The Mentalist: Red John (6x08)

This is the Red John episode we've been building up to for over five seasons. There's a part of me that wants to bitch and moan about how anticlimactic the whole thing was, but at the same time, I think it was sort of fitting for the show. Don't get me wrong, I'm still sort of annoyed, but I'm also satisfied. I have a feeling of completion and I feel like Jane has that too, and ultimately that was always the most important part of catching Red John. Let's talk about the plot before I get into some more analysis of the conclusion to such an important story arc.

The FBI is hunting for Bertram, whom everyone believes to be Red John. They are also keeping a close eye on Lisbon, Van Pelt, Rigsby, and Cho. Everyone says they don't know where Jane is, although it turns out Lisbon is lying. Bertram calls Jane from a payphone in a gas station, and when he is recognized, he and a bodyguard kill people in the gas station. Bertram calls Jane back later and after Jane finds a new phone to use, they make a plan to meet at the cemetery where Jane's wife and child are buried. Jane tries to get to the meeting spot, but the FBI catch up with him. Lisbon and the rest of the team show up and force the FBI to stand down by threatening them with a shootout. Jane manages to escape in Lisbon's car, which he later ditches, and then he hitchhikes to the meeting with Bertram. Meanwhile, the team is arrested and kept in a Fed car while the FBI tries to figure out how to track down Jane.

The Legend of Korra: Light in the Dark (2x14)

It's the finale! I separated this from the first half, because while technically you can sort of look at it all as one episode, so many things happened that I wanted to split it up to make sure I got a chance to look at it all. And there's a lot going on in this final episode. What works well about it is that it's all a very tight interconnected story. Everything connects to everything else. There aren't really any subplots or multiple parallel plots - it's all one big story in which most of the characters play an active role. That being said, this finale wasn't perfect. It had quite a few moments that I didn't enjoy, and we'll have to talk about those.

Tenzin, Bumi, and Kya find Korra, Bolin, and Mako, all of them badly injured. With the help of Spirit Water, Kya heals them. Korra tells everyone what happened with Unalaq and Vaatu, and reveals that her connection to Raava and to her past lives is gone. This means that Korra is the last Avatar! Korra needs to help save the world from Unalaq and Vaatu, but she isn't sure how, now that her connection is gone. Tenzin tells Korra that she needs to find her own personal Spirit, and that she'll be able to save the day that way. In order to get in tune with her Spirit, she goes to meditate under a special tree in the Spirit World, called the Tree of Time. She connects with her Spirit, which manifests itself as a large blue Spirit Giant, which then goes off to confront Vaatu/Unalaq.

Meanwhile, Vaatu/Unalaq has been terrorizing Republic City. We see President Raiko, General Iroh, and Lin Beifong trying to fight him off. During all of the chaos, Varrick escapes from prison. Blue Spirit Korra shows up, and she does battle with the giant Balrog - I mean, uh... Unalaq. The two of them have an epic fight, and just when it looks like Unalaq might have the upper hand, Jinora shows up. She guides Korra to the faint light of Raava inside of Vaatu, and Korra is able to retrieve the Spirit of Light. With her renewed power, she defeats Vaatu (for the time being) and Unalaq dies.

Parenthood: Election Day (5x09)

Alright, it's finally Election Day. And that means that finally one of the stupidest plots on Parenthood ever has come to an end. Kristina will not be Mayor, which I'm happy about. Let's take a look at all of the different plots. To be honest, I don't have a very firm opinion about this episode. Some things seemed to work really well, but when I step back and look at the plot as a whole, there was a lot of simply ugly, bad behavior in this episode. People did things that they really shouldn't have done, and it made it hard for me to sympathize and feel connections to some of these beloved characters.

Let's start with Amber and Ryan. So, Amber gets to record demo backup vocals for one of the band's songs, and they end up loving it so much that they're going to use it in their actual album. Amber is really excited, and they all go out for drinks. However, Ryan knew that Amber was getting off early from work, and thought that they had made plans to spend time together. When he calls Amber and she answers drunk, he comes to pick her up. Ashes of Rome's drummer (I think he's the drummer... eh) has been a bit flirty with Amber, and when Ryan witnesses this he goes ballistic, beating up on the guy. In the end, we see Amber at the police station as Zeek shows up to comfort her.

The Legend of Korra: Darkness Falls (2x13)

Again, this episode was just go, go, go. And I loved that. There were a few things that didn't quite make sense to me in here, but I'll get to that in a minute.

So, it's Korra vs. Vaatu, while Mako and Bolin try to keep Unalaq busy just outside of the Spirit World. However, Desna and Eska show up and trap Mako and Bolin, allowing Unalaq to escape. In the Spirit World, he fuses with Vaatu and becomes a Dark Avatar. Korra and Unalaq have an epic fight in their Avatar States. Meanwhile, Bolin uses his connection with Eska to trick the twins into freeing them. They go into the Spirit World to try and help Korra, but to no avail. Unalaq/Vaatu manages to draw Raava out of Korra and destroy her, thus cutting Korra's connections to past Avatars. Unalaq becomes more powerful than ever, and as Harmonic Convergence is hitting, we see the entire world affected by Unalaq's dark power.

Meanwhile, Tenzin, Bumi and Kya are trying to look for Jinora. They come across Iroh, who tells them that they should get out of the Spirit World, because it might not be safe. Of course they can't listen to his advice, because they need to find Jinora. The three of them are captured by a Spirit and taken to a dangerous Spirit Fog called the Fog of Lost Souls, that drives people mad with their insecurities. Bumi and Kya both soon succumb to it, but Tenzin gets a visit from Aang and manages to repel the Fog. Jinora is there, and although she is happy to see her father, she says she can't leave the Spirit World yet, since she sense that Korra needs her help.

The Walking Dead: Dead Weight (4x07)

Another Governor based episode, and therefore another episode that I didn't enjoy. I don't really think this is the show's fault, entirely... the episode was still well acted, the story was good for the most part... but we left our prison group in such a precarious place that I just want to know what's going on there, instead of focusing on a character that really only works as a villain, not as a focus.

Basically, in this one the Governor, Meghan, Lilly, and Tara are taken in by Martinez and his group. Everyone sort of settles in, as Lilly acts as a nurse for hurt people in the camp, and Tara finds herself a girlfriend, Alisha. The Governor, however, doesn't think the camp is safe, and doesn't want any reminders of his old life. He kills Martinez and then later Pete. The Governor takes control of the group. An incident with a Walker nearly costs Meghan her life, but the Governor manages to stop it in time. The Governor then takes a car and drives to the prison. He sees Carl and Rick gardening, and then sees Michonne and Hershel outside of the gates. Seeing Michonne reminds the Governor of some rather unpleasant stuff, and the episode ends as he aims his gun at her.

Parks and Recreation: The Cones of Dunshire (6x09)

Quickest review ever! Go go go!

Leslie wants to get construction under way on her park, but that involves coming to a compromise with Jamm, who wants to wait until Leslie is out of office and then use the funds for something else. Chris can't officially be on Leslie's side, but he comes with her to act as referee. Leslie and Chris end up spending the weekend with Jamm, doing crazy things like singing karaoke from Grease, eating scrambled eggs chopped into fine bits ("authentic" Japanese food, says Jamm), and more. In the end, Jamm says that the funds will be frozen for a year, and if the economy holds, the park can be made. Leslie isn't happy with this. She wanted to start right away, because she hoped that seeing the park built would convince Ann to stay. Chris reveals that he and Ann have already signed a lease on a new house away from Pawnee. 

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special)

I don't know how I'm going to do a proper review of this thing, because it's hard to talk about like it's a TV show. It's a movie, is what it is. A short movie. But, yeah. I guess I'm just going to start by saying that I really loved this. I was enjoying myself the whole way through, and I came out of it with almost entirely positive impressions. Once I got to thinking about it, I did have a few qualms, but in spirit and in tone, Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary did exactly what it needed to do. It respected the past, but it looked to the future. I was pleasantly surprised by how much this episode serves as a spring board into a new fresh version of the show. Even with Moffat still running things next year, I'm starting to be hopeful that he might genuinely have a new direction to take things.

Yeah. The Moffat thing. Let's talk about that for a moment, shall we? I don't like the man. Like, as a person. He's said some pretty awful things, and I hate the way he writes women, generally. However, as a storyteller and as a creator, he often knows what he's doing. I know I've probably rambled on about him in previous reviews, but just briefly I must say that I think he's strongest in self-contained episodes. When he does overarching plots, they aren't as good to me. That's one of the main reasons why I think Series Five, Six, and Seven feel less in the spirit of Doctor Who than the Russel T. Davis stuff. But luckily, this 50th Anniversary was a self-contained story. In many ways it stretched through all of the show, and even into the future, but in other ways it was a story that exists independently of what came before and what's to come after. Ultimately, I think that may have been one of its biggest strengths.

