performing. Plus of course there's that memorable deer killing bit beforehand which really sets Willow down a path this season.
The second part of the episode once Buffy is raised is a little less interesting to watch. Whilst I understand the importance of it; Buffy couldn't just jump straight back into life, it can be a little boring watching her wander about aimlessly. Also the motorbike hellions are fairly run of the mill demons and can be a bit tiresome to watch. I do like that Dawn was the one to bring Buffy back to life so to speak. It shows Dawn's importance in the group, when she seemingly does very little most of the time and demonstrates the strong bond between the sisters. (Part 1= 8.5/10) (Part 2= 7.5/10)

B6.03 After Life
A nice topper to the previous episodes. We have more of Buffy utterly shell shocked, but she's at least a bit more coherent here and we get a heartfelt explanation for why she is so shell shocked. Her bonding with Spike is perhaps inevitable as he's really the only one in the show who can understand coming back to life The demon story is a fairly good one, its a lot more interesting when the spirit inhabits the Scoobies bodies as it gives all the actors a lot to play with. Buffy dispatches it very quickly though, which is always a sign that it is the lesser story here. (7.5/10)

A3.04 Carpe Noctem
Not a huge fan of this episode. Whilst David Boreanaz does a great job during the body swap, the old guy is creepy and kind of a perv. Its actions are kind of justifiable , it can't be easier getting older, but even when this old guy gets the chance to be young, he wastes it being a complete dog. The gang figured out what was happening fairly quickly as well, which meant the episode was very neatly resolved and swiftly too but not necessarily in the best way.
There are some merits to the episode; it deals with Fred's crush on Angel which could've become tiresome had it continued, and also there's that very hot scene between Lilah and fake Angel which perhaps resolved some of the sexual tension between the pair. (6.5/10)

B6.04 Flooded
Giles returning in this episode is one of my favourite moments of the whole season. The scene in which he sees Buffy alive for the first time is just so touching and their subsequent scenes together continue to work and be enjoyable. Giles is much needed in this episode to provide some stability for both Buffy, Dawn and the rest of the Scoobies. A highlight scene for me is when he tells Willow off. She needs some grounding as can plainly be seen when she tells him not to piss her off. The power dynamic has clearly shifted in their relationship and in makes for a fantastic scene between the pair.
Buffy's money issues are good to see in a way, as it makes the show very real and grounded. It is a little ironic of course that the very thing Buffy scorns at (charging people for saving them) is what Angel now does, especially as she rushes off to see him at the end of the episode.
The demon and (re)introduction of the Trio isn't that interesting, Buffy dispatches with M'Fashnik quiet easily the second time and the Trio don't have that much impact apart from getting a few new toys. (7.5/10)

Scubs Season 9

Scrubs- Season 9

As the show is likely to be cancelled in May and the last episode aired last week, I thought I'd do a little review of the rebooted season.

Overall season 9 wasn't bad at all, there was a lot of good stuff and real promise in the 13 episodes and I don't think bringing it back was a complete mistake, just that they made a lot of mistakes whilst doing it.

The biggest mistake they made was bringing back Zach Braff for 5 episodes, he had a perfect finale episode in season 8 and I don't feel we really needed to see his story continue here, especially once Elliot was brought back into the mix. Yes it was nice to know that his dreamed future of him and Elliot starting a family came true, but we could've done without. It was also a shame that JD was the man child of seasons 5-7, ie the character at his very worse during the very worse seasons of Scrubs.

Personally I think Donald Faison and John McGinley have enough acting and star power to carry the show as the returnees. I had to suspend my disbelief a little that the chiefs of the hospital and surgery spent so much time with a group of lowly med students but since they mostly interacted well (ie Cox calling the students murderers was a very funny recurring joke) I was happy to do that. Denise, the surprising star from last year's interns, was a welcome addition to the old returning cast and Eliza Coupe definitely helped to bring the funny to her character.

As for the new cast on the whole I liked them. Lucy was of course the weakest of the bunch which was a shame, but she became more enjoyable after they ditched most of the dream sequences. Cole was annoying but Dave Franco played the douche really well and he became a lot more likable as the show went on. Drew was the most endearing character, but I don't feel like we got to see enough of him. He was well partnered up with Denise, but it was a shame to have all the characters paired up a few episodes in, though that does seem to be creator Bill Lawrence's style (Turk and Carla were paired up in the first episode as was JD and Eliot for the most part).

The show was never really laugh out loud funny (though it did have its moments), but then for me Scrubs never really was. It was a dramedy and was successful when it found the balance between the funny and the sad moments. The season kind of felt like what season 8 was, a new cast of interns brought in to share the air time with the old cast and perhaps the season would've worked better had that been carried on rather than bring in the med students and restart again. It was a failed experiment, but by no means a bad one and the show at least tried something new which has to be commended. Ultimately the biggest mistake was that the show didn't go far enough in its changes. Had this been marketed as a spin-off and creatively been written so, with fewer returning characters to begin with and a change in style and tone, this show really could've succeeded; and for the new cast and crew, its a shame that it didn't.

Mini Reviews- March 22nd

Brothers and Sisters- 4x10 Nearlyweds
A lovely episode, if a little disappointing in places. The disappointment I'm referring to is the Nora/Simon storyline. The very first mention of money made the upcoming storyline very clear. Its such a cliche to have him run away with the money- is that all the writers could think of really?! I hope the story turns out to different to whats seeming to be happening.
Otherwise I enjoyed the episode as it had a wonderful family vibe to it. Loved seeing Tommy, Elizabeth and Julia back, especially nice to see Elizabeth. I loved seeing the youngest Walkers altogether for the first time I think at the end. Justin's break down was much needed considering how much he has going on, but I'm glad he came through. The pair should've postponed the wedding though, they showed they were not ready to go through with it.

Grey's Anatomy- 6x09 New History
Sadly Izzie returned to be a bitch to Alex, but at least Alex got some closure and she left after again after this episode.
There was a new arrival in the form of Teddy whom I'm glad was able to show a few things to Cristina who was being a bit of a know it all. I really enjoyed the lunch scene with all the attendings as it was a lot of fun.
Richards drinking problems cam to a head here. Adele accusing Richard of having an affair, especially with Bailey was kinda funny, but obviously lay at the heart of a much bigger issue.

Greek- 3x18 Camp Buy Me Love
Nice 80's themed episode for the show. I love the Ashleigh/Rusty pairing they work so well together and I'm glad he chose Dana at the end of it. Also liked that they hinted at a potential romance for Katherine. Also Evan took back his manhood; good for him, even though he had to hit Rusty to do it.
Casey is being way to pushy with Cappie and his parents showed that. I liked the conclusion she came to at the end as many (most) college relationships break up around the time of graduation, but I'd be surprised if they don't make it through somehow.

Desperate Housewives- 6x08 The Coffee Cup
A bit meh for me. The Angie/Bree/Orson storyline was the best, if contrived. Glad Angie protected both Orson and Bree (who is her boss) and bought Bree some time to make her decision.
Shame to see Carlos turning such a douche over Lynette's preganancy. Then again I would be pissed off too and Lynette was silly to keep that secret from him for so long, especially since they were friends so he might've given her a break.
The shock ending was shock-less for me since the TV guide spoiled it, but I think its too obvious to be Nick, even for DH.

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 40 (BtVS Season 6/Angel Season 3)

Start of Seasons 3/6! A couple of notes to start:

• I stupidly left of my scoring for seasons 5/s overall in the last Buffy/Angel blog. I have updated the post now with some justification added on, but for convenience the overall season scores were Angel: 8.5/10 and Buffy: 9/10.

• I took a small break before starting these seasons, for two reasons really. Firstly a lot of other TV shows started recently I and I found I was short on time to watch everything. Secondly, whilst I love Buffy and Angel I have been watching them non-stop for 6 months and it was a little bit of overkill! So I took a break of about a month. This now also means that I can post episode review blogs as I write them and not quite weeks after like I was doing during seasons 2/5.