But let's take a look at this story, shall we? The Doctor and Clara are all set for an average adventure, when suddenly the TARDIS is picked up by a helicopter. They are being taken to Trafalgar Square by UNIT. There, they meet with Kate Stewart. This was an excellent opening. It showed off our current companion and current Doctor, gave them a chance to showcase their close relationship, and had a fun adventure with the Doctor hanging off of the TARDIS. It also brought back Kate, a character we've seen before, and returned us to the concept of UNIT, which hasn't been around in a while. In all, I thought it was a fun way to start things off. Simple, with the promise of bigger stakes right around the corner.

The Vampire Diaries: Dead Man on Campus (5x08)

A lot of stuff happened in this episode, continuing the trend for busy and crowded episodes from last week. I think what this one lacks that last week had is connection. A lot of things were going on, but the plot threads were very disjointed. I don't know who I'm supposed to be focusing on. New twists are introduced, but old ones linger and seem to take up too much time. Let's go through the plot, shall we?

Bonnie is back from the dead (sort of) and Caroline and Elena want to throw her a party. Jeremy is happy to have Bonnie back, too. However, Bonnie has to deal with being the anchor, meaning that whenever a supernatural being dies, she feels them go through her, and it causes excruciating pain. Regardless, Bonnie is happy to be alive again.

Jesse escapes from Wes and goes to Caroline for help. Caroline and Elena teach him about being a vampire. At Bonnie's party, Caroline and Jesse dance and have a good flirtatious time. Meanwhile, Elena talks to Aaron. Aaron reveals that he too lost his parents, and that Wes is his legal guardian, and also the closest thing he has to family. This revelation is slightly concerning to Elena, who knows that Damon is currently trying to force information out of Wes about why he turned Jesse into a vampire. Elena calls Damon to make sure that he won't kill Wes. Things go wrong when Jesse realizes that he's drawn to Caroline's blood. Wes reveals to Damon that Jesse had been genetically altered to crave vampire blood instead of human blood. When Jesse shows up to confront Wes, he is irresistably drawn to Damon's blood, and he attacks him. Apparently, Jesse has also been altered to be stronger than a new vampire would ordinarily be. Elena has to kill Jesse to save Damon. Damon later learns from Wes about the Augustine organization, and Damon remembers something about it from his past. It is revealed that at one point he was involved with the organization in some way. Wes manages to overpower Damon with Vervain. Damon is then seen in a cage, where his initials are carved into the wall.

The Big Bang Theory: The Thanksgiving Decoupling (7x09)

This Thanksgiving themed episode lacked a lot of the magic that usually comes from special holiday episodes of shows. It was basic, had some decent jokes, but it also had a lot of stupid moments and poorly developed threads. Let's take a look at the plot.

Howard invites everyone over to his house for Thanksgiving with his mother. While the group is initially hesitant, they all agree to go. The day is almost ruined, however, when Penny mentions how she and Zack got married at one of those "fake" chapels in Las Vegas at a previous Thanksgiving. The group then tells her that the marriage was real. Leonard is understandably a bit upset that his girlfriend is married, but he handles it poorly, making Penny feel terrible about her mistake.

At the Wolowitz house, the cooking falls to Raj. Bernadette and Amy are supposed to help, but they are much more caught up in the gossip about Penny and Zack. Howard is forced to spend time with his father-in-law, who ends up bonding with Sheldon over football and beer, and totally ignores Howard. Penny then invites Zack over to sign the annulment papers, and Leonard is mad that he's actually going to be there on Thanksgiving. However, they sign the papers after some hesitation from the dimwitted Zack. As everyone sits down to dinner, a drunk Mike (Bernadette's dad) tells Howard that he's not the worst son-in-law, and Howard is pleased. Penny and Leonard, who have been fighting throughout the episode, finally make up, as Penny apologizes for marrying Zack, and Leonard apologizes for the way he reacted to it.

Elementary: On the Line (2x09)

I'm falling behind on these things! This one's going to be a quick one, my apologies. This week on Elementary, we're pulling back from the crazy Mycroft-related shenanigans of the last two episodes and getting more of your typical case-of-the-week. However, as is often the case with this show, they found a way to keep it fresh and interesting.

The episode starts with our victim, Samantha Wabash, faking her own murder. She shoots herself with a gun tied to a weight that then fell into the water while she fell back from the railing of a bridge and onto the ground. Sherlock immediately figures out that it was an elaborate suicide, and they put together that she was trying to frame a man for her death. When Sherlock sees this man, however, he realizes that he should have allowed Samantha to frame him. Sherlock is fairly certain that this man is a serial killer. Lucas Bundsch was a suspect in Samantha's sister's murder years ago, but he was never linked to the crime.

Sherlock and Joan are now on a mission to catch a serial killer who has managed to keep himself out of trouble for years. It takes quite a while, but eventually they manage to find where he keeps his victims before he kills them. The murderer is aprehended. Along the way, Sherlock and Joan's process is impeded by the cop who worked Samantha's sister's case years back. Sherlock thinks he's an incompetent moron, and makes no secret of it. That of course makes it rather difficult to work with the man. Joan expresses her annoyance at Sherlock's behavior, telling him that he needs to try and be nicer, because it could ultimately help them with their cases. Sherlock tells Joan that he makes a special effort to be nice to her because he finds her to be exceptional, but he is not, as a rule, a nice person, and she shouldn't expect him to change.

Grey's Anatomy: Somebody That I Used to Know (10x10)

Let's dive right in, since we've got a bunch of different plot threads to get to.

Christina and Meredith are still fighting because of the printer. Christina and Shane's plans continue to get more complex, as they try to print a conduit for a dying child. This results in them needing to use the printer for longer, but Meredith is not having it. She tells Christina that it's over, and that she needs the printer back, but Shane then yells at Meredith, defending Christina. Christina, who had been looking for a "human sex toy," then kisses Shane. While all of this is going on, Meredith is planning thanksgiving dinner at her house. What started off small turns into a big event, which Emma, Owen's girlfriend, is going to cook for everyone. The issue of inviting Christina is brought up, but although Owen and Emma both say it's fine if she comes, it doesn't look like Meredith will be inviting her.

The good: I do like the tension between Christina and Meredith. It makes for interesting conflict. I had some problems with how they handled it earlier on, but in this episode I think they struck a good balance of showing how ruthless these two women can be when it comes to their careers. Now that their careers are directly at odds with their friendship, it's heartbreaking to see how they've chosen. I also liked the thanksgiving thing, as I think it's hilarious that Emma is suddenly stuck cooking for such a large group. If I had one complaint it's that I would have loved to actually see this thanksgiving dinner. It would have been quite entertaining.

Parks and Recreation: Fluoride (6x08)

What a fun episode. It gave Tom a chance to shine, which was greatly appreciated after the fact that he lost his business in the last episode. Let's take a look at the different plots.

The main plot involved, as the title would suggest, fluoride. Leslie wants to put fluoride in the town's water supply, and she decides to pass through a bill about it before she's officially kicked out of office. However, Jamm once again tries to block her efforts. His reason behind this is because he's a dentist, and cavities are good for business. Fluoride would be beneficial for the health of the town, but Jamm uses fear mongering to make the town refuse to let fluoride into the water supply. Leslie turns to Tom for help. He decides that the only way to get fluoride to be accepted is to make it extremely appealing. Tom re-brands, calling fluoride T'Dazz and getting the town excited about that. But, the plan backfires. Sweetums comes out with a new product called "Drink 'Ems," which is basically water filled with sugar. Leslie attacks "Drink 'Ems," and in retaliation, Ben gets fired from Sweetums.

Modern Family: ClosetCon '13 (5x08)

This episode gets a shrug from me. One of the plot lines was really funny, while the other two were just your basic sitcom fare. Let's take a look at each in turn.

Claire and Jay go to a closet convention, hence the title. Claire is new to the convention thing, and she's excited to attend all the panels and participate in the activities. Jay says that all the real work gets done at the bar. In addition, Jay meets up with an old friend Rita and he wants to pull a traditional prank on Claire. The plan is to put a skeleton in Claire's closet in the hotel to scare her. The two of them also have another secret - apparently years and years ago Jay tried to get rid of Phil by having Rita offer him a job out of state. Claire, however, mishears and believes that Jay and Rita had had an affair. Later in the night, Claire tries to confront her father about the affair, and Jay lets slip the truth about Phil. However, Jay then brings up the fact that Claire apparently called immigration on Gloria when she had first started dating Jay. Jay admits that he and Rita made out once, several years ago. With all the air cleared between them, they go to sleep. Claire brings the skeleton home and tries to scare Phil, but he is not fooled.

The Legend of Korra: Harmonic Convergence (2x12)

Lots of action in this one, and I’m thrilled. Seriously, after last week’s great display of Earth Bending from Bolin, I was worried they’d pull back again. Instead, they’re rushing full steam ahead into the finale, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Let’s take a look at the plot.