As always spoilers ahead!

A3.01 Heartthrob
A fairly decent opener for the season. The writers faced the tricky task of having Angel dealing with Buffy's death but not mentioning her too much due to the restrictions placed on them by the now differing networks. It was very apt that Cordy would help Angel deal with Buffy's death the most seeing as she was the only one around for the Buffy/Angel saga so maybe understands what Angel is going through. It was nice to see that Angel has grown from hi puppy like crush of Buffy, in that he didn't fall apart when she died; his reaction to her death here is what makes Angel in his own show a much more likable character than he was in Buffy.
The flashback story of the other couple was somewhat interesting if only to see the other couple Darla and Angelus teamed up with before Drusilla and Spike, showing that like human couples, vamp couples also need a best friend couple! The present day part of the storyline was less interesting though.
Very little of Wes and Gunn in the episode, and some glimpses of Fred's crazies as she adjusts to life in LA. I loved the 'reappearance' of Dennis, Cordy's ghost. Their scene was actually very sweet, but also good in foreshadowing Cordy's future in terms of the visions. (7/10)

A3.02 That Vision Thing
A nice little episode re-introducing Wolfram and Hart, new and improved (?) as the big bad as well as focusing on Cordy's visions. The idea of Lilah's is a good one and one they have used before (To Shanshu in LA); attack the person Angel cares most about. Clearly this is Cordy now as his actions and concern for her showed. Cordy's little speech to Angel about her importance shows a great deal of growth of Cordy's part, the Cordy of old would never have put up with the agony and physical disfigurements she had to in this episode.
One thing I liked about the episode is that its part of the larger arc, the man Angel saves turns up a few episodes later, as does Skip. There is also some foreshadowing with regards to Gunn and Wes' attraction to Fred and Angel's to Cordy.
Also I liked the appearance of Skip here as he's pretty funny, learning more about Darla's pregnancy and mostly the whole gang working together (including Lorne and Fred this episode). (8/10)

A3.03 That Old Gang of Mine
I enjoyed this episode more than I have on past watchings and its a fairly decent episode for Gunn. For some reason, Gunn centric episodes always revolve around with Gunn being at odds with Angel as vamp, maybe to give the episode some friction. In a way this is an episode which should've happened a little sooner than it did, I'm surprised that Gunn's crew weren't more annoyed that he has got into business with a vampire and didn't shun him earlier. The hostage scene in Caritas goes on a little too long and gets very tiring as the crew make threats and don't actually follow through (which would've at least made things more interesting!)
As Wesley himself, the episode deals with the shades of grey we so often see in Angel. Gunn's crew were killing 'innocent' demons, when they themselves aren't squeaky clean. Gunn struggled with both sides of the coin- killing all demons or just the bad ones and in that way this episode is a good showcase for how he's feeling. However since Gunn's not a talker, we don't get enough exposition from him to really empathise.
Also Lorne is great in this episode using his talent to turn the tables, the Cordy and Fred stuff is nice; we don't get enough of that through the series, and Wesley is brilliant as the diplomatic yet stern leader. (7/10)

Flashback to the 80's- Brothers and Sisters

Had to post this link: SpoilerTV has promo pics from the 1980's segment of the upcoming Brothers and Sisters flashback episode.
I'm totally loving the 80's fashion, young Kitty and Sarah are sporting, plus how adorable is little Justin?!?
This is my favourite pic of them all (I'm pretty sure its all the young Walkers, the one in the cast might be another character judging by later photos, but I might be mistaken, it could be Tommy):

Apparently this two parter will reveal shocking secrets (?!) Not sure about that, but I;m excited about the flashbacks!

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 39

Angel Season 2
This was quite a season for Angel. One of the key themes that ran throughout it, was the establishment of the show's identity that was separate from Buffy's. This was a hard task for the show considering most of Angel's character originate from BtVS and season 1 had a lot of crossover episodes.

However the show did a pretty good job in standing on its own two feet though slightly disappointingly they chose to end the season of the Buffy death cliffhanger, but I guess there was no other way to end it. One of the main storylines was Angel going dark, but not losing his soul. This is very different from the Buffy dichotomy of good vs evil; the show here started to exploring the grey area a lot more. The overall story arc worked well I thought, Wolfram and Hart stepped up as the big bad and they were never as strong more more enjoyable as when led by Holland Manners, Lilah and of course Lindsey. Bringing back Julie Benz as Darla was a truly excellent idea as she made an excellent villain/victim and she had sizzling chemistry with David Boreanez.

Many people don't like that the main arc ended before finale, but I thought this was a neat idea, as it allowed Angel to atone for mistakes with his team and also the inspired Pylea arc at the end of the season.
Though I didn't give the best episode ratings for the four Pylea episodes, as an overall storyline, it worked incredibly well and was very enjoyable. It was perhaps an episode too long and could've done with a little more action in places but I loved visiting another dimension as they are important parts of the Buffyverse mythology and its cool that we get to spend some time in one.

Episode wise, the season wasn't hugely consistent as there were quite a few dull episodes as well as some awesome ones.
It's also a little disappointing not to get more character development of the Angel Investigations team. We got a little in places and especially during the Pylea arc, but often it felt forced and didn't always fit into the storyline or episode.

In terms of new characters, we had Gunn becoming part of the team, which at first felt a little awkward but after the team got fired and he bonded with Wes and Cordy, it felt a lot more organic and natural. There was of course the introduction of Lorne. He's such a quirky and delightful character and the songs at Caritas definitely helped to inject a little bit of humour and lightheartedness in the episodes. His integration into the team in the final arc definitely felt more natural than Gunn's was. We also got to meet Fred, seen in the Pylea episodes as a bit crazy, but with a heart of gold.

Overall this was a very enjoyable season and I really liked it. There was a lot of drama, but also a lot of humour. Not all of the episodes were great but enough were great to make this an excellent second season. (8.5/10)

Buffy Season 5
This is largely regarded as the best Buffy season and its easy to see why. The episodes are very consistent in quality with very few/no bad episodes. The season is a little slow to kick off, but once it is revealed that Dawn is the Key, it gets a lot better.

The overall arc is a pretty incredible one, Dawn's introduction definitely ups the stakes for Buffy. She is not just fighting to save her friends or the generic world, she is fighting to save her flesh and blood.

I'm not a huge fan of this season's Big Bad however. She's better than Adam or the Trio from next season, but she's definitely not a favourite of mine. Though I do admire her consistency, Glory does get a little repetitive with her quest to find the key and over the 18 or so episodes from when she is introduced to the finale. Her alter ego Ben is also quite annoying and quite whiny a lot of the time. The reveal that they are one and the same is a good one and a neat device to use as it helps to elongate Glory's search. Both characters as well as Glory's minions lack the charm or mystique that previous and future Big Bads have.

As for new characters, Dawn is the only main character introduced. She isn't the most likable character and she can be very annoying at times (her screaming fits come to mind) but at times she can be a decent character.
The memory device they use to implant Dawn are a little trippy when you think about it (the last 4 seasons of Buffy as we know it, didn't happen in their minds) but if you don't think about it too closely, it generally works, especially when all the characters know the truth.
As I said in my review for The Gift, I don't really buy the fact that Buffy's death could close the gate, as she's not the key. There is some logic since they have the same blood, but since the Key is energy and that's in Dawn, its not something that makes sense to me. It did let the sacrifice element of the episode down a little.

There were major character departures this season in the form of Joyce and Riley. It was sad to see the latter go, but he isn't really missed in the show and you don't really notice he's gone after a couple of episodes. This is kinda the same for Joyce who was missing from much of season 4; however as a character, she is missed a lot more and its incredibly sad to see her go especially as her death is so tragic. I'm glad she had a decent leaving storyline though and it added to the emotion and more human drama of the season.