Korra and the gang all travel to the South, and they learn from Korra’s mother that Tonraq has been captured, and that Southern resistance to Unalaq is completely squashed. Tenzin brings the dying Jinora to Katara, who tries to help her. Jinora’s spirit has been out of her body for too long, and she won’t last much longer. Since Harmonic Convergence is swiftly approaching, Korra and the rest of them plan a daring attack in order to get to the spirit portal.

This attack is two pronged: Bolin, Mako, and Asami take a plane from Varrick’s ship, while Korra, Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin all ride a flying bison. However, things don’t go so well. At first, Asami flies the plane while Mako and Bolin do some awesome Bending and take out a lot of the Northern guards. Then, however, Desna and Eska take the plane down. The others fare similarly, and all of them are captured. All of them, that is, except for Bumi. He was thrown off of the bison earlier, and remains out of Northern hands.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Well (1x08)

This was supposed to a tie-in to Thor: The Dark World. It wasn't. Really, this episode had nothing to do with the movie. Nothing at all. There was a brief mention of cleanup at the beginning, and Thor was brought up numerous times. Asgard ended up playing an important role, actually. But in terms of his actual relationship to Thor: The Dark World? Yeah, not so much. I suppose I'm harping on this because they really built it up like it was going to be a companion to the movie. However, even setting that stuff aside, I think there was a lot about this episode that made it weaker than the previous few. Two weeks ago, the episode focused on Simmons. Last week, we got to take a closer look at Fitz. This week, it's Ward's turn. Here's the plot!

While cleaning up after the events of the Thor movie, the team comes across a problem involving an Asgardian Berserker Staff, which infects anyone who touches it with extreme anger and extreme strength. The staff, according to Norse myth, has been split into three pieces and hidden around the world by a particular Berserker warrior who wanted to stay on earth. One part of the staff has been found by some sort of weird Norse radical group, and they are going around proclaiming themselves gods. The team goes to Spain to speak to Professor Elliot Randolf, and there they find the second piece of the staff. When Ward touches it, he gains the strength and anger that it bestows upon the holder. This really messes him up, and he continually gets flashbacks of a traumatizing incident from his childhood. This incident involves a well, hence the title, and it seems as if his little brother has been thrown down by his older brother, and Ward is trying to help. The flashbacks are a bit vague, and the whole story is never revealed to us.

Supernatural: Bad Boys (9x07)

Okay, to start off... yeah, this episode gave me a lot of feelings. A lot and a lot and a lot of feelings. And I will spend part of this review squealing about them to you, but there are other things to discuss, such as story arc and acting of guest characters and other stuff of that nature. But don't worry. I'll be talking about all of the gushy emotions this episode incited within me. Because wow, really.

Let's go through the plot. Sam and Dean get a call from a man named Sonny, who Dean says he knows from his past. He then tells Sam the following story: when they were kids, Dean lost the food money John had left for them, and when he tried to steal food to feed Sam, he was caught and put in a boy's home. He stayed there for two months, while Sam stayed with Bobby, believing all the while that Dean was on a hunt. So, Sam and Dean go up to this boy's home to meet with Sonny and investigate the situation.

Now, the hunt of the week was basically just a good ol' ghost story. People were getting injured in creative ways, such as an old tractor suddenly roaring to life and impaling someone, or a lawnmower cutting someone's hands to ribbons. One woman gets suffocated with a shower curtain. Sam and Dean are on the case, and they encounter a couple of different people. One is a little boy named Timmy, who gets bullied by the other boys and is always alone with his action figure toy. Sam figures out due to some of Timmy's drawings that his mom died in a car fire, and he thus puts it together that the ghost must be Timmy's mom. Sam and Dean must get rid of the ghost while protecting Robin, Dean's old girlfriend. Eventually, they learn that the ghost isn't tied to any material object or deceased remains - she's tied to Timmy. Timmy has to let his mom go and tell her that he'll be okay without her. When the ghost hears this, she is finally at peace.

Castle: Disciple (6x09)

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. It was creepy, it was intense, and it made me excited for the extended story line of the season for the first time since Beckett left her DC job. Let's go through the plot.

Our murder victim was found strung up by clear fishing line, her feet just above the ground. That gave the illusion that she was just standing on the ground, rather than actually hanged. That's not the only thing that makes this victim creepy: she looks just like Lanie. As the team starts to look into the case, we learn that the victim has gotten plastic surgery to make her look more like Lanie, and even has a tattoo identical to Lanie's. As the investigation continues, the team is led to a second victim, strung up just like the first, only this one looks just like Esposito.

They find a connection in the form of a plastic surgeon (Kelly Neiman) who knew both of the victims, but she has no clear motive, and anyway she has an alibi. Castle begins to suspect that this has something to do with 3XK. Of course, everyone believes him to be dead, but when Castle and Beckett go to find the 3XK files, they find they've all been checked out... by Esposito. But wait... medical files on 3XK have been checked out by Lanie. Turns out, the lookalike victims are involved. They then track down a man named Carl Matthews, who seems to be tied up in this somehow. Where do they find him? Well, the motel where they had earlier tracked down 3XK. Seems like one hell of a coincidence. Matthews confesses to several murders, but he does not explicitly mention a connection between himself and 3XK.

How I Met Your Mother: Mom and Dad (9x10)

I think this one was okay. It had a few standout moments that I think really worked, and then a few things that I found lackluster. Overall, it wasn't particularly strong, especially since we're closing in on the halfway point very quickly, and I'd love to get going with the Mother's character. Once again, she was absent in this one, and I think it's really hurting the show at this point.

So, there are three pretty separate plots here, and they don't overlap at all. I think that might be one of the main weaknesses, since this show generally works great when there's a unifying theme. For a while, I was okay with the wedding weekend being this theme, but when you've got such different story lines weaved around the central concept, there's no sense of connection between the characters. I would have loved to see more of that. However, let's take it one plot at a time and talk about what's good and what's bad.

The main plot belonged to Barney and his brother James. When their mother and both of their fathers show up, Barney and James both campaign for their mom to get back together with their own dad. Barney's dad is of course happily married, which makes it a lot more preposterous for him to scheme about this. They both try and get their mother together with their fathers, and even have a fight about it that involves a musical number. However, they see Loretta and James' dad, Sam, kissing, and it is revealed that they have renewed their relationship. While initially upset, Barney eventually accepts it. There's more good news: Sam can officiate the marriage, so Barney and Robin now have someone to marry them!

Once Upon a Time: Think Lovely Thoughts (3x08)

I've been checking out some comprehensive family trees of this show, and let me tell ya, it's getting really twisty. Let's go through the plot very quickly. I apologize in advance for the short length of this review, even though the episode is so weighty and important, but I'm on a serious time crunch.

So, in flashback we learn the story of Rumple and his father. His dad is a gambler and a cheat, but one day two old women give little Rumple a magic bean that can take him away to a new land for a fresh start. Rumple goes to his father and his father remembers a land he used to visit in his dreams as a child. It's called Neverland. The two of them use the bean to create a portal to Neverland, and when there, Rumple's dad seems a lot more excited than Rumple himself is. However, Rumple then meets a creepy shadow, who says the only way for him to fly and use his imagination like he used to is if he becomes a kid again. And the only way to do that is to let go of his son. The shadow takes Rumple away and back to his home, while Rumple's dad becomes... Pan! The shadow tells Pan that he has broken the rules in choosing to stay in Neverland, and that his youth will not last forever.

In the continued efforts to save Henry, we now have all of our rescue team together once more. Neal tells everyone that Rumple is here to kill Henry, not save him, and although Rumple tries to profess his innocence, nobody trusts him. He hands over Pandora's Box to Neal to prove himself. He also agrees to help save David once they get off the island, since he says there is another way to counteract the poison, and this way David can come home with his family. When they all arrive at Pan's camp, they discover that Henry and Pan are nowhere to be found. They then find Wendy, who tells them that Henry's heart will save Pan and make him more powerful than ever, but if Henry gives his heart, he'll die. The group splits up - Mary Margaret and David to go fetch more water, which can keep David alive away from Neverland until Rumple makes the cure. Hook and Tink stay to watch over the boy's camp, and Rumple, Regina, Neal, and Emma go to find Henry and Pan.

The Walking Dead: Live Bait (4x06)

This is an extended flashback episode that deals with the character of the Governor. I've gotta be honest, I liked the Governor okay as a villain, and as a complex villain at that. But since I was waiting to see what would happen next at the prison, I'll admit that this episode was a bit of a letdown for me. Let's take a look at the plot.

The Governor has fled, along with two of his men, after his slaughter of the people from Woodbury. Martinez and Shumpert, the two men, eventually abandon him and leave him to fend for himself. He goes back to Woodbury and burns it, and then just wanders around aimlessly for a considerable amount of time. Eventually, he catches a glimpse of a little girl in a window. When he goes inside the building, he meets a family. Two sisters, Lilly and Tara, live there, along with their father David and Lilly's daughter Meghan.