Overall this is an excellent season; its obviously well planned and there is very little in the season that feels filler or unnecessary. It did take a few episodes to get into gear, but after the truth about Dawn is revealed, the season continues to get better and produces consistently enjoyable episodes. (9/10)

Buffy and Angel

Episodes:
Both shows had incredibly strong seasons and its probably the only time that can truly be said (maybe, I'll be able to judge once I've seen the rest of the seasons!). This is a very enjoyable thing as a viewer as it means you can get to a point in the seasons and there aren't any bad episodes left.

Crossovers:
There were far fewer crossovers in these seasons than in 4 and 1, which worked better for each show individually.
This season does contain the best crossover episodes in the form of Fool For Love and Darla. Both fit into the season wonderfully though Darla felt a little more natural. Up until this season the Fang Gang's halcyon days were largely unexplored, mostly due to Darla's dead status. However with her alive now, this gave the writers a perfect opportunity to explore the past. Its so interesting to see both Darla and Spike's points of views, as up until this point we mainly get to see Angel's. The fact that the flashbacks were so well written and slotted together is the cherry on top.

We get a couple of other crossovers but not much, Angel visiting Buffy in Forever was sweet and necessary, Harmony's visit and Willow's appearance was pretty funny, but because Harmony was Cordy's friend originally, it almost doesn't feel like a crossover. Willow coming at the end of Angel's finale was also a necessary visit and it does help to setup season 3.

Episode Order:
Ultimately though, the two seasons felt very separate and after the first half of each season, I ended up watching lots of Buffy episodes back to back and then loads of Angel episodes back to back which meant that it felt more like watching two completely different and unrelated shows, which was a touch confusing at times.

Overall:
Two brilliant seasons from the shows and very enjoyable to watch. I think Buffy was probably better for this season as it felt better planned and executed than Angel, especially as Angel had a fair amount of standalone episodes.

Mini Reviews- March 15th

Grey's Anatomy- 6x08 Invest In Love
Such a sad episode centring around children. I'm enjoying these special episodes personally and Arizona led this one brilliantly. I'm also liking the Mercy Westers starting to have crushes on the original doctors as its a great way to integrate them. Plus any episode where Alex has his shirt off is a good one!!




Desperate Housewives- 6x07 Careful the Things You Say
Not the best episode but it was okay. Bree and Angie bonding was good, but why is it always Bree bonding with the newbies? (eg Katherine in season 4) Enjoyed the fact and it was both Lynette and Tom defending Julie as Lynette can be a bit cack handed when she does these things herself. The flashbacks at the beginning explaining the Danny Julie affair were also much needed.



Brothers and Sisters- 6x09 Pregnant Pause
A very successful episode in terms of all characters getting a decent amount of screentime. Why can't more episodes be like this? Apart from Ryan, all the other characters had something useful and meaningful to contribute to the episode. Storyline wise I'm not a fan of the Rebecca pregnancy because it feels a little desperate to me. The way in which all the family found out before Justin was typically Walker like, but Rebecca really should have told Justin sooner. It feels like the writers are almost foreshadowing a break-up between the two, as neither are able to tell each other major events in their lives. Justin's major event- him still struggling in med school- is a brave story from the writers, it would be easier to have him succeed and focus on his romantic dramas. Also I liked that the alcohol issue rose its head again, its been forgotten for too long. Its nice to see Nora having some fun; shame her children have to spoil in, first Sarah and then Kevin. Does it really matter if he's not the greatest doctor? Holly's money troubles were less annoying and it was sweet to see her reaching out to Nora for grandmother advice as well as Nora giving Holly the money without interfering (much). The only storyline I feel like was a little bit shunted was the Kevin/Scotty sperm thing. Kevin is obviously annoyed, and they haven't sorted this issue out yet. It will probably rear its ugly head in the next episode. Also as a sidenote, I'm happy Scotty will be the bio father, especially as Kevin already has a biological child out there.

90210- 2x13 Rats and Heroes
Returns after a very long break and I'm pleased to see it. Its drama-ful as usual, but mostly dealing with the aftermath of the previous episode events. Poor Navid though getting caught with the drugs, hope he gets out of that one. Didn't like the blatant Windows 7 product placement- more subtle next time please!


Modern Family- 1x17 Truth Be Told
The perils of Facebook and Judy Greer make for a great episode. That love triangle bit was very funny as was Alex telling her brother Luke he was adopted but I don't feel we got any conclusion to either storyline. The Cameron/Mitchel storyline was less funny, and I don't buy that Mitchell's boss heard him. It will be fun to see Mitchell flounder a bit, but I hope he goes back to his job as none of the adults in the show seem to actually successfully hold jobs.




How I Met Your Mother- 4x21/22/23/24 The Three Days Rule/ Right Place Right Time/ As Fast As She Can/ The Leap
Still catching up with the show, but I wanted to say that the end of season 4 was some of the best episodes of the show I'd seen. They were a little odd considering Lily was missing and Robyn seemed to have less lines due to their respective pregnancies, but the writers and the three male actors did a great job writing around this and pulling off some very funny and 'mother revealing' episodes at the end of season 4.

Buffy and Angel Rewatch part 38

A2.19 Belonging
There isn't an abundance of actual storyline in this episode, but there is a lot of character development and it the episodes acts as a good setup for the coming arc.
We get glimpses into all of the characters issues in this episode; Gunn being torn between his old friends and new, Wesley's father and leadership issues, Angel struggling to fit in, in the real world, Cordy's aspirations of being an actress in contrast to the reality of her life and Lorne's family and home dimension loathing/fear. Whilst I enjoyed all these insights; Wes' phonecall with his father and Gunn watching the body of his friend burying were especially strong scenes; overall it means the episode is very disjointed. Of course this isn't helped by the fact that the episode is basically the first in a four parter and the storyline of Cordy's vision is barely started let alone concluded meaning that the episode isn't as enjoyable as it could've been. (7.5/10)

A2.20 Over The Rainbow
A decent episode and introduction into the world of Pylea. In terms of storyline, this episode lays the basics for what Pylea is like both in Lorne's description of it and Cordy's experiences there. I have to praise the set/costume design people however as they the most to create the world of Pylea and they do an amazing job. It must've take ages to get everyone in green make-up/masks etc. The boys rushing and struggling took up a fair bit of the episode and it was sweet to see, though I would've liked to see more of Gunn's struggle whether to go or not rather than just sitting in his truck. I like the scene where they go through the portal in the car, it always makes me smile, but honestly for most of the episode it would've been nice to see more fear/saddness about possibly never returning. The final scene is one of the best of the episode, the reveal that Cordy has been made a princess is priceless. (7.5/10)

A2.21 Through the Looking Glass
This is episode is a little more interesting than the last, probably because all the gang are together. There are a lot of funny moments; Lorne's family, Angel's reaction to being praised by them, Cordy being princess and trying to steal the loot and Gunn and Wes getting captured and Wes typically making things worse. This is a great episode for Cordy especially though; the beginning of the episode showed us who she was before, spoilt princess Cordy; however over the episode she showed who she is now, in trying to make the people's lives better through the proclamations.
The other storylines were decent enough, Angel saving Fred and a little bit of her back story and the Angel turning into his demon, also Lorne dealing with his family and the reveal of the far reaching power of Wolfram and Hart (love that bit). However since the storylines were largely separate, this disrupted the flow of the story a little lessening the enjoyment of the episode. Another great ending though! (7.5/10)

A2.22 There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb
A very satisfying ending to the arc and the season. There was a lot more action in this episodes and all the story threads tied up making it a lot more enjoyable than the previous two Pylea episodes. Amidst the fighting and action there was some serious character development, with Angel coming to terms with his demon, Lorne realising he truly belongs in LA, Fred finally leaving her hell, Gunn getting to stand by a group of rebels similar to his own in LA, Cordy giving up what she wanted to fight evil back home and most importantly Wes becoming a true leader and the emergence of the darker character he will become. All of these character issues were brought up in Belonging and have slowly but surely been either resolved or progress has been made. Even though the episodes in between weren't as strong, this character development shows how strong and important the Pylea arc is to the show. It is a little disappointing that the show ended on the Buffy cliffhanger, rather than an Angel one (as the Angel characters all had a happy ending as it were), though I do love the appearance from Willow. (8.5/10)