Although Tara is wary of the Governor, the family does allow him to stay in the building. While there, at first he is extremely reticent and says he's staying just for the night. However, he does eventually spend a bit of time with the family. He tells them that his name is Brian, and he agrees to go upstairs to another apartment to get a game of backgammon for David and Meghan to play with. He manages to retrieve the game, although he finds a Walker inside the apartment. "Brian" makes to leave, but Lilly asks him for a big favor. David, the sisters' father, is dying of cancer, and he depends on oxygen tanks to live. They are running out of tanks, and Lilly asks the Governor to go to a nearby old folks home to see if he can get some more. The Governor does so, and although he is attacked by Walkers, he does manage to get two oxygen tanks back to the family. Meghan and the Governor then begin to form a bond, as she questions him about his eye patch, and he begins to teach her how to play chess. Then, Lilly comes in with bad news: David has died. David reanimates and nearly bites Tara, but the Governor manages to stop him and save her. 

The Mentalist: The Great Red Dragon (6x07)

Wow. Okay, I'm impressed. This episode did a great job pushing us forward towards next week's epic Red John episode. And... it's Bertram, right? He's Red John? One of my favorite things about this episode is that we're pretty sure it's Bertram, but there is a tiny bit of wiggle room. All of the other suspects except for Smith are dead, and Smith has confessed everything he knows. But let's slow down for a moment and take a look at the plot.

We jump in right where we left off, with the house exploding and Lisbon running in, frantically looking for Jane. We see that Smith and Bertram are still alive, and so is Jane, although he's unconscious. Lisbon sees the tattoo on Smith's shoulder and thinks he must be Red John. They shoot at each other, and Smith gets hit, though he's still able to get away.

In the hospital, Lisbon is worriedly staying by Jane's bedside. However, Bertram shows up, acting fishy. When Jane awakens, he tells her that Bertram also had the tattoo, and Lisbon figures out that Bertram was probably there to kill Jane. Jane and Lisbon rush back to the CBI to start trying to track down Smith and Bertram.

The Legend of Korra: Night of a Thousand Stars (2x11)

Stuff is happening! And I really like some of it! And I find myself annoyed with other bits of it. Let's take a look.

In Republic City, Bolin visits Mako in jail on his way to the premiere of the final Nuk Tuk "mover." Mako warns Bolin that Varrick could be up to something, but Bolin is completely certain that Mako is wrong. While at the premiere, however, men from the Northern Water Tribe appear and attempt to attack the president! Bolin saves the day, and the Water Benders admit that Varrick hired them. Varrick is jailed, and Mako is released. Korra then comes back to Republic City and tells President Raiko that Unalaq is now threatening the entire world, not just the South. Still, Raiko refuses to send troops, because he says he needs to defend the city. Team Avatar goes to talk to the newly jailed Varrick, who offers his battleship to the cause. We also see that things are going poorly in the South - Tonraq tries to attack Unalaq, but he is quickly defeated, and is now imprisoned.

The best thing about this episode was that stuff happened. It was very active, very intense, and very much a good advancement of the plot. My favorite part was when Bolin saved the president. We haven't really seen Bolin doing any Bending this season, and in fact he rarely does any Bending at all outside of the games. To see him kick ass like this was enormously satisfying. It was an amazingly animated fight.

The Vampire Diaries: Death and the Maiden (5x07)

Last week, the problem was too much exposition. This week, a lot of stuff happened. So I guess you could say that's good. But on the other hand, wow. What a crowded episode. Let's go through the plot.

So, Silas decides he no longer wants to help Damon bring Bonnie back to life. His only goal now is to find Amara and kill her, thus destroying the other side. Then he can kill himself, and they can be together in the afterlife. Amara is being kept in the Salvatore basement, where everyone attempts to keep her safe. When Bonnie discovers that Amara can see and touch her, the group comes up with a new plan: if they can turn Bonnie into the anchor, then Bonnie will be alive again, and Amara can die, just like she wants. This of course will mean that Amara and Silas will be separated for all of eternity, but our heroes don't seem to care much about that.

They turn to Qetsiyah/Tessa in order to make Bonnie the anchor. She says she needs something powerful to do the spell, and she says that doppelganger blood will do the trick. While all of this has been happening, Katherine has been staying with Caroline away at school. Nadia shows up and tries to talk to her mother, but when Caroline tells Katherine her doppelganger blood is needed, she agrees to help. Katherine tells Tessa that she's only helping because she wants something in return. She's aging quickly (according to Wes) because she's mortal now, and nature is taking its toll at an advanced rate. She wants Tessa to fix it. Tessa says she will.

Parks and Recreation: Recall Vote (6x07)

This was a very un-Halloween-ish Halloween episode. In that sense, I found some elements of it to be a tad disappointing, because I wanted more of the jokes and the situation comedy to come from the fact that it's Halloween time. Regardless, there were great things about this episode.

Leslie and the rest of the group are planning a haunted house in the Parks department. However, while they are decorating, the recall election occurs, and Leslie learns that she has been officially voted out of office. This sends her into a spiral of depression. She gives up on life, basically, and it's up to Ann and Ben to try and cheer her up. They are not successful - in fact, at the Halloween party, Ben comes to the realization that he peaked at the age of eighteen, and thus he joins Leslie in her depression. The two of them get extremely drunk, and go to a pawn shop to get tattoos. Ann stops them just in time. She has Leslie read a note in her own voice so she can start to process what happened. The note says basically as follows: "I'm Leslie Knope, I lost the recall election. But, I'm still awesome, and I still have thirty days in office to finish serving the town." Leslie gives a gracious concession speech in which she promises to keep helping out just as long as she can while she's still in office.

Parks and Recreation: Filibuster (6x06)

This was an enormously fun and clever episode. The premise was small and contained and allowed for a lot of creativity. Basically, Leslie is throwing Ben an early '90's themed birthday party at a roller rink. However, Councilman Jamm tries to pass a ruling that won't let Eagletonians vote in the recall elections, and Leslie can't let that happen. She needs those votes so she won't lose. In order to stop Jamm's ruling from going through, Leslie has to Filibuster. Ben and Chris stay to support Leslie in her endeavor. Meanwhile, at Ben's birthday party, the rest of our characters get into a variety of shenanigans.

So, I'll start by talking about the filibuster plot. Filibusters are great. They're great because they can sometimes have real historical weight behind them, and they're also great because they can lend themselves to some great comedy. In Leslie's filibuster, she has to go through a lot of obstacles. At first, she's in skates, and she uses up one of her strikes in order to take them off. Jamm turns up the heat so she will be extremely uncomfortable, and by the end she has to pee very badly. However, she does make it in the end, and the Eagletonians are allowed to vote in the recall. All of these moments were really funny, and a great chance for Leslie's character to shine through.

Supernatural: Heaven Can't Wait (9x06)

So, another Castiel episode of Supernatural has arrived! Every time I know Misha is going to be in an episode I get really excited to see him, and he did not disappoint. The plot:

Cas is now working in a gas 'n sip, and when he gets wind of some odd deaths, he calls Dean to tell him about it. Dean insists that he can check it out without Sam, so he goes to investigate. Turns out, depressed people have been exploding. Well, more than that - they've been evaporating, into a fine pink dust. Initially, Cas doesn't want to help with the case, but Dean eventually convinces him. They find another victim who has been evaporated, this time a girl who has just been dumped. Cas puts the truth together: it's an angel, a special kind call the Rit Zien. Apparently during the war in Heaven, they were responsible for putting injured angels out of their misery. Now that one of them is on earth, it can't tell the difference between different degrees of human pain, and it seeks to eliminate it all.

Meanwhile, Cas has been asked on a date by his boss, Nora, but when he shows up he learns he's just the babysitter. The Rit Zien, named Ephriam, shows up to the house, where Cas worries he's after the crying baby. It turns out, however, that he's after Castiel. His pain can be felt from far away, and Ephriam is there to end it. Cas says he wants to live, and does what he can to stop Ephriam. It looks hopeless until Dean shows up just in time, and together they kill Ephriam. Dean apologizes for kicking Cas out of the bunker, and then drops him back at work in the morning.

Elementary: Blood Is Thicker (2x08)

We have more Mycroft Holmes this week, which is all sorts of awesome. Let's take a look at the case first, because it actually didn't interest me all that much. The stuff about our main characters, however, was excellent, and the focus was well balanced. Plus, we have a very surprising twist! If you haven't seen the episode, don't read this, because I actually wouldn't dare giving away this spoiler to anyone.

So, the case started with a dead girl, and then it connected to a technology mogul who ended up being the victim's estranged father. There were some twists and turns, and the entire thing was actually motivated by money, specifically an inheritance, since the mogul was dying and the wife would make more money in an inheritance than in a divorce settlement. Actually, the whole thing was pretty basic fare. Nothing bad or uninteresting, but there's really just not much to say about the case here. I guess the little twist was okay, with the wife being the one behind it, but as motivations go, money is pretty standard and boring. We did see Joan being very helpful in solving the case, and I do like that. It's nice to continue tracking her improvement.

But then there's the rest. Mycroft is leaving New York soon, and he continually tries to make plans to have dinner with Sherlock, which Sherlock of course brushes off. Joan then tells Sherlock to spend time with his brother, and Sherlock acquiesces. While at dinner, Mycroft tells Sherlock that their father plans on kicking him out of the brownstone because he's displeased that Sherlock decided to remain in New York. The strong implication being, however, that he would continue to support Sherlock and Joan in their endeavors, were they to move to London. I now have to talk about the funniest part of the episode: Mycroft tells Sherlock that their father seems to expect Sherlock to show him gratitude for helping him get sober, and that part of that would mean returning to London. Sherlock's response to this? "Early-onset dementia is so sad." I cracked up. But anyways, Mycroft's information prompts a very emotional conversation between Sherlock and Joan, wherein Sherlock spills his heart and says that while he loves London, he is not ready to move back there, because of the amazing support system he has in New York. This system includes not only Joan but Gregson and Bell as well. Joan basically says screw your father, Sherlock, we can find somewhere else to live in New York.

Parenthood: The Ring (5x08)

I'm getting really, really, really, really fed up with the Kristina runs for mayor plot. It's just. Not. Good. Okay? And since that plot did take up a lot of the episode, you would think that the episode would be a flop. Well... no. All of the other plots were actually quite interesting, and as always the acting in this show is excellent across the board. Let's take it plot by plot, starting with the dreaded campaign for mayor.

Bob Little leaks information about Adam to the press - he once punched a man for calling Max retarded. Kristina is horrified that Bob would sink so low. The episode involves her struggling to figure out whether she should come forward with the information she has on Bob: the incident with Amber would be the perfect thing to combat negativity with negativity. Even with Amber's permission, Kristina finds she cannot go through with it. She doesn't stoop to Bob's level, but in the process she drops several points in the polls.

The Big Bang Theory: The Itchy Brain Simulation (7x08)

Not much of a fan of this one. There were a few decent jokes, but other than that not much happened.

The plot is as follows: Leonard finds an old DVD that was rented on Sheldon's account, and Sheldon tells Leonard that he won't freak out about it if he finds a way to return the DVD. The catch? He has to wear an itchy sweater while he does so, to really understand how uncomfortable Sheldon can get when things are unresolved. The video store has gone out of business and the owner has died, so Leonard tries and tries to figure out a way to solve the problem. Sheldon eventually tells Leonard that he paid the late fee seven years ago, but kept the DVD so that he could teach a lesson to Leonard some day.

Meanwhile, Raj's ex-girlfriend Lucy shows up at the restaurant, and Penny yells at her for hurting Raj. Raj and Lucy then go out for coffee, Raj hopeful that he can get back together with her. However, she is now dating someone else. Penny sets Raj up with a girl, but he messes it up by freaking out.

Grey's Anatomy: Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word (10x09)

Sometimes these Grey's Anatomy posts really wear me out because there are so many plot lines to contend with, but this week was actually very different. The focus remained almost entirely on Callie Torres. I really, really liked this unusual format, because it gave a lot more time to focus on Callie and Arizona's characters, and the others were basically sidelined. I'd love to see some of the other characters given the same treatment in the future. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's take a look at this plot.

Callie is being sued for negligence in a case concerning a famous athlete. He came in for a hip replacement and ended up getting both legs amputated. We get a series of flashbacks that tell the story, including how Callie and Christina argued about his care, and how many risky calls Callie had to make. We also learn that Arizona and Callie were planning on having another child, but that Arizona miscarried, just adding to all of the problems in their relationship. As she goes to trial for this, at first it seems totally helpless. Callie's dad shows up, learning for the first time about Callie and Arizona's separation. Callie does end up winning the trial, but she finds a piece of information later that could have implicated her even further in the case. Callie chooses to conceal it. Following her dad's advice, Callie goes to Arizona and asks her if she wants to come back home. Arizona, in her hotel room, tells Leah that she should leave.

Modern Family: A Fair to Remember (5x07)

This is one of those episodes of Modern Family that brings all of our characters together into one centralized location, giving us lots of opportunities for creative jokes. While by no means an astounding episode, this one was a lot of fun to watch. The framing device is as follows: there's a giant school fair, and everyone has different things they want to do there. The whole family goes, and shenanigans ensue. Let's take it plot by plot.

First of all, it's Phil and Claire's 20th wedding anniversary. Phil has plans to sing a song for Claire at the fair, surprising her in front of everyone. However, Claire also has a surprise waiting at home for Phil - Chinese acrobats. Claire is anxious to leave the fair and get to her surprise, but Phil keeps on insisting that she stay. However, right before Phil is supposed to go up to sing, another dad, Harold Grossman, takes the mic. He is an amazing singer and he gets the whole crowd - including Claire - to go nuts. After that, Phil doesn't want to perform. He flakes out. When they go home, Claire is happy to give Phil a good present for once, since he always shows her up in gift giving.

To be honest this was probably the weakest of the plots. There were some funny moments, but no big payoff. It would have been funnier if Phil had actually sang, and done surprisingly well, or if he sucked but Claire still loved it anyway. I don't know. The cop-out angle just made the energy drop.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Hub (1x07)

I have officially identified my favorite part of this show: Fitzsimmons. So, after last week's episode, which focused specifically on those characters, I'm really glad we kept it up this week by taking a closer look especially at Fitz. It was a smart move to separate the duo in this one, so that we could get to know them even more as individuals. The plot:

Coulson and the team arrive at the Hub, which is basically the central base of S.H.I.E.L.D. There's a case involving disabling a dangerous weapon, and S.H.I.E.L.D. needs Ward and Fitz to go in there to dismantle it. They go off on this case, but are told only the pertinent information. The others on the team, except for Coulson, who is at clearance level 8, are left entirely in the dark. Skye and Simmons want to know what's going on, so Simmons tranquilizes Agent Sitwell and Skye hacks into the file. She discovers that there's no extraction plan for Ward and Fitz, and that they are going to be left for dead. Skye angrily confronts Coulson, who is mad at her for hacking into the file. At the same time, however, he is also furious that his team has been sent on a suicide mission without his knowledge. Together, the team goes in and saves Fitz and Ward after they disable the weapon.

Throughout the case, we see Coulson starting to question the truth about his recovery, but when he tries to get the files on it, he's told he doesn't have access. He does, however, manage to get some information about Skye. Apparently the woman who dropped Skye off at the orphanage was a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent. Coulson tells this to Skye, but hides more of the truth - this agent is now dead. Coulson asks May to continue looking in to it.

Castle: A Murder is Forever (6x08)

I guess I'll dive straight into the plot on this one. I won't be talking about it too much because because in all honesty this was just a straight-forward case of the week episode. The focus remained on the case, not the characters, although of course the characters had moments where they shined through.

The case involves a famous relationship therapist who works with very powerful and rich clients. When she turns up dead just before giving a lecture on her latest relationship book, the team takes the case. There were lots of twists and turns, and the truth ended up involving the diamond industry, fake names, intriguing scientific discoveries, and more. In the end, it turns out that a very wealthy man had discovered how to manufacture huge perfect diamonds, which would then threaten to put the diamond industry out of business. Our victim and her boyfriend want to put the information out there so that the bad activities connected with the diamond industry will stop once and for all, but when the rich man's wife discovers this, she kills the therapist in an attempt to save her and her husband's money.

So, as you can probably tell from that description, there was nothing particularly stand-out about this case of the week. It wasn't bad, it wasn't amazing, it was just decent. I guess I sort of liked the twist at the end that it was the wife and not the husband who had committed the murder, since that's definitely not what you would have expected. However, as I often find with procedural cop shows, the case seemed to take a few too many turns on the way to the conclusion. Several of the angles that they took were interesting, but there was an issue of overcrowding.

How I Met Your Mother: Platonish (9x09)

Alright, so we've got a flashback episode this week, and I have to say I think it came just in time. I really do like the idea that the entire season takes place over one weekend, but I'll admit I was growing a bit tired of the condensed story. Here, we flash back to Fall, 2012.

But first of all, as our framing device we see Robin crying because her mother isn't coming to the wedding. She says nothing will be able to cheer her up, and Barney announces: "challenge accepted!" Barney and Ted both have stories in this flashback episode, and both center around their feelings for Robin. Let's look at each in turn.

Ted's plot was basically Marshall calling him out on the fact that he still has feelings for Robin. Ted tries to deny it, but eventually he concedes that it's true, but that he knows nothing will ever happen between them, so why bother putting his heart on the line again? Marshall continually insists that Ted belongs with Robin, but Ted eventually decides that if it's meant to be, it'll happen on its own. There's no need to rush in - again - and possibly ruin things with Robin forever. Meanwhile, Ted gets a call from Hammond Druthers (yay! Bryan Cranston!) who offers him a job in Chicago. Ted says no, but as we know from earlier in the season, Ted plans to move to Chicago after the wedding. So that's certainly interesting.