Mini Reviews- March 8th

Greek- 3x15 Your Friends and Neighbours
Excellent episode, well constructed and once again the show is doing the perfect job of capturing the essence of college.
Take Casey and Ashleigh, I have lived that story with my best friend at uni. They were perhaps a little more confrontational than I was, but the story rings true. So many shows just focus on sexual relationships as those that change at/after uni but friendships do as well and its important to remember that.
After the hilarious hijinks at the KT, true words were spoken by 'T-Dog' telling Cappie that you can never go back and he is so right. Whether we like it or not, life moves forward and we have to accept that. For Cappie he looks like he is veering towards not graduating for a while and that's comforting to see he hasn't changed too much, but its also good to see that he realises that this may be problemsome in his relationship with Casey.
I was a little sad to see Evan be a jerk again, though its understandable why he did what he did. Calvin was right to be mad at him though as what Evan did was not okay. Very ingenious idea to get the money back though.

Grey's Anatomy- 6x07 Give Peace a Chance
Great episode. Its another special episode and it worked really well. Derek wasn't great at the narration, it felt a little repetitive and was used too often during the episode rather than just at the beginning and end, but otherwise it was enjoyable to see Derek's side of things. The patient in question was suitably charismatic and hopeful which pushed the episode along. The outcome of the surgery was a little too happy and well rounded but it worked within the episode.
It nice to see all the other attendings weighing in and helping out, rather than the residents, whom get a lot more screen time usually. Lexie and Cristina were hilarious with the nappy (diaper) thing as was Arizona breaking down after confronting the Chief.
There weren't many other plots in the episode which allowed all focus on this one amazing surgery but it was food to see one of the Mercy Westers being nice and trying to actually help Alex with his marriage.

Desperate Housewives- 6x06 Don't Walk on the Grass
A really good episode which seemed to be carefully plotted so that the housewives interacted whilst maintaining their own storylines. The show seems to be elongated stories which in past years might've been wrapped up in one episode eg Gabby and Juanita and this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Gabby's storyline, though it was played for laughs, really showed off her selfishness and maybe we'll see some change in her. Its good to see Tom stand up to Lynette for once for being hypocritical- both are lying and honestly I'm not sure which one is worse.
Bree debating her feelings for Karl was kind of endearing and oddly they make a good couple, but I don't think Karl will ever be able to change his ways completely.
Susan and Katherine's storyline was the worst one and is mostly just ridiculous. Katherine a bit crazy is somewhat funny, but her obsession over Mike is tiring (I don't really see it), though I get her need to take revenge on Susan.

Brothers and Sisters- 4x07 The Wine Festival
A good episode not very imaginatively titled. I thoroughly enjoyed Nora's storyline this week. Its perfectly realistic that this younger man would be interested in her, but also that she would be doubtful why. I like this motorcycle guy and the scenes at the festival were good.
Kitty and Robert had some short but sweet scene, where he sees her bald but I have to say Calista's bald cap was not very well done this week and was quite distracting.
Luc is gone, sadly not for good, but their issues are very real and I wish Sarah could pick less, shall we say, artistic men and maybe go out with someone as driven as her. Nora kept saying Luc is not Joe but honestly they pretty much seem like the same type of guy.
Kevin had the most adorable scene with Saul about picking their biological birth mother and it advanced his and Scotty's storyline forward. I have to say Scotty was right to be frustrated by the whole process.
The festival story felt hugely far-fetched, the wine was good and launched in a day?! Plus they were all drinking in the work day- no wonder the business is failing!. Ryan's treachery at the end was a little sad but also frustrating for the characters and audience. A little success for Ojai would've been nice.