Once Upon a Time: Dark Hollow (3x07)

On the one hand, this episode was awesome, but on the other hand there were weak moments. On the one hand, there were some great character moments, but on the other hand there were stupid ones. On the one hand, some actors really stepped up their game, but on the other hand some people gave weak performances. See where I'm going with this? I really wanted to love this episode, because in fact there is so much to love about it. But I can't ignore a lot of the problems, either. Let's get started, shall we?

Regina and Rumple have sent Ariel off to Storybrooke to find the magic object that Rumple needs to defeat Pan. She is told to find Belle and give her a sand dollar, which contains a message from Rumple. In Storybrooke, we flash back to just after Hook's ship went to Neverland, and we see that Rumple has given Belle a concealment spell for the town. She and some of our other favorite Storybrooke characters go down to the mines, where Belle enacts the spell by sending it through a line of fairy dust. The spell works, enclosing Storybrooke from future prying eyes, but not before a car carrying two passengers manages to sneak in. 

Ariel shows up on the beach and delivers Rumple's message to Belle. Belle goes to the magic shop and, using their special broken teacup, unlocks a secret chamber. She pulls out Pandora's Box, which apparently will help Rumple to defeat Pan. But... the two mysterious strangers show up and pull a gun on the girls. They are tied up, and the two men take Pandora's Box away. Using Ariel's fins, Ariel and Belle manage to escape, and they find the two men, about ready to smash Pandora's Box down in the mines. Belle stops them. It turns out, these men are working for Pan, and Pan wants to know what exactly Ariel is fetching for Rumple. But wait - there's more to the story than just that! Apparently, these two men don't want to serve Pan, but he has their sister held captive. They then reveal themselves to be Michael and John Darling, desperately trying to reunite with their sister Wendy.  Belle and Ariel promise that they have a way to defeat Pan, so the boys relinquish Pandora's Box and Ariel takes it back to Neverland. When she arrives, she gets her reward from Regina: her magic bracelet will now change her from mermaid to human whenever she wants. Ariel also delivers a message from Belle: she asks Rumple to do everything he can to save Wendy.

The Walking Dead: Internment (4x05)

Wow, what an episode. Stuff is happening. Like majorly. I sort of wish we had a list of all the dead people somewhere in the prison so we could keep track of what percentage of their group has been killed off this season. We're only five episodes in, and we've had quite a lot of people die. Somehow this doesn't seem very sustainable. Anyways, let's take a look at the plot.

In the isolated cell block, things are getting way worse. People are hanging on by a thread. Hershel is keeping up a good attitude, but the situation is looking desperate. Meanwhile, the outer fence is in serious danger of collapse. Both of these problems loom throughout the episode, until they final spiral out of control. Several of the sick people die and reanimate, attacking the remaining patients in the cell block. There's a lot of great action and suspense, all culminating with a very sick Glenn on the verge of death, as the Walkers still roam throughout the cell block. With Maggie's help, the patients and Hershel manage to get the Walkers under control, and using a breathing apparatus, they save Glenn. Daryl and the others return with the medicines that Hershel needs, and it looks like both Glenn and Sasha will live. Unfortunately, a lot of lives were lost.

The Mentalist: Fire and Brimstone (6x06)

This was a very solid episode and a very exciting lead up to the Red John confrontation, which is only two episodes away. In some ways, what's so great about this episode is that not very much happens. Let be go through the plot very quickly, and then talk through some elements that I thought worked particularly well.

Jane and the team are set to gather up the five remaining Red John suspects. Jane wants them all at one place at one time, so that he can ask them to reveal their arms. Whichever one has the tattoo, he will know that is Red John. Jane, Lisbon and the others are able to successfully convince Ray Haffner, Thomas McAllister, Reede Smith, and Gale Bertram, but Bret Stiles proves to be an obstacle. He is hiding himself away from the FBI. When Van Pelt eventually gets to him, he refuses to come. Jane then shows up himself and demands that he meet with him at the specified time. Stiles reveals that he only has weeks to live, and that he can't leave because of the FBI. Jane promises to protect him from prying eyes, and Stiles agrees to come.

On the way to Jane's family home, he and Lisbon stop at the beach. Jane gives Lisbon a heartfelt speech about how much she means to him, then he hugs her. He says he has something for her in the car, but while pretending to go get it, he drives away, leaving Lisbon stranded. She frantically tries to get to him, even going so far as to take a car from a random man. Meanwhile, Jane and the five Red John suspects are all gathered. When he reveals that someone in the room is Red John, they are all insulted and make to leave, but Jane pulls a gun on them. They all reveal their shoulders, at his behest. Haffner, Bertram, and Smith all have the tattoo, so Jane cannot tell for certain who Red John really is. Just as Lisbon pulls up outside of the house and starts to run towards it, we hear a gunshot from inside, and then a larger explosion blows up the house.

The Legend of Korra: A New Spiritual Age (2x10)

The Spirit World! Yay yay yay! This episode finally showed us what we've all been waiting for. We got to see the Spirit World. And let me tell you - it doesn't disappoint.

Korra and Jinora are in the Spirit World, when suddenly they get separated. Korra, now appearing as a little girl, is lost and scared when suddenly someone shows up to help out: Iroh! And no, not General Iroh. I mean actual Uncle Iroh. I was so excited to see him that I paused the episode and jumped up and down a few times, no joke. Iroh and Korra go and have a tea party with some of the other Spirits, and Iroh tells Korra that the Spirit World runs on emotions. When Korra is angry and in a bad place, the Spirit World becomes dark. However, she also carries the potential for sunlight within her. She leaves the tea party and confronts her fears, seeing some of the scarier Spirits for what they truly are.

Meanwhile, Jinora stumbles across a certain library that us Avatar: The Last Airbender fans will recognize. It was unbelievably awesome to see Wan Shi Tong's library again - and how dark is it that Professor Zei stayed there until death? We actually saw a skeleton! Ugh. Jinora is in awe of the library, and she uses it to research stuff about the Harmonic Convergence. Bad news, however, as Unalaq turns up, and our owl Spirit friend turns Jinora over to him. Even Jinora's little bunny Spirit friend turns on her! Oh no! Korra shows up to try and close the portal, but Unalaq is there, threatening Jinora. Of course Korra can't let Jinora die, but there's bad news - while Korra manages to escape the Spirit World with some help from a dragon, Jinora is still stuck inside!

The Vampire Diaries: Handle With Care (5x06)

Early on in this episode, Stefan says the following to Tessa: "I think I still need to be drunk to understand this story." And, basically, that's what this entire episode boils down to. The first half of it is so exposition heavy it's unbelievable. There is so much standing around and explaining in the first ten minutes in particular. Let's look at the plot.

So, basically, we open on the day Silas is going to die. Silas wants to destroy the other side before he dies so that he can join Amara. Tessa wants to kill him before he destroys the other side, so he'll be trapped in supernatural purgatory. Got it so far? So, Silas wants to destroy the anchor, which will destroy the other side. He, Silas, and Jeremy (along with ghost!Bonnie) all go to a warehouse to find this anchor. Meanwhile, Silas has trapped Stefan and Tessa in a cabin together until sundown so that they can't come after him.

You see how that took me one paragraph to explain? Well, in the show, it takes like ten minutes of exposition. I'm not even exaggerating. Anyways, let's take a closer look at what happens next.

Grey's Anatomy: Two Against One (10x08)

This week, the plot is centered around Meredith's new 3-D printer and all the cool research she's going to do with it. There were, as always, a bajillion different plot threads going on. I'm going to keep the summary of each one very brief, and then list some pros and cons.

April and Matthew are struggling to decide whether or not to wait until marriage to have sex. Matthew wants to get it out of the way, because he's still hung up on the fact that April has already lost her virginity. In the end, April doesn't want him to break his promise to God, so they decide to wait.

Pros - This was well acted, and I felt like there was real chemistry between Matthew and April perhaps for the first time. Cons - The will-they-won't-they plot doesn't really work so well when you already know they're engaged. The writers may have backed themselves into a corner with this one, because they've already pulled the getting left at the altar card one too many times. Are April and Matthew supposed to be endgame? Conclusion - Not a horrendous plot thread, but certainly nothing special.

Parenthood: Speaking of Baggage (5x07)

I'll take this one plot at a time, and list some pros and cons.

At the Luncheonette, the band isn't doing so well with their recording. Amber has the idea to have a concert and get them to perform live, since that should help them get their energy up. She plans a big event, and although there's a scary moment where the band doesn't start performing, they eventually start up and they sound great. While planning all of this crazy stuff, she has very little time for Ryan, who is rather nonplussed that Amber now wants to have a wedding ceremony after all. Kristina tells Amber the story of how Adam proposed to her, which leaves Amber feeling a bit disheartened about Ryan. However, in the end Ryan surprises her with an engagement ring, and Amber is excited.

Pros - Mae Whitman's acting... my goodness, I love this girl. A lot. Her emotions while Kristina told her story were pitch perfect, and I loved her excitement about the concert at the Luncheonette. It's nice to see her actually at her job, since we haven't had a lot of that lately. I liked that she came up with a good idea, and that her uncles respected it and let her take charge.

Elementary: The Marchioness (2x07)

Yes, loved it. Great episode all around. The case itself was nothing special, but it was interesting enough, and it served as a great vehicle for a lot of important character development. Let's dive right in.

Mycroft Holmes is in town, to Sherlock's endless displeasure. He's here to open a new restaurant, but also because his ex-fianceé Nigella is in need of help. Her boyfriend has been murdered. I'll just go through the case really briefly... it involves horse breading, a decoy horse, a notorious cartel hit man, multiple murders, swindling, and more. It's a pretty fun case, if nothing remarkable. I liked the scope of it: since the bad guy in this one was actually pretty menacing, it felt very satisfying when Sherlock caught him.

But it was the character stuff that really shone here. Nigella is of course a point of contention between the Holmes brothers, since Sherlock and her slept together while she was engaged to Mycroft. But, during Mycroft's illness, Nigella was the one who found him a bone marrow donor and saved his life. He decides to accept her back into his life. In the end, however, it turns out that Nigella is implicated in the case - but not for murder. She was cheating people out of a lot of money, though. The Holmes brothers decide to let her off the hook if she promises to pay everyone back. It seems as though she is out of their lives forever. Then of course there's Joan's involvement in all of this. Turns out, when in London, Joan slept with Mycroft. Sherlock is very unhappy about this, and it looks like Joan and Mycroft's relationship might not be moving forward from here, if they want to make things easier on Sherlock.

The Big Bang Theory: The Proton Displacement (7x07)

Unfortunately, I'm going to be pretty hard on this episode. It wasn't completely awful, but it was completely bland. On top of that, almost everything they did in this episode has already been done by this show in the past, and it didn't feel like there was even an attempt at originality going on here.

The plot: Sheldon, Leonard, and Amy run into Bob Newhart - I mean, uh, Dr. Jeffries (aka Professor Proton). Later, Jeffries asks Leonard for help on a paper he's writing, and Sheldon takes offense that he asked Leonard instead of him. In retaliation, he finds a new celebrity science friend - Bill Nye. Jeffries asks Leonard how he can put up with Sheldon being so annoying, to which Leonard replies that they're friends. In the end, Jeffries shows up to ask Sheldon his opinion about the paper, and Jeffries comes in to join Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny for a cup of tea.

The subplot involved Raj and the girls making jewelry together, while Howard interrupts to try and help them make better stuff. Raj is upset because he feels he needs the space where he can talk about his feelings with the girls, and he resents Howard showing up. Howard apologizes, and Raj patches up their friendship by making them each a lightsaber belt.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: F.Z.Z.T. (1x06)

This is definitely the strongest episode we've had yet. And yet, still, it wasn't up to the usual Whedon standards. I guess I'm probably still expecting a bit too much, but what can you do? The man that gave us Firefly, Buffy, and The Avengers is capable of more than this, I just know it. But here's an episode where I'm seeing the seeds of future success. Here's an episode that explored a character dynamic in a very subtle and still beautiful way. Here's an episode that took us away from Skye as the focus... and it's about time.

So, the plot is actually very simple and contained, which I think works in this episode's favor. The gang investigate a couple of deaths and learn that they result from contamination due to exposure to a Chitauri helmet. These people have been spreading the infection due to electrostatic shock, and Jemma Simmons contracts the disease when dealing with one of the victims. The rest of the episode is a race to find a cure. Although at first it doesn't seem like they will be able to find one in time, at the last second Fitz discovers an antiserum, and thanks to some quick skydiving from Ward, Simmons is saved.

That's honestly the entire plot. There were a few other side things going on that helped to advance the characters, but the plot took place almost entirely on the Bus, centered around a very scared Jemma in the lab. I think this setup is honestly what made the episode so strong. I want to go through character by character and talk about their reactions.

Castle: Like Father, Like Daughter (6x07)

Well, damn. Last week I was complaining about Alexis' story line, and now I'm eating my words in a big way. This was actually a fantastic episode in my opinion. Flawless? No, but it was probably the strongest episode we've had this season. So, let's get started with the plot.

Alexis and her professor are investigating a death row case in Pennsylvania. Alexis has formed a connection with the accused man and his girlfriend, and is very upset when the exoneration is denied. In desperation, Alexis decides to go to one person she knows is good at finding answers: Castle. She's still mad at her father, but she knows he's good at this sort of thing. Castle is thrilled to be working on a case with his daughter, because he thinks it will give him an opportunity to repair things between them. However, Alexis is all business, and doesn't want to talk about their relationship.

The case is a very interesting one, and because it happened so long ago, they have to deal with unique challenges in attempting to solve it. The accused man says he found the victim already dead, but all signs point to him being the murderer. Castle and Alexis dig into the case, discovering hints that at first point to the accused man's brother being the murderer. Apparently, he had been in a bad accident and had issues afterwards. The accused man, it is revealed, has believed all this time that his brother was responsible for the woman's death, and decided to take the blame in order to spare his little brother. A second twist reveals that it was in fact a member of the local law enforcement who had killed the young girl all those years ago to cover up for a meth operation.

Supernatural: Dog Dean Afternoon (9x05)

I'm really scared about the next episode, because they just gave us two "funny" episodes in a row and I feel like they're just trying to prepare us for a major storm of angst. I'm very afraid, okay?

You could tell from the "previously on" that they were hoping this episode would go down as one of the great humor episodes in the show. We saw clips from "Changing Channels," "Yellow Fever," "Hunter Heroici" and a few of the other totally silly episodes from the past. And while "Dog Dean Afternoon" didn't completely tank, by any means, I don't think it's going to be making it in with the greats. There were quite a lot of things that fell flat. But let's slow down and look at the plot.

Basically, it's a case-of-the-week. Dean is worried about Sam working, but Sam says he feels fine. The two of them go to investigate a strange killing. A taxidermist has had the life squeezed out of him, as if a snake has constricted him. Initially, Sam and Dean investigate an animal rights group as potential suspects, but find them to be guilty of nothing more than tagging the taxidermist's building. Later, the same killer goes to an animal shelter and eats one of the cats. He then takes on cat-like abilities and kills a man working at the shelter.

How I Met Your Mother: The Lighthouse (9x08)

Three plots. One amazing, one pretty good, and one so-so with a good ending. The end, goodbye.

...

Okay, fine, I'll actually review the thing. Let's go plot by plot!

The amazing plot: Barney and Robin's story. I haven't been able to say that a lot lately, so I was really happy to see a good plot with the two of them. Basically, the feud between Robin and Barney's mom Loretta has gotten worse, as the two of them fight over Loretta's supposedly amazing scrambled eggs. Robin says her mother can make better scrambled eggs. Ted, Lily and Barney are all very excited to have another piece of information about Robin's mom, since over the years they've heard so little about her. Things with Loretta culminate when Robin reveals she doesn't know how to scramble eggs, and Loretta says she worries about what Robin will make for her kids someday. Robin storms off, upset, and Barney tells his mom that Robin can't have kids. Robin then reveals to Lily that her mom isn't coming to the wedding, since she's too afraid to get on the plane to fly over. Loretta shows up and hugs Robin, telling her to call her mom. Tearfully, Robin hugs back.

Once Upon a Time: Ariel (3x06)

Okie dokie, people. Things are getting really intense. I was actually blown away by the acting talent in this episode, and that's not ordinarily something I would say about Once Upon a Time. There were a lot of really stellar moments in this episode, but it also had one big structural problem, so it made it a little hard to sink in to all this good acting. Let's take a look.

So, the title of the episode is "Ariel," and we get a story that takes place while Snow is on the run from the Evil Queen. She escapes some of Regina's henchmen by jumping off of a cliff and into the water, and is then saved by Ariel, a mermaid. Ariel then tells Snow about her true love, Eric, a man she has never even spoken to. Ariel then loses her fins and grows a pair of legs. She explains to Snow that the mythical sea goddess Ursula is said to grant mermaids this gift for a short period of time. Ariel and Snow go to a ball, where Ariel dances with Eric - he announces that he is leaving for a grand adventure in the morning, and wants Ariel to accompany him. She's upset, because she knows that she'll lose her legs in a few hours, making her journey with him impossible. She prays to Ursula for help.

Regina, who has been tracking Snow, decides to impersonate Ursula to serve her own purposes. She gives Ariel a gift, or rather what seems like a gift at first. Ariel goes to Snow to say she's solved both of their problems - Ariel can keep her legs if Snow becomes a mermaid. That way, Ariel can be with Eric, and Snow can go elsewhere, escaping Regina for good and starting a new life under the sea. However, Regina then shows up to capture Snow. Ariel is horrified by what she's done. While at first she wants to leave and go be with Eric, she ultimately decides to come back and save Snow, stabbing Regina with a fork and escaping into the sea with Snow. Snow gets away, and Ariel goes to tell Eric the truth. Just as she swims up in the harbor where his ship is docked, Regina takes her voice away from her, thus preventing her from talking to her true love.

The Walking Dead: Indifference (4x04)

Alright. Good episode. Things are really getting going now, and I find myself eagerly awaiting next week. This story centered around two groups outside of the prison, thus moving us away from our stationary location and giving us some of that migratory adventure that was so important in earlier seasons. It was a breath of fresh air to see some of these characters on the move again. 

So, we have Carol and Rick who go out to look for more food and any medicine they can find. It's just your average supply run, except for the awkward tension in the air. Carol continuously tries to defend her decision to kill Karen and David, but Rick is very unresponsive. While on their supply run, the two come across a man and a woman who have been staying in the neighborhood for a while. Their names are Sam and Ana. Carol helps Sam with a dislocated shoulder, and Rick plans to take the couple back with them to the prison. The two enthusiastically ask to help with the supply run, and while Rick doesn't think it's a good idea, he allows them to help. However, the two don't make it back to the house, having been killed by the Walkers. At the end of the episode, Rick tells Carol that she can't come back to the prison with him because of what she did to Karen and David. With sort of an eerily serene acceptance, Carol drives off, going out on her own.

The Legend of Korra: The Guide (2x09)

So, I'm going to start by saying something about last week's double episode. I've been reading a lot of reviews of it, and it seems like I was the only one who was a tad bit underwhelmed. Let me recap what I said about it: visual design = stunning. Story = great. Mythos ideas = amazing. Characters = boring as hell. As a character driven person, I found that this one element was enough to make the episode less than perfect for me. However, it was still an amazing addition to the show in many ways. One of those ways is that it's propelling our main character Korra into action, and we're finally getting more of the Spirit world, which is what we've been promised all season.

So, what do I think of this episode? One of the stories is great. And the other story has serious potential, but isn't quite there yet.

Korra goes to the Air Temple to find Tenzin and his family. They are all surprised to see her, and even more surprised to hear about the civil war. They've been completely cut off from the outside world. (I found this a tad bit hard to believe, but it's a nitpick, and I can let it go). Korra tells everyone about the Harmonic Convergence and how she has to close the portal. She knows that the only way to do this is to go into the Spirit World. Immediately, Tenzin volunteers to help her do so. Only one problem - Tenzin has never managed to successfully enter the Spirit World. It was his one failing as Aang's son. However, the day is saved when Jinora reveals that she has a very deep connection to Spirits. The episode ends as she and Korra enter the Spirit world together, Jinora as Korra's guide.

Parenthood: The M Word (5x06)

It's always a bit difficult to review this show as a whole, because often the differing plot lines vary in quality. Some of them I loved, others I wasn't too crazy about. I guess we shall take them one by one.

Starting with my least favorite, I have to say I wasn't thrilled with the Sarah and Amber plot. Don't get me wrong - in terms of acting, it was great, as always. Mae Whitman and Lauren Graham do an amazing job of portraying the relationship between these two characters. But honestly, I think this plot is just wearing me out. Last week, we saw Ryan confront Sarah about some of her concerns. But instead of propelling the plot forward, we got more of the same. Sarah and Amber have another confrontation about the wedding, but in the end Sarah apologizes and they decide they're going to plan the wedding together. I just anticipate a lot of going back and forth on this one, and I'm still not sure whether we're supposed to think that Ryan and Amber will be endgame or not. I did like seeing Drew in this one. It was really sweet that Amber wanted Drew to come with them when they eloped, but I thought it was very true to Drew's character that he wouldn't let Amber get married without their mom. This plot thread wasn't awful by any means, but it wasn't my favorite.

Elementary: An Unnatural Arrangement (2x06)

Somehow, the writers of Elementary found my blog and decided to answer my prayers. The last few reviews, I've been complaining about how Gregson and Bell haven't had enough to do this season. And now? We get an episode with a focus on Gregson! Woo! I'll just go through the plot really quick.

Gregson's wife comes home to find a man in a mask with a gun, asking for her husband. She manages to run upstairs and shoot at him through the door, but the mysterious man gets away with only a minor wound. Their first lead is a man who has been stalking Gregson, but when another person is attacked and then killed, Sherlock figures out the truth. Gregson wasn't the target - his next door neighbor was. This leads to finding a connection between the neighbor and the dead man that involves their time in the army on a guard detail for an important archaeological dig. In the end, it turns out that a supervisor for the dig and her ex-husband are the culprits behind it all. They were trying to cover up the fact that they had stolen artifacts from the site.

So, in all the actual crime-driven part of the plot was pretty average. Nothing mind boggling, but still interesting enough. I was fooled by some of the twists and turns. The only thing that really didn't fit was the bit about Gregson's stalker. That seemed like it could have been an episode all to itself... who the heck was that weirdo?

Grey's Anatomy: Thriller (10x07)

Alright, we've got a Halloween themed episode this week, and it was actually quite a lot of fun. It always amazes me how much this show can fit into one episode without it feeling crowded, and this week is no exception. Let's jump right in and start going through these plots.

Webber has been teaching the (now second year) interns from his bedside, coaching them through his own case. When he wants one of the interns to perform the surgery, Bailey comes up with all sorts of reasons why it's not a good idea. In the end, however, Webber fires Bailey from his case and asks Meredith to take it on. He apologizes for what he said to Meredith when he first woke up, and tells her that he wants her help teach the interns. I liked this plot, although I found the scene with Bailey and Webber to maybe be a bit too harsh, actually. I understood where Webber was coming from, but he really did a number on poor Bailey.

Speaking of Bailey, her husband Ben comes home for Halloween, excited to spend the holiday with his family. Bailey is busy at the hospital and is a bit dismissive of Halloween, but Ben says that Tucker deserves something amazing for the holiday, so he sets up a huge decoration display at the house and gets Tucker an awesome mad scientist costume. Bailey is overjoyed and all seems well, until Ben drops a bomb: he dropped out of his residency to spend more time with his family. Bailey is... not happy about this. She says she's disappointed in him. This is a very interesting little development, and I really hope we get more time to focus on it moving forward. Ben basically says that he loves Bailey more than he loves surgery, and I think that upset Bailey because she knows she can't say the same. Surgery is always going to come first in her life, and I think she's upset that her husband doesn't feel the same.

The Vampire Diaries: Monster's Ball (5x05)

This is going to be a rapid-fire review. Let's start with the plot.

We see Professor Maxfield running experiments on the new vampire Jesse, and it appears that these sorts of experiments aren't new to him. That cannot be good. Meanwhile Elena, trying to handle her grief over Bonnie's death, looks further into Megan's death. She meets Aaron, a rather taciturn student who apparently knew Megan when they were kids. Things are getting interesting, however, as Elena is threatened by Maxfield to leave the school before people start asking questions.

Tyler is back in town, but only long enough to have sex with Caroline for a few days and then break up with her to go join the spin off. Apparently, his hatred for Klaus is stronger than his love for Caroline.

There's a ball at the college, and everyone goes dressed up as famous historical figures, which is a great opportunity for some fun costumes. Nina Dobrev looks beautiful as always, dressed as Anne Boleyn. Also in attendance at the ball are Damon, Caroline and Tyler, a very grumpy Stefan, Tessa/Qetsiyah, and Silas. See, Damon and Silas are working together.

Once Upon a Time: Good Form (3x05)

I shall start this review by praising Colin O'Donoghue's acting. Because wow. I was seriously impressed with him in this episode. I think part of it was that he actually got a pretty decent script and story to work with, but he was just selling all of those emotions. I knew that once he got a chance to shine, he'd hit it out of the park.

Let's take a look at the plot. There are two main plots happening. The story in Neverland has good elements, but it has its problems as well. Then, there's the Hook-centric back story, which I found to be pretty strong, generally. Here we go!

Henry is feeling more and more at home among the Lost Boys. During a sword fight with Devin, Henry accidentally cuts Devin on the cheek, but Pan tells Henry that Lost Boys don't ever apologize. I'm not entirely convinced about the Lost Boys plot arc yet, but Pan is making for a very convincing villain, and I think this worked okay.

Meanwhile, Emma and the gang continue their journey to find Henry. Emma is scared that Henry might be losing hope. She remembers her time in the foster system, and she sees markings in Neal's cave that indicate he stopped counting the days... she knows that Henry needs some sort of sign in order to maintain hope. They decide to set a trap for a Lost Boy and ask him to deliver a message to Henry